Wearing egg-straodinary handcrafted hats, preschoolers paraded alongside the ‘big kids’ at Koonawarra Public School today, hatching not just new friendships but a strong start for their kindergarten journey ahead.

The annual Easter Hat Parade is more than a fun day, but a way for preschoolers to get to know their new school environment and build connections with their older peers.

NSW public preschools are among the highest rated early learning services in the state.

The NSW Government is delivering 100 new public preschools on or before Term 1, 2027 – doubling the number of public preschools in NSW.

The $769 million investment will deliver the biggest expansion of public preschools in NSW history and see up to 9000 additional children have access to high-quality and fee-free early learning.

Koonawarra Public School Principal Amanda Kowalczyk said for some of the preschoolers it was their first time stepping up to ‘big school’ for a big community event.

“It really brings the community together and creates a sense of belonging right from the start,” she said.

“Big school is one of the biggest transitions they will ever have in their life, so we want to make sure we can do everything we can to ensure it is as seamless as possible.

“We know coming into big school isn’t just about reading and writing it is about connection and belonging.”

Research shows children who have a quality preschool program for at least 600 hours in the year before school are more likely to arrive at school with the social, cognitive and emotional skills they need to engage in learning. These benefits can be seen throughout school years and later in life.

Mum, Joe Damcevski, has two children at the school in year 6 and year 4. Her eldest Corey attended Koonawarra preschool, before enrolling into kindergarten and is now school captain.

“When Corey came across he was really comfortable and confident, he knew the teachers' names, so he had that familiarity already,” she said.