firsts . . . days of preschool & school

Greetings all,
Many children around Australia are tripping off for their first day of peschool & school today . . . not Canberra though, we still have 2 more weeks, no idea why we're so out of synch??  Of course i wasn't blogging when my babies started preschool so i'm having a happy flash back (like my pregnancy & birth stories).  Our children will be the most photographed generation ever & apparently most posted about on social media too!!

Pre-Primary-High . . . we're up to 9 schools across this country!!  It all started in Darwin at a Montessori School, my first born on her first day of preschool, with our first German Shepherd Jakob.

 My sweet twin girls started at a private 3 year old preschool in Sydney, then 4 year old preschool in Darwin, on an air force base.  4 year old preschools in the NT & ACT are government funded & cost $200 a year per child, for 12 hours preschool a week x 40 weeks!!  Welcome relief after the private sector & amazing facilities too.

 Then their little brother joined the 3 year old preschool on campus.  Why the bikini??  It's the tropics (no water restrictions) . . . on Wednesdays, they would turn the entire preschool campus into a water park, over head sprinklers & paddling pools, just brilliant!!  Then my son went to a military preschool in Canberra.  I know it sounds like they were taught rifle drills & marching, in uniform & yelled at, they weren't!!

 A year later those twins joined their big sister at big school.  We used to walk or cycle every day, it was fantastic.  I'd detour to the preschool & practically lived my entire life on the air force base, sewing up a storm at home.

 We used the local indigenous primary school, it was a unique experience as they were taught sign language, half the school was military & half the students were from the local indigenous community.  Kindergarten is called Transition & my girls were in the same class.

 Then suddenly your children are graduating primary school & off to high school.  This year i don't have anyone starting a new school, as my son moves into year 3, twins into year 5 & my eldest into year 8.  At our primary school - we find out who the teachers are on the first day of school, i love all the teachers but do let out a yelp of excitement when we score my favourites, like the sporty teachers.

So, another big year & my son will do his first national testing via NAPLAN (year 3, 5, 7 & 9).  They all love school & can't wait to see their friends.  Our school combines years 5 & 6, i'm glad we're here for good, no new states or territories (when our son starts high school, it will be out 10th school, phew!!)  Those starting primary school this year are blessed with a national cirriculum - this will help families who move (like military) immeasurably.  Happy firsts everyone, love Posie