This morning was Beth's kinder orientation. She was so excited she was kneeling on the back seat looking out the window as we approached. The kinder's in a residential estate off Market Road (parallel to Tarneit Road where we live) and is 7 mins away by car. Right next door is the Maternal and Child Health Centre. 3 of the 4 MCHCs in Werribee are located on the premises of kindergartens.
The minute we got in, we were warmly welcomed by the teachers (2 to a class of up to 25) and invited to look around. Beth said hello to the teacher and was off like a bullet to sample the different activities: she donned an apron and painted her first painting like a true artist at an easel; rolled out Playdoh shapes; assembled a collage on a paper plate; explored the playground...and almost had to be dragged off the premises at closing time.
Meanwhile, we were getting to know the other parents. Some have kids who were pupils here and are now moving on to prep school or higher. They come back whenever they can to give the teachers a hand, which is really nice. One of them encouraged us to get involved and not to think that kinder's a place to drop off the kids and stay away, because "it's your kinder". She suggested we drop in and hang around for the day once a month or so.
The lead teacher moved around the room to talk to the parents, find out if the kids were used to being around other kids, and answer questions about the school routine, uniforms (none), snack time, teacher-pupil ratio...most of which will probably be addressed again next week at the kinder AGM.
We've got positive vibes about this place and are happy with our choice. The neighbourhood's pleasant, the lead teacher is the open but principled sort who knows what she's doing, and there's a fairly wide range of facilities and activities to stimulate the kids. Most importantly, Beth is looking forward to starting school in Feb, and we know she'll be in great hands!
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