51ɬɬÎÝapp

Katie Stokes (1998) is making quite a splash with her new venture Playing in Puddles, a one-stop site for mums, dads, grandparents and carers who are keen to discover all that the Central Coast has to offer their families.

Katie filled us in on all she’s been up to since leaving CCGS.

Where has life taken you since leaving school?

Following school I studied Media at Sydney University and was lucky enough to spend a few years working overseas and writing travel articles for magazines before settling in Sydney as subeditor of Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine. My husband and I have two beautiful little boys aged 3½ and 18 months.

Why did you launch Playing in Puddles?

I moved back to the Central Coast 18 months ago, and I found it difficult to find information on the services and facilities available to families. Where were the toddler-friendly playgrounds? Who ran the best music class? What kid-friendly events were on this weekend? Which barista made the perfect babychino (i.e. coffee for mummy)? I asked my friends and they, too, were asking the same questions, and so was born.

What is Playing in Puddles?

Playing in Puddles brings together the best of the Central Coast for kids in a digital space so mums, dads, grandparents and carers can discover all that the Central Coast has to offer their families. We do the hard work for families and keep them updated on what’s going on at the popular hotspots, plus we share the small, secret and new businesses that cater to families on the coast.

Playing in Puddles is all about supporting local families and local businesses and helping to link the two together.

What’s your best memory of CCGS?

There are so many wonderful memories: Winning the ISA Open basketball comp; being a troll in The Hobbit school production; the many wonderful friends I made (who I still see today), but the thing that stands out the most is the staff. I remember the enthusiasm and encouragement of my teachers. I did lots of practice essays in the lead-up to the 51ɬɬÎÝapp, and my teachers marked every single one of them. I hope my children are lucky enough to have such dedicated and supportive teachers when they start at CCGS down the track.

As a future parent I’m looking forward to the being part of the CCGS community. My parents had an incredible support network at Grammar, and they made many lifelong friends. I still feel that sense of community when I visit the school now, and I look forward to being involved one day as a parent - to help at the spring fair, to do bench at Saturday sport, to be involved in activities such as Trivia nights.