Jane Foster - Legend of the little ones

She’s been investing in the development of hundreds of curious little Arrowtown minds during almost 40 years at the helm of the popular and flourishing Arrowtown Preschool. This week long-time head teacher and manager Jane Foster will have packed away her last puzzle and soothed her last skinned knee.

It will be an emotional moment for the co-creator of the preschool’s Nature Based Programme – a first for the area which Jane helped create 15 years ago, now one of three programmes.

She’s quick to point out that it’s the “amazing staff” who make it a success. With more than 100 children currently on the waitlist and 75 enrolled at Arrowtown Preschool’s two sites, this local take on a Forest School is clearly a big drawcard.

Jane’s particularly passionate about the Nature Programme having witnessed firsthand the huge benefits it brings.

“The kids are out in nature one day a week, building huts and bridges across the creek in nearby reserve areas,” she says, enthusiastically. “It’s the best thing ever. It removes competition for resources and builds a whole new confidence and curiosity for learning. We notice that leaders within Preschool can become less confident outside, and quieter children often shine as the leaders.” An Auckland family even moved to Arrowtown specifically because they heard about the Arrowtown Preschool Nature Programme. “They’re learning over all curriculum areas as well as risk assessment and a sense of love and kaitiakitanga for nature.”

Among Jane’s proudest moments was supporting two staff presenting a workshop on the programme to a Kidsfirst Kindergarten Conference in Christchurch in 2017. “They really spoke from the heart and nailed it for our wee preschools,” she says. “You know you’ve done alright when you see that.”

Raised in Invercargill in a sporting, boating family, crib holidays sailing at Stewart Island and exploring Arrowtown instilled an early love of the outdoors.

Jane’s dad, Arrowtown identity and Arrow Miners Band lagerphone star Les Rogerson was a tireless volunteer giving his time at the Arrowtown Police Station and to sailing, awarded a QSM and a prestigious honour by the Yachting New Zealand.

Growing up, Les owned a successful suburban shoe shop in North Invercargill in the days when Clark’s school shoes, T Bars and moccasins were the norm.

Jane represented Southland Secondary Schools nationally in softball, also playing netball, basketball and soccer. However, she confesses to missing out on netball tournaments with the rest of the James Hargest High ‘A’ team after empty bottles were mysteriously found in the back of a car outside the school ball. “Typical Southland,” she laughs. “The First XV rugby boys were still allowed to go to their tournaments.”

At 17, Jane applied for Teacher’s College and became a kindy teacher. She was sent to Wairoa in her first year out, having a ball staying in the nurses’ home with other teachers and police officers in a really supportive community.

Saving for her OE, Jane worked a second job briefly as housemistress of Southland Boys’ High’s Coldstream Hostel: “Some of them were only three years younger than me!”

She then worked as a nanny and in a bar in the UK, travelling widely across Europe, enjoying “fun and antics” in a Kombi van. “The Scottish family I nannied for regularly took me on holidays to their villa in Portugal and paid my airfare back to NZ.”

Back home she teamed up with family friend Russell Foster, now her husband of 41 years, teaching at Cromwell Preschool for a while, commuting from their home in Arrowtown. Jane started as supervisor of the Arrowtown Playcentre in a drafty old prefab in 1988 and by 1990, with full community backing, they’d set up Arrowtown Preschool, opening in 1996.

The new building was built in Balclutha by Clutha Homes, cut into two to be transported here and set on the piles. “All the families sat across the hill and we drank champagne and toasted the new building.” After much “shoulder tapping” for grants and fundraising the new building opened. “The dads got in and built the veranda and sunroom on the end. It was very social, lots of barbecues with families.” By 2008 the waitlist was so long they needed a second centre, which opened in 2010, Jane moving into a management role.

In 2013 the Preschool board sent Jane to Northern Italy on a study trip to Reggio Emilia, renowned for its creative ‘100 Languages of Children’ programme. “Our philosophy is inspired by aspects of that.”

Jane enjoyed her role on the Southern Reggio Emilia Network Committee, helping organise professional development for teachers from Oamaru south, including a large teachers’ conference in Te Anau focused on the Italian programme.

While she and Russell are swapping their pleasure launch in Doubtful Sound for a retirement caravan, that electric bike and more family time looking appealing, Jane will still be popping into the preschool on occasion to “volunteer”.

“I’m pretty proud of what we’ve achieved with the help of volunteers, people with vision and a lot of community help,” she says.