We Are Family- the well-known song and Pittsburgh Pirates 1979 theme song reminds me a lot of how UCDC is a family.
There is not a day that goes by that I don't notice parents in classrooms talking to their child's former teachers or children visiting their former teachers. There are usually big smiles all around and lots of catching up on things in the child's life.
It brings a genuine smile to my face to see that the relationship that was formed while their child was in that classroom still has value and meaning. It also warms my heart to see that teachers have loved the child just the right amount. What I mean by that is that they have supported them and cared for them while they were in their classroom. They nurtured them and developed a healthy supportive relationship so that the child felt safe and secure. They also made sure that they were giving them the tools to be able to grow and be confident in their abilities to make a successful transition away from them and into a new classroom. There is a delicate balance for teachers. They must know the child's individual personality to provide just the right amount of support and just the right amount of challenge and risk. Teachers invest a lot of emotional thought in helping children to make a great transition when the time comes and I am definitely seeing the positive outcome with the children that have transitioned over the summer months.
There are many milestone moments and big events that take place while children are at UCDC. I think that parents would agree that the move from infants to toddlers is one of those big events and approaching it the way that a family would approach a life event within the home makes all the difference.
Philosophically, our approach to this delightful and complex work that we do goes a bit like this:
An extended family concept has been adapted to provide a framework for the Center. For the working parent and the student parent, support, encouragement, and assistance are vital components helping to insure personal and professional success. For children, the extended family provides all the healthy components necessary for successful development. The dynamics of the family and their interactions perpetually serve to establish and/or reinforce the identity of self, and of that self within an ever changing, ever challenging world.
To all of our new families, welcome to UCDC and our extended family. To our current families, it continues to be a pleasure to support and nurture you and your children. As we move into September and the new school year, I hope that together we have a pleasant, productive and joyful season.
Warmly,
Mary Beth
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