This week, my little granddaughter starts kindergarten.
It is one of those moments that looks small on the surface — a new uniform, a tiny backpack, shoes still a little too shiny — but feels enormous in the heart. A door is opening for her. A whole world is about to unfold.
As a grandmother, I feel that familiar mix of excitement, pride and a quiet lump in the throat. It seems only yesterday she was learning to walk, to talk, to make sense of the world in her own way. Now she is stepping into it with confidence, curiosity and that beautiful, unstoppable energy that only little people have.
Kindergarten is more than just “school starting”. It is the beginning of independence. It is where friendships are formed, confidence grows, questions are encouraged and imagination is given room to breathe. It is where children begin to see themselves as capable, curious learners — and that matters for life.
For families, it is also a moment of trust. We are placing our most precious people into the care of others and saying, “Help her grow. Help her learn. Help her feel safe.” That is no small thing.
So, this week, I want to offer a heartfelt thank you to the schools and teachers who make this possible.
To the kindergarten teachers who greet children with warmth, patience and enthusiasm — you are doing far more than teaching letters and numbers. You are shaping confidence. You are building resilience. You are helping children find their voice. You are often the first adults outside the family to tell a child, “You can do this.” That message lasts.
To the teachers, teacher’s aides, admin staff, support staff and everyone who helps a school run — you are the quiet backbone of our education communities. You create the calm, order and care that allows learning to happen. You notice the child who is struggling. You offer the extra smile, the extra reassurance, the extra help that can change a child’s entire day.
And to the schools themselves — thank you for being places of belonging. They are where friendships are formed, where families connect, where communities come together. They are where values are passed on and futures are shaped.
As my granddaughter begins this journey, I am filled with optimism. I hope her days are full of stories, laughter, discovery and small triumphs. I hope she finds friends who make her feel seen and safe. I hope she learns that it is okay to try, to fail, to try again. I hope she learns that her ideas matter.
Mostly, I know she will be supported — by her family, by her teachers, and by a system that understands just how important these early years really are.
Because what happens in kindergarten does not stay in kindergarten. The confidence built here, the curiosity sparked here, the sense of belonging formed here — these are the foundations of everything that follows. Strong early learning is not a “nice extra”; it is the bedrock of literacy, numeracy, wellbeing and lifelong opportunity.
If we want young people who are resilient, capable and ready for the world, we have to start by giving them the best possible start. That means valuing early childhood and primary education, backing the people who work in it, and recognising that investment here pays dividends for decades — not just for individual children, but for families, communities and the nation as a whole.
We talk a lot about the future — about skills, productivity, workforce and opportunity. It is worth remembering that the future is sitting right now on small chairs, in big classrooms, with open minds and boundless potential.
This week, in classrooms across our region, hundreds of little people are starting their own big journeys. Their families are watching with pride. Their teachers are ready with open arms.
And one very proud grandmother will be standing a little taller, smiling a little wider, and believing — with absolute certainty — that the world is about to become a brighter place, one kindergarten classroom at a time.
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