top of page

Gabrielle Holden

INNOVATION IN TEACHING

Kindergarten children are doing their own risk assessments before climbing trees, balancing on natural objects, operating hand tools and even lighting fires with flints, under the stringent guidance of educators in one of the state’s first off-site Bush Kindy programs.


C&K Strathpine Community Kindergarten’s highly sought-after Bush Kindy program was the vision of an inspirational teacher, Gabrielle Holden, whose tireless work has led the way for others to implement similar initiatives.


A strong advocate for the importance of play in children’s development, Gabby’s innovative practices have been praised by her colleagues at the north Brisbane kindergarten, where she has taught for 17 years.


C&K Strathpine Community Kindergarten teacher Rosetta Holm says Gabby’s determination, effort, persistence and patience in overcoming obstacles to implement the Bush Kindy program in 2017 was admirable.


“The success of the Bush Kindy is due wholly to Gabby’s passion, dedication and advocacy for her children to be able to play, explore and engage with nature,” Rosetta says.

Prior to the program being introduced, Gabby spent countless hours, over a period of 18 months, consulting with local government, the Office of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), C&K and SEQ water, and visiting established Bush Kindergartens interstate. There were infrastructure and transportation hurdles, and committees to convince.


The benefits the program has brought for children have been enormous, Rosetta says.


“The children thrive and love Bush Kindy. We have seen the positive impact that this experience of engaging in the outdoors has given the children in more than one area of their development. They develop and demonstrate increased confidence, physical strength and co-ordination skills, resilience, risk taking, and further their knowledge and appreciation of our environment,” Rosetta says.

The children, who undertake the program once a week in Terms 2 and 3, follow three key guidelines: I will keep myself safe, I will keep my friends safe and I will keep my environment safe. There are three teachers and one parent supervisor – known as a ‘bushranger’ – per group.


“Working within these guidelines allows children to have a sense of agency in their Bush Kindy experience. Physically, the children become more confident in their abilities and their approach to risk taking. The children learn about safety through experience,” Rosetta says.


“Gabby encourages the children to be the guardians of their own learning during their Bush Kindy experience. Her faith in their ability to guide their own learning in a natural environment has made an impact on every child and adult who has participated in the program.”

As the kindergarten’s co-director, Gabby is also the centre’s chief ‘grant writer’, is involved with numerous local education networks, is the staff’s nominated supervisor, and ensures that any student who is identified as needing support receives it, including filling out all the documentation needed.


She has introduced regular play dates at the end of the year for groups of children set to attend the following year, to help familiarise the three and four-year-olds with the centre and each other.


Through the Bush Kindy program, Gabby has also taught children how to be more respectful and protective of their environment, while learning more about the native flora and fauna. The program has also attracted onsite visits from local childcare centres and schools, and from C&K and ECEC.


“The Kindergarten’s ‘Exceeding’ rating is a testament to the standard of education and care provided by Gabby,” Rosetta says.


Congratulations Gabby on being shortlisted for the TEACHX Innovation in Teaching Award.

Recent Posts

See All

2件のコメント


不明なメンバー
1月20日

789bet không chỉ là một nhà cái cá cược trực tuyến mà còn là nơi kết nối những người chơi đam mê và tìm kiếm trải nghiệm giải trí đỉnh cao. Với danh mục sản phẩm đa dạng, quy trình giao dịch nhanh chóng, cùng sự đồng hành của những tên tuổi lớn như Luis Suarez, 789bet cam kết mang đến dịch vụ uy tín, an toàn và chuyên nghiệp nhất. Hãy tham gia 789bet ngay hôm nay để tận hưởng một thế giới cá cược đầy thú vị và cơ hội chiến thắng lớn! https://789bet.net.co/

いいね!

不明なメンバー
2022年8月18日

Profile Join date: Mar 25, 2022

About There are numerous benefits of having private toto sites that provide the Eat-and-Run verification. You will not only discover the most reliable and trustworthy betting websites and betting sites, but you also gain access to confidential information on toto. Such sites can offer you the latest information regarding toto games and can also give you tips for making more money with toto. A private toto site has a high rating and customer service representatives who are available around all hours of the day. It is possible to play games with toto using mobile devices by following some simple instructions. Verification of private toto websites is a must. This is a complicated procedure, b…

いいね!
bottom of page