About Us
Our Mission
GBC Early Learning Centre will provide a wholesome, loving, nurturing, positive environment focused on supporting children and their development. We feel it is our responsibility as part of this community to provide children with the fundamental essentials that enhance this stage of rapid growth. Our inclusion policy welcomes children of all backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures and abilities, and we will do our best to accommodate their needs.
Faith
As a childcare run by Gunningsville Baptist Church, we are a faith-based program that’s strives to instill good morals and values and a love and acceptance of others that will follow the children as they grow.
Anyone is welcome to join us on Sunday morning in the sanctuary at 10:30am, nursery is provided up until age 4.
For more information, call the church office at (506) 386-3530.
“Play is the highest form of research.”
— Unknown
Our Staff
Matt
Matt has been in the field for over 10 years and also was involved in the management of another centre before landing at GBC in 2023.
He is a hockey fanatic and ringette and softball coach and dedicates a ton of his spare time to working with children in many capacities, not the least of which are his own 3 children.
He is passionate about music and can often be heard singing around the the centre.
He is enthusiastic about connecting with each child and their parents. He is incredibly flexible and ready to jump into any classroom at any time and help his coworkers in any way necessary.
He is full of great ideas and shares them willingly as things come up around the centre.
Krista
Krista has been working at GBC since the summer of 2016. She has worked with both afterschool and preschool, showing her versatility as an educator.
She has been passionate about education since a young age and has been blessed with many opportunities to work with children over the years — Jr Church, midweek children’s programs, VBS, and teaching ESL in South Korea for 2 years. She graduated from ABU (Crandall) in 2008 with her BA, from TWU in 2010 with a Masters of Applied Linguistics and Exegesis, and from Oulton College in 2016 with an ECE diploma.
She grew up in the Fredericton area but now lives in Moncton with her husband, David.
“I am so thankful to work at a centre where I have the opportunity to integrate my faith with my love of teaching. Each child I have the privilege of working with is so wonderfully unique and they are constantly surprising me and reminding me of important life principles.”
Katie
Katie began working with GBC in 2016 and has been both educator and director of the centre, with a year break as a relief educator when she needed to be home more caring for her family.
Katie received her Bachelor of Educator from ABU (Crandall) in 2007 ad has a taught in the school system and also has a wealth of experience in various childcare centres.
She is a proud mom of 3 beautiful children (Chris, Mikala, and Ryleigh-Ann) and a Nan to an amazing little guy named Jasper.
Katie was excited to come back full-time over a year ago and helped to start our new infant room. She is very passionate about children and their families. She cares deeply about each and every child who crosses her path!
Julie
Julie has been working at GBC since August 2020. Before working at GBC she worked with troubled children and youth at New Life Mission for 3 years. She also had previous experience in childcare.
Julie went to school at NBCCD, New Brunswick College of Craft and Design where she studied Fine Craft in Fibre Arts. After graduating, she had a passion to work in ministry and teach children about Christ while using her background in art. She decided to go to NBCC and take her ECE course.
She loves to bring her love of art and creativity into the Preschool class! She also loves watching the children learn and grow and teaching them the love of Christ.
In her spare time, Julie loves to weave, spin yarn, knit, and do other forms of textile crafts. When she is not doing art. She enjoys hiking and going on road trips with her husband, Ben or spending time at home with her cat, Dumplin’.
Julie
Julie joined the GBC team just before the summer of 2024.
She comes to us with a great deal of experience (18 years!) and well recommended and we have enjoyed having her calm, happy spirit!
Julie started out in the school system and had decided that was the path she was going to take when a former teacher pulled her into the childcare world and then she never looked back!
She loves nature and hiking; being in her garden; and trips to the beach to look for sea glass. She also enjoys spending time with her son, Tyler, and loves visits and outings with her granddaughter, Arya.
She is a big animal lover and enjoys her cat, Storm, and her dog, Mimi, who she recently brought back all the way from Mexico!
Christa
Christa joined GBC in 2023 having already been in the childcare field for almost 20 years.
She was a stay at home mom when her daughter started school and Christa was given the opportunity to work in a kindergarten class. She enjoyed that so much that she took her ECE/EA course in 2006. She has continued to build her resume with her Class 4 bus license, kitchen license and many other Professional Learning courses over the years.
She has inspired her daughter, Faith, to follow in her footsteps and she now works in our Jr Preschool room.
Outside of work, Christa keeps active with Zumba and softball. She has been playing ball for over 35 years, which has included many trips to Nationals, and is headed to Saskatoon this summer to represent NB in the over 35 division.
She has also been married to her awesome husband, Dave, for over 25 years who we’ve been lucky to have do some great handyman work for us already!
Deanna
Deanna started at GBC in early 2023, quickly proving herself as a natural in Early Childhood Education. With a background in competitive sports, she brings a dynamic energy and strong communication skills to her interactions with children, families & coworkers.
She is passionate, energetic and genuine. She is always down on the children’s level, loves to be silly, and is so flexible with activities and changes in routine.
Outside of work, she enjoys staying active with her dog and playing sports. She is very motivated to learn and wants to make sure she does things right so she asks questions until she gets it. She’s hoping to get into the ECE program soon so she can officially complete her education in the field!
Tessa
Tessa started at GBC in 2023 when she was doing her ECE placement in our centre. She did such a great job that we hired her to continue working with us!
Tessa is a quick learner and has grown so much in her first year as an ECE. She is intuitive to the children’s needs and feelings. They seem drawn to her calm, quiet nature and she has built great connections with them.
She is great at programming and coming up with activities to try with the kids and loves reading with them.
Brandon
Brandon is another hockey fan who joined GBC in 2022.
He is great at making connections and building rapport with children and coworkers. He came to us as a fairly new educator but has grown so much in following this children’s interests and extending their learning.
He dedicates alot of time volunteering at his community church and a couple of our children enjoy their mid week programs thanks to his invitations!
He is down to earth, a great listener, and truly care for everyone. He enjoys video games and bring them in for a special activity on rare occasions.
Faith
Faith grew up watching her mother work in he field and had some understanding of how things are done.
Faith shares a love of old cars with her grandfather and that grew into an interest of becoming a mechanic and a desire to one day build an old car with her grandfather. So she went to NBCC and graduated at the top of her class in this field.
But as she got older, she decided to try something different and started in the childcare field in January 2023 when she decided she loved working with children. When an opening came up at GBC in July of 2023, she joined our team.
When not with the children, Faith has a passion for spending time with her family and their many pets (2 dogs, 3 cats)!
She also integrates a love of nature into the classroom and has become our go-to person for our plant questions.