Welcome back to school!

There is nothing quite like the first morning back after the long December holidays. Colourful hand-painted 'Welcome Back to School' letters strung across the garden, teachers ready with hugs and name tags, a chorus of excited chatter as friends spotted each other for the first time in six weeks, and a small, brave handful of first-day starters holding tightly onto mom or dad at the gate. The 2026 Magic Moments year has officially begun.

We spend a lot of thought on how we open the school year. First impressions matter enormously for young children, and a warm, joyful, well-organised first morning sets the emotional tone for weeks to come. Our teachers arrived early to hang the welcome banners, arrange fresh flowers in the classrooms, refresh the name pegs, put out little welcome-back gifts for each child and make sure every space felt inviting.

Returning families flowed in first. Older Grade R children arrived with the confident swagger of Big School graduates-in-training, showing the newest little ones the ropes with impressive maturity. Nursery friends who had missed each other reunited at the mat with the biggest hugs. Our Baby Room welcomed several new little ones with the calm, measured settling routine that our teachers do so well.

The first morning circle was extra special. We sang our familiar 'good morning' song. We introduced the new friends by name. We admired the summer haircuts. We laughed at the sudden growth spurts. And we talked about the exciting term ahead — the outings, the workshops, the concerts and the visitors already pencilled into the calendar.

We also made a very deliberate point of celebrating our new starters. Every new child was greeted individually, walked around the school by their teacher, shown the toilets, the snack table, the reading corner and the playground, and introduced to a 'buddy' — an older child who took them under a small wing for the first few days. It works beautifully every year.

Our Grade R class deserves a special mention. It is a big, exciting, sometimes-nervous year — the last year of preschool, with the mysterious world of Big School shimmering on the horizon. Our teachers had prepared a special welcome-back activity for them: a large paper tree in the classroom on which each Grade R placed a leaf with their name and one dream for the year ahead.

By snack time, the school was humming. Every child left their morning with a sticker, a little story to tell, paint on at least one cheek, and a full water bottle drained empty. Our teachers were exhausted by pick-up and quietly triumphant. First days are exhilarating and exhausting in exactly equal measures.

For parents dropping off a newly starting child, we know how big a day this is. Please know that even if there were tears at drop-off, there was almost certainly laughter within twenty minutes. If you would like a reassurance photo during the morning, please just WhatsApp the office — we are happy to send one. It is one of the small comforts we like to offer new families.

The next few weeks will focus on gentle settling for our new starters and refreshing routines for our returning children. Expect a slightly quieter pace, generous outdoor time, familiar songs and stories, and lots of one-on-one time from teachers as they get to know each child again after the break.

Thank you to every family for trusting us with your children this year. We cannot wait to see what 2026 has in store for our Magic Moments family. Welcome back, and welcome in — this is going to be a wonderful year.