28 November World Day of the Child should be celebrated EVERY day...because they are 'our future' November 28, 2023 By Thomas, Donna S. General 0 The calendar pages are turning rapidly. Excitement and anticipation fill our days, hours and minutes…and most importantly, the sights and sounds of children, eagerly awaiting Christmas Eve, the most magical time of the year. Children…we must celebrate them every day, because, you see, they are our future. They need love, nurturing and attention, all of which are free. Sometimes it’s good to remember what it’s like to be a child…and seeing the world through their eyes. As the world rushes to prepare for the holidays, specifically Christmas, with making lists and checking them twice, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for us to stop for just a few minutes and reflect on those days when we were eagerly awaiting the arrival of Santa…an early bedtime, but little sleep as any sound could have been his reindeer. Christmas and every other day should be the “day of the child” just as the commemoration this week as “World Day of the Child.” There are many ways that we can celebrate with children every day and in doing so, encourage them to become adults who remember their childhood. Many of them are free or cost very little. According to Holly Weeden, Itawamba Community College Early Childhood program director, here are a few suggestions, for Christmas although some could work every day…make a wreath, do a good deed, visit a nursing home and sing carols, make a meal or dessert for a shut in or a family in need, play games by the tree (it doesn’t have to be fancy), make a Christmas gift to brighten someone’s day, write a letter to Santa, have a gift wrap race, sleep by the Christmas tree, make your own holiday cards, walk around your neighborhood as a family to see the decorations, make tree ornaments out of paper, go caroling, take a gently used toy or game to a collection station for another child to love, have family story time (maybe read “The Night Before Christmas”), write a letter to a soldier, make a popcorn garland for the tree, leave random thank you notes and build a blanket fort. It’s also important to remember those who need our special support during the holidays…maybe they live alone, have limited resources or other situations where we/our children could help. It could be a visit by a child to spread the holiday joy or even small family made gifts, such as a meal, gently used toys/games, doing a good deed ‘around the house’ or sending them a card. Although ICC’s Early Childhood Education program is fully-online, its majors have an opportunity to observe, interact and teach children 3-5 years of age in an environment that practices current principles of early childhood education. Children in its Early Learning Centers at both the Fulton and Tupelo Campus are cared for in a safe, nurturing environment. Their philosophy is that children learn best by doing and being actively engaged in the learning process. Play is a child’s work. It’s up to us to engage children, to participate in their play, to transfer our life lessons to them along the way to help them to grow into the best adults they can be…not only at Christmas, but every single day…because they are our future, and that’s definitely worth celebrating! Related Articles ICC Early Childhood Academy to celebrate Week of the Young Child Itawamba Community College’s Early Childhood Academy is celebrating the Week of the Young Child with several events the week of Apr. 8. They include Apr. 8, 10-11 a.m., Music Monday featuring ICC’s Singing Weatherman, Bob Swanson; Apr. 9, 10-11 a.m., Tasty Tuesday, making dirt pudding with ICC Sodexo chef Bryan Turner; Apr.10, 10-11 a.m., Work Together Wednesday, constructing a spaghetti and marshmallow tower; Apr. 11, 10-11 a.m., Artsy Thursday, participating in problem solving with art by using watercolor paper and pencils to create transparent images; and Apr. 12, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Family Friday, climbing, swinging and tumbling fun. All activities except for Friday will be in room 126 of the Student Support Center at the Tupelo Campus. The public is invited, but those who wish to participate should call (662) 620-5370 so that space may be planned. ICC, The W sign memorandum of understanding to provide opportunities for Early Childhood Education majors Itawamba Community College and Mississippi University for Women signed a memorandum of understanding today (July 14) to provide educational opportunities for students pursuing careers in early childhood education. The agreement establishes a pathway for ICC students who are earning an associate’s degree in Early Childhood Technology to have the opportunity to complete a bachelor’s degree at The W. According to the agreement, ICC and The W will work together to enroll students in the Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Development program, including advising and encouraging students, alumni and constituents who qualify. The W agrees to share information regarding the rotation of its Early Childhood Development courses so that eligible ICC graduates may make informed advising decisions and complete degree requirements in a timely manner. “I am so pleased that Itawamba Community College and The W are partnering to provide 2+2 pathways for their students to become ours upon completion of their associate degrees,” said Nora Miller, W President. “These pathways streamline students’ transition to our bachelor’s programs, allowing them to plan their schedules so they won’t lose credit hours when ... ICC's Fleming-Parker receives bicycle helmet grant to benefit child care centers Children in Itawamba Community College’s Child Care centers will benefit from the care and concern of Associate Degree Nursing instructor Dr. Mary Ann Fleming-Parker of Tupelo. This summer, Fleming-Parker applied for and received a Prevention and Education grant through the Traumatic Brain Injury/Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund, through which 75 bicycle helmets were provided for the child care participants at the college. ICC Associate Degree Nursing program director Dr. Dana Walker said that as part of their coursework, sophomore students in the Family Centered Nursing Care course develop and present health promotion teaching projects to children at the Child Development Centers at both the Fulton and Tupelo campuses. The students have been at the CDCs on both campuses most Tuesdays and Thursdays since Sept. 1 to assist with temperature checks and hand washing as students arrive and then present a variety of health promotion projects, Fleming-Parker said. They will continue through Nov. 3. Fleming-Parker’s students presented the helmets Tuesday to ... Early Childhood Academy April activities Itawamba Community College’s Early Childhood Academy has scheduled several events for April. An Early Childhood Academy Vision Board Workshop will be Apr. 2 from 6-8 p.m. in room 608 of the Belden Center and Apr. 5 from 6-8 p.m. in room 126 of the Student Support Center at the Tupelo Campus. The two-hour workshop will explain how to reach goals by creating a vision board, which is a collection of pictures, phrases and art outlining goals for the year. Scheduled for the Week of the Young Child are the following events: Apr. 16, 1-2 p.m. – Music Monday – Sing, Dance, Celebrate and Learn activities including Brain Boogie Busters, Zumba for Kids Song and Dance Activity and Nursery Rhymes; Apr. 17, 1-2 p.m. – Tasty Tuesday – Healthy Eating and Fitness at Home and School, including apple, fruit, donuts activity; food group sorting from the My Plate website and Green Salad craft; Apr. 18, 1-2 p.m. – Work Together Wednesday – Work Together, Build Together, Learn Together – floating structures and gumdrop bridge; Apr. 19, 1-2 p.m. – ... ICC to honor Tom Childs, Butch Jones, Pernell McPhee, Oct. 3 Itawamba Community College will honor Alumnus of the Year Tom Childs of Fulton and Athletic Hall of Fame inductees Butch Jones of Fulton and Pernell McPhee of Pahokee, Fla., during Homecoming activities, Oct. 3, at the Fulton Campus. They will be recognized at an award ceremony at 4 p.m. at the Davis Event Center lobby as well as prior to the ICC vs. Holmes football game which begins at 6:30 p.m. at Eaton Field. Childs is a retired Fulton attorney, who taught both American and state government, accounting, business law and real estate law at IJC/ICC and served as a former assistant football coach and offensive coordinator for the 1971 Itawamba Indians. He is a former chairman of the board of the ICC Foundation, Inc. as well as of the Alumni fund drive. ICC’s Gallery of Distinction, which is located in the lobby of the David C. Cole Student Services Building, is named in his honor by unanimous vote of the College’s Board of Trustees. Additional honors include commencement speaker (three years), master ... ICC Welding/Cutting students celebrate their career path every day Although the nation commemorates April as National Welding Month, students in Kent Lewis’s Welding and Cutting Technology class at Itawamba Community College’s Belden Center celebrate their career path and ultimate profession every day. This year’s theme is “Connected by Welding: Bridging Communities and Industries,” and ICC’s students definitely do. According to Dylan Baldwin, dean of Career Education, ICC’s welding students are an excellent example of the definition of community partners. “They contribute to worthwhile events and charities while sharing their talents as often as possible. Every project provides an opportunity to demonstrate their creativity while honing their skills in their chosen profession.” ICC’s welding students come from different backgrounds and have different career expectations, but they are bound by their love and passion for welding. Among their stories have included “I’m hooked on a hobby that I can have for a lifetime. My grandfather was a welder, and I would have made him proud. I can feel his arms on mine when I stick weld.” Some hope to start their own business, but no matter their story, their chance meeting in ... Comments are closed.