Getting the brand out

We’ve been talking a lot about the importance of continuing to make new connections with families, and a good way to do this can be at local or regional community events.

Kidsfirst now has a fantastic promotional kit available with a gazebo, flags, and posters that can be easily set up as part of a community event. There are also Kidsfirst brochures, stickers, balloons and more to share with visitors.

This kind of activity won't always result in immediate enrolments, but many kindergartens are pleasantly surprised when they pay off months down the track. Keeping a consistent presence in the community is a way to make sure kindergartens are top of mind when people come to make that all-important decision about where to send their child for ECE.

We had a chat with three kindergartens who have already taken the initiative to showcase their kindergartens using our Kidsfirst Promotional kit.

Here’s what they had to say…

GET A TEAM TOGETHER

“The more the merrier,” says head teacher, Wendy McAra and the North New Brighton team who set up a stand at Children’s Day in Brighton to promote their kindergarten. “Perhaps get together with teaching teams from other kindergartens and make it a collaborative effort. Or invite parents along from kindy to help out and who could also share their experience first-hand with visitors.”

YOU MIGHT EVEN HAVE FUN!

“It was a real treat to connect with kindergarten whānau past and present," Wendy says."Families and children stopped to enjoy the games and resources set up beside the gazebo, such as the giant Connect four. We hung posters and photographs of children in action to give a visual on our kindergarten. These were also a big help for international families, especially if there was a language barrier.”

“Although we didn’t get any enrolments ourselves on the day we were able to support other kindergartens and colleagues by directing families visiting from outside of our Brighton community to find out more about a Kidsfirst kindergarten in their local area.”

STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Raelene Johnson and the team from Kidsfirst Karoro took the Kidsfirst Promotional kit and deck chairs to their local school gala. It was a relaxed, social day that included coffee and refreshments from the other stalls. “We made lots of connections with local parents,” says Raelene. “And it was a great way to continue to nurture our relationship between the school.”

FEEL THE PRIDE

Kidsfirst The Bays attended the 2019 Estuary Festival, an annual community event celebrating the uniqueness of their coastal locality

“I was so proud of my team giving up a day in their weekend to take part in this great event right next door to our kindergarten,” says head teacher, Liza Hewison. “We felt a real sense of professionalism and whanaungatana/connection to be able to share more about our fantastic kindergarten with our local community.”