Volume No. 20, Issue No. 3 | November 2024

Connecting with our Community

November and December are always such busy months, full of activities that can be both joy-inducing and depleting, sometimes at the same time. This month’s newsletter is chock full of all the different aspects of our life at CCC – our NAEYC accreditation journey, attendance at the national NAEYC conference, Professional Development, Fund for CCC Giving Challenge, outdoor play, the one-year birthday of our East Concord building opening – all happening while we are providing the loving care of our children every single day.

As we head into the busiest weeks of the year, I am aware that our adult attention is pulled in many directions both here at CCC and in our personal lives. Rose Cratsley, East Concord parent and our mindfulness instructor for our recent professional day, reminded us that it’s critical to our mental health and sense of ease in the world to take moments out of our day to center ourselves on our breath. Doing so allows us to recenter our focus and can help us to remain calm in the midst of the chaos. I hope that while everyone is busy appreciating all the good that is present at CCC and in our world, we also stop to appreciate ourselves. As our CCC educators teach our children:

Smell the flower (deep breath in through the nose),

blow out the candle (big exhale through your mouth),

and take care of yourself.

I appreciate you!

Suzie Kornblum

Executive Director

NAEYC Updates

Annual Conference

Earlier this month, CCC educators Rebecca Garvey, Shannon Saywell, and Jordan Zirkel, together with CCC administrator Tiffany Boisvert attended the National Association for the Education of Young Children annual conference in Anaheim, CA. Several thousand early childhood educators from around the world attend the conference each year to connect, collaborate, and learn together.

Over the five days of the conference, each of the CCC participants attended anywhere from 8-13 workshops based on the age groups they teach, interests, classroom needs, their role at CCC, and more. The conference featured 35 tracks on topics ranging from Professionalism and Ethics to Family Engagement and Support to Play. Le'Var Burton spoke on the importance of reading and literacy for the conference's keynote.

After the conference, each participant shared their favorite part of the event:

• Tiffany: Le'Var Burton was so inspiring and reminded me of the importance of my work and the role I play in children's lives. He spoke to how important it is to read to children and how that is such a deep connection and bonding moment. The simple act of reading to a child stimulates so much in their development: cognitive, speech, social connections, social studies, math, etc. It seems like a simple thing, but it does so much for a young child. 
• Rebecca: The conference was an invaluable experience, allowing me to connect with and learn from like-minded early childhood professionals. I participated in numerous sessions throughout the week, with a few standouts focused on sensory support and differentiation, designing outdoor spaces for pollinators, engineering activities, and sensory table design.
• Shannon: Attending the NAEYC conference inspired me to learn and expand my skills as an early educator. The standout workshops I attended addressed topics such as music’s unique effect on language development, using encouragement instead of praise in the classroom, and incorporating movement and mindfulness during group story time.
• Jordan: I loved hearing the knowledge shared by the presenters and meeting and talking with different educators from different age groups and from different parts of the country. It all underscored the vast importance of this field.

L-R: Tiffany Boisvert, Jordan Zirkel, Rebecca Garvey, and Shannon Saywell at the NAEYC conference.

Accreditation

Our NAEYC reaccreditation continues to move forward, with some of our classroom portfolios being completed earlier this month. Teaching teams are starting to review the classroom observation piece of the accreditation process that will occur when the NAEYC accreditor conducts our site visits. These visits will take place after our documentation is submitted through our portfolios. 

Take It Outside!

CCCCC and the Concord Bookshop

Celebrating 50 Years of Concord Children's Center

CCC will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025 -- 50 years of Caring, Curiosity, and Community. More information will be coming after the holidays, but in the meantime, please save Saturday, October 18, 2025, for our 50th anniversary gala at the Nashawtuc Country Club!

If you would like to get involved with planning the celebrations around this milestone, please contact CCC Development Coordinator Jennifer Saxe.

Contribute to Toys for Tots at CCC West Concord!

Commonwealth Ballet's The Nutcracker