A Note from Sherryll

We’re just a few sleeps away from the conclusion of the 2021 Kindergarten Year, and after the year we have all had, I am sure you will be counting the days.

I’ve been very aware of the load you have all been carrying this year. Day-to-day kindergarten life is busy enough without the additional work created by pandemic compliance, and keeping up with the constant changes is exhausting.

Whether you’re behind-the-scenes keeping the cogs moving at Head Office, or at the frontlines of kindergarten, I see the enormous efforts that go into keeping kindergarten life as normal as possible for whānau and tamariki, while ensuring safety comes first. At times, you will have faced challenges from the kindergarten community around the sorts of difficult issues that are dividing communities right now. Your own personal views in some areas may even have been set aside for the greater good. None of this goes unnoticed, and I couldn’t be prouder of the way Kidsfirst has pulled together and kept its focus through conflicted and difficult times. Our strength is in this unity, and it is testament to each and every one of you that we end the year in such a solid position.

Ki te kotahi te

kākaho, ka whati;

ki te kāpuia, e

kore e whati

When we stand alone we are vulnerable, but together we are unbreakable

None of us can know what next year will bring – I wish I could confidently say that things should be better in 2022, but it seems the uncertainty will be with us for some time yet.

Bearing that in mind, I want to encourage you to take time out, take a lot of care of you and your whānau, and do what you need to do to put yourself top of the list this term break. It’s easy for the demands of the season and the coming together of families after a long stretch to become overwhelming, especially when you are responsible for the wellbeing of so many others during the working year.

My thanks, again, for all that you do for Kidsfirst and your families. Meri Kirihimete, and I look forward to reconnecting in the New Year.

Arohanui,

Sherryll

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