It's been 25 years since Barrington Street Preschool and Long Day Care Centre opened its doors and Donna Summerville has been there since the beginning.
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"I absolutely love it," Donna said. "I love making a difference and watching the transition."
The childcare centre celebrated a quarter of a century of operation on April 16 with a fairly quiet affair. COVID regulations in the sector have made big celebrations a little difficult, so they held an intimate event with the current students.
"We made cupcakes - rainbow cupcakes," Donna smiled.
Joining Donna at the very beginning were the then owners Wendy and Chris Montgomery and fellow teacher, Susie McLeod, who now works at Gloucester Public School. At that stage, there were around 15 children enrolled, now it's at full capacity with 29 children enrolled on each day.
Donna has seen many changes since the 1996 opening, not only with regulations but also with the preschool itself. In December 2020, the preschool opened its dream backyard after being able to purchase a parcel of land from the neighbours and extend.
Having worked in the same preschool for so long, Donna is now starting see the children of the children she used to teach.
Anne Keen
Anne has been a journalist with the ACM (Australia Community Media) since 2016. She primarily works at the Gloucester Advocate but also contributes to the Manning River Times.
Anne has been a journalist with the ACM (Australia Community Media) since 2016. She primarily works at the Gloucester Advocate but also contributes to the Manning River Times.
