Nicky Ostrom
Early Childhood Degree Bachelor of Primary Teaching Monash Lecturer
Nicky has a range of experiences to offer as the CEO of Teacher Relief Services. She began her working life within the Banking sector both within branches and also in data processing. Then a short stint in the Victorian Police Force created the need for some decisions to be made and that was to go back to study. After reassessing what exactly she would like to do, Nicky did a Certificate of Physical Education before attending Monash to complete an Early Childhood Diploma.
After graduating she began her teaching career in England as a CRT in Primary before returning to Melbourne to teach Kindergarten for the next six years. Nicky then proceeded to have two children and worked part time as an Office Manager for Australian Unity before returning to CRT work on the Peninsula and Casey area. This then led to a year teaching Kindergarten at Pearcedale Pre-School and the following year starting at Pearcedale Primary School as a P.E. Specialist amongst other positions which included Grade Five teacher, Art specialist, and Intervention. During this time, she completed her fourth year at Monash to obtain her Bachelor of Primary.
During the eight years of teaching at Pearcedale, she also spent five years lecturing and taking tutorials at Monash University, Peninsula campus within the Primary Education Sector. This involved a range of subjects including Health, P.E. and sports injuries. She also began studying her Master’s in Education.
After taking a break from all teaching to travel around Australia with the family, Nicky returned to teaching at Pearcedale for the next two years.
It was in January 2010 that she took over management of Teacher Relief Services before purchasing the company in June 2010. Using the skills obtained through this access to education and personnel, Nicky personally oversees all placements and is very conscious of making a valued and carefully selected decision when placing a booking. It is the benchmark of the company to carefully screen every teacher with regard to professionalism, efficiency and versatility. Schools are then able to request teachers that they prefer and it is important to maintain a high level of service both for the schools and the teachers.
Tess Farmer
Masters of International and Community Development Bachelor of Psychological Science
Tess has a range of different life experiences to bring to Teacher Relief Services as the Office Manager. She studied a Bachelor of Psychology at Deakin University for three years with the goal of becoming a practicing psychologist. After graduating she decided to use the people skills she had learnt to improve the lives of those suffering poverty and injustice overseas and so enrolled to study her Masters in International and Community Development.
Now fully qualified, Tess divides her time between being the Office Manager at Teacher Relief Services and working in donor support and fundraising at a non-government charity organisation. Between these two she loves working overseas, having travelled to Papua New Guinea, Thailand and India to work in disadvantaged communities.
Having been with Teacher Relief since the beginning of 2017, Tess has built special relationships with our teachers and the school administration staff and dedicates time to fostering these relationships. Coming from a family of teachers she is aware of the importance of selecting the best person for the job and is constantly communicating with our schools and teachers to ensure that we are meeting their needs and keeping them happy.
Kiara Tanic
Kiara began her work life in retail as she has always had a love for all things fashion. After doing some travel and wanting to take a break from retail, she began working for TRS/Free Agency as an Education Support Staff where she worked in various schools and gained a range of experience whilst fostering relationships with students and assisting them with their educational needs.
She absolutely adored being an ES and working with the agency gave Kiara the capacity to build connections with schools, staff and students which ultimately lead to her picking up a full time position at Pearcedale Primary School. During her time there she worked with selected students and found it extremely rewarding to be able to utilise her skills and knowledge in making a difference in these students learning environment. Building relationships and seeing growth in social, physical and educational aspects was a true highlight of her time at PPS.
Her time at PPS was up when she decided to make a lifestyle change and move interstate. This is when she began as an Office Administrator for Free Agency. Her previous position at Pearcedale has helped her gain knowledge in the industry and assisted in the transition to this role. During the hours where she isn’t online assisting with admin at Free Agency, she invests time into her creative side where she designs and creates fashion pieces for her brand.
