Bundaberg’s first Catholic kindergarten will open next week adjacent to St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Woondooma Street.
The construction of the facility began in August 2019 and Catholic Education engaged local company Murchie Constructions for the work.
Diocesan director Leesa Jeffcoat said the new facility would continue to expand a long-standing service in the region.
“Catholic education in Bundaberg commenced over 140 years ago at St Joseph’s,” she said.
“It's very pleasing that we are able to continue to grow our services in this area to offer a quality educational choice for Bundaberg families from early learning through to Year 12.”
Miss Jeffcoat said the new kindergarten would offer the endorsed Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline, providing opportunities for children to engage through a play-based approach, in learning across the intellectual, language, emotional, physical, social and spiritual dimensions.
“In addition, our new kindergarten will implement the framework for early years spiritual development in the Catholic tradition developed by Catholic Education,” she said.
“This framework provides an early years program that nurtures each child's innate spirituality and relationship with God.”
Miss Jeffcoat extended thanks to St Joseph’s principal Kaye Beston, Parish Priest Fr Peter Tonti and the Bundaberg community for their active support and enthusiasm for the development of the kindergarten.
“We are very excited and looking forward to welcoming our first cohort of children to the kindergarten next week,” Ms Beston said.
St Joseph’s Catholic Kindergarten will open its doors on Tuesday, 28 January
The new kindergarten has been strategically positioned adjacent to St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School prep and Year 1 classrooms, further enhancing the notion of an early years precinct incorporating kindergarten, prep and Year 1 children.
More information about enrolments at St Joseph’s Catholic Kindergarten is available on the Rockhampton Catholic Education website or by contacting Catholic Education Early Learning and Care on 4994 8095.
When parents, guardians and carers of the ‘little people’ in our society i.e., children, are offered a best practice, innovative and harmonising environment that puts the provision of opportunities for children to be able to engage through a play-based approach, in learning across the intellectual, language, emotional, physical, social and spiritual dimensions is unveiled, it can only be a step in the best direction for the stable upbringing of a community, that aids it’s growth and well-being. That this innovative environment is open to using a more practical and forward thinking ethos with a mission statement of “This framework provides an early years program that nurtures each child’s innate spirituality and relationship with God.” This helps children who are experiencing and questioning aspects of spirituality in their life. Especially where most parents, guardians and cares are unable to answer, or seek answers to the questions of children in their care, who are experiencing their own connections/interactions with spirit beings. God, angels or otherwise.