Krystal McIntosh Integrated Family and Service Manager
Hi, I’m Krystal McIntosh and I’m the Integrated and Family service manager at Goodstart Jindi, also known as Jindi Kindergarten and Extended Care.
My career in Early Learning:
I started in this role in February 2018. Prior to this I was an Area Manager for two and a half years and before that I was a Centre Director for seven years. I have been in the Early Childhood sector teaching children since May 2005. I hold my Advanced Diploma in Children’s Services and currently at university studying my Bachelor in Early Childhood.
My Early Learning values:
I believe in children learning through play. We encourage children to learn at their own pace through high quality educational programs and having opportunities to explore their environments to build strong social and emotional skills.
We welcome and encourage parents to participate in the program and be involved in their children’s early learning experience.
We provide a play-based learning program that will support children in learning the skills they need for school and life. I believe that ‘play’ provides opportunity for children to learn, discover, imagine, interact and communicate. I think it’s important that we offer this to children in a warm, safe, friendly and inviting environment.
I believe my role is to support children, their families and staff to feel welcome at the service. I believe it’s important for me to create a safe environment for everybody feel, safe, supported and listened to.
What I love about our community:
I am excited by the opportunity to provide an integrated service to the local community and support the growth and wellbeing of the Mernda children and families. Over time additional services for children, parents and families will be introduced to help strengthen families participation in the community.
A little more about me:
I grew up in Mernda, I lived there for 25 years until I brought my own home. I am the youngest child of a family of six. I also have four nephews and two nieces as well as two children of my own. Both children are at school and keep me very busy.
In my spare time I like to spoil my children, travel, play netball and go on adventures with my family and friends.
Why your child should spend the day with me (and the amazing team at Jindi):
Here at Goodstart Jindi, we are different to other centres. We are a standalone kinder offering 5 programs across the week for children aged 3 and above.
We work together to achieve goals and make everybody feel valued. I think it’s important for all children, families, staff and community to feel included in the decision making of the service.
I believe in reflection. I believe in evaluating what works well and where we need to improve and I welcome your feedback every day.
I look forward to welcoming you and your family.
Natasha Milenkovic Assistant Director
Hi, my name Is Natasha (my preferred name is Tash). I am the Assistant Director at Goodstart Jindi beginning in August 2019. I began my career in Early Childhood Education in 2011, I have 9 years experiences working in the sector, I hold a variety of roles from teaching roles and management. I currently hold my Diploma of Education and looking at further study opportunities.
My mother and father where born overseas in Greece and Serbia, my brother Daniel and I were born in Australia which makes us the second-generation Australians in our family.
I have always believed that the children of today are the future of tomorrow, collaboratively as an organisation in the child care sector we are fortunate enough to educate and support the children we care for, with passionate and nurturing teachers and educators the children in our care have the best possible opportunities to learn, grow and express their unique ways of development. My personal belief is caring for children holistically, which embraces and teaches the connectedness of mind, body and spirit.
“Jean Piaget is one of my favorite theorist, they need to be able to see, touch, taste, smell, move, and hear the things they are learning about. Children are little researchers. They learn by using their senses to explore how things work”