HOWDY FAMILIES AND FRIENDS!

September is a very exciting time for us as our playground renovation comes to an end. We hope many of you can join us for our ribbon cutting event on September 3rd, at 4 p.m. All parents and friends of Becky Gates Children’s Center are invited! The playground will be open to children at school beginning September 6. Twenty-one new trees were planted on our playground! However, we are not combining classrooms of children due to COVID-19, classrooms will be assigned a rotating designated area to play in. This is not ideal for a nature-based playground where boundaries are eliminated and children get to choose what and where they want to play, we will get there eventually. There are still a few items such as canopies and outdoor sinks that have yet to arrive. Once they arrive, they will be installed on the playground.

We made it through our first couple of weeks successfully! We know some children will take longer to adjust than others, but they will get there. Continue to be patient if your child still struggles with drop-off, it is hard for them to leave their favorite person, and we will comfort your child during this time. The first two weeks are the hardest as children build relationships with their teachers and begin to trust their teachers. Once children feel safe, they are more willing to freely explore their environment. Then children can become deeply involved in their play to expand their understanding of the world.

We have received quite a few Family Advisory Board (FAB) volunteers. If you would like to be a member of our FAB, please email Erica at [email protected] to let her know you are interested. The first meeting of the year will be in September via Zoom. All meetings will be conducted via Zoom this school year.

Please welcome Mr. Justin Jeffery, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, to the BGCC family! Justin began in August and is new to TAMU. He will oversee the Becky Gates Children’s Center department.