As we celebrate our country’s 240th Independence Day, it seems particularly fitting to recognize the newly gained sense of independence and mastery our youngest “graduates” must feel upon completing Y preschool and Head Start programs in the past several weeks. With songs, skits and delighted Y families and associates to cheer them on, 608 of our youngest proudly accepted the praise due them for their hard work and readiness to tackle kindergarten well prepared to succeed with proven Y early childhood curriculum and deep care supporting their every step!
This email from Season Voelker, a parent of a recent grad from the Y Riverside Preschool in Harford County, sums up what I believe many Y preschool and Head Start parents feel about their child’s experience with Y early childhood education:
From: Season Voelker
Date: Thursday, June 30, 2016
Subject: Y Preschool Graduation
To: “Green, Suzanne (suzannegreen@ymaryland.org)
Cc: “jessicagobblereil@ymaryland.org”
Dear Suzanne,
I wanted to send an email in congratulations to the Y team, especially Jessica, for the most beautiful celebration of children I have attended in sometime. She and her team created such a sweet and empowering program for the parents of the children graduating. It may be that I have a little boy that in 3 short years will be graduating too but I was reduced on a couple occasions to (happy) tears. Those children were given the opportunity to own their futures at the tiny age of 4….from wanting to be a trash man, a police officer and even my favorite, a ballerina. Those little cuties were given the opportunity to have their dreams heard! Bravo to a fabulous team!!
All the Best,
Season
P.S. I LOVE the superhero capes!
I think “being given the opportunity to have their dreams heard,” as Season so aptly puts it, is a perfect summation of the basic principle of equality on which this country was founded and what the Y’s mission of opportunity for all is all about in so many ways! Well done to our entire early childhood team and all the wonderful associates and volunteers who help “make dreams heard” every single day!
Happy 4th all!
All the best,
John
John K. Hoey
President & CEO
The Y in Central Maryland
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