My First Year: Byron students shine in 2023 kindergarten class photos

Check out our huge My First Year photo gallery featuring hundreds of adorable Byron Shire kindergarten students from more than 15 schools.

Thousands of northern NSW children have begun their first year of school – and we’ve been on hand to capture the smiling faces of the new Byron Shire students.

News Corp has launched its My First Year initiative across the shire for the first time, which celebrates the milestone reached by the young kindy super stars.

Photographer Cath Piltz hit the road, visiting schools with more than 40 kindergarten students to the smallest school with just one student.

Main Arm Public School: Nessa Lavi, Leo Raz, Amber Sylvanspring, Naava Llewellyn, Kai Kim and Satori Swift.

Caillin Doncaster from Ocean Shores said his daughter Anea was thrilled to start kindergarten, but had some reservations.

“She’s been two ways about it,” he said.

“She has definitely been excited about it and also there’s the aspect of her being out of her comfort zone a little bit as well.

“I feel good about this school (Ocean Shores Public School) it has a good vibe.

“Staff are caring, and everyone says really nice things about it.”

The first day of “big school” is a memorable moment for both the children and their family.

Byron Bay’s Simone Hess’s son Leo is a new student at Byron Bay Public School.

“I was really excited for my son because he is quite a curious sort of kid and I thought, well, his world is really going to open up,” she said.

“I was just that little bit apprehensive about letting him head off into the bigger, wider world with less of an overview of what was going on.

“I guess it’s that first level of letting go of them, which I didn’t anticipate … and I felt quite emotional in that first week which caught me off guard.”

Ms Hess said school staff have been kind in the way they have helped children and parents transition into kindergarten.

Around 320,000 children took their first steps into kindergarten across the state in 2023. Photo Blainey Woodham

“Leo was a little apprehensive, I think because of the unknown,” she said.

“It’s taken him probably these five weeks to start to feel more confident just in terms of the drop off and feeling happy to farewell us in the morning.

“I think because he didn’t know the rhythm of the day and didn’t know the people so it’s a new environment, new kids, new teachers.

“It’s five days a week, which is a lot for these little kids – they’re exhausted by the end of it.

“Some kids are in there, running off, see you later and don’t look back and Leo is the sort of kid that still wants to stay with me until the bell goes.”

Her younger son will follow his brother Leo’s footsteps next year.

Bangalow Public School

KR Ngumahl (Goanna): Artie Ava, Cleo, Eva, Roman, Banjo, Leo, Atlas, Maylee, Hunter, Dhruv, Wren, Remi, Emily, Cillian, Maple, Raul, and Micky. Away: Chase

KL Yumbar (Python): Opie, Otis, Skye, Florence, Leo, Dusty, Matilda, Ahern, Jarvis, Kai, Angus, Nico, Vera, Lucia, Paloma, Hudson, Johnny, Ra, and Esme. Away: Xeres

Brunswick Heads Public School

Sofia Bonacina-Kelleher, Connor Brown, Amelie Burrows, Harvey Carr, Bowie De Villeneuve, Angus Graham, Kian Hart, Jaxon Holmes, Ivy Irwin, Parker Johnson, Mickey Jones, Sana Kelly, Ezra Kerr, Kaelum King, Lily Mcpherson, Sage Moseley, Arlo O'Connell, Aliyah Ormsby, Nash Parker, Phoenix Preston, Indigo Pugatch, Remo Ravelli, Evie Reardon, Eva Richardson, Mabel Sampson, Ennid Schnyder, Harrison Scott, Mabel Tooth, Phoenix Walker Hook, Jude Watson, Jesse West and Banjo Wilks with teachers Ella French and Nicole Oxley.

Byron Bay Public School

Back: Blake L, Zavier D, Luna Tr, Sage M, Yasmine N, Xavi W, Harper SJ, Leo K, Anouk T, Amaya W, Soli H, Isla L. Third row: Tiger G, Willow F, Luna Tu, Neo G, Flynn C, Molly R, Leo D, Yuna S, Kiko C, James K, Nami B, River G. Second row: Isla P, Harriet C, Ivy J, Eden B, Emi VS, Marly S, Reuben G, Elena AC, Maya R. Front row: Huxley B, Zohar BN, Nancy M, Huxley Y, Louie P, Arnold D and Miles R.

Byron Community Primary School

Back row: Alex Beresford, Arlen Franke, Atticus Iacono, Crusoe Cameron-Watson, Darcy Star, Arti Stockdale, Kona Tischler, Ruko Martineau, Brendan Morison (teacher). Middle: Camilla Cavazzini, Bella Malcolm, Hanalei Nowland, Scout Crawley, Lucinda Cowen-Davies, Sheva Ink, Eva Austin-Woods. Front: Winnie Wilson, Micah Lenders, India Arter, Daisy Lewicki, Leila Abegg, Max Bunn, Harper Garft, Ryker Manton, Mavi Salfield and Alby Teague.

Crabbes Creek Public School

Oceana S, Remy D, Zahli O, Georgia M, Koah B, and River C.

Eureka Public School

Back: Ziah, Olive, Solomon. Front: Iley and Marigold.

Goonengerry Public School

Matthew. W, Luan. S, Tilly. B and Ovie. L.

Main Arm Upper Public School

Nessa Lavi, Leo Raz, Amber Sylvanspring, Naava Llewellyn, Kai Kim and Satori Swift.

Mullumbimby Public School

Back: Luka G, Banjo W, Beau W, Quincy C, Luna I, Dylan M. Middle: Junior J, Spencer C, Felicity A, Emmylou B, Beau F, Leo P, Awa K, Baxter B, Van C. Front: Thom H, Bronze L, Sienna S, Thea G, Jinnan H, Moana C, Alleah P, Archibald N, Louis R.

Newrybar Public School

Doris, Kiara, Daisy, Lexi and Remi in the front.

Ocean Shores Public School

Mia Andrew, Garv Arora, Lucy Cornale, Delucca Doyle, Yves Dredge, Sage Halliday, Kaia Hoekstra-Mason, Raph Johnston, Xander Newman, Sunny Reilly, Hunter Stepto, Aluna, Stevenson, Frankie Andrews, Gussy Batchelor, Denali Chiarelli, Anea Doncaster, Or Eldar, Alice Komarov, Mahli Murray, Sage Quinlivan, Jack Shaw, Harley Spinks, Makito Watanabe, Kobi Watts, Alfie Williams, Beau Lyster with teacher Ms Kelly.

Rosebank Public School

Kindy students Alle and Evie with principal Juanita Thomson.

Rosebank Public School’s only two kindy students Alle and Evie jumping into their schooling.

St Finbarr’s Primary School

St Finbarr‘s Wategos: Van, Harry, Wolfy, Jude, Bonnie, Teddy, Maudie, Nevaeh, Sienna, Baylea. Jack, Polly, Luna and Assumpta with teacher Lily-Anne Hamer.

St Finbarr‘s Tallows: Teacher Abbi Powell, Lara, Chey, Van, Bobby, Lara, Finn, Thane, Archie, Ari, Milla, Violet, Piper, Anouk, Ella, and Sam.

St Finbarr‘s Belongil: Teacher Brianna King, Oscar, Hugo, Frida, Zac, Sadie, Edie, Rafi, Lexi, Sam, Spike, Esther, Jimmy, Rafa, Koa, Matisse, Maeve, Akio, and teacher Rachel Mitchel

St John’s Primary School

Dorathea Ambrose, Jet Brydon, Mars Matthews, Marlon Mavay, Tanika Oldfield, Nhyri Parr, Piper Simpson and teacher Ellie Bailey.

The Pocket Public School

Gene Antonio, Zarina Belaazziz, Julian Brinkman-Dorney, Clarence Buchannan, Sage Budini-Drake, Chase Liddle, Koa Lynn, Millie Medeiros, Summer Niemegeers, Elva Passmore, Pixie Phoenix-Coy, with teachers Rhianon Glasson and Kelsey Wilson.

Wilsons Creek Public School

Luella Edwards is Wilsons Creek Public School’s sole kindy student in 2023.

My First Year 2023: Full photo gallery for Byron Shire School students

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