October 21st, 2021

Today, Thursday, October 21, we mark Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day. It’s a day for us to celebrate the dedication, passion and hard work of our Designated Early Childhood Educators (DECEs). Each and every day, these educators support the learning and development of thousands of students in the Waterloo Region District School Board in the Extended Day and Core Day Kindergarten Programs.

Organized by the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, the day draws attention to the value of Registered Early Childhood Educators and child care workers in communities. As we continue to navigate the unprecedented challenges of the global pandemic, these educators continue to rise to the challenge and lay the foundations for success for our students.

Our early childhood educators bring age-appropriate programming that supports student well-being, development and achievement. The partnership between our early childhood educators and teachers strengthens the core responsibility we have as a board to help our students succeed and reach their highest potential in a safe, equitable and inclusive learning environment.

Through play-based and child-centred teaching and learning, our early childhood educators bring age-appropriate programming that supports student development, achievement and well-being. Early childhood educators and teachers are partners in our core work as a board – helping our students reach their highest potential in a safe, equitable and inclusive learning environment.

Today, we invite you to join us in recognizing and thanking all of our DECEs for the vital work they do, and their contributions to the Extended Day and core day Kindergarten Programs.

To our DECEs: Thank you for teaching and nurturing our youngest learners in the critical development stages of life, for preparing our students for life-long learning and emotional well-being, and for creating a space where each student can experience a sense of belonging.