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Health & Fitness

At the ECEC - You`re Never "too Young" to Learn to Care …

 Quite often, we`ll share a story of someone special, or of a good deed that we didn`t want to go unnoticed. Recently, an e-mail came across our desk, and it certainly deserves some special attention.

 It all began when ECEC full-day Kindergarten Teacher, Julie Lally (entering her eighth year at the school), spotted an e-mail from Scholastic Books. The e-mail was sent to schools that order books from the company, and was a “request to participate in their Annual Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive.”

 Scholastic`s “Pajama Program” is a non-profit organization that provides new pajamas and books to children in need. These items are donated to local group homes, foster care organizations, and various orphanages. Since it`s conception in 2009, over 250,000 pairs of new pajamas and over 600,000 books have made their way to those in need.

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 Being a Mom herself, Mrs. Lally thought that this project would be a great way to teach her Kindergarten students a little about compassion and show them how good it feels to help others. With the help of her Teaching Aides, Deirdre Curristin and Margaret Hutchinson, flyers were sent home and the (1st) ECEC Pajama Drive was underway.

 The response from the ECEC parents left the teachers, and Principal Jessica Hammond, in awe. Thanks to their generosity, almost 150 pairs of pajamas (from new-born to adult) were brought in to the school to be donated by the boys and girls!

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 As a reward, and to let them all see what a wonderful job they had done, a special day was planned for the children. Julie Lally, along with fellow teacher, Paul Sullivan, had all of the students (and the teachers) wear their pajamas to school. An assembly was held, and in keeping with the theme of the day, the boys and girls were treated to a reading of the Margaret Wise Brown book, Goodnight Moon.

 The pajamas were laid out for all to see, and the room was filled with a great sense of pride. Plans were made for Scholastic`s Boston Chapter President, Liz Cannistraro, to stop by and pick up the donations.

 It`s people like teacher Julie Lally, and her peers, that put our little ones on the right track and show them how important it is to care for our fellow human beings. What an excellent job by all the folks at Dedham`s ECEC.

 Story and Photos by: Joe Kilroy





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