List of Consultants
Our Training Consultants
| Christine Hartung |
| Angela Ditchmen |
| Sharyn Gillick |
| Alexsandra White |
| Stacey Spicer |
| Lynda Gorman |
| Megan Nguyen |
| Lauren Reinhardt |
| Rachel Scarlett |
| Jane Vuong |
| Angela Wilson |
| Carol_Crees |
| Gary Crees |
Expect A Star consultants are early years educators who are passionate about their role and position in the early years sector. You will find all of our consultants specialise in their respective fields and are determined to make a positive contribution to the industry.
Our consultants include -
Christine has 17 years of experience in the early childhood and training field. During this time Christine has worked in the positions of Early Childhood Teacher, Director both Contact and Non-contact, Field Consultant, Area Manager, National Project Manager and State Manager.
Christine takes pride in keeping abreast with industry knowledge and ensuring this is handed on to those working in the industry. She loves working with children, being a mother to her 15 month old daughter and continues to gain pleasure in providing training to industry professionals.
She believes that it is important for early childhood professionals to keep up to date with industry knowledge and practices that impact on the lives and education of young children. She excels in maintaining industry knowledge and finding fun and exciting ways to impart this on to industry professionals.
Qualifications
Diploma of Management (2009)
Cert IV in Training and Assessment (2005)
Bachelor of Education – Early Childhood (1994)
Bachelor of Teaching – Early Childhood (1993)
Associate Diploma of Business (1990)
Angela Ditchmen has been working with families and children for the past 21 years. Angela currently teaches and train’s childcare workers, in addition to providing information sessions for parents and carers. Previous to this, she has worked with children aged from six weeks to eight years, as a Kindergarten teacher, child care worker, nanny, and Long Day care Coordinator.
Angela’s Qualifications include a Montessori Diploma, a Diploma of Human Services and a Bachelor of Education and Certificate IV in Workplace training. As a working mother of two young children, her sessions aim to provide practical strategies based on experience and age/stage development that can be implemented across all age groups to facilitate calm happy families.
Sharyn is a well known and respected identity in the children’s services and training sector with over 14 years industry experience. During this time Sharyn has worked as group leader, contact and non-contact director, and area manager. After the birth of her first child in 2002, she moved into the training sector and hasn’t looked back! With 7 years experience as a training consultant in three different organisations, Sharyn absolutely loves working with children, being a parent, and continually gains great pleasure, challenge and excitement out of training industry professionals.
Sharyn has extensive experience with writing resource materials, developing and delivering workshops/classes, and with assisting individuals to gain an understanding of requirements and setting personal goals.
Sharyn believes it is important to be both an educator and an entertainer, as learning should always be fun and exciting. With this in mind students and participants are provided with interesting ways of learning about the early childhood industry that has practical applications.
Alexsandra is an enthusiastic teacher/trainer and has been educating children and their families for over 25 years. She is highly versatile educator with a holistic approach, and this is demonstrated in her range of work as a consultant &trainer, childcare & preschool teacher, special/additional needs teacher, primary school teacher and artist. Alexsandra brings her experience and passion as an artist to children and the early childhood environment.
She currently enjoys training and working with childcare workers, and is a casual relief teacher while studying for a Diploma in Art Therapy. Alexsandra is an advocate of team work, promoting the strengths of the child’s self esteem, their independence, resilience and the highest needs of the individual child. She promotes and values play, imagination, fun, respect & equity and, high quality care & ethics in Early Childhood.
Before entering the training industry 4 years ago, Stacey worked in children’s services for 9 years across a range of positions. Commencing on a traineeship as an assistant, Stacey studied and progressed to group leader and director until she was appointed field officer responsible for 18 centres across Australia.
Stacey thrives on helping people and is passionate about the early childhood industry. The position of trainer/assessor was an ideal career choice for her and one that she now sees being her role for many years to come. Stacey also provides accreditation and consultancy support to various services, as well as delivering professional development workshops and accredited training.
Stacey continually attends seminars and conferences to extend her learning to share with her students and has recently returned to industry temporarily on a part time basis working in an OSHC environment to ensure her industry knowledge and experiences remain current.
Lynda has over 20 years experience in the food industry, focusing on children's nutrition and workplace hygiene. Initially trained as a home economist, Lynda has lectured in an extensive range of food related areas. She then obtained an advanced diploma from the Cordon Bleu School of Cookery, London before freelancing internationally and in Australia as a food journalist, consultant, chef and stylist.
Lynda has a Certificate IV in Assessment & Workplace Training. Lynda is currently engaged as a private consultant and TAFE lecturer specilaising in children's health, nutrition, workplace hygiene, food safety practices and OH&S.
Meg holds a Bachelor of Family & Consumer Sciences in Child and Family Development from The University of Georgia, U.S.A. She has over ten years of experience working in the child and family development field and has spent the last five years specialising in developmental assessment for children and designing early intervention programs. She has also worked as a research scientist in the child development field and incorporates many of her findings in training workshops that she conducts. She believes that it is crucial to keep up to date on the most recent findings to ensure that children are being guided with methods that are current and most beneficial.
Meg is also an advocate for the Zero to Three Movement, which believes in the importance to have all children developmentally assessed before the age of three. Meg has several years of experience in conducting parental guidance workshops and aims to empower parents by providing them with accurate information and resources. Meg is also the owner of Growing Minds, which serves the greater Sydney area by providing educational training to professionals and parents and developmental assessments for children from birth to six years of age.
Lauren Reinhardt (North Shore Speech Therapy)
Lauren is the senior Speech Pathologist & practice manager at North Shore Speech Therapy. She is passionate and about helping clients achieve their communication and literacy goals and goes about this in a fun and energetic manner. Lauren has also lectured at Universities and conferences around Australia. http://www.speechtherapy.com.au/
Rachel Scarlett
Rachel Scarlett has worked in the Early Childhood profession for the last 17 years. Her time has been spent in a range of roles in Long Day Care and Pre School services.
Rachel has worked in various roles over these years, from teaching, to management and training positions. Her experience covers Community based facilities, work based, private and large corporate organisations.
In recent years, Rachel has drawn on her formal qualifications in both Early Childhood and Business, working as a consultant in development and management of Centre based Early Childhood facilities. Her particular strength and interest lies in effective management of children’s services, and developing organisations skills in these areas to improve quality childcare.
Jane Vuong
Jane Vuong has a background in early childhood education, art therapy and counselling. She is an international consultant specialising in early years education and teacher development. She has consulted in Australia and the UK where she has successfully implemented various professional development programmes for early childhood practitioners.
Currently, Jane is in the process of publishing a series of books in the area of children's learning and development.
Angela Wilson is an teacher, consultant, researcher and lecturer in Special Education of children and adults with disabilities. Her work spans children with learning difficulties and children who are hearing impaired, multihandicapped deaf and deafblind, physically and developmentally delayed.
Areas of expertise include augmentative and alternative communication, training teachers and other professionals working with people with disabilities, collaboration and consultation between education and allied health and other professionals, family counselling and a family centred approach in education, assessment and programming for children with dual sensory handicaps and other multiple disabilities.
Dr Wilson is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. She also lectures in the Faculty of Education at The University of Sydney and at the College of Fine Arts, The University of New South Wales.
Carol is a teacher and social worker with experience in classical dancing and training as a recreational folk dance teacher. More recently she has completed a Masters in Early Childhood Studies looking at movement and learning for young children. She has 15 years experience working with young children and training teachers and carers in music and movement. Carol is an experienced yoga practitioner.
Gary is a teacher and musician specializing in early childhood workshops and educational performance. Gary’s interests include writing & collecting material for classroom use as well as increasing aliveness through voice & bodywork. Gary is a qualified Dru Yoga teacher. As well as his passion for music & movement, there has been an equal interest in wellbeing & Gary has also trained in somatics and related therapies.
In their work together Gary & Carol specialize in early childhood music, movement & dance education as well as creating multicultural & original resources for Early Childhood teachers. Theatre in education performances & family dances have been an enjoyable part of their work. Gary & Carol are long standing members of the NSW Orff Schulwerk Association & have always used this approach to inform their teaching of music & movement.Current Resources include: Songs from Around the World for Young Children + Dances for Young Children from Around the World: Volumes 1 & 2 + Music for Little People 0-3 Years + Favourite Songs + YogaPlay & Relaxation for young children.
If you would like to be a Star Consultant please do not hesitate to contact Ryan Meldrum on 1300 669 653.
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