A new playground for a rural kindy
As the only early education centre in the rural town of Wandoan, Queensland, creating an encouraging learning environment for students was critical for Trish, the kindy’s Teaching Director. Discover how Shell’s support to build their new playground is helping to boost the children’s physical education and development.
From little things big things grow
Wandoan Kindergarten is the only early education program in the town. It has a small population of 600 and the only other kindergarten is a 45-minute drive away. This is just one of the reasons the much-loved local kindy is so important to the community. “We’re the first and only early education setting that children receive in our area. Wandoan has no childcare centre and doesn’t have any family daycare, so it’s the first actual opportunity that they have for early education,” said Teaching Director, Trish Pitkin. Starting with only six students, the kindy has grown with 25 students now attending from the local area.
For Trish, there’s an extra sense of personal connection with Wandoan for her family. “My husband is actually a Wandoan local, so he was born and bred here, and we’ve returned back to his childhood home. It was about six years ago, after his mum retired, that we returned to the family farm, and it just so happened that Wandoan Kindy needed a teacher. It was like fate.”
Watch to find out more
Read the transcript
Read the transcript
Title: A new playground for a rural kindy | The power of local community
Duration: 2 minutes and 39 seconds
Description:
As the only early education centre in the rural town of Wandoan, Queensland, creating an encouraging learning environment for the kids was critical for Trish, the kindy’s Teaching Director. Discover how Shell’s support to build their new playground is bringing the students joy and contributing to the creation of a fun learning environment.
Wandoan Kindergarten Transcript
(MUSIC PLAYS)
DESCRIPTION:
A blonde woman, Trish, flicks on the fluorescent lights of a classroom that has an orange wall and a beige wall and bright green plastic chairs. Trish starts to lift the small chairs down off the tables onto the floor. She lays out pots of coloured pencils.
TRISH PITKIN:
Coming from a country background of my own, I really do have a belief that children shouldn't be hindered by the locality in which they live.
DESCRIPTION:
An aerial view of a country town.
A weatherboard clad building has a painted mural on it of a pond with reeds, a duck and a heron. A plaque on the side of the building reads ‘Waterloo Plains Canteen Mural’.
TEXT: Wandoan, Queensland
A montage of resident flora and fauna.
Trish sits at an outdoor picnic table near a blue building that has a colourful red and yellow metal roof awning. She wears a navy-blue polo shirt that has ‘Wandoan Kindergarten’ embroidered on it in white.
TRISH PITKIN:
There's no childcare out here, there's no family daycare mums, but the closest childcare centre is about 45-minute drive away, so a lot of the children don't see official early education until they get to kindy.
DESCRIPTION:
Parents drop their kids off at Wandoan Kindergarten. Trish greets them at the gate.
TRISH PITKIN:
Good morning. Welcome to kindy. I am a Roma born and bred girl, so from the country. Hey, Luce. Come in. Hello, darling.
DESCRIPTION:
In a montage, kids play and have fun at Wandoan Kindergarten under Trish’s care.
TRISH PITKIN:
Today, we're going to have lots and lots of fun.
(LAUGHS)
Back when we started, there was the six children, one of them was my daughter. Then slowly, over the years, we've gradually increased up to 23 four-year-olds, and we'll have 16 three-year-olds that come on our Monday.
DESCRIPTION:
Trish smiles as she watches the kids play and enjoy themselves on the various play equipment at the kindergarten.
Later, Trish sits in an office and types on a computer.
TRISH PITKIN:
I feel like everyone's quite invested in the kindy. If we were not a not-for-profit, we would have to close our doors. We don't raise enough money through the fees alone to keep us viable and open. With the backing of Shell, it means that we feel like we're not forgotten.
DESCRIPTION:
In a montage, the various play equipment and decorations around Wandoan Kindergarten.
TRISH PITKIN:
We couldn't have afforded the playground without the close-knit relationship with Shell. It's as simple as that.
DESCRIPTION:
Trish interacts and has fun with the children.
TRISH PITKIN:
When Cam walks in, my husband, he's like, "I played with those wooden blocks." It is really nice to have that connection because our children are now growing up where he grew up.
DESCRIPTION:
Another woman wears a navy-blue polo shirt and helps with the kids who wear bright pink hats and shirts.
A montage of the children playing and enjoying themselves at Wandoan Kindergarten.
TRISH PITKIN:
This playground, you should see them. They fly down the monkey bars. They're climbing up. It's amazing how much it tests them and how much joy that they've got in playing.
DESCRIPTION:
Trish and the kids sit in a circle and tap some sticks together as they laugh, sing and have fun.
TRISH PITKIN:
That playground that we replaced was a much needed upgrade. We're a small rural town, many Ks away from many places, but we've still got the support and we've got the backing to improve our community for the better. It's just excellent knowing that we're important as well.
(MUSIC PLAYS)
DESCRIPTION:
A country town dotted with green trees beneath the red and yellow Shell logo. White text below reads ‘The power of local community’.
(END OF RECORDING)
The new playground for the many years to come
To help the kindy continue to be a great place for the town’s preschoolers, Shell’s QGC business supported them with a grant for much-needed upgrades to the playground. The $50,000 grant through Shell’s QGC Communities Fund allowed them to design and build a new playground, supporting the future of the kindy. “We are grateful to be able to have teamed up with Shell. The new playground has provided such a boost to physical education and development for our children. You can see the footprints of improvement that Shell has left behind in Wandoan,” said Teaching Director, Trish Pitkin.
Opportunities and benefits for all kids
The spirit of the Wandoan community and Trish’s passion capture the idea that regional kids and communities deserve the same opportunities and benefits as children in bigger towns and cities - to roam, explore, learn and grow into healthy, resilient and capable people. “I’ve been working in early education for over 20 years, specialising in the under-fives, but I've also worked at lots of schools. So I’ve always had a passion for the high-quality education route. Children shouldn’t miss out just because of their location.”
Shell’s QGC Communities Fund provides grants between $20,000 - $50,000 to single organisations and $100,000 to eligible collaborative projects by community organisations in the Gladstone and Western Downs Local Government Areas and the township of Taroom. Traditional Owner groups with agreements with Shell’s QGC business can also apply for projects covering these regions.
