Nathalia and District Preschool Centre children are enjoying the completed $135 000 upgrade to their facilities. The redevelopment project included a new kitchen, wider doors for easy wheelchair access and upgraded toilets and staff office. Last year we put in for a grant to the Department (of Education) for $101 000 and we received that, Nathalia and District Preschool Centre teacher Andrea Sutton said. We put the application in not knowing if we would achieve anything or not. Ms Sutton said different committees were also responsible for raising $34 000 across 10 years so children could be provided with updated facilities. The kitchen is now designed for hands-on use, she said. The children know if they want to bake something we can go out to the garden and we can pick it, collect it from the chooks and come in and bake it. Ms Sutton said the redevelopment was done in conjunction with local builders during the Christmas break. For the first two weeks of first term this year, we bussed all the children out to Barmah Kindergarten, she said. State Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes opened the kindergarten yesterday. As a parent, I understand the need of parents to have quality kindergarten care and facilities, she said. The Victorian Government is committed to giving every child the best start in life, including through providing access to local, high-quality early childhood services and facilities. Ms Sutton said the upgrade was great. Its clean (and) inviting, she said. The kitchen before was the original kitchen from the 1960s and many years ago children werent encouraged to cook. Ms Sutton said parents now felt more welcome at the kindergarten and could even stay and bake with their children. The upgraded office also provided more privacy. If we have visiting specialists, families can have privacy in the office where others cant see or hear whats going on, she said. Ms Sutton said it was important to celebrate the upgrade. Credit has to be given to over many years the different committees that have fundraised to reach this goal; the teachers have changed, the families have changed but weve finally achieved it, she said. Caption Text: Young bakers: Lilly Peachey, 5, and Hamish Whyte, 5, show off their cooking skills. Picture: Ray Sizer