Our new Oberon Kindergarten has wrapped up its first term as a success. Co-located with Oberon Primary School, the service opened this year and has quickly established itself as a welcomed addition to the local community.
Sam, the Kindergarten Manager, says that the response from families has been overwhelmingly positive, with high levels of engagement from the beginning. She highlights the warm and connected atmosphere already taking shape. “There are so many benefits to being on a school site,” Sam says, “one being that many of our families already know one another through the school community.” Those existing relationships, combined with new connections formed through the kindergarten, have helped families and children settle in quickly.
The co-located school setting has also created opportunities that are already paying off. The school’s Principal and Assistant Principal attended the opening of the kindergarten, showing their strong investment in the partnership.
Since then, visits from Grade 4 and Prep students have been initiated, with the idea for the students can spend time in one another’s spaces—reading together, playing games, becoming familiar with the environment and fostering social skills.
The early partnership is expected to support smoother transitions to school for children while strengthening ties between the two settings.
There is also interest from beyond the immediate site, with other local primary schools visiting the kindergarten and Maternal and Child Health services set to tour the new facility. Sam and her team have worked hard to raise awareness of the service and build local connections in its opening term.
Another highlight has been the rapid development of the kindergarten’s nature play program, which will take place weekly from Term 2 on the school site. The school location also opens the door for future collaboration around nature play and shared sustainability projects.
Community support has played a role there too, with Bunnings Warehouse lending a hand to establish a vegetable garden on site. Children are caring for a variety of fruit and vegetables such as cauliflower, strawberries and brussels sprouts with beetroot and snow peas the first to be picked and eaten.
Behind the scenes, Sam says one of the biggest wins has been the team itself. “Starting a brand-new service can bring uncertainty, particularly around how a new group of educators will come together” she says, “however, this team have been so quick to form a strong team culture of collaboration and motivation.”
For a service only just beginning, Oberon Kindergarten has already shown the value of local partnerships, community spirit and a strong start.
Read more: Gowrie Expands to Geelong as Oberon Kindergarten Officially Opens
