Events

The Essington School Pre-Transition and Transition classes held a grandparents stay and play session as we strongly believe it takes a village to raise a child. Grandparents play a fundamental role in the education of children through experience and language. We recognise the important role that grandparents play in the children’s lives and we wanted to host an opportunity to thank them for all that they do for the children.

The children took time out of their day to showcase their work and share their grandparents with their peers. By sharing their grandparents the children gave their peers an opportunity to interact and learn from grandparents from around the world. It was an opportunity to spread love and appreciation with our families.

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Special movie screening for Grandparents Day – for the young and young at heart!

To celebrate Grandparents Day on Sunday 30 October, COTA NT has organised a super specially-priced screening of this fantastic kids’ movie, DC League of Super-Pets with our friends at Event Cinemas.

Limited seats available! Bookings close 28 October.

• Adults $5 – includes morning tea/coffee and biscuit
• Children* (under 14) $2.50 – includes small drink and small popcorn
• Ticketing is through COTA NT only, not through the box office.

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About the film

Dwayne Johnson stars as the voice of Krypto the Super-Dog in Warner Bros. Pictures’ animated action adventure feature film “DC League of Super-Pets,” from director Jared Stern.

In “DC League of Super-Pets,” Krypto the Super-Dog and Superman are inseparable best friends, sharing the same superpowers and fighting crime in Metropolis side by side. When Superman and the rest of the Justice League are kidnapped, Krypto must convince a rag-tag shelter pack—Ace the hound, PB the potbellied pig, Merton the turtle and Chip the squirrel—to master their own newfound powers and help him rescue the Super Heroes.

* Please note: Movie foyers in Palmerston and Darwin are set up for Hallowe-en and may scare younger children. Discretion is advised.

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About our event

Over 100 grandies arrived on Sunday 30 October to pick up popcorn, colouring sheets, biscuits, soft drinks and tea/coffee to keep them sustained during this wonderful fun family movie. Lots of giggles were heard from all corners. Thanks to BCC Cinemas staff and NTG for sponsoring the event. All feedback was positive!

Time: 10:30 am - 12:30 pm

Join us for a special Story Time as we celebrate grandparents in our community.
No need to book. See you there

Time: 10:00 am - 10:30 am

At Haileybury Rendall School, Early Learning Centre, we pride ourselves on hosting family events and ensuring that the entire family is welcomed in our Centre and are able to spend quality time with the children and educators. The team planned and implemented a range of engaging activities for the event.

In 2021 Grandparents High Tea was attempted on two occasions but cancelled due to Covid issues. Therefore, the excitement was phenomenal from everyone that the event we had planned, for over 12 months would actually take place.

We were all incredibly fortunate to have many interstate and a couple of international visiting grandparents who could attend and really enjoy being centre of attention and spending a quality unrushed morning with their much-loved grandchildren and educators who spend every day with these precious children they are entrusted with.

The ELC had one room set up for high tea and the other room was a variety of activities including Storytime with the School Librarian, a pamper station for massages, cologne, nail polish, bead making, construction zones, colouring, board games and a dress up photo booth all while listening to background music from the 60’s 70’s and 80s. This provided opportunity for the grandparents to roam between the rooms eating, relaxing and participating in the range of activities on offer.

The Storytime featured books specifically about grandparents which made it extra special. A photo wall was created in the foyer featuring all of the children grandparents and was enjoyed by all who visited. We have so many beautiful photos to share, and three just doesn’t do the event justice.

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This morning our day respite centre visited the Berrimah Goodstart Early Learning Centre for morning tea and activities with their students.

We visited the 3-4 year old class and our clients had an absolute hoot of a time. We have such a diverse range of clients in our centre who moved to Darwin from many different places. From Indonesia, to Scotland, to England or just interstate. Due to this being the case some unfortunately do not get to see their grandchildren, great grandchildren or even great great grandchildren, so we decided to head down to Berrimah for some fun.

The kids had such an amazing time sharing their morning tea with us, telling us stories, showing us their toys….. the list goes on. The kids enjoyed colouring in the grandparent colouring in sheets which now line the walls of our centre. It was amazing to see our clients faces fill with such energy and joy as they interacted with the kids. We finished the morning off by reading a book to the class before we departed with big hugs all round.

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Cath Roberts met her grandmother for the first time in her life.

Cath is 48yrs and met her grandmother on the 14th of August 2022 when she was aged 92 (she is now now 93).

Delayed planes, many hours to get down south where she was. My heart was full of butterflies meeting her for the first time, this was one of the most indescribable moment of my life. My first photo of her and I. Seeing her and hearing her, my heart and time with my new found grandmother created the most amazing spark in me that I have ever ever known.

She was a Registered Nurse, Midwife, Child Health nurse, studied in tropical diseases and librarian. I am a Registered Nurse and Child Health nurse. We shared and reminisced about her incredible life as a nurse and my nursing career in Darwin.
She said to me before I left. “Cathy, believe in your self and don’t doubt yourself.”

Then she fell asleep, god bless her. I exhausted her and I left feeling sad, the connection we shared, her amazing sense of achievement and her character was breathtaking. The best grandmother mother moment ever and ever.

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Today at Spillett House, COTA NT launched the first ever Grandparents Day for the Northern Territory. This 3 year project is supported by the Northern Territory Government – Territory Families, nbn, Life Without Barriers and Netball NT.

Time: 09:30 am - 11:00 am