Nestled in the heart of Yarralumla, ACT you’ll find St Nicholas Greek Australian Preschool and Childcare Centre.
Established more than 30 years ago, it is Canberra’s only Greek early learning centre which focuses on blending culture, tradition, language, and creativity amongst young children.
Since being built, the centre has evolved to meet the needs of the Greek and non-Greek community, with updates to its curriculum, and several renovations and expansions to its building.
In an exclusive interview with The Greek Herald, the Preschool’s director and business owner, Athena Zappia, provided insights into the preschool’s services and recent updates which have helped it better serve the community.
“We used to be a 40-place centre, and since I started here, we’ve been working on an extension for a baby’s room. We have now finished building that, and we’re now a 56-place centre with three rooms and about 22 teachers,” Athena told The Greek Herald.
History:
St Nicholas was built in 1994 and, to this day, remains the only Greek preschool in Canberra. Each year, it has an ongoing waitlist of families in the community excited to enrol their children to receive its excellent services and quality education.
In 2013, the building was demolished, and then after extensive renovations, it was officially re-opened in February of 2014 by Katy Gallagher MP.
What’s new?
In May 2024, the school received a major update – a new room for babies, the ‘Amalthea Room.’
This was created to help meet the demand for young children aged between six months to two years old who wanted to enrol into the school but weren’t quite old enough.
“It was probably a five-year process, because obviously we started designing the plans and then COVID happened, which made it take a little bit longer to get approvals and move forward,” Athena said.
“Having the need and demand for a new room just shows that we’ve got a great team and we’re dedicated to delivering a really great educational service.”
Quality education for all:
The preschool offers a bilingual curriculum, where children can engage with the Greek and English languages in an immersive learning environment. Athena stated that the preschool also prides itself on its play-based approach to learning.
“Our curriculum features a play-based approach, where we encourage and teach children to learn through play while enjoying it. It helps them develop a lot of those social and emotional skills,” she said.
“We are also quite inspired by the ‘Reggio Emilia’ approach, which is an approach to education that was developed in Reggio in Italy many years ago, and focuses on the learning environment for young children, making sure that their days are filled with different things that allow them to explore, imagine and create a love of learning essentially.”
The preschool also offers a ‘Bush Kindy’ program which takes place three times a week, weekly ‘Ready Steady Go’ sport sessions, and monthly ‘Wiradjuri Echoes’ programs to learn about the Wiradjuri people.
‘Paizo’ playgroup
The preschool also offers a playgroup called ‘Paizo,’ which is held every Thursday from 10:30am to 12:30pm.
“‘Paizo’ is a place where children can go to immerse themselves in the Greek culture and the Greek language,” Athena explained.
“They get to meet each other, listen to stories in Greek, and learn about different cultural aspects.”
In addition to developing language and social skills, children who attend ‘Paizo’ are treated to healthy, homemade meals prepared by the preschool’s chef, Niko.
“He makes everything from scratch, including home-made bread and muesli bars,” Athena added.
Classrooms and ages welcome
The preschool is divided into three main classrooms: the Amalthea Room, the Artemis Room, and the Apollo Room. The Amalthea Room is the latest addition to the school, catering to infants aged six months to two years old.
The preschool’s website describes the room as a “warm and secure environment where infants can explore, grow, and thrive at their own pace.”
The Artemis Room is designed for children aged 1 to 3 years old, and the Apollo Room, for children aged 3 to 5 years old.
When asked whether there’s plans to extend again in the future, Athena highlighted the benefits of having a small preschool.
“I know every child here. I can generally tell you something about each one of them. And the bigger you get, you lose that,” she said.
“We’re very lucky with our staff. We don’t have any relief staff. We have full time staff. So anytime you walk through the door and into a room, it’s the same staff all the time. And that’s sort of what’s important, that continuity, and for the children to have those strong relationships with their teachers.”
To find out more information, visit St Nicholas Greek Australian Preschool and Childcare Centre’s website.
