Stephanie Olliver, now also a teacher with Kidsfirst, is shown reminiscing with Cindy and Chief Executive Sherryll Wilson at the 100 years lunch below.

That’s always been a huge part of the Kidsfirst organisation – the sense of community and whānau that’s been threaded through the kindergartens since the early days. Many of our kindergartens have generations of kindy kids, teachers, parents and grandparents who have all come through the organisation at some stage or another so that stories like the one above are commonplace.

“You’re down at the supermarket,” says Hilary Waller, Head Teacher at Edmonds Smith Street, “and it’s ‘Oh Hilary, do you remember me?’ And I’m thinking, I should, I should, I should. But here’s this seventeen year old girl looking fabulous and I had her at kindergarten and I’m supposed to know who she is!”

It comes back to kindergarten’s essential place in the community. It’s a hub for the community, where people come together at all different stages of life. There is something truly unique about kindergarten. It’s something that has lasted generations, as something that New Zealand families do.