Ferntree Gully
Belgrave
Mail Covering the Dandenongs in the Yarra Ranges & Cardinia Shires
Train double trouble
5 Tuesday, 18 September, 2018
7
It's swooping season
A Mail News Group publication
25-26
Best in local sport
Phone: 5957 3700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808
Break-ins rock locals By Casey Neill
Noeleen Koller, Denise Wotherspoon, Jo Cleeman and Lauren Mair on the back deck that has fostered so many friendships.
Kinder of life
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What’s kept her there? “It’s the sense of community and the fact that it’s just a really, really lovely environment to be in, and working with the beautiful children who come here, and the staff as well,” she said. “We now have a few past students that are coming back as parents.” Kinder teacher Lauren Mair hasn’t yet had children, but has worked at the centre for 10 years. She said the centre’s cleaner had worked there 18 years, and sent her children there. Tecoma Preschool will display old photos at a community market at Tecoma Primary School on the State Election day, Saturday 24 November. “We’ve managed to get almost every year of class photo,” Ms Mair said. She encouraged anyone with photos or stories to share about the kinder to email tecoma. kin@kindergarten.vic.gov.au.
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Three of Tecoma Preschool’s four staff members sent their own children to the friendly kinder. They reflected on what makes the centre so special in the lead-up to its 30th birthday, in November. Denise Wotherspoon has worked there about nine years and three of her five children attended the preschool, the first about 26 years ago. “I would say that the rooms were very bare,” she said when asked how the centre had changed. “It was still establishing itself. “It has a great feel, I think because it’s an old house.” Ms Wotherspoon said being close to the primary school was a real advantage and made the transition easier for kinder kids. Colleague Jo Cleeman agreed.
“It gives it that community feel,” she said. She started working at the kinder in 2007. “But before then as a mum I was on the committee,” she said. “I held a few positions and I finished as the president in 2006." Ms Cleeman started her involvement when her first son attended 17 years ago. “When I joined I’d just moved into the area so I didn’t really know anybody,” she said. “The deck out there was a big social hub. “I’ve actually made life-long friends from the kinder deck. “Our kids came here, went to primary school and high school together, and now we still see each other.” Noeleen Koller started working at the preschool in 2001. “My three boys came here and while they were here I did different roles on the committee,” she said.
12394728-ACM32-18
By Casey Neill
A Belgrave South woman barricaded herself inside her bedroom as thieves tried to force their way in. The 74-year-old lives on-site at Chris Monaghan’s Colby Drive hairdressing salon. “She was absolutely petrified,” he said. “I only live not even three minutes down the road. “I flew down here. “My wife called up the salon and screamed through the answering machine that we had called the police.” This was about 4.30am on Tuesday 11 September. “All they got was my hair colours,” Mr Monaghan said. “They stole charity boxes, for a local women’s group.” The break-in followed one at Wild Wood Kitchen, also on Colby Drive, about 12.30am on Monday 27 August. Thieves smashed the front door’s glass to gain entry and stole and ate cakes. About 6pm on Thursday 6 September, thieves broke into St Martin’s Anglican Church, on Colby Drive, and jemmied open a cash drawer. There was nothing inside and they left empty-handed. “This is my fourth burglary,” Mr Monaghan said. “They never seem to get anything. “I’ve got alarm systems and everything, and it’s not easy to get in and out. “I don’t keep money here or anything. “There’s not a lot that they can take. “They just make damage and mess everywhere. “They cause thousands of dollars in damage and they walk away with a couple of hundred dollars.”