“Week of the Young Child” Launches

June 6, 2011

The Bermuda Association for the Education of Young Children [BAEYC] is hosting a week of activities in light of “The Week of the Young Child,” and the official opening of the week’s activities took place today [June 6] at City Hall.

Minister of Education Dame Jennifer Smith, “I’m a firm believer that children deserve to be celebrated 365 days of the year, so I’m pleased that we are setting aside some time this week to shine the spotlight on our youngest ones.”

Minister Dame Jennifer Smith

“The Bermuda Association for the Education of Young Children is to be praised for spearheading this initiative and hosting a week of child focused activities aimed at empowering children and those who care for them. Your theme, “Investing in Young Children, Benefits All”, is truly fitting because today’s child is the next generation’s leader and they will put forth what we have invested in them. Our job – then – is to ensure we invest good things.”

“If our community is to have good, strong leaders in the future, we must build and develop good, strong children who will grow into good, strong and successful adults.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, Government is committed to providing quality early childhood experiences. We are examining the feasibility of lowering the age for testing by the Child Development Programme, so that we can diagnose any issues that may exist even earlier.”

“You will also be aware that the Ministry has simplified and focused our mission statement to more clearly state our goal. Simply put, our priority and everything we do revolves around students. Everything that we do is geared to, and with the sole purpose of, positively impacting our students.”

“As the sole reason for our existence, students occupy the primary position in our thinking, our plans and our programmes, even as we work to revive pride in the public school system. While we will continue to face challenges with student development, it is important to note that the majority of our young people successfully matriculate in the public education system.”

Week of the Young Child participants

“From sports to the arts, from academics to community service – public school students are excelling. Their achievements don’t happen by accident. They are the result of good principals, good teachers, good students and good mentors; and it is this kind of high achievement that we will continue to nurture and support.”

“I think that it is important for all of us to embrace the “Week of the Young Child” as a chance to celebrate the young children in our lives, to focus public attention on their needs, and to acknowledge the importance of the people and programmes that care for and educate them.”

“To the members of the Bermuda Association for the Education of Young Children, to the organizers, participants and educators who worked to make this week possible, I salute you for your hard work and dedication.”

“Be assured that your efforts on behalf of our children do not go unnoticed. I wish you all a very successful and productive week.” concluded the Minister.

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Comments (12)

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  1. john says:

    I would sure love to know who wrote that sign for them to hold with a blatant error!!!!

    • RME says:

      If you’re talking about the word THINGS, I don’t think that’s an error. I think it’s just a decorative sticker that happens to be stuck in a bad place. Mind you, if you’re right and someone thought that THINGS needed an apostrophe, then these children aren’t the only ones who need an education.

      • Hmmm says:

        Look at the spacing between the G and the S compared to the N and the G. It is not a decorative sticker, it is an apostrophe.

        • relevant says:

          Ya’ll missing the whole purpose of the article. Its decorative!

        • RME says:

          Yeah I thought of that but I was trying to give them to benefit of the doubt.

      • simplepassa says:

        Why are you focusing on a grammar error IF thats actually an error, it could be just where the sticker happens to fall. I find it pathetic you have the time to comment about something so SMALL. Perhaps one of the children helped put it together and mistakingly put the sticker right above the G. ANYWAYS its irrelevant. Its about the KIDS.

  2. john says:

    Who wrote that sign?

  3. A says:

    “From sports to the arts, from academics to community service – public school students are excelling. Their achievements don’t happen by accident. They are the result of good principals, good teachers, good students and good mentors; and it is this kind of high achievement that we will continue to nurture and support.”

    Dame Jennifer Smith is quoted with the above…

    So WHY are the Public School Teachers being ‘let go’

    • crazytalk says:

      Exactly. She walked away that day, and with “All Things Bright and Beautiful” still ringing in her ears, she drafted the announcement about firing teachers in order to meet budget cuts.

  4. Me says:

    All this banter from the same person who just cut education!

  5. blankman says:

    Amazing coincidence this. It’s the Week of the Young Child and Ms. Smith has chosen to celebrate it by sacking scores of teachers.

    http://tinyurl.com/62d4zjg

    A suitable followup to her previous sacking of paraprofessionals.

    http://tinyurl.com/66stypf

    And it didn’t even take her a week. There’s no way you can claim the PLP isn’t being efficient in their destruction of what’s left of the public education system.

  6. A says:

    and may I quote again from the article…

    “I think that it is important for all of us to embrace the “Week of the Young Child” as a chance to celebrate the young children in our lives,

    …to focus public attention on their needs, and to acknowledge the importance of the people and programmes that care for and educate them.”