Hello Nune,

We were so pleased to witness the graduation of our English-speaking Promoting Our Preschoolers program participants on August 3rd and are eagerly looking forward to celebrating with our Spanish-speaking graduates on August 11th. These 44 young minds have grown and flourished under our care, and it fills us with immense pride to witness their progress and achievements. We applaud their hard work and dedication and extend our heartfelt congratulations to the graduates, their family support workers and their families. The little guy pictured above stole his sister's certificate right out of her hand, demonstrating that the next generation of POP is already eager to get started! You can see the video on our YouTube channel. We cannot wait to see how our graduates do in kindergarten this fall!

This month's success story highlights one of those graduates. Click the link below to discover the heartwarming journey of Nova and her 5-year-old daughter, Ayla. Nova utilized Santa Maria's Promoting Our Preschoolers (POP) program to further Ayla's readiness for kindergarten. With the support of their dedicated family advocate, Sierra Brown, Nova and Ayla thrived together. Despite challenges, Nova's determination and Sierra's compassionate guidance made a significant impact on Ayla's life. Ayla's love for learning blossomed, and she's learning to embrace the joy of reading. Nova cherishes the bond they share and is grateful for Santa Maria's support.

Finally, we just wanted to send a reminder that we're hoping you'll join us as we celebrate the unique culture and diversity of Santa Maria's program participants at our new annual fundraiser, "Passport to Success" on October 5, 2023 at 6 p.m. at the Miami Township Event Center, 3780 Shady Lane 45052. Tickets may be purchased by clicking here or going to bit.ly/PtoS23. Special Guest Speaker Dominque Badji, FC Cincinnati Forward, will share a personal story. We firmly believe that our strength lies in the diversity of our participants, and we are excited to witness the magic that unfolds when we all come together to celebrate and support one another.

Sincerely,

Unlocking Kindergarten Readiness with a Mother's Determination

Nova, the proud mother of 5-year-old Ayla, utilized Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids (SPARK) program and Santa Maria’s Promoting Our Preschoolers program to boost Ayla's preschool skills. Santa Maria provided essential support for Ayla's early childhood development. With Nova's determination and Santa Maria's guidance, Ayla thrived, overcoming speech challenges and falling in love with learning.

Celebrating a Milestone: Congrats to our Promoting Our Preschoolers Graduates!

Last week, the Price Hill Branch of the Public Library was buzzing with excitement and joy as we celebrated the graduation of our English-speaking 5-year-olds from the Promoting Our Preschoolers (POP) program. The event was a tremendous success, and now we eagerly anticipate another heartwarming celebration this Thursday for our Spanish-speaking POP graduates! We extend our warmest congratulations to all the graduates, their families, and the dedicated home visitors who supported them throughout this journey.

A big congratulations to all the graduates and their families! And a huge thank you to the dedicated home visitors who supported them along the way:

• Sierra Brown
• Isis Canel
• Regine Gordon

Special thanks also goes to Gina Hornback, Early Childhood Administrative Assistant, Elsy Morales, POP Supervisor

and Jaime Mutter, Early Childhood Education Program Director, for their invaluable contributions. This milestone is a moment of pride for our community as we continue to empower young minds and shape their bright futures. Hats off to all the graduates and a big thank you to everyone involved in making this journey a success!

As these young graduates embark on their journey to kindergarten, we take great pride in knowing that they are fully prepared for what lies ahead. These graduates are equipped with a strong foundation and a love for learning, and we are thrilled to watch them flourish and make a positive impact in their new academic endeavors.

We will post a graduation video for POP later this month, but if you'd like to see the impact of this program, click here to watch Murael read the book Brown Bear.