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Date: 4/18/2023
SPRINGFIELD — In honor of the Week of the Young Child, Make Way for Ducklings hosted an inaugural art show for students to display their work for family and friends.
“Teachers have been diligently working with students over [the [past] seven months with different art mediums to bring out [their] true artistic abilities,” said Program Administrator Rachel Szlachetka.
Students were able to paint, cut, glue and more to expose their “true Picasso,” Szlachetka added.
The goal was for each student to create one piece of artwork each month, so that everyone would have seven pieces for the art show.
The art show, which took place on April 11 and 12, was displayed by the lunchroom. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and more visited the preschool to view the diverse talent.
Szlachetka explained that the Week of the Young Child is an annual week-long event that celebrates early learning and individuality.
To honor National Pet Day on April 11, the school asked for donations for the Dakin Humane Society in Springfield. For admission to the art show, people donated pet supplies. After one day, Szlachetka said they collected “hundreds of dollars of pet supplies to donate to the Dakin Shelter.”
She shared that this teaches children to be kind and care for the community.
Some of the donations included cat and dog treats, food, toys, paper towels and more.
Based on the successes of this first-time event, Szlachetka said they plan to do this every year moving forward.
“The children are so proud to show their work,” she said. “It brings awareness to the community of the hard work the students put in.”
Make Way for Ducklings serves children ages 3-6.