A Note from Sherryll

** Check out all the stories in the April issue of The Connect here: https://www.theconnect.co.nz/issue-8-april-2021 **

I hope you had a restful Easter break with whānau and friends and are looking forward to the change of pace that the term break brings for some of us anyway.

The first three months of the year is always a busy time, and also a time for remembering, with the anniversaries of the 2011 February earthquake and the 2019 mosque tragedy. COVID-19 has also been on our minds these past few months as we’ve watched what is happening overseas and watched and waited through a number of border outbreaks that were, fortunately, eventually contained. It's a reminder of how much our teaching teams and Head Office staff have had to deal with over the past few years, and also, how far we have come in terms of preparedness.

Thankfully, the first quarter of this year has brought more good news than bad: we have started the year with strong waitlist and enrolment numbers, and the efforts everybody is putting into increasing Child Funded Hours is paying off, too. Our FOCUS kindergartens, who are putting extra effort into connecting with their local communities, have seen a record for the number of March applications received. Thank you so much for all your hard work - Kidsfirst invests significantly in brand-level marketing, but the local initiatives that happen in our kindergartens make just as much of a contribution to ensuring the success of our kindergartens long term. We can get the Kidsfirst name out there, but only with your help and your efforts that allow us to connect future generations with the opportunity to be 'kindy kids'. It’s just a matter of weeks now until the annual Staff Meeting and Professional Learning Hui - it’s the only time all year we are able to be in the same room together, which makes it a very special few days. If you’re still thinking about putting a better because Values Awards entry together, there’s still time. You can find out more here. Entries close on the 30th of April. We have incredibly generous sponsors and a great deal of work goes into these awards, so please do put in the effort. Have a great last week of term, and I look forward to seeing you later in the month.