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Staff
Acorn Daycare is proud to be led by staff that have been honoured with a Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Early Childhood Education. This certificate of achievement honours outstanding early childhood educators who excel at fostering the early development and socialization of the children in their care.
All permanent staff members at Acorn Daycare are trained in the principles and practices of Early Childhood Education (E.C.E), possess current licenses to practice and up-to-date First Aid Certification that are posted in the Centre. All staff are members of the B.C. Government Employees Union. Each staff must renew their license periodically and attend a designated number of hours in workshops and courses to maintain licensure.
Staff members work shifts that ensure legal and appropriate teacher/child ratios. All staff members are screened upon application and undergo a Canada-wide criminal record search conducted by the office of the Attorney General.
Substitute Staff
Substitute staff is hired for short-term replacement of permanent staff, for leaves related to sickness, vacation, administration, professional development, etc. Substitutes are required to have a clear criminal record and qualifications as required by the provincial childcare regulation.
Staff Bios
Daphne Sweeney
Senior Early Childhood EducatorDaphne has been the manager of the Daycare for the past 30 years. While she takes care of the day to day running of the Daycare she enjoys the collegiality of the Acorn team who have worked together for many years. Daphne is committed to providing a high quality Early Childhood Education program and was recognized by the Prime Minister's office when she was awarded a Prime Minister's award for excellence in Early Childhood Education, Certificate of Achievement. Daphne is proud of and enjoys the strong community of Acorn families, past and present, who have demonstrated their enduring support and friendship. Daphne is married and has four grown children who all benefited from attending Acorn Daycare.
Gayle Kelly
Early Childhood EducatorGayle joined the Acorn Family 25 years ago after a serendipitous practicum placement while completing the Early Childhood Program at Langara College. During the past 25 years, Gayle has enjoyed sharing her love for Art, Literature and Music with the many children who have become part of our Acorn Family. Dedicated and passionate, Gayle spends countless hours planning and executing curriculum for the center. When she's not enticing children to a fun art activity, she can be found decorating the bulletin boards, leading Circle Time and Bon Jovi Dance Parties or photographing the children for the Memory Books they receive to chronicle their time at Acorn. When not at work, Gayle enjoys her time with her husband, three grown children and close friends.
Kelly Askari
Early Childhood Educator
Meet Kelly, one of the early childhood educators at
Acorn 8 Oaks. With a passion for early childhood
education, Kelly serves as a key player in creating
a nurturing, inclusive, and meaningful environment
for children to build friendships and learn through
play. Kelly started her journey at Acorn in 2015 as
a practicum student. After graduating, she had the
opportunity to become an educator at Acorn and has
not looked back since! With her certification in
Infant/Toddler and Special Needs, alongside 7 years
of experience working with children aged 2-5, Kelly
is dedicated to guiding and supporting the diverse
needs of every child under her care. She takes pride
in creating an atmosphere where children feel
encouraged to freely express themselves, fostering
curiosity and a love for exploration.
Outside of the classroom, she enjoys spending time
with her loved ones, attending concerts and stand-up
comedy shows, and is a huge fan of Formula 1, combat
sports, and football!
Justine Kelley
Early Childhood Educator
Justine rejoined the team as a full time staff
member in June of 2022. She has since completed her
ECE certification as of December 2023. Although she
is the most recently certified staff she has been a
long standing member of the Acorn family. After
attending Acorn as a child, she then came back for
volunteering and subbing over the last 15 years,
which has afforded her an invaluable amount of hands
on experience with the 3-5 age group.
"I believe in organic play-based learning and
letting children explore the world around them. I
take pride in being an educator and facilitating
the children I am working with through discovery,
learning new skills, building friendships, forming
effective communication and most importantly,
having fun!"
When she is not at Acorn she enjoys spending time
with her friends and family. She also has a passion
for photography which she uses to capture each
Acorn's experiences over their time at the center.
You will see much of her work through the Instagram
account or after graduation from Acorn on the pages
of their Goodbye Book.