Karyn Bull and students in one of the very first official group photos taken at Gulpa Pre-School.
Gulpa Pre-school has been a mainstay of the community for 40 years, with thousands of children passing through its doors and learning from its educators.
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Originally known as the Gulpa Community School, the school was established in 1984 by Joyce Sanders and situated at the Gulpa Creek Community off the Cobb Highway, Deniliquin.
Operating as a Montessori style centre with Montessori trained teachers, it offered education from pre-school to Year 6.
The school moved into Deniliquin in 1989, and then operated as a pre-school for children aged three to school age.
After one more move, the pre-school landed in its current home in Wellington St in 1992.
It was the same year the students participated in official school photos.
“Moving to Wellington St allowed for more space in general, light, a garden space and, ultimately, a real children’s house” Gulpa’s current director Angela Bould said.
Gulpa had 10 students a day, five days a week in 1992, equating to 50 children across the course of the week.
This was an especially big undertaking considering the pre-school only had two educators, with no assistants employed.
Student numbers increased in 1993 to 13 a day, with the same age grouping and staff numbers.
The pre-school day would run from 9.15am to 6.15pm - a full six-hour day.
Numbers fluctuated over many years, but the next major increase for Gulpa came in 2007.
The educators were now catering to 18 students each day.
One thing that has remained mostly unchanged since the school’s first year in 1984 is the philosophy, and the educational environment.
Gulpa prides itself on providing carefully prepared, pleasing environments where children are free to respond to their natural world.
It encourages peer-tutoring and believes in empowering children to take ownership of their learning.
Karyn Bull and Pam Jones with students in 1996.
Maree Kok and Pam Jones with Gulpa Pre-School students from 1997.
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