Five Day Kinder begins at St Joseph’s Catholic schools

By Damita Whiteley

St Joseph’s Catholic Schools in Rosebery and Queenstown launched a brand-new Five Day Kinder program beginning in 2024, benefiting not only their school families, but also their respective communities.

The exciting program was officially announced at the end of last year and enrolments were quickly underway. Both schools will offer five full Kinder days each week during school terms.

Families can decide if their child will attend three, four or five days of Kinder a week – and on the weekdays of their choosing – with a view to progressing to the full five days by the end of the year.

With no local childcare services in Rosebery, St Joseph’s Rosebery Principal Jessinda Jones said the Five Day Kinder program would open the door to many opportunities for families.

“The wellbeing side of things is so important, to allow our families flexibility in their lives and their work hours,” Jessinda said.

In Queenstown there are some childcare amenities available, but places are limited. The Five Day Kinder is therefore set to make a big difference to the local community.

“This frees up some spaces in childcare. This can be hard to staff in our area, and sometimes means services will be cancelled with not much notice, but at Five Day Kinder there will be a consistent place that students can rely on,” St Joseph’s Queenstown Principal Teresa McLeod said.

Providing a safe and consistent space for children, and continuity in their care and education, are all at the heart of the Five Day Kinder program.

“We are super excited to be working in this space, because it also gives us a greater possibility of engaging in and fostering relationships,” Teresa said.

 “Our school is a welcoming, happy space to be in, with the kids being really kind and encouraging to

each other, and the staff are all excellent.”

The sense of belonging is also important at Rosebery, which is known for being tight-knit.

“Having our Kinders at school five days a week will give them a chance to be more involved in school events and more a part of school life,” Jessinda said.

“I love working here, it is like one big family, everyone is supportive and welcoming, and most of our Kinders are actually siblings of current students.”

The Five Day Kinder program will not only make the transition to the formal schooling years easier, it will also set a strong foundation for future learning.

“We know how critical those early years are – those first days, weeks and years of school – that is where all that groundwork is laid,” Teresa said.

“Our staff see this as an opportunity to be leaders in this space.”

Jessinda is equally excited about the opportunity to boost literacy, numeracy and social education, ready for the schooling years ahead.

“This is all about setting up their routines and expectations for the coming years, learning how to interact properly and other key social skills.”