It's the Week of the Young Child in MPS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Contact:

Kathryn Bonetti, Communications Coordinator

Milford Public Schools

Milford Public Schools to Celebrate ‘Week of the Young Child’

Focus of events will take place April 3-7, 2023

MILFORD – Students in Milford Public Schools preschool programming will be participating in a week full of special projects designed to celebrate the Week of the Young Child this week. Organized by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the purpose of the week is to bring public attention to the needs of young children and their families and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs.

Here in Milford, a day-by-day calendar has been created to highlight a specific area of MPS offerings, including Music Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Work Together Wednesday, Artsy Thursday and Family Friday.

MPS Early Childhood Director Terese Maguire anticipates an enthusiastic week of events and, more importantly, is looking forward to a renewed focus on early childhood programming.

“We are excited to celebrate our youngest learners. It is amazing to watch them engage in intentional play using their creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking skills. Our teachers and learning assistants play a crucial role in engineering daily learning experiences that challenge our young students and expand possibilities. As participants in this special week, we hope this work gains better understanding in the community and the impact it can have on students and citizens alike,” Maguire commented.

The NAEYC’s global emphasis and approach in their mission brings together all of the groups of adults who impact children at this very young age: classroom teachers, district leaders, child-care professionals in the community, parents and family members, and students in college training to work with young children in the future.

Dr. Anna Cutaia, Superintendent of Schools, believes the wrap-around approach supported by the NAEYC and as implemented within the Milford Public Schools is strong and important.

“As we continue to embed the concept of intentional play in our educational practice with our youngest learners, the benefits are already clear. It is important for children even at this young age to learn about their own ‘voice and choice’. We are proud of the work our team has accomplished thus far and look forward to continued growth in this area,” Cutaia said.

###

The NAEYC is a professional membership organization that works to promote high-quality early learning for all young children, birth through age 8, by connecting early childhood practice, policy, and research. The association comprises nearly 60,000 individual members of the early childhood community and 52 affiliates, and is the largest advocacy group that focuses on early childhood education. ▉