EARLY LEARNING AT THE GARDENS
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Our Team

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​Shawna Hindson, ECE            
Shawna Hindson is a co-owner and primary teacher at The Gardens.  She has been working in the Early Childhood Education and Family Support field for twenty five years. Shawna has taught in several integrated preschools across Canada. She has provided early childhood support to diverse learners in educational, home and community settings.  She owned and operated a Reggio inspired Preschool and school age program, where she says her passion for child originated programming was strengthened. She has been employed as an Early Childhood Consultant and Mentor, providing guidance in regards to curriculum development and best practices within the Early Childhood field.
Shawna also teaches at Yukon University, and acts as consultant for other child care programs in Whitehorse, offering workshops and other professional development opportunities.She is always looking at opportunities to further develop skills and knowledge as a professional and is currently completing her Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and Management through Royal Roads University. Shawna is the mother of two children.


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Maggie Powter, M.Ed, ECE
Maggie Powter is a co-owner and primary teacher at The Gardens.  She has worked in the field of Early Childhood for over twenty years, in a variety of settings including pre and postnatal support, childcare, in a therapeutic preschool for children with special needs, and as an instructor at the college level for pre-service Early Childhood Educators. She has a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education and a Masters in Education with a specialization in Early Childhood Education. Besides being a full-time teacher at The Gardens learning centre, Maggie also teaches at Yukon University, and acts as consultant for other child care programs in Whitehorse, offering workshops and other professional development opportunities. Maggie believes in empowering young learners and their families by building on their existing strengths and resources and providing them with learning experiences that are meaningful to their everyday lives. Maggie is also the mother of three children.


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Ashley Griffis, B.Ed
Ashley Griffis is our Inclusion Teacher, using a strength-based approach to ensure inclusion of all children and especially those with special needs. She has worked in the early childhood field for over 20 years. She started working with children at 16 years old as a volunteer in a day care centre, and has been involved in a variety of teaching environments since then. Her background experience includes working with preschool children running a youth program for teens and pre-teens with special needs, providing and delivering curriculum as a lead teacher in a Montessori preschool classroom and providing inclusion support as a Supported Child Care Worker. Ashley has completed most of the Early Childhood Education Program, has a diploma in preschool/kindergarten Montessori training, and holds a Bachelor's degree in education. She has collaborated and worked alongside community programs such as Learning Disabilities Association Yukon, Child Abuse Treatment Services, and the Child Development Centre. Ashley has lived in Whitehorse her entire life and has three young children.


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Anne Pinkerton, M.Ed Sciences
Anne Pinkerton holds a Master of Educational Sciences, hailing from Dresden, Germany. She has worked with young children for many years, educated teachers and worked in special education. Anne's previous jobs in Whitehorse include working as an Educational Assistant at Hidden Valley Elementary School as well as working for Equinox Adventures. Her passions include land and adventure based education as well as experiential Learning. Anne has two kids, the elder of which is an alumni of The Gardens, and the younger can't wait until she is old enough. In her spare time, Anne loves gardening, hiking, camping and anything else she can do outside. If she gets stuck inside she enjoys sewing and crafting.


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Pippa Burt, ECE
Pippa has been working with preschool aged children for the last ten years. Originally from the UK, her desire to travel and passion for working with children led her to Whitehorse where she is now raising her 2 children. When she is not teaching at The Gardens, Pippa works with students enrolled in Yukon University's Early Learning and Child Care program in a mentoring role. Pippa believes that children's experiences in the early years particularly surrounding socio-emotional learning and development is paramount and equips children with core life skills to carry forward for years to come. 


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Rea Knight, ECE
Rea loves outdoor adventures and storytelling. She holds an ECE diploma from Yukon College and is currently completing her Child and Youth Care degree through University of Victoria. Rea is a parent, a respite foster parent and preschool teacher. She is passionate about children and early learning and is a co-founder of a community of practice for local ECE's. In her spare time she likes to dress as a superhero and advocate for early childhood educators, children, early learning and families.

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  • Home
  • About
  • Curriculum
  • Teachers
  • Kindergarten Readiness
  • Consulting
  • Contact