Educators
Our caring and passionate educators are extremely well qualified with some great additional skills. As well as their teaching degrees, our Educational Leader, Cherry holds a Bachelor of Music (Instrumental Teaching), and our 3-year-old Teacher, Nyssa, has a Bachelor in Contemporary Arts (majoring in Drama).
Ella Slattery
4-year-old Group Kindergarten Teacher & Educational Leader
Ella is an experienced early childhood educator with a strong background in not-for-profit, sessional kindergarten. She has developed a deep appreciation for the role community plays in a child’s learning journey and is committed to fostering environments where children feel supported, capable, and confident to explore.
Guided by the Reggio Emilia philosophy, Ella views children as active participants in their own learning. She places great importance on building authentic and respectful relationships with children and families, ensuring that each child’s interests, strengths, and learning dispositions are embedded in her programs.
With a passion for supporting children during their formative years, Ella strives to create positive and meaningful learning experiences that embrace the joy, wonder, and curiosity of early childhood.
Nyssa Lock
3-year-old Group Kindergarten Teacher
Nyssa has been part of the Cara Armstrong teaching team since 2016, with over a decade of experience in early childhood education prior to joining. She has worked with children from infancy through to 4-year-old kindergarten and brings particular expertise in supporting 3-year-olds during this important stage of development.
Her teaching is guided by the belief that children learn best through play and life experiences. Drawing on Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences, Nyssa designs programs that cater to a wide range of learning styles, while fostering curiosity, joy, and meaningful connections between children.
Alongside her Postgraduate qualification in Early Childhood Teaching, Nyssa holds a Bachelor of Contemporary Arts (Drama) and professional training in Speech and Drama. She often incorporates her creative background into the classroom — from music and performance, to drumming, to activities that support children’s resilience, wellbeing, and confidence.
“As educators, we believe that learning is a social activity - we learn from each other and through engagement with the environment. We embrace the view of children’s lives being characterised by belonging, being and becoming. The three inter-related elements contained in the Early Years Learning Framework of Principles, Practice, and Learning Outcomes inform our early learning pedagogy and curriculum decision-making.”