The first day of school is a big one. There's a new big school uniform, your backpack and lunchbox to organise, new friends to make, and a whole schoolyard to navigate. But the incoming class of 2024 are ready to go next week when kindergarten classes begin on Thursday (now, it's just Mum and Dad who are feeling that soft apprehension as the little ones are suddenly all grown up).
Mali Bargwanna is Jaya's eldest daughter. She will start school at The Junction Public School next Thursday. Her uniform is set, and she's feeling excited, but her mum worries that her little brother, Zephyr, will cope.
"He has never spent a whole day apart from her," Ms Bargwanna said as Mali shared a biscuit with Zephyr in the playground where a handful of local kindies had met before starting school next week.
Ms Bargwanna grew up in Merewether and said Mali had been spending a day a week at Preschool, but heading off to kindergarten was a big step.
"I want to keep her forever," she said, "But she's so excited. She has been able to hang out with a lot of the kids all summer."
Mali is one of 64 incoming students at the local school, where principal Cath Larkman is entering the seventh year of her tenure. Last year, she saw her first cohort of students graduate after following them from day one and said the school was a special place for local families.
When new kindergarteners arrive, they spend a few days in a smaller playground near their classrooms as they get their bearings, but Ms Larkman said it takes little time for the older kids to take them under their wing.
"They transition out here really quickly because the older kids are so anxious to introduce them," Ms Larkman said in the sprawling oval at the back of the school off Union Street. "They look after them. It's lovely."
Charlotte Work from Merewether already has two older sisters at the school, Isabella in Year 4 and Maddison in Year 2. The girls' dad, Nathan, said the school was a good fit for his family, where sport was an important priority.
Charlotte and her kindie classmates have been attending transitional classes to help her find her feet at school next week, and she was excited to get started.
Ned Roberts, whose older brother Rex is in Year 2, already knows a few of the kids at his new school from his local sports teams and drop-off and pick-up times with his mum Jill and grandmother Barb Campbell. Mrs Campbell said the school had a tradition of involving local families and tailoring their education to the students' needs.
"It's lovely that they encourage that participation with the children, and the teachers are wonderful," Mrs Campbell said, "Ned is very keen and very ready, and the school is lovely."
Ms Larkman said the the cohort of 64 new students was typical of the school's annual intake but was proud that the the school had been becoming more diverse each year. In 2024, students from around 27 nationalities will be taking classes at The Junction and at its heart, she said, the school was upheld by its local families, many of whom have several children attending.
"A lot of schools aren't blessed with this amount of space, and this proximity to the beach," Ms Larkman said. "It's amazing."
Macauley Maunder has an older sister at The Junction and he has been eager to get to school and meet his new friends. His mum, Montanna, said the school community had been a pillar of support.
"They've done a few transition days, which have really helped build his confidence," she said, "He's got a big sister here and he's really looking forward to it. We have been so happy here, and there is support for everyone."
Twin sister India and Elle Hoadley have already scoped out their new school at pick-up and drop-off for the past two years as their older brother attends the school.
"They have been asking, 'When are we starting? When are we starting Mum? I'm so excited to go!' Mum, Bailey Hoadley said.
