Pioneer Community Kindergarten

Part Of The Community For Over 50 Years

For over 50 years, Pioneer Community Kindergarten has served the local community. While much has changed in early education, the kindergarten has stayed true to its roots.

Director Kym Sweeny explained that the kindy has “always been community based, family friendly, very much there for the children,” and that’s something they’ve “really prided” themselves on.

To support this ethos, the kindergarten introduced a special staff member—Demi, the wellbeing dog. “This is my favourite thing to talk about, besides my students,” Kym said. “We’ve got a wellbeing dog. Her name is Demi, and she started with us this year.”

Though it took effort to integrate Demi, including risk assessments, Kym explained how Demi has been invaluable, helping children develop empathy.

“Demi offers tangible motivation for children and gives them the confidence to be amazing listeners, gives them a sense of comfort and love.”

“She can work one on one with kids, she can work with big groups of children, and it can even be an incentive for children to come to kindy.”

Kym also shared that Demi supports both staff and herself. “It’s great for staff and for me, because she’s my personal dog. The staff can just go and give her a cuddle when they need it.”

Families value the community-driven approach at Pioneer Kindergarten, where early education is tailored to each child’s needs. “We have freedom to pursue interests and things like having a fire pit, creating a yarning circle, having elders from our children’s families as part of our decision-making process at kindy,” Kym explained.

The kindergarten’s focus is on social and emotional well-being, with a fluid, child-led curriculum. “We give them the confidence to really succeed in their later years. So, when they go to school, it just comes automatically,” Kym said.

“The children have a big voice in our daily curriculum. So, we write in a floor book, the children share their ideas.”

Kym shared an example: “One of my students brought in a little gum nut the other day, and she told me that there was a fairy inside of it… that turned into this big learning experience where we talked all about our garden and spring. Then they all went ahead and made and designed little fairy houses.”

The small but dedicated team works closely together to ensure the success of the kindy.

“The qualities we need to succeed as a team are a deep understanding of the importance of early education and a love of teaching,” Kym added.

Looking ahead, the team is excited about the future. As a free kindergarten, it offers access to all families, with additions like Demi and a fire pit giving the children an extra edge—especially those who think outside the box.

mackaypioneerkindergarten.org.au

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