By Renee Wood
Coldstream Primary School held an official opening for its Early Years and OSHC (Out of School Hours Care) Room which allows for a continuity of care within the Coldstream education precinct.
The new service based at the primary school became operational earlier in the year and gives care to children from three months to age 12.
The early years long day care provides working parents with more options in the local area and gives a smoother transition for children into education with the primary school, early years and preschool all linking together in the same area.
Coldstream Primary Principal Phillippa Adgemis said there’s an increasing demand for families to retain the continuity of care in the education precinct.
“This is the way that education is going so we know that the department wants to invest in early years so we’re doing something here that is a test case,” she said.
“So I’ll be really thrilled if we’ve done something that will support other people in doing similar things.”
Ms Adgemis said it’s the final part that the school can offer in care from birth to five years old.
“Now with the kinder full, it’ll be interesting to see whether we can actually also support by having kinder placements here for the extra children.”
Katt DeSousa’s two year old daughter goes to the service during the week and said as soon as she heard about it, they went on the wait list.
“Here from the get go, she was just so comfortable and so happy and she was running in and waving me goodbye.. It put my mind at ease so it was fantastic,” Ms DeSousa said.
The family plans to have Lyla continue on from early years into the preschool and primary school.
“She’s got to know everybody, parents and kids and I think the transition will just be easy, won’t be any issue.
“So many kids do struggle transitioning and even just like a transition from no daycare to daycare, then daycare to kinder and then to primary school can be such a huge adjustment.”
Parent Gavin Hick said he has seen a big improvement in what his daughter Ava has learned since she’s been here.
“We’ve seen a big improvement in her reading, she’s starting to write her name as well,” he said.
The new service is providing a great benefit to local families and helping to bringing Coldstream further into a ‘family orientated town’.
“Coldstream’s becoming a family orientated town, as such. I think it’s great, it’s going to work well with the town itself,” Mr Hick said.
“From being here, it’s a lot of one on one time with the kids and local kids, everyone gets along and it has a country feel about it.”
