Madison Eastmond, Murray Pioneer
A Riverland out of school hours care (OSHC) program has recently celebrated one year of success.
The Monash Primary and Preschool OSHC program has now been offering their service to the local community for over a year, with the initiative recording double the numbers of enrolments during the last school-holiday period since they opened their doors.
“The success of the OSHC program I think comes down to a lot of things,” OSHC director Carly Jones said.
“While we have a lot of fun, I think consistent with staff, and further the relationships staff get to build with children are key.
“We also listen to our students and tailor activities towards what they are excited about – it’s just a great environment for kids to be in.”
The OSHC program is open to Riverland students – aged between three and 12 – before and after school, from 6:30am to 9am, and from 3pm to 6pm, plus, can be enrolled throughout the holiday periods.
“Our program supports working families, as well as families that need a little bit of respite,” Monash Primary and Preschool principal Vanessa Wainwright said.
“We love offering a service that can reassure parents that their children are being looked after by people that care and are safe.
“It’s also fantastic way for children to socialise and spend time with other children.”
Looking to the future, Ms Wainwright said there were plans to upgrade the facility as the program recently was approved to care for up to 40 children at a time.
“We would love to break up the activities more for our different age groups, especially as we are growing and are able to take on more students,” she said.
“It’s just very exciting.”
Monash Primary and Preschool student Connor said the “best thing” about OSHC was that “kids get to play and learn at the same time”.
“The activities are so fun, the educators are super nice… and we get to hang out with friends,” he said.
Monash Primary and Preschool students Bodie and Seth said their “highlights” since attending OSHC have been attending “the movies” and taking part in a pyjama day.
“OSHC is just the best,” Seth said.
The Monash Primary School OSHC program is run by the Governing Council, with all funds raised reinvested into the program.
This article appeared in Murray Pioneer, 13 May 2026.
