I would like to say everything we do at Our Children's Center is thoughtful and intentional but as you know a certain amount of unpredictability comes with working with children.
As a non-profit, Our Children's Center has a mission statement that includes building community among our families. One of the events we use to begin building that special school community is the Ice Cream Social.
Why do we have an Ice Cream Social?
Its original intent was to provide a kid-friendly opportunity for new and returning families to get to know one another and chat with the teachers. We hoped this early social contact would encourage families to get involved sooner rather than later in the school community.
Each year, several board members volunteer to coordinate the event. I am involved in the planning and the office staff provides support. What did I forget to mention to the event planners? Treats for children with special dietary needs. Several of our children have dairy allergies, and we didn't acknowledge that in the early stages of the planning. The announcement was distributed listing only ice cream and no other non-dairy alternatives.
Upon hearing that several families were not coming because there would be nothing for their child to eat, adjustments were made and Italian Ice and ice pops were included on the menu. School events must be safe and fun for all children to attend.
The Board of Directors invites families, new and returning, to this event to build the OCC community. Excluding families for any reason, tears away at community. We need to apply the same inclusive lens we use for the classrooms and the lunchroom to our out-of-school events. No matter how busy and unpredictable life becomes, we must always make time to thoughtfully plan and advertise our events so all families feel safe and welcome.
Thank you for your willingness to become a part of this special place. Please be sure to remind us when we miss the boat or the point. We are always learning especially from our mistakes. (I'm thinking we may want to rename this event?)
Take care,
Tricia