Educare Springfield

Need some joy? We have it in spades here at Educare Springfield!
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The children were soaking up the sun and getting soaked at the same time. ☀️

Enjoy the weekend and be sure to make time for joy.
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Last week we had fabulous time with craze of West Springfield! Thank you, Square One, for bringing this incredible event to our school! We made friends as well as charcuterie boards and boxes! It was delicious!

Every day, no matter what, we look for joy. And every day, no matter what, we find joy in the spaces where children are at Educare Springfield. 🚸

This week we found joy with one of our Local Evaluation Partner researchers, Dr. Vanessa Esquivel from UCONN. 🐺

Dr. Esquivel dedicated four years to helping Educare Springfield gather and analyze data about children, families, educators, relationships and environments as well as assisting coaches think more critically about instructional decisions to help children grow. This is not only joy, but excellence which is what all children and families deserve. 👶🏽

Dr. Esquivel finished her doctoral program and is heading back home to her family. To celebrate her incredible tenure and work with us, we made today “Vanessa Day!” at Educare Springfield full of love, joy, cupcakes, flowers, and some bitter sweet moments. 🫶🏼

Thank you, Dr. Esquivel for the data, the excellence, the care and most of all, the joy that you shared with us. Your work elevates our work and for this we are forever grateful. 🙏

Happy Vanessa Day! 💐

https://youtu.be/tp7QaDRuObM?si=IlBbJ5QPp6JRhoD4

Love is something every child deserves. The power of love and appreciation for all the gifts children bring to the world are core beliefs of Educare. And we love to sing and dance. 💃

And we got to hang out with a pretty cool “cat” this week at Catalyst 2026!

Eric Litwin: Power of Story and Song at Catalyst 26 Day 1 of Catalyst 26, the Educare Network National Summit, was enriched by a joyful, music-filled session with Eric Litwin, original author of Pete the Cat, ...

Educare Network National Summit…Catalyst 2026… Tulsa, Oklahoma… an incredible school team to share this experience with… a network that expects and supports excellence for all…

We get to do this work on behalf of children, families and educators.

This is one of a few posts regarding our week and work together as a network of care, fierce dedication, and excellence.

Happy Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week! Our deepest gratitude to staff who show up and align themselves to excellence each and every day on behalf of children and families!

This week we celebrated National Apprenticeship Week! Educare Springfield is joining Square One in welcoming and supporting an apprenticeship program as a way to grow and sustain the early childhood education and care field.

If you are interested in learning more about a paid apprenticeship, please contact Educare Springfield School Director, Amy Stec, for more information!

astec@educarespringfield. org

Intentional play and storytelling are instrumental parts of our day here at Educare Springfield, as they help children navigate the social world. 🌎

One group of children in particular showed an interest recently in farm animals so the educators took the children’s lead, designing experiences and provocations around animals of all sorts! 🐑🚜

Here are some of the learners sharing a book about farm animals with one another. 📕 And they let Amy help. 😉

P.S - The gloves for reading are optional. And a back up xylophone is always a good idea!

“Crockpots and Community” Even #2 was amazing! We had a full house and enjoyed the buffalo chicken dip, the black eyed pea soup recipe, and the opportunity to connect.

Thank you to Sonya Yelder for her time and expertise!

We will be hosting another food-and community-focused event in May! Stay tuned!

This weekend, in partnership with our community of support, we sipped, strolled, and shared a dedication and love of early learning and care here at Educare Springfield.

We are deeply grateful for all of the support, investment, and curiosity to learn and do more for the children and families we have the honor to serve.

May we all continue to show up for the children and for one another!