It was a sunny May day on the playground of the Española Conjunto Preschool as families gathered to witness the graduation ceremony of their four-year-olds who will depart Las Cumbres and move next year into kindergarten. It was standing room only as proud parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles, family friends, and rambunctious siblings watched from folding chairs and draped over playground equipment to witness and cheer each child.
Each graduate was recognized with a certificate, a special award, and a shiny medal—celebrating their growth, resilience, and hard work throughout the year. Special awards included “Happy Helper” “Wonderful Writer” and “Radical Reader”. Linnea Moreno, the agency’s Director of Community Infant and Early Childhood Programs, gave a heartfelt opening greeting “Kids, can you believe how much you’ve grown this year? When you first walked through our doors, some of you were just learning how to sit for circle time, how to share your toys, how to hold a pencil, or how to say “good morning” with confidence. And now, look at you! You know your letters and numbers, you sing songs with big voices, you paint masterpieces, tell stories, build towers, ask big questions — and most importantly, you show kindness and curiosity every single day.”
After hearing their names called and receiving their honors, the graduates took a celebratory ride down the playground slide to the cheers and applause of all watching on. When asked what they liked about the year, select preschoolers exclaimed “School is fun!”; “We got to see butterflies.” and “The field trip to the zoo was really fun, and I really loved seeing the flamingos.”
One teacher added “It’s hard to see them graduate and let go because I get so attached to them. In particular, I had two children for the past two years. When they first came to school, they were really shy and nonverbal. It’s been amazing to see them blossom. Now they are confident and thriving.”
At Conjunto Preschool, learning goes far beyond ABCs. It’s a place where healing, joy, and early education come together to nurture every child’s whole self—mind, body, and heart.
Learn more about this unique, therapeutic early childhood program at: www.lascumbres-nm.org/conjunto
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