Early Childhood Programs Recognized By Community

Pictured is Jessica Torres, teacher in the Pre-K class, with students.

© Western New Mexico University

The school year may be coming to a close; however, the Early Childhood Programs at Western New Mexico University are busy gearing for an upcoming year of growth after experiencing several recent successes.

Selected by readers of the Silver City Sun-News as the top childcare center in Silver City, leaders of the Early Childhood Programs are pleased with the community’s opinion of the program and facility.

“We administered our bi-annual family survey and 98 percent of the respondents were extremely pleased with the services we provide,” said Shannon Rivera, Early Childhood Programs Executive Director. “Many parents provided positive comments regarding the development of their children in the program.”

Rivera credits the high marks from families and community members to the ongoing professional development opportunities provided to the program’s staff and teachers.

Within the last several months, Early Childhood Program staff members attended the annual NMAEYC conference for professional development, received training on reflective supervision and the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS). Additionally, teachers in the infant/toddler classrooms received infant mental health endorsements.

The focus on teacher professional development was bolstered by at least two recent grant awards.

“In January we received a FOCUS Planning Time grant allowing the teachers to spend time each week developing emergent curriculum that fit the developmental needs of each child,” said Rivera.

Support by state grant-giving organizations and local community members are helping drive the agenda for the Early Childhood Programs, which is providing a needed service in a community where there remains a high demand for quality childcare.

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