60 years of play, friendships and connections at Kent Street Community Kindy

Plenty has changed in the 60 years since Kent Street Community Kindergarten opened in Beenleigh, but some key things have also stayed the same. 

The centre’s commitment to helping children thrive through community, family connections and play-based learning has remained steadfast – and that’s being celebrated in its  60th birthday event later this year. 

Kylie Stagg, president of the parents’ committee and one-time educator at the kindy, says her 2 children have made some incredibly special memories there. 

‘It is a hidden gem, and it really has a unique, homely, old-school feel where everyone is welcome and parents are very involved in decision-making,’ she says. 

‘Teneille, the director here, has a passion for building relationships and so do the rest of the team Melissa, Kristy, Abby, Amelia, Jess and Lindy. That really shows. There are a lot of longstanding staff here, and the parents make friendships as much as the children do. 

 The connections through the years are very strong – we recently put a call-out on social media asking for volunteers for our 60th birthday celebration and Deb, – a retired educator who taught children at the kindy for 28 years, was the first person to put her hand up to help. Her knowledge and experience is still to this day highly valued.  

‘We also have a community member attending whose parents were involved in the construction of the kindy. People really stay close.’ 

Kylie says local businesses also jumped on board to support the event. 

The 60th birthday celebration, being held in October, will welcome families and educators from past and present, as well as inviting the wider community to celebrate and see what sets Kent Street Community Kindergarten apart. Guests can experience some of the special visitors who attend the centre,  including Indigenous artists and wildlife rangerse.  

There will also be a photo booth for teens who might return for a trip down memory lane. 

Nadia Matiu, also a parent at the kindergarten, says she wanted people to experience a place she describes as ‘more than just a kindy’. 

‘Sometimes you walk into a place and know that this is the place for you – that’s how I first felt when I came here,’ she says. 

‘I have met people who I know will be lifelong friends, and our kids will go through life together.’ 

Last year, the Kent Street Class of 2015 graduated primary school – and to celebrate, the children, who were all keen bike riders then and now, met up to recreate a photo taken at kindy.  

Kylie says this is typical of the community. 

‘It’s just that connection, people come back here because they love it,’ she says.

Kent Street Community Kindergarten welcomes children in the year before they start Prep. They also host a fortnightly playgroup for the tinier children. Find out more on their website.  Find out about their October event here.