SCC-CAAEYC Newsletter Announcing Week of the Young Child

Join SCC-CAAEYC as we Celebrate

Week of the Young Child

April 10-16, 2021:

"Encouraging movement and healthy lifestyles through music, food, and art..."

"The Week of the Young Child® is an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the world's largest early childhood education association, with nearly 60,000 members and a network of 51 Affiliates.

The purpose of the Week of the Young Child® is to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs.

NAEYC first established the Week of the Young Child® in 1971, recognizing that the early childhood years (birth through age 8) lay the foundation for children's success in school and later life. The Week of the Young Child™ is a time to plan how we—as citizens of a community, of a state, and of a nation—will better meet the needs of all young children and their families." (https://www.naeyc.org/events/woyc/faq)

Be inspired by Real People, Real Time, and Real Conversations

NAEYC Videos of Appreciation

Click on the links below:

From the NAEYC President

Words of Gratitude!

A glimpse of SCC-CAAEYC History...

Honoring Betty Mott

A petite but powerful pioneer advocate for quality early childhood education died at age 102 in September 2020. The Southern California Chapter of the California Association for the Education of Young Children (SCC-CAAEYC) is proud to honor Betty for her many contributions to our field, but especially during April 2021, the 50th Anniversary of the WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD, which had its beginnings in Betty’s creative imagination.

Betty dreamed up the idea as a way of highlighting the importance of the early years, and it quickly caught on here in California and was adopted by our parent organization, the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

In addition, Betty was the Director of the Kathleen Mott Play Center in Santa Monica for 30 years, a program originally established by her husband, George Mott, and her mother-in-law, Kathleen Mott to meet the needs of young children with disabilities. The program, which then became one of the early nursery schools in Santa Monica, is still in existence today and continues to exemplify the high-quality early childhood practices which Betty believed in so strongly. Betty was also instrumental in the establishment of the Early Childhood Education Program at Santa Monica College and served as the second President of the North Bay Chapter of The Southern California Association for the Education of Young Children.

In her retirement years, Betty was a co-founder and active volunteer of the California Heritage Museum in Santa Monica. She was a wonderful friend to many in our field, and a visit to her home was always sure to be memorable for its delicious food and wide-ranging conversation, but most of all for Betty’s loving and sparkling personality.

With hearty thanks to her daughter Bonnie Etz, and colleague Linda Gordon for their contributions to this article.

-Betsy Hiteshew

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/latimes/obituary.aspx?n=betty-lee-mott&pid=197893988

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Featuring Educators that Inspire!

SCC-CAAEYC would like to select, feature, and truly celebrate a few of the most inspirational providers! This opportunity is open to anyone who would like to take a few moments out of their busy day and submit a photo of and a brief paragraph about that special child care provider who inspires the children, colleagues, parents, and others in the community where he/she interacts each day. Let us know why you think he/she makes life more joyful.

SCC-CAAEYC will highlight these joyful, inspirational, and hard-working individuals in a special edition of the SCC-CAAEYC newsletter as it nears the 50th Anniversary of the Week of the Young Child.

Put your thinking cap on and get started right away. Send (1) a photo and, (2) a brief paragraph to [email protected]; our team will review and select several to feature in our special April edition of the SCC-CAAEYC newsletter.

Be inspired by Real People, Real Time, and Real Conversations

A few photos from the SCC-CAAEYC archives featuring past community events honoring Week of the Young Child.

Events include:

-1993 SCC-CAAEYC event at the Western Heritage Museum.

-SCC-CAAEYC-North Bay Art Display at the Federal Building.

-SCC-CAAEYC-CELA Dia de Los Niños event during the Week of the Young Child.

-SCAEYC-North Bay 1995 Super Saturday, and a 1996 Super Saturday Mural.

-1975-79 events sponsored by SCC-CAAEYC-Whittier at Whittwood Mall.

Each of the events featured free hands-on activities prepared by those involved in SCC-CAAEYC, including many area early childhood programs and/or local agencies. These groups contributed an array of resources and activities for the children in their respective communities.

Special thanks to Jo Ellen Tullis, (SCC-CAAEYC President 1997-1999) and Fran Chasen (SCC-CAAEYC President 2012-2014) who so generously and tirelessly coordinate the materials for the SCC-CAAEYC archives. Jo Ellen spent time searching for and scanning these photos for the newsletter.