On Wednesday, February 3, hundreds of children — including many in the Campaspe Shire — started at three-year-old kindergarten.
For Berrimba Childcare Centre, this meant 11 children made their way through the doors ready and raring to learn.
Kindergarten teacher Amba Rhind said it was exciting to be back, especially after the year they had in 2020.
“It's so fabulous for us to be back in the classroom where we belong,” she said.
“We love seeing these smiling faces come back and we're hoping for a better year compared to last.”
Last year, Berrimba joined the many other facilities that couldn't function in the usual way.
“We did a lot of online learning and while it was difficult at times, we did find some benefits,” Ms Rhind said.
“Although we couldn't have families and the community come into the centre, we actually had a lot more engagement with our online sing-a-longs and other videos we put online.
“I'm just hoping we will be able to take the kids out bush again and make sure they're able to be immersed in their community, it's so important for them to do that.”
Ms Rhind said funding from the Victorian Government, which allowed centres in the Campaspe region to put on more staff for more hours, really helped.
“We've found that since the funding was announced we have had a few new families start with us that we didn't have before,” she said.
“It will also mean we will be able to bring in a lot more resources to help give the kids the best experience we can.”
Campaspe is one of the 15 local government areas delivering up to 15 hours each week of teacher-led programs for three-year-olds in 2021.
This is part of the Victorian Government’s $5 billion investment over the decade to deliver two years of funded kindergarten programs for all Victorian children.
The government will provide up to 15 hours of funded kindergarten each week for Victorian three-year-old children by 2029.
Jodie Ritchie, mother of Lexi, said she and her daughter were excited to be going back to Berrimba.
“Lexi was so excited, she got up early on Wednesday and was ready to go,” she said.
“She has been going to Berrimba since she was six months old, so we're keen to see her make her way through to when she goes to school in a few years’ time.”
Ms Ritchie said she was keen to see Lexi continue to mix with her peers and flourish in this great environment.
“I'm hoping she will have more structure in her day now that she's at three-year-old kinder but I also want her to have fun and make new friends,” she said.
“Berrimba is a welcoming and family-friendly place and I look forward to seeing Lexi grow here.”
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