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While the Chatterbox family is sad to wave farewell to Jenny Giddy, we are grateful that she will remain part of the TSH team, with a move to the Outpost program the next step for one of our favourites, writes Head of Clinical Services, Kerry Picotti.
Jenny has been part of the Chatterbox team for six years; prior to that she worked in our Talkabout program. Jenny initially trained and a Speech Pathologist and Audiologist in South Africa, where she then worked in that field. She later moved to Australia with her family and completed her Masters in Early Childhood Educations. More recently, she undertook her Masters in Deaf Education.
During her time in Chatterbox, Jenny has contributed significantly to the program, supporting both families and staff on their journeys. She is a highly valued and caring member of TSH who always goes above and beyond for the families she works with, as well as her colleagues.
Jenny’s new role within the Outpost program will allow her to put much of what she has learnt through her Masters in Deaf Education into practice. The Chatterbox staff and families would like to wish her the very best on her new venture and thank you for her commitment and dedication during her time within the team.
We’d like to take this opportunity to shine the spotlight on Jenny and allow you to get to know a bit more about her. Read on to find out more about Jenny's TSH journey.
What inspired you to join the Chatterbox team?
The opportunity to further develop my skills and knowledge and to work in a field I have always been interested in.
What have you enjoyed most about working in the Chatterbox program?
I have worked with the most amazing team of professionals and have learnt so much from them. I also appreciate the beautiful families that I have come across through my work in the program.
What challenges have you faced in your career?
Trying to run playgroups and kindy sessions online during Covid was one of the most challenging tasks. While I learnt a lot about tele-intervention, I was very pleased to be able to return to face-to-face sessions within a few weeks here in WA.
Tell us something about your professional development (PD) journey.
I feel very fortunate to have had TSH’s support to attend so many amazing PD’s, both in-house and externally. The most significant professional development opportunity I have been engaged with over the last couple of years has been my Masters in Deaf Education, which I have been doing part time. It has been a very worthwhile and inspiring journey.
Tell us about a professional success story that you are proud of.
Every child and family that I have had the privilege of working with is a professional success story.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced since joining the Chatterbox program?
Being able to run fast ?enough to beat the kindy children in ‘Duck Duck Goose’!
Any funny stories from your time in Chatterbox
One of the funniest memories is the day we thought we had blocked the centre’s drains when we washed the left over ‘Gelli Baff’ from our sensory tub down the external drain and it wouldn’t go down. Oops! Several kettles of hot water, a bag of salt and some strong blasts with the hose pipe made no difference to budging the Gelli Baff, but did disturb a poor frog who emerged through the Gelli Baff gasping for air. As far as I am aware, the frog survived!
What are the most important lessons you have learnt in your career?
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The littlest people can teach us the biggest lessons.
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Never assume anything.
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Embrace opportunities.
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Everyone deserves to be treated with kindness and respect.
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Slow down and take your time when engaging with young children, especially when reading stories and singing songs!
What will you miss most about Chatterbox?
I will miss the beautiful families in our playgroups and the wonderful team that help run the groups.
I will also miss seeing the world through the eyes of small children, delighting in simple things and setting up engaging place spaces to inspire learning.
What are you most excited about in your new role?
I look forward to reconnecting with several of the families who started their journey in Chatterbox and are now in the Outpost Program that I am moving to. It will be so rewarding to see how far they have come and to support them in their school journey.
I also look forward to using a lot of what I have learnt in my Teacher of the Deaf course.
The prospect of working in partnership with another school is also exciting.