This year,

• You have planned numerous interactive lessons, asked hundreds of open-ended questions and given thousands of warm smiles, high-fives or hugs.
• You have developed meaningful relationships with each family and each child.
• You have supported creativity and curiosity in the classroom.
• You have encouraged friendship, sharing and teamwork between your students.
• And you have modeled self-care and healthy habits for each child.

Your Technical Assistance Specialists are so proud of your hard work on your professional development and appreciate your commitment to each of your students.

"I would like to give a shout out to the teachers for the tremendous effort we have seen transitioning to remote learning activities for families. All of this was new territory for everyone but DPK teachers have stepped up and  embraced the new engagement tool providing a variety of options suited to their family's needs."

Nita McAdoo, Technical Assistance Speacialist, CCSA

"I am excited to see teachers' creativity and determination to ensure remote learning is a success for their students!"

Kamika Henderson, Technical Assistance Speacialist, CCSA

Now, during school closures you are going above and beyond to make sure each child still gets to see their teacher and their friends through video conferencing, group messages and videos.

You are making a difference in each child's life and providing them a sense of normalcy while the world around them is confusing. You've taught them that they can still connect with each other through videos and sharing their creations with pictures.

• Ms. Jennifer Fisher from Brown's Early Learning School has been encouraging families to share their activities in a group message for all families to see. This inspired one student to send her own message to her classmates saying she misses them.
• Ms. Pebbles Lucas from First Chronicles Day Care Center and Ms. LaTausha Tabron from Oxford Manor Head Start have taught their students about recipes and baking. Mrs. Lucas's students made fresh lemonade, and Ms. Tabron's students learned to bake!
• Ms. Crystal Boycher's class learned about recycling last week and share pictures of themselves sorting items into the recycling. Some students shared pictures of robots then made out of recycled items, and others shared science experiments with water and recycled bottles at home.

So on behalf of Durham PreK and Child Care Services, we want to thank you for being our teachers!