Every child at Kiama Preschool knows one very important fact about educator Lindy Verryt – affectionately known as “Lindy Lou” by the children who adore her: she’s “allergic to chocolate.”

“If Lindy eats chocolate, her bottom gets bigger,” a five-year-old, who recently graduated from Kiama Preschool, tells The Bugle.

She laughs when she hears the story and happily plays along. The children clearly adore her — and she just as clearly adores them.

“This is my home away from home,” says Verryt, who, after four decades working at the preschool, celebrates her final day on 27 February. This makes her the longest-serving educator at the preschool, which opened in the mid-seventies.

“I’ve been here for 43 years,” she tells a group of children when explaining the concept of retirement. “Now I’m ready to stay home and rest a little.”

In fact, she is already planning her next trip to Europe, as well as local caravan adventures. To celebrate the milestone, local families, staff, and the preschool committee contributed to a weekend away at Bannisters hotel in Mollymook.

Many of the children will miss her presence at the ‘kissing gate’ – the gate where children say goodbye to their parents or caregivers, and where Verryt is always present with words of comfort.

“My favourite thing to do with Lindy is make magic potions,” says a preschooler.

“She helps me to collect the chicken eggs,” shares another.

For four decades, Verryt has been a constant in the lives of Kiama families, making her retirement not just the end of a career, but the closing of a remarkable chapter in the preschool’s history.

She credits the “lovely team” for her impressive tenure, at a time when many childcare centres are struggling with staff retention. “Here, you really feel part of a community,” she explains.

The director of Kiama Preschool, Naomi Gates, will feel the loss.

“After 43 remarkable years at Kiama Preschool, Lindy leaves a legacy woven through our entire community,” she says.

“Her gift for building genuine connections and nurturing, caring relationships has seen her educate two generations of families.

"We are deeply grateful for the kindness, wisdom, and love she has shared with every child and family who has walked through our doors.”

As a celebration, the preschool held a disco during the daytime, much to the excitement of the children.

Now that she’s retiring, Verryt will join the “old gals” of Kiama Preschool – a cherished group of former educators who still meet regularly, a testament to the fact that their years together made them more like family than colleagues.

“I feel ready,” she says. “I put in a lot here, but I’m ready for the new generation [of educators] to move in with new ideas.”