The season of Djilba, the growing season, is a time of conception, a  transitional time of the year, which seems an apt time for our kindergarten to have been undergoing renovation and renewal.  An exceptionally wet Makuru season resulted in the damp/mould  issues of  our Kindergarten building urgently needing to be remedied, and two weeks before the end of Term 3 we ‘moved out' and began using the Silver Birch building, so work could be carried out.  The rear of the building was excavated and drainage put in place to re-direct water flow and the water-tank and fence were re-located, the underfloor area was cleaned out and carpets were removed.  We have been fortunate to have other work carried out whilst the building was vacant, including sanding and oiling of the kitchen benches, a pulley system installed to facilitate easier cleaning of our acoustic sails, and replacement of the foyer benches.  Thank you so much to Sophia (play group leader) for graciously sharing the space with us, and being so tolerant of us semi moving in.  Gratitude to Jacqui for approving the work and providing the beautiful jarrah timber for the benches.  Appreciation to David Stockdale for overseeing the work and ensuring a thorough job has been done and to the tradesmen who have worked so hard.  Thank you also to the teachers who joined forces during swimming week to clean the acoustic sails so they could be put up again, and to our wonderful assistants Evie and Clare for their flexibility.  Last but not least, well done to our dear children who accepted the disruptions and noise so calmly.

Kambarang, the season of birth is a transformational time of the year.  With wildflowers in abundance it was a beautiful time for the Bush Kindy camp at Nowanup, held last weekend.  This year our K6 students were joined by the Class One and Two students and their families, many of whom had previously attended the camp at Nowanup.  Gathering on Friday evening we experienced a traditional smoking ceremony, followed by stories and singing around the campfire.  On Saturday morning the kindergarten students and parents were the first  to walk a meandering path through the regenerated bushland to a shelter hut with a breathtaking view of the distant Stirling Ranges, where we met up with Noongar Elder and custodian of Nowanup, Eugene Eades, who shared stories and songs before continuing the walk.  The children returned to camp to create a pair of tapping sticks crafted from local timbers.  Nowanup is a place of healing  which makes a lasting impression on all who are fortunate enough to spend time there.  Thank you Bruce for organising a deeply nourishing learning experience for our children and families.

Upon returning to Denmark we were greeted with the happy news that Karri Kindergarten was ready to move into!  So this week we have been enjoying our refreshed room, and looking forward to the arrival of new carpets in the next few weeks.  Many thanks to Kylie who offered the carpet from the shop as a temporary floor covering, and to those who helped move it into the room.

So now we have a few weeks left of the school year to enjoy being in our room again as the K6 children prepare to make the transition to Class One.  They are stitching craft bags to store their knitting projects in next year, and will soon begin visits to 'big school'. 

Warm wishes,

Denise