Amigoss
Family
We encourage all families to build strong relationships with the staff, to share their cultural experiences, to participate in the service and to share decision making about their children.
Our Team Members
Our high quality early education is impossible without our passionate and dedicated staff members, educators and supportive board of directors. All our staff members and educators are uniquely qualified to provide the best care and education to your child. We ensure your child feels loved, nurtured and appreciated.
Irene Fernandez
Room Leader
Irene comes from Spain. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and Primary Education, as well as a Master’s Degree in Intercultural Communication.
Irene joined Amigoss in July 2021 as an LMM facilitator before becoming a key part of our internal team. She is patient, creative, and dedicated to her role, fostering a love for learning in children. Her expertise in bilingual education is especially impactful for babies and toddlers, supporting their cognitive development and multicultural understanding. Through engaging and enriching activities, she creates an optimal environment for children’s growth across all developmental areas.
Carolina Lopez
Room Leader
Carolina was born in Ecuador. She has experience working in OOSH services (before & after school care) and Childcare services through Sydney.
Carolina holds a Certificate III and a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care.
Carolina’s philosophy is that each individual child needs a secure, caring, and stimulating environment in which they will grow physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially.
“I believe watching children grow, and explore the world around them with the support of educators and their families is both fulfilling, and eye-opening as children see the world in a way we can only imagine”.
Carolina loves working with children, sharing her experiences, and sharing her Spanish heritage with them. Also, she likes being able to give children a supportive and nurturing environment that contributes to their skills development.
Carolina is a respectful and kind person. She takes very seriously every part of her job.
“I enjoy being part of this amazing team”.
Yamile Florez
Early Childhood Teacher (ECT) & Room Leader
Yamile is from Colombia. She has been working in childcare since 2015 and completed her Diploma in 2018 and her Bachelor of Early Childhood Education and Care at TAFE in 2023. Yamile believes that early childhood is a precious time, and each day offers new discoveries and wonders. She has a passion for teaching critical thinking, social-emotional development, sustainability and STEAM. Yamile also believes in working in collaboration and partnerships to connect with children’s individual needs.
Her commitment to early childhood education is to create a better future for all children by offering quality practices and using modern teaching pedagogies that reflect innovation according to the XXI educational demands; understanding that each child is unique.
Chloe Xu
Educator, ECT
Chloe has completed her Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Education at Victoria University. She is passionate about creating warm and welcoming learning environments where children feel safe and confident to explore.
She values the learning process and enjoys observing each child’s unique interests and milestones. Known for her gentle and patient approach, she takes joy in supporting children’s curiosity and creativity through meaningful play while building trusting relationships with children and families.
Leidy Duque
Educator
Leidy Duque is originally from Colombia, where she pursued studies in Airline Administration and International Business. After relocating to Australia, she furthered her education by completing a Diploma in Childcare. Leidy has been actively involved in working with children, which has been a truly rewarding experience for her. She is passionate about contributing to their development and learning journey, taking immense joy in being part of their growth process.
Her interest in childcare stems from a lifelong fascination with children’s growth and development. Leidy finds it incredibly fulfilling to help them progress and shape their futures positively. Playing a role in building the foundation for the next generation is what drives her enthusiasm for working in childcare. She is dedicated to providing a nurturing environment where children can thrive, learn, and develop essential skills to benefit them in their future endeavours.
Maria Fernanda Peralta
Room Leader – Infants Room
Maria Fernanda is originally from Colombia, where she completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish Language Education and a postgraduate Specialisation in Pedagogy. She has experience teaching both primary and secondary students and began developing her passion for early childhood education while working with toddlers through English language classes.
In Australia, Maria Fernanda has completed her Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care and will soon begin a Master of Teaching (Early Childhood). She also teaches Spanish to adults and enjoys working in bilingual educational environments that celebrate language, culture, and meaningful relationships.
As the Room Leader in the Infants Room, Maria Fernanda is passionate about creating a calm, loving, and responsive environment where children feel safe, valued, and supported in their development. She believes in building strong relationships with families and guiding children through their early years with warmth, respect, and genuine care.
Maria Fernanda is dedicated to supporting children’s emotional wellbeing, communication, and social development while encouraging curiosity, confidence, and a love for learning from the very beginning.
Queenie Loh
Educator
Queenie is currently studying for a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education and Care, passionate about fostering young children’s growth and development. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and Bowlby’s secure attachment theory, she believes that building strong, positive relationships is the foundation for nurturing a child’s well-being and lifelong learning.
Marynella Vargas
Educator
Marynella Vargas Araujo is Colombian and has a degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Antioquia. She has experience working with early childhood, families and communities. She is passionate about promoting the learning of Spanish through diverse strategies that support the development of language and communication, including play, art, dance, music and oral expression. She believes that the classroom is the perfect space to explore countless ways of learning, ensuring that children enjoy the process while acquiring new knowledge.
Valentina Gonzalez
Room Leader - Junior Preschool
Valentina is originally from Colombia and holds a Certificate III and a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care. She is passionate about supporting children’s learning through play, creativity, and positive relationships.
She enjoys creating a warm and welcoming environment where children feel safe, confident, and encouraged to explore the world around them. Valentina values working closely with families and educators to support each child’s individual development and wellbeing.
Being part of the Amigoss community allows Valentina to share her Spanish language and culture while fostering meaningful connections with children and families every day.
Karen Sanchez
LMM Spanish Facilitator
Karen Tatiana Sanchez is from Colombia and has a degree in early childhood education, with experience in preschool in her country. She works in the Little Multilingual Minds (LMM) program, facilitating Spanish classes.
She believes that children develop well holistically by experimenting, singing, and playing in a safe and familiar environment. She enjoys teaching Spanish by sharing different activities with the children through stories, songs, and art.
Lizeth Isaza
Educator
Lizeth is a dedicated Early Childhood Educator with of hands on experience in early learning settings in Sydney. She is committed to creating safe, nurturing, and inclusive environments that support children’s holistic development. Guided by child centred and play based learning principles, Lizeth encourages curiosity, autonomy, and active participation in everyday learning experiences. She values strong, respectful relationships with children and families, recognising their essential role in supporting each child’s learning journey. With a calm, patient, and reflective approach, she fosters emotional wellbeing, creativity, and a strong sense of belonging within the learning community.
Laura Garrido Calpena
Gross Motor Skills Specialist
Laura holds a Bachelor’s degree as a Primary School Teacher specialised in Physical Education and Sport. She also holds a Master degree in Teaching Spanish as a second language for children and adults.
She has been working as a Sports and Yoga teacher in different childcare centres around Sydney.
Laura is interested in bilingual and sports theories related to the early years of learning and the importance of developing a new language in combination with physical activity.
Ni Made Asrini Sadri
Chef
Asrini is a qualified cook and is constantly working to improve her amazing meals. She is trained in food handling and the development of menus for special dietary requirements.
She has been working in the Child Care industry since 2004 and at Amigoss since 2014.
Asrini is passionate about the Indonesian Language and Balinese dancing. She has also experience working with children with additional needs.
Maria Florez
Accountant
Maria holds an Advanced Diploma in Accounting and is Registered as a BAS Agent.
She has been working in the accounting area for 11 years for a variety of businesses.
Maria is excited to be part of our organisation and is looking forward to sharing her skills with this great community.
She enjoys outdoor activities such as bush walking, dancing and she also has a passion for cooking.
Macarena Tiznado
Educational Leader/2IC
Macarena, originally from Chile, holds a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care and brings a deep passion for teaching and sharing her heritage and culture. She believes play is essential to children’s learning and creates environments that offer endless opportunities for exploration and growth. Macarena enjoys teaching Spanish vocabulary and guiding children through problem-solving strategies. She also values building solid and positive relationships with families and working collaboratively to help children reach their full potential. With years of experience at Amigoss, Macarena now leads the educational program, ensuring it runs smoothly while addressing every child’s needs and interests. She is proud to embrace multiculturalism at Amigoss, creating a welcoming, second-home atmosphere for children and their families.
Diana Bilgic
Director
Diana is from Colombia, where she did a Masters in Fine Arts at the University of Antioquia. She also holds a Certificate IV in Business Management and a Diploma in Early Childhood Education in Australia.
Diana’s passion for children started when she was studying fine arts where some of her projects were based on children’s behaviour and social development.
Her main goals are to recognise each child as an individual and to support their interests, skills and abilities and extend their learning through play, as the first 5 years of a child’s life is the most significant for growth and development. Additionally, Diana believes in developing strong communication channels with families as this is the foundation for effective collaboration and to create a sense of community.
For Diana it’s important to be a good role model for the educators, to promote teamwork, maintain a commitment to a culture of learning, respect and collaboration and to build positive relationships between them, the families, children and the community.
Cesar Gomez
Business manager
Cesar holds certifications in Asset Management, Project Management, and Financial Services.
Cesar is working constantly on self-improvement and is often retraining to keep at pace with an always-evolving industry. He has a vast experience in customer service and managing members-based businesses. Prior to Amigoss, he worked for NRMA, and he managed assets for Cranbrook School, Pfizer, Astra Zeneca, Audi Australia, Westfields, and Scholastics.
Check his interview with The Co-op Federation.
Check his testimonial in ACA NSW Inner Circles.
Check his article in LinkedIn: The Overlooked Contribution of Early Childhood Educators and the Impact of Visa Policies.
Nicoletta Dimas
Office Assistant
Nicoletta is originally from Greece, but has spent most of her time in Western Australia before relocating to Sydney in 2025. She’s always had a strong interest in languages and graduated with a Bachelors Degree majoring in Japanese in 2024. Now studying Spanish, she is ecstastic to be part of the Amigoss team and to combine her love of language with her creative and organisational skills. She hopes to be a positive contribution to the centre and to the Spanish-speaking community of Sydney.
