Community spirit celebrated at kindy's 60th

GOOD MEMORIES: Greytown Kindergarten teacher Jenny Hansen and pupils look at an old scrapbook from the kindergarten's founding, 60 years ago.

The fences at Greytown Kindergarten are bigger than they were 60 years ago, the old fort has been taken down, the playground equipment has changed several times, and the parents' fashions are different.

But, say its staff and past pupils, the community spirit remains the same.

Next weekend, the McMaster St kindergarten will be holding several events to celebrate its 60th anniversary.

The kindergarten was founded in 1955 by a "group of enthusiastic parents", and has since housed several generations of Greytown families -- and even once taught film maker Vincent Ward.

Current teacher Jenny Hansen said the staff were inspired to organise a 60th birthday party after an anonymous member of the community delivered an old scrapbook of newspaper clippings and photographs from the kindergarten's early years.

"It was mysteriously dropped off at our door," Mrs Hansen said.

"We invited some past parents for morning tea to have a look -- and realised our 60th was coming up, so we thought we'd better do something.

"The kindergarten is here because of the community spirit in Greytown, and that's what we wanted to celebrate."

In the scrapbook, the yellowed newspaper articles tell the story of a group of parents who "threw themselves into" fundraising for a kindergarten -- raising 2000 pounds in only six weeks.

"The community really got behind them," Mrs Hansen said.

"They could see the benefit of a free kindergarten for the area."

Once funds were obtained, the parents rolled up their sleeves, clearing the section, doing the building work, and painting the new premises, with materials donated by the community.

The kindergarten was officially opened by then Wairarapa MP Bertie Cooksley on October 1, 1955.

According to the newspaper articles, the kindergarten was praised by the then Department of Education -- by 1964, it had been named "the best equipped kindergarten" in New Zealand.

Later, the department deemed it "most successful" in terms of parental engagement with teachers and students -- as is obvious from the photos of the mothers in their circle skirts and cardigans, having tea parties with their children.

Mrs Hansen herself is an alumna of the kindergarten from the 1960s, and has many happy memories.

"It was a cool place to grow up, as everybody knew everyone else.

"The fences were much smaller in those days, and we had a tree fort which is now gone -- but it hasn't changed too much."

The celebrations, held on October 16 and 17, will include a morning tea for past pupils, followed by a cake cutting by Isobel Garrity, one of the kindergarten's first teachers, and fourth-generation current pupil Kingston Fairbrother.

The kindergarten will also be unveiling the newly painted panels on its children's whare on the grounds, in a ceremony led by South Wairarapa mayor Adrienne Staples.

For more information about the upcoming events, call Jenny Hansen or Andrea Mitchell on 06 304 9381.