Joanie van der Plaat  

Centre Manager - Community Kids Lake Albert

“Every child has their own unique personality, and this can change on a daily basis – so you adapt your teaching style to suit each day.” 

I began my career in early childhood education and care in 1997 and started working at Community Kids Lake Albert in October 2020. I hold a Diploma in Children’s Services and completed my Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood) in 2004. I also completed a Cert IV Workplace Trainer & Assessor certificate.  

I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with all age groups during my time in Early Childhood Education. I had a passion for the preschool years and preparing the children for school and ensuring they had learnt valuable life lessons that would benefit them in their future years.  

I love the opportunity to work with so many lovely children and families, to work alongside dedicated team members who all have the same outlook to ensure the children have a fun and enjoyable time in our care and feel safe and supported while with us. I particularly love the connection that is built between the children and families to become an extension of the child’s families is such a privilege.  

Every child has their own unique personality, and this can change on a daily basis – so you go with the flow, adapt your teaching style to suit each day and what it may throw at you.  

All childcare centres, including our centre, use the foundation of play-based learning to guide our experiences every day. With access to a range of age-appropriate learning resources, trained educators, and new experiences among friends, we set children up to thrive in an environment that is dedicated to learning.   

Children develop their curiosity, problem-solving, confidence and resilience at our centre, and we carefully plan play-based learning experiences around their interests and learning goals. Over time, you will see your child develop abilities such as language, motor movement, memory, concentration and social relationships all by partaking in these experiences - it's a truly incredible journey to witness!

We have long-serving, dedicated team members. Many have been with the centre since it opened in 2004. As a centre, we value each and everyone’s importance in making our children and families feel comfortable and welcomed and a part of the wider community. The whole team sees their role as incredibly important, helping children establish the building blocks for a successful lifetime of learning. 

We have an open-door policy and encourage our families to spend some time in our centre to witness the magic unfold, we encourage you to immerse yourself in our environments, watch our curriculum in practice or join us for delicious healthy meals. 

A fun fact about me is I like bugs and am happy to find them in the yard and show them and learn about them with the children – except earwigs, I really don’t like them. 

Welcome to Community Kids Lake Albert.