Ongoing Appreciation for ECE!!!

Dr. Deb Zupito

To my fellow early childhood educators, leaders, and caregivers:

There is a kind of work you do every single day that rarely gets noticed. You sweep, prep, and plan, relentlessly and lovingly. You navigate emotions in real time, helping little ones make sense of their world while balancing the complexities of your own. You notice the small things, the forgotten toy, the proud artwork, the quiet child who needs a little extra warmth, and you act, without hesitation or fanfare.

You stay late to laminate name cards and set up learning invitations because tomorrow is someone’s first day, and it matters. You field the questions, manage the chaos, and somehow make it all feel seamless, even when it’s not. You are the quiet force that holds everything together.

There are no awards for wiping tears or finding the missing shoe. No official recognition for comforting a child with a glance while reassuring a nervous parent and calming a stressed staff member, all in the same breath. But I see you.

I see how you hold space. How you make children feel safe and seen. How you build bridges with families and offer calm in the middle of chaos. How you laugh when things go sideways, because sometimes that’s the only way forward. I see how you wear sticker crowns and the occasional goggly eye without blinking, lead sing-alongs with Broadway-worthy enthusiasm, and somehow host professional meetings in rooms that smell like snack time and finger paint.

And I see how, through it all, you lead. With compassion. With presence. With persistence. With heart.

You are shaping more than young minds. You are creating the conditions for community, for trust, and for belonging. You are doing the quiet, powerful work of making the world better; one magical, messy, unforgettable day at a time so today, I want you to hear this: You matter. Your work matters. And you are deeply appreciated!!!