Community Partnerships

Building Strong Connections across our Kindergarten Community

By Josephine Dingiria

Family and Community Partnerships Manager

One of the things I feel most proud of in my role as Partnerships Manager is seeing the strong sense of community across our kindergartens come to life. Recently, this has been especially evident through the many ways families, educators and the wider community have come together to support each other and create meaningful experiences for children.

Our recent working bees have been a wonderful example of this. It’s been fantastic to see families volunteering their time to help improve outdoor spaces, refresh environments, and create places where children can explore, play and learn. These moments not only enhance our kindergartens but also build a real sense of connection and shared ownership within each service.

We also loved celebrating Special Person’s Day across our kindergartens. These events are always such a highlight, as they provide children with the opportunity to share their learning environment with someone important in their life—whether that’s a parent, grandparent, relative, or close family friend. It was heartwarming to see the joy on children’s faces as they proudly showed their special person around and engaged in activities together.

A particularly special part of our community partnerships has been our growing connections with local aged care facilities. Through shared visits, activities and interactions, children and older members of our community have the opportunity to build meaningful relationships across generations. These experiences foster empathy, respect and a sense of belonging, while bringing joy to everyone involved.

These experiences, along with everyday interactions, help create the strong, inclusive communities we value so deeply at Glen Education. When families feel connected and welcomed, children benefit through a greater sense of belonging, confidence and wellbeing.

We also continue to build partnerships beyond our kindergarten gates, connecting with local schools, libraries, community groups and aged care services to further enrich children’s learning and experiences.

As we plan ahead, we encourage all families to check your kindergarten’s calendar for upcoming Term 3 and Term 4 working bee dates and consider adding your name to the list to support your service on the day. Your involvement—big or small—makes a real difference.

If you have carpentry or practical skills and would be happy to support our services with repairs or building resources, we would love to hear from you. Please email me at esjosephine@gleneducation.org.au.

If you’re interested in getting involved in other ways—such as joining your Volunteer Parent Group or supporting events—there are many opportunities to be part of your kindergarten community, please speak to your educators.

Thank you for the role you play in making our kindergartens such supportive and vibrant places for children and families.