Local Children Share Season’s Greetings With Seniors [PHIL-OSOPHY]

The New Bedford High School Early Childhood Education program participated in a holiday card creation activity in concert with Home Instead Senior Care of Dartmouth.

The holiday cards were created jointly by the high school students and their child clients enrolled in the “Little Whalers” Pre-K Daycare, which is facilitated by the early childhood education program at NBHS. The cards were presented to Home Instead staff at a ceremony on Friday, November 30. The colorful cards are being delivered by Home Instead to seniors through the local Councils on Aging, according to a press release.

Jill Khoury, Community Relations Manager at Home Instead Senior Care, worked with NBHS to ensure that every card would have a recipient.

“We are so pleased to have partnered with NBHS students and the Little Whalers Daycare Program to make this wonderful idea a reality. I know that our seniors appreciate receiving these cards, made by little, loving hands; it’s a thoughtful gift of caring at this time of year,” she said.

“This enriching project implemented by our high school students and the Little Whalers is an outstanding example of New Bedford High School’s core values in action, as it demonstrates how our students are committed to kindness and compassion toward all in our community," said Bernadette Coelho, Headmaster of New Bedford High School, “I am so proud of their taking the time to brighten the holiday season for the seniors at Home Instead.”

Early Childhood Education is one of several vocational programs at New Bedford High School, all of which are linked to business and community partners that play a key role in shaping curriculum and instructional experiences.

“The holiday card creation activity represents a fulfilling service learning project blended with an opportunity for our high school students to practice their career technical skills in early childhood education. Both our high school students and their Pre-K student clients were excited to collaborate with Home Instead on this project," said Christopher Cummings, Manager of Career Vocational Technical Education. “Our vocational programs are enhanced by value-added school-business partnerships, and we look forward to collaborating with Home Instead through additional initiatives.”

New Bedford High School’s Early Childhood Education program is part of the school’s offerings of Career Vocational Technical Education programming. In addition to Early Childhood, the school offers career pathway programs in Finance, Instructional Technology, Health Sciences, Engineering, and Criminal Justice.

For more information about Career and Technical Education at New Bedford High School, please contact Christopher Cummings, Manager of CVTE, (508) 997-4511, ext. 24204.

Phil Paleologos is the host of the Phil Paleologos Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Contact him at phil@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @PhilPaleologos. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.