Staff Profiles

We have added this information so that you can see the great people we have working for us and maybe get to know them a little better. We understand that it is hard to leave your nearest and dearest but hopefully knowing that our staff are trained and qualified will help reassure you that you are leaving your child in the best hands possible.

Knockbridge

Name: Caron Finnegan

Age: 30

Address: Tallanstown

Qualification: Diploma in Crèche Management and Team Leading, Diploma in Montessori Teaching, Diploma in special needs

First Aid Training: Yes

Other Courses: Child protection, Food hygiene,

Job Title: Creche Manager

Started With Pugwash: August 2008

Has: 2 children

Why Childcare: Very rewarding watching the children learn and grow.

Name: Donna Griffiths Jones

Age: 31

Address: Stonetown

Qualification: Childcare Fetac Level 5

First Aid Training: Yes

Other Courses: Food Safety

Job Title: Baby Room Team Leader

Started With Pugwash: April 2008

Has: 1 child

Why Childcare: I love working in the baby room, watching the babies start to do things for themselves e.g. starting to walk.

Name: Ruth Kenwright

Age: 26

Address: Knockbridge

Qualification: Diploma in Childcare and Education, Playwork and Special Needs

First Aid Training: Yes

Other Courses: Siolta, Child protection, Fire Safety

Job Title: Montessori Room Team Leader

Started With Pugwash: September 2009

Has: 1 child

Why Childcare: Listening to all the children coming in each morning with their different stories

Name: Charlene Clarke

Age: 23

Address: Knockbridge

Qualification: NVQ Level 3

First Aid Training: Yes

Other Courses: In-house training e.g. food hygeine

Job Title: Pre-Montessori Assistant

Started With Pugwash: September 2010

Why Childcare: Love working with children, watching them grow and develop.

What You Like About Pugwash: I love all the staff here. It is close to home, alot of local children in the crèche, i have a good relationship will all the staff here.

Name: Alison Ward

Age; 27

Address: Ardee, Co. Louth

Qualification: Childcare Fetac Level 5, Montessori Diploma

First Aid Training: Yes

Other Courses: Food Safety, Child Protection, Buntas Start

Job Title: Pre-Montessori Teacher

Started With Pugwash: October 2009

Why Childcare: Love teaching the children new things and watching them learn and grow.

Name: Maria Lyons

Age: 40

Address: Castleblaney

Qualification; Fetac level 6 in Child Psychology, Special Needs, Diploma in Montessori (ongoing)

First Aid Training: Yes

Other Courses: Siolta, Buntas, Fire Safety

Job Title: Montessori Assistant

Started at Pugwash: November 2009

Why Childcare: Never a dull moment, always lots of fun to be had with the children.

Name: Helen

Age: 22

Address: Dundalk

Qualifications: Diploma in Childcare

Current First Aid: no

Any other training completed:

The age group / room they work in: Preschool

Their start date with us: October 2009

Do they have children of their own: Yes Jack, aged 7 months

The thing I like most about working with children: “I enjoy working with the children in Lis na Dara as I love to see them grow and learn different things every day. They are all friendly, happy children who are all a pleasure to look after”

Bay Estate

Name: Gillian Callan

Age: 27yrs old

Address: Castlebellingham, Dundalk

Qualifications: Level 5 Diploma in Childcare and Education. Level 6 Montessori Teaching Diploma

First Aid Training: Yes

Other Training: Fire Safety Training, Food Hygiene, Child Protection, Buntas, Siolta, Smart Start- health promotion, Media initiative for children.

Job Title: Crèche Manager

Start date: 3rd September 2007

Has: One child

Most like about children: Everyday is a different day with children, they can always make you laugh and put a smile on your face. As childcare workers we teach the children something new every day but they also teach us something new each day,

Most like about the crèche I work in: Bay estate is a very friendly and very homely crèche, we try to make the children and parents feel as if their coming from their home into a homely atmosphere here. All the staff work very well together as a team. Its one for all and all for one.

Name: James Everard

Age: 24

Address: Dundalk

Qualifications: Fetac Level 5 in Childcare

First Aid Training: Yes

Other Training: Buntas, Siolta, Food hygiene, Smart Start- health promotion, Child Protection.

Job Title: Pre Montessori Room

Start date: 20th May 2008

Has: 1 girl and 1 boy

Most like about working with children: Knowing that you are helping to sculpt the children’s mind and character and bringing the children forward and expanding their brain and imagination.

Most like about Pugwash Bay Bay Estate: The homely atmosphere created here in bay estate by all the parents staff and children and the staff I work with are great.

Name: Oonagh Hoey

Age: 27

Address: Dundalk, Co Louth

Qualifications: Fetac level 5 in Childcare

First Aid Training: Yes

Other Training: Siolta, Curriculum Planning

Job Title: Pre-Montessori Room

Start Date: 1st November 2010

Has: 1 boy aged 6

Most like about working with children: Knowing that we have the opportunity to teach children things that they will remember for years to come

Most like about Pugwash Bay Estate: It has a real homely feeling to  it which I feel makes it very inviting to parents and children and I really enjoy working with everyone here.

Name: Kim Mc Gee

Address: Ard Na Mara, Blackrock

Start date: 7th February 2011

Has: a boy and a girl

Job Title: Montessori Assistant

Qualifications: Fetac Level 5 in Childcare

First Aid Training: Yes

Thing most like about children: Their imagination its amazing how lego bricks can turn into a robot dog a spaceman or a train engine. I love how their wee faces lighting up when they are doing an activity. And also at circle time when they are telling their news especially after the weekend if one child went swimming everyone went swimming hilarious !!!

 Thing I  most like about working in Bay Estate: I love the homely feeling about bay estate and I feel the children really do experience a home to home atmosphere. There is a great rapport among the staff and while we take our work very serious we have lots of fun too !!

Name: Caroline Byrne

Address: Blackrock

Has: 2 boys and 1 girl

Start Date: 2nd nov 2009

Qualifactions: Teaching Certificate, BA in geography and sociology

Job Title: Montessori Teacher

First Aid Training: Yes

Other Training Courses: Buntas, Computer Training, Curriculum Planning

Name: Vineta Krumina

Start date:18th aug 2008

Address: Lios Dubh Armagh Road

Job Title: Montessori Assistant

Qualifications: Fetac Level 5 in Childcare

Training: Food Hygiene, Buntas, Siolta

First Aid Training: Yes

Has: 2 boys

Lis Na Dara

Name: Roisin Sweeney  

Age: 26

Address: Meigh, Co. Armagh

Qualifications: Level 5 in Childcare/ Completing Level 6 Supervionin Childcare

Current First Aid: yes

Any other training completed: Food Hygiene Level 1/ Children First

The age group / room they work in:

Their start date with us: April 2009

Do they have children of their own: One son Aaron, who attends the Little Buttons room

The thing they like most about working with children: Seeing them learn new things and watching their progress as they grow.

The thing I like most about the crèche I work in: “I love working in Lis na Dara as the staff, children and parents are all friendly and each person adds to the warm, caring and happy atmosphere that makes this a great place to be. Every day we all work together as a team to help the children learn and develop. I love to hear the children’s stories and to see their confidence grow from day to day. It’s always great to see the children settle in and become comfortable and happy and as a result the parents feel happy too.”

Name: Alison Keenan

Age: 24

Address: Ravensdale

Qualifications: Level 5 in Childcare/ Completing Level 6 Supervision in Childcare

Current First Aid: no

Any other training completed:

The age group / room they work in: Little Buttons aged 1 ½ to 2 ½ years

Their start date with us: September 2010

Do they have children of their own: No

The thing I like most about working with children: “The children in Lis na Dara are a joy to look after. They are fun friendly and real characters. It really is a pleasure to see them grow and learn and to become confident little people”

Name: Shirlie McGivney

Age: 39

Address: Castlebellingham

Qualifications: Completing Level 6 Montessori

Current First Aid: yes

Any other training completed: Play and the Developing Child/ Behaviour Management of the Toddler

The age group / room they work in: Pre-Montessori Team Leader

Their start date with us: November 2003

Do they have children of their own: Yes, Kyle

The thing I like most about working with children: “I enjoy watching the children learn new experiences and to be part of that learning is very special. I love the innocence of the children and how simple life is for them. The staff in Lis na Dara are all easy to get on with and I have a great relationship with them and also with all of the parents. Everyone is welcoming and happy in the mornings”

Name: Orla O’Neil

Age: 20

Address: Louth

Qualifications: Level 5 in Childcare/ Completing Level 6 Supervision in Childcare

Current First Aid: yes

Any other training completed:  

The age group / room they work in: Age 2.5-3.5, in the Little Buttons Room

Their start date with us:3rd Novemeber 2009

Do they have children of their own: No

The thing I like most about the crèche I work in: “ I enjoy working with the children in Lis na Dara because I think they are lovely, friendly and well behaved. They are a pleasure to work with. I love watching them reaching the “norms” of development and we have a great laugh everyday as each of the children has a very different personality”

Name: Kellie Joyce

Age: 30

Address: Dundalk

Qualifications: NVQ Level 3 in Children’s Care Learning and Development/ Completing Level 6 in Montessori

Current First Aid: yes

Any other training completed: Language and Literacy in Early Childhood/ Smart Start

The age group / room they work in: Rolo’s Montessori Group Age 3+ years

Their start date with us: February 2006

Do they have children of their own: Yes,

The thing I like most about the crèche I work in: “I love working with children as they learn and grow, and watching their self esteem grow each day as the more they can solve their own problems. They can learn something new each day, ie: today a child can’t put a line from one dot to the next and then a few weeks later some children can write numbers and letters. It is very sad for me at the end of the year when they leave for big school as I really enjoy having them and will miss them when they have gone. I also look forward to when new children start.”

Name: Salamat Oladukun              

Age: 39

Address: Dundalk

Qualifications: Level 6 Supervision in Childcare

Current First Aid: yes

Any other training completed: Level 5 in Applied Psycology and Social Studies

The age group / room they work in: Skittles Montessori Group, aged 3+ Years

Their start date with us: October 2010

Do they have children of their own: Yes, four children.

Name: Zoe Dunne

Age: 20

Address: Togher

Qualifications: Level 5 in Childcare/ Completeing Level 6 Supervision in Childcare

Current First Aid: yes

Any other training completed:

The age group / room they work in: Rolo’s Montessori Group, aged 3+ years

Their start date with us: October 2010

Do they have children of their own: No

The thing I like most about working with children: “I love working in Lis na Dara as we all work as a team together. Since I started I have felt very welcome. We work hard but we have lots of fun together and love all the children at the same time. The children in Lis na Dara always make me laugh and make every day worthwhile. I love seeing the children grow each day. Every day they learn something different. I enjoy circle time each morning as it gives the children a chance to tell me stories that are always interesting and fun. I enjoy watching the children’s Physical. Intellectual, Linguistic, Emotional and Social skills grow and develop. At the end of the year I feel sad that the children are going but proud that I got them through the year and helped them to develop. I am looking forward to September to a new bunch of children coming in.”

Name: Lasma

Age: 27

Address: Dundlak

Qualifications:Diploma

Current First Aid: yes

Any other training completed: Fire Safety Management, Cirriculum Planning

The age group / room they work in: 1yr- 2yrs in Smarties Room

Their start date with us: August 2009

Do they have children of their own: Yes Marks, aged 3

The thing I like most about working with children: “I love working with children because they make me smile every day. Being able to teach a child something new and having fun at the same time is the most rewarding thing for me. It is a big honour to be part of a child’s life”

Name: Donna

Age:27

Address: Dundalk

Qualifications: Level 5 in Childcare

Current First Aid: yes

Any other training completed:

The age group / room they work in: 1-2 yrs in Smarties

Their start date with us: December 2011

Do they have children of their own: No

The thing I like most about working with children: “I love working with the kids in Lis na Dara because every day is fun and different. I love observing how new children in particular settle in and become more confident in themselves and their new environment. The kids in Lis na Dara are fun-loving and energetic and I enjoy watching the grow, develop and build relationships with the staff and other children in the crèche”

Name: Amy Curran

Position: Childcare Assistant in the Smarties Room

Lives in Dundalk

Qualifications: Level 8, Hons Degree ub Early Childhood Studies

Current First Aid: Yes

Start Date with us: Sep 2011

Name: Audrey Mackin         

Age: 32

Lives in Dundalk

Qualifications: Level 5 in Childcare

First Aid: Yes

Other Training: Special Needs

Start Date: Sep 2011

Own Children:  2 Boys

Age: 23

Position: Childcare Assistant in the Marschmallows Room

Lives in Dundalk

Qualifications: NVQ Level 3 in Childcare and Education

First Aid: Yes

Other Training: Food Hygiene, Haccp, Working with children with Special Needs

Start Date: Sep 2011

Name: Marzena Zielonka

Position: Childcare Assistant in the Jelly Babies room

Lives in Drumconrath

Qualifications: Master of Arts in English Studies and Teaching Qualification

Current First Aid: Yes

Other Training: Public Relations Specialist

Start Date: Oct 2011

Name: Ciara Byrne

Age: 23

Address: Knockbridge

Qualifications:  NVQ  Level 3 in Childcare Learning and Development / Completing Level 6 Supervision in Childcare

Current First Aid: yes

Any other training completed:

The age group / room they work in: Marshmallows, aged 2 ½ to 3 ½ years

Their start date with us: December 2009

Do they have children of their own: No

The thing they like most about working with children:

The thing they like most about the crèche they work in:

Name: Monika Dembna,

Age: 29

Address: Drogheda

Qualifications: Diploma in Montessori Teaching

Current First Aid: yes

Any other training completed: Buntas Training

The age group / room they work in: Skittles Montessori Group

Their start date with us: October 2009

Do they have children of their own: Currently Pregnant

The thing they like most about working with children: “I love to work with Kids because every day is different and very interesting. I like to witness their development and be a part of their life”