The first week of OOSH is usually more nerve-wracking for parents than for kids. Here’s exactly what happens between drop-off and pickup so you know what to picture.

Day one — before they arrive

Charlotte (our OOSH Manager) and Sarah review every enrolment file the day before a new child starts. We know your child’s name, the school they go to, any allergies or health flags, who’s authorised to collect them, and any family context that helps the educators settle them. Daria, our lead educator on most afternoons, gets a 5-minute briefing.

Pickup from school (3:00pm)

If your child attends Bondi Beach Public School, an educator (usually Daria or Marc) walks to the school gate by 2:55pm wearing a high-vis WAYS vest. They check in with each child on the day’s collection list, sign them out from school, and walk them back to the Russell King Building (about 5 minutes’ walk).

For kids whose schools aren’t in our walking catchment, parents drop the child at OOSH any time after 3:15pm. Some parents do the school pickup themselves, then drive over.

Arrival at OOSH (3:15pm)

Kids tap their photo on the iPad to sign in. New kids: an educator buddies them up with a “first day friend” — usually a kid who’s been there a term or more and is enthusiastic about showing the new person around. This is one of the smallest things we do but it’s the difference between “I had to sit alone” and “I made a friend.”

Afternoon tea is served around 3:20pm. Today (rotating menu) it might be cheese, crackers, fruit and milk, or pasta salad and yoghurt, or a warm afternoon snack in winter. Kids eat together at long tables — this is intentionally a social moment, not a “shovel food and go” moment.

Choice block 1 (3:35–4:15pm)

Kids pick from 3–4 options that run for the term:

• Cooking club (Tuesdays, 8-week block) — making something they can take home or eat together
• Outdoor sport on the basketball court
• Quiet table for homework or reading
• Free play in the multi-purpose room (Lego, art supplies, board games)

New kids often pick free play on day one — less commitment, more time to scope out the room. By week two most kids have figured out which clubs they want to join.

The wellbeing check-in (4:15pm)

Quick snack break + an educator does a temperature-check on how each child is doing. Anyone who looks flat, withdrawn, or wound-up gets a quiet 5-minute chat. Not therapy — just “how was today?” This is where we catch the things that don’t show up at home until weeks later.

Choice block 2 (4:30–5:30pm)

Different options run: drama club, Lego engineering, garden time, more sport, more quiet reading. Same idea — kids pick.

Wind-down (5:30–6:00pm)

Activities wrap. Kids pack up, find their bags, and the educators do a final attendance check. Late-pickup kids (still here at 5:55pm) sit together at a quiet table with an educator and a book. We close at 6:00pm sharp — there’s a $15 late fee per 15 minutes after that, which goes to the educators’ overtime, not us.

The Owna update — that night

Every parent gets the daily Owna update around 7:00pm with photos from the afternoon, an educator’s note about how your child went, and any flags (medication given, incident report, etc.). New parents read these obsessively for the first fortnight, then quickly trust the system.

The end of week one

Most kids who were nervous on Monday are walking into the room with their bag dragged casually behind them by Friday. The ones who are slow to warm up are still being shadowed by Daria or Marc — we don’t push, we just stay close. If anything’s not going well, Charlotte calls you. We don’t wait for the “report-day” cadence other services use; if it matters today, you hear today.

What to do at home in week one

Three things help:

1. Ask “what did you do?” not “did you have fun?” “Fun” gets a yes-or-no shrug. Specific questions unlock stories.
2. Send a comfort item if your child is under 7 or anxious. A small toy that lives in their bag is permitted. Educators help kids find it if they need it.
3. Reply to Owna updates if anything looks off. A 30-second message to Charlotte (“Mia was tired tonight — anything happen?”) gets context faster than waiting until pickup tomorrow.

If you want to see it before you enrol

Charlotte runs tours Wednesday afternoons 3:30–4:30pm. You’ll see the afternoon program in action with real kids — not a staged tour. You’re welcome to bring your child too; it’s actually better, because then they can scope out the room and meet a few kids before their first day.