Primrose Schools® Establishes "National Day of Belongingness" on September 29

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Primrose Schools invites families to help children embrace similarities and differences through books, activities and more to foster belongingness at an early age

ATLANTA, Sept. 20, 2022 // PRNewswire // - Primrose Schools is inviting families across the country to participate in the newly created "National Day of Belongingness." The day is being created to help children feel included and nurture respect, kindness and understanding from an early age through books, at-home activities and other resources.

"We believe who children become is as important as what they know, and at Primrose Schools, we put belongingness at the center of our Balanced Learning® curriculum," said Jo Kirchner, CEO of Primrose Schools. "For 40 years, we have remained committed to creating and maintaining an environment where children feel included and where similarities and differences are nurtured and respected in Primrose classrooms."

On National Day of Belongingness, families are invited to help children learn about themselves and others in a way that is accepting of all by:

Reading books that celebrate a wide range of cultures and include diverse characters
Listening to music, like the Primrose Harmony & Heart® music collection that explores various cultures and uses music to reinforce social-emotional skills
Learning by participating in activities, like those in Primrose classrooms, through at-home resources to help children and families embrace concepts of belongingness

"In the first five years of life, children are forming their self-identity, which makes it important that they see themselves reflected in the world around them, including the curriculum in their classroom," said Dr. Maria Shaheen, senior director of early childhood education at Primrose Schools.

Primrose Schools Expands Library of Books that Foster Belongingness

Primrose Schools' Balanced Learning curriculum uses a thoughtfully selected library of books that represent a wide range of diverse characters and circumstances. This year, Primrose added more than 60 books to the curriculum to expand its vast library of diverse characters and stories. During National Day of Belongingness, Primrose is inviting families to build their own belongingness library at home using some of the books found in its classrooms, including:

"You Matter" by Christian Robinson
"What I Like About Me! A Book Celebrating Differences" by Allia Zobel Nolan
"We're Better Together: A Book About Community" by Eileen Spinelli
"I'm Like You, You're Like Me: A Book About Understanding and Appreciating Each Other" by Cindy Gainer
"It's Okay to Be Different" by Todd Parr

Watch the National Day of Belongingness Panel

In honor of National Day of Belongingness, Primrose Schools will host a panel featuring some authors of books found in Primrose classrooms. Moderated by Primrose Schools CEO Jo Kirchner, panelists will explore what belongingness means to them and the importance of children feeling included and represented through books. Panelists include:

Ken Wilson-Max, author of "Astro Girl" and illustrator
Kate T. Parker, photographer and author
Hyewon Yum, author of "Grandpa Across the Ocean"

Follow along on Primrose Schools social media channels for highlights or watch the full video on the Primrose Schools YouTube channel.

Foster Belongingness in Underserved Communities

Families can consider donating to AdventHealth West Lakes Early Learning Center (ELC), an innovative early education and care center that provides health, wellness and social services to children and families in underserved communities. Over 90 percent of the students at the ELC benefit from subsidized tuition. Teachers at the ELC use the proprietary Primrose Balanced Learning curriculum to empower their students and help them build a sense of belongingness.

SOURCE Primrose Schools®

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