Sumawia Kindergarten graduates 8 to Year 1 next year

Eight kindergarten-age children of Ifira Tenuku in Port Vila Harbour will begin primary schooling at Year One next year after successfully completing the requirements this year at Ifira’s only pre-school, Sumawia Kindergarten.

The kindergarten’s teacher, Esther Bong says the eight – four boys and four girls, aged six and seven, are from 25 children in the morning kindy sessions and 15 in the afternoon sessions this year.

Sumawia Kindergarten opened this year with an enrollment of 40 children – some from families living in Port Vila, after Esther Bong found herself out of a job when Ifira Primary School that operated the island’s only kindy decided to close it at the end of 2013.

The kindergarten recently held its end of year closing ceremony attended by parents and relatives of the 40 children. During the ceremony the children put on reading and singing performances and were given gifts and commendations for their work during the year, and the eight advancing children received certificates.

The kindergarten is currently located at the home of the parents of teacher Bong — Kaleo and Merino Kara, at Sumawia on Ifira. And Merino Kara says the family plans to build a separate house for the kindergarten in the new year, 2015.