When five-year-old Tyra Zuidam locks eyes with fellow prep pupil Harrison Castelino at the school gates, they fall into each other’s arms in relief.
The best friends who went to kindergarten together hold hands in a throng of 510 kids starting the year at South Melbourne Primary School.
Tameeka Castelino drops off her boys Mason, Harrison and Flynn at South Melbourne Primary School. Harrison is starting prep this year.Credit: Chris Hopkins
Although shy, Tyra, who wants to be a singer, finds being at school makes her happy.
“She’s growing so fast,” says Tyra’s mother, Ira Putri.
The two friends are among 77,000 four and five-year-olds starting school this year, more than two-thirds of them in a government school.
South Melbourne Primary principal Noel Creece never made it for his school’s first day when he was a child. On his way, while walking over the oval alone, he was stung by a bee.
Principal Noel Creece at South Melbourne Primary.Credit: Arsineh Houspian
“I was so upset that I cried and ran away, with the teacher beckoning me to return as I left the school grounds,” he says.
“They didn’t know who I was, so they couldn’t call home. I spent the day on the streets, unbeknownst to my mother.
A childhood photo of Noel Creece.
“This story today would be unthinkable.”
He says his experience growing up in poverty fuels his passion for giving more to children than he had.
Creece stands at the doors, blasting Pharrell Williams’ Happy and high-fiving students as they enter.
His vertical school is in high demand, and the Education Department has provided funding to increase its capacity by about 50 students.
“About 65 per cent of children here don’t speak English in their home,” Creece says. “We have many different cultures, religions, creeds. It’s incredibly harmonious even though it’s quite diverse.”
Liv Monaghan and Cain Roberts drop off their daughter Peggy.Credit: Chris Hopkins
On Wednesday, South Melbourne mother Liv Monaghan farewelled her five-year-old, Peggy, who was celebrating her birthday on the same day as she started school.
“We both still have friends from when we were in prep, so we are excited for everything she is going to experience,” Monaghan says of herself and Peggy’s father, Cain Roberts.
“It’s pretty huge actually. It’s such a big change and I don’t know where the time has gone. It’s kind of surreal.”
Peggy is excited to read and borrow books from the school library.
“I don’t want to grow up to be anything. I don’t want to be a scientist. I just want to be a mummy,” she says, holding on to her mother’s arm.
More than a million students are enrolled in Victorian schools this year, including about 660,000 in government schools.
In Pakenham, a high-growth area, Education Minister Ben Carroll opened the new Kuyim Primary School, where 95 students are enrolled but there is capacity for 525. A kindergarten is expected to open in term two.
Five other new state schools open this week: Mirniyan Primary School, Turrun Primary School and Wulerrp Secondary College, all in Clyde North; Barayip Primary School in Tarneit; and Wirrigirri Primary School in Wollert.
Ira Putri and her daughter Tyra Zuidam arrive for Tyra’s first day of prep at South Melbourne Primary. Credit: Chris Hopkins
Carroll said the state government was on track to build 100 new schools by 2026, as well as providing $100 million to families via the $400 school saving bonus.
South Melbourne Primary School prep team leader, Olivia Martin, says that on their first day preppies will make a crown, learn their first word, start writing and learn how a classroom operates.
Teachers will also assess each child to see what their comprehension, reading, writing and socialisation skills and background knowledge is.
Creece says putting on a uniform and going to a school with 500 other students is exciting but also daunting for a prep student.
Credit: Matt Golding
“Some kids say they are so excited on their first day, but they also say, ‘Do I have to come back tomorrow?’”
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