Week of the Young Child: Achieve Staff Explore Their Inner Child
Special Events | April 26, 2019
Achieve recently celebrated the Week of the Young Child. The Week of the Young Child is an annual week-long celebration hosted by NAEYC to highlight early learning, young children, their teachers, families and communities.
This year’s Week of the Young Child was April 8th– 12th, with a different theme each day. Our team was excited to participate in the festivities. It was fun meeting the inner child of those we work with every day!
Music Monday
Music plays such an important role in early learning. It is a great form of expression and helps relieve stress as we get older. Achieve, along with The Registry, Inc. and Mi Registry staff, celebrated Music Monday with a Lip Dub video. We even got some of our remote staff and traveling coworkers to participate in the fun. Can you believe we only practiced once? “I really enjoyed making the Registry Lip Dub for Music Monday,” said Dani, Achieve data verification specialist. “Everyone was laughing and having a great time!” Watch the video below!
Tasty Tuesday
There were lots of healthy treats available on Tasty Tuesday.
Who doesn’t like a food-themed day?! While we were very excited to munch on some nutritious treats together, this day wasn’t just about the yummy food. In addition to encouraging healthy eating, Tasty Tuesday had us take a closer look at our daily routines. Being mindful of the benefits of physical movement was the focus for the day. A quick 10 minute walk outside got us moving and appreciating the sunshine.
Work Together Wednesday
Achieve Data Verification Specialist Amanda with her Lego creation.
Working well with others is a key life skill. For Work Together Wednesday, we tackled a giant crossword puzzle together. The puzzle encouraged us to interact and rely on each other for knowledge. In addition, we allowed ourselves to feel the power of our imagination through the use of Legos!
“I enjoyed playing with the Legos and creating a scene with horses and knights,” said Laura, Achieve document verification specialist. “I even took photos of my creation and shared it with my family!”
Artsy Thursday
Staff decorating the office windows with their Artsy Thursday projects.
Incorporating art into the learning environment allows freedom for creativity, promotes exploration and imagination, and supports their fine motor skills. We each created stain glass (tissue paper) butterflies. Every butterfly was very similar, but completely unique. Goal accomplished! Our beautiful butterflies have become the official welcome of spring! Each butterfly is displayed proudly on our office windows.
Family Friday
Achieve staff gather around the Family Friday wall.
Here at the Achieve, we value our work family. We celebrate each other’s victories and genuinely watch out for one another. For Family Friday, we created a special wall in our shared office to showcase family photos and bring attention to our family lives. Visually seeing the faces that belong to the partners, spouses, children and pets we hear so much about made for a fun activity! Lynne, Achieve develop technical assistance specialist, said, “Making name/face connections allowed me to connect with my colleagues on a different level. I’m thankful for all types of ‘family’!”
From all of us here at Achieve (because it’s not said enough), THANK YOU! It certainly takes a village. Whether you directly or indirectly support the care and education of children; your passion, knowledge, guidance and time does not go unnoticed. The Week of the Young Child allowed us to celebrate YOU, invaluable members of MN’s early childhood education workforce! We truly believe: When You Achieve, Minnesota Succeeds! Your work and dedication lays the foundation for so many children; it supports their successes in life and their bright futures.
For more information about Week of the Young Child and to help plan your own events for next year, visit the NAEYC website.
