Bumblebees & Bearcubs Graduate!
Northern's Child Develpment Center
Prepares Students for a Lifetime of Learning
On May 12, in honor of the Child Development Center graduation ceremony, the Fine Arts Center Theatre and hallways were festooned with space creatures, astronauts, and sea creatures. Apparently this was a theme this past semester for the diminutive child development center grads. Jellyfish made of bubble wrap and yarn hung from the rafters. Hand-drawn rockets and crayon spacemen were taped to the wall, framed in colorful construction paper.
The children’s highly imaginative art decorated the halls around the food table which was groaning under the weight of cheese and crackers, cookies, fruit and three gigantic cakes, one for each age group, and one for the whole gang. Most riveting was the Bumblebees’ cake, which featured a colossal octopus rendered in pink frosting against a sugary blue background.
This was an event that featured unprecedented sartorial splendor. Most of the young ladies were draped in ready-to-wear fashions ranging from taffeta-skirted sparkly princess dresses, to ruffled skirts with graphic tees. Some even teetered across the stage on one-inch heels. The young men sported sneakers with flashing lights and tasteful oxford shirts tucked in at the waist.
But it was not all for show. The students, each in turn, demonstrated their recitation skills and showed both a deep knowledge of sea-creatures and a vast understanding of outer space.
The Bumble Bees, age 3, recited lines about marine life. The Bear Cubs, ages 4 & 5, showed off their knowledge of the solar system.
“Jupiter has nine moons.”
“Uranus is the smallest of all the planets and is the only one that spins on its side.”
“Venus has no air or water, and is full of poisonous gas.”
They also sang “I’m a little astronaut” to the tune of “I’m a little teapot.”
A Bumble Bee named Jordan gave one of the more impressive performances as he sat cross-legged on the floor with his classmates and read to the audience—and his classmates—flawlessly from a book. What impressed the most were his confidence and his diction. “Blue Horse, Blue Horse! What do you see? I see a goldfish looking at me!”
These children, for the most part, appeared more than ready for kindergarten and beyond. Kudos to the teachers and staff of Northern’s Child Development Center!
After attending the occasion President Barceló commented, “I began commencement activities with the Child Development Graduation celebration. And what a joy it was to be there watching and listening to these young people recite memorized lines about the solar system or sea life with such confidence. The smiles of pride on the faces of family, teachers and friends filled the room with hope for our future, and I was moved realizing this is where it all begins.”
Photos by John T. Denne
