Jovi van der Kallen with her daughter Jacinta van der Kallen, 4 of Queanbeyan who is starting school at St Benedicts in Narrabundah
---
An estimated 1282 children will start kindergarten this year in Catholic schools across the Canberra-Goulburn archdiocese, says Catholic Education Office senior officer Tim Smith, reports The Canberra Times.
A former primary school principal of St Anthony's at Wanniassa and St Greg's at Queanbeyan, Smith understands the nerves, concerns and excitement of starting kindergarten. He says the schools start their orientation in May of the previous year for parents to come and see the set-up.
Many are guided by Year 6 students of the school. "We find the parents ask them questions they probably wouldn't ask me as a principal,'' he says.
Jovi and Robert van der Kallen are sending their daughter Jacinta to St Benedict's Primary School in Narrabundah, ACT.
Jacinta won't turn five until May 30. Usually ACT kids must have turned five by April 30 to attend kindergarten. However, Jacinta passed an early-age assessment that include an IQ test under the guidance of a child psychologist.
Jacinta can't wait to get there. And her parents say the fact she has gone to daycare will probably make the first-day handover not as traumatic.
FULL STORY Getting over the first day jitters (Canberra Times)
RELATED COVERAGE
New Canberra College opens doors today (Release)
Sophie Delezio starts high school journey (Sun-Herald)
Catholic schools call for detail on funding cuts (Sydney Catholic)