As we come to the end of our fourth week in our temporary space, it feels fitting to reflect on our journey so far. It is one we could never have predicted and one which has challenged us in many ways, but it is also a story of hope and togetherness. This is our story.
April 20th 2026 is a date we will never forget. Learning our preschool had been devastated by flash flooding was heartbreaking. In that moment we not only lost an environment which had been carefully curated and loved, we also lost a valuable member of our community in Rabbit form. There was uncertainty, grief and stress, but also responsibility and a need to recover fast.
Resilience is about adaptability and being able to process and progress through uncertainty and change. People often think of it as ‘bouncing back’ or adapting, but what we have learned is that resilience is so much more. It is about community and connection. Resilience, in our experience, is about embracing the uncertainty, letting go of control and walking hand in hand with each other, taking each day one step at a time. It is definitely not an ability to get up with a smile on your face everyday like nothing ever happened.
Children are often thought to have high levels of resilience, we have seen it firsthand. As the children resettled into our temporary space, they found comfort in familiarity and joy in difference. They embraced the new possibilities the school hall provided and even told us they liked this new school. The children felt safe because the people were the same, the process was similar and they could learn and have fun again.
The Montessori community made this possible. We were overwhelmed by donations and support. Some people we had personal connections to, but many we didn’t. Montessori classrooms are purposefully curated. Over the lifetime of our centre, we had collated hundreds of materials, with many hours and late nights sat over a laminator. These donations meant our children entered a new space, with familiar materials. They were able to find what they knew and continue their learning like it had never been disturbed. Not only was this heartwarming, but comforting. Parents, children and teachers alike could easily see the ease the children felt, raising hope.
The teachers have found it more challenging. There have been continual additional pressures of rebuilding. We never knew we were emotionally attached to furniture. As we have worked through replacement, we have been reminded of the stories, the children who found success at a specific table or with a certain resource. Those memories are captured in photos, but were woven into the structure of our building. The teachers have been managing the daily constraints of a temporary space. Setting up and packing up daily, managing a small space and less than ideal furniture. Or moving out so the school can use their hall. There is a constant unspoken stress sitting among us, reminding us we are only guests here. Yes, lollies, chips and cake are a big part of our diet now, but we are in this together. We are taking each disruption in our stride and making it work.
Through this experience we have been reminded of the significance of community. Our whānau community have supported us. Sticking by us as we navigated homelessness, offering support and checking in on the teachers as people. We had messages and conversations with many families whose children have since moved on from preschool, reminding us family is forever. Our local community also stepped up to support us. We are housed in the local school. We had help wading through silt and mud and further help setting up a new space. In all of this, old connections were rekindled, new connections formed and current ones deepened. Community is family and family hold each other up in times of struggle, creating collective strength and resillience.
There have been hard and overwhelming days for all of us, but our strength has come from one another. From being together again and from holding onto the knowledge that we will soon be back in our Duppa street building. It will have new carpet and paint, but it will be our home again. We will be together, doing what we all love. We will be creating new memories and stories. But this time of hardship will stick with us. It will always remind us we are adaptable, we are resillient and when we have one another, we can achieve amazing things.
This is our story. Our story of grief and loss, of hope, love and resilience.