Dear Judy and Randy,

I can’t believe that four years has gone by since Zack first began attending Tender Care. I guess time really does fly by when you’re having fun! I have a very heavy heart because today is Zack’s last official day at Tender Care before going off to Kindergarten. I can’t believe he has been attending your child care since he was one year old…and that he is now five! Zack is going on to Kindergarten and he says, “I’m not ready grow up…I want to stay at Judy and Randy’s!” Zack and I both love you guys so much. The biggest compliment I think a person can receive is when a child talks highly about an adult. Kids are honest and they know when a person really cares about them or not. Both Nathan (now 13 years old) and Zack have said and continue to say the nicest things about you both and continue to share memories of their favorite times at Tender Care. Nathan still talks about the sandwiches he made with you and the fun field trips and art projects. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the love, care, patience, nurturing and guidance you provided to both Nathan and Zack. I have also learned an immense about parenting, child growth and development from you. You are highly knowledgeable and your informative parent meeting nights with speakers and incredible dinners were such a special treat. You always go above and beyond and it’s obvious that taking care of children is your passion.

They say it takes a village to raise a child –both of you- Judy and Randy have been the village for me. My parents live in Canada and you both have been the biggest support in my life. It is hard for me to find the words to truly express the gratitude I have for the level of consistent and high quality care you have provided to Zack over these past four years. When I went to work each day I knew that Zack was in an incredibly wonderful place receiving exceptional care, lots of love, play time and enriching experiences. I am beyond appreciative for your support, wisdom, reliability and compassion. You are both highly intelligent and caring people with obvious expertise in child development. You understand and respect all of the children in your care and in return they love and respect you. Zack often talks about you both in the evenings and talked about you both in our recent trip to Canada. Whenever Zack found an interesting bug or insect in Canada…he would immediately say, “Judy and Randy would love this bug!”

Thank you for teaching Zack to love and respect nature. You are a role model for everyone about respecting the environment and how to tread lightly on the earth. Both Zack and I have learned immensely from you! Zack and I have learned about composting, recycling, re-using, grey water, rain barrel collection, local plants that need minimal water, gardening, all types of flowers & plants, important role of bees and all kinds of insects. Thank you for involving Zack in the composting and gardening- he learned immensely from these experiences. When we are driving or walking somewhere – Zack names all the different types of trees and plant…I know he didn’t learn all of that from me! Every time we see a “Jacaranda” tree we think of you! I appreciate the use of natural cleaning supplies you use in your home and the incredibly healthy meals you consistently prepare for the children. It always amazed me how you would use environmentally friendly G-diapers for all the very young children in your care when it would have been much easier for you to use disposable diapers. You always went above and beyond and were consistent to your values about protecting the environment in every way you can. You are a “Green Queen!” and Zack and I will carry on all the skills we have learned to be responsible and treat our world and all the creatures in it kindly. The eco-friendly childcare you have created is simply amazing.

Thank you for following Zack’s lead and supporting his passion and love for all bugs and insects. He calls himself the “Protector of bugs!” It is because of your love and respect for nature that he has learned to love and appreciate all creatures big and small. Thank you for “lifting up the mats” so Zack could find his favorite bugs and then going to research them with him! Zack loved reading books about ants and other insects with you! ☺ I have lost count in regard to the number of “bug bottles” you have made for Zack –so he could observe his bugs and then let them go. Thank you for the enriching experiences you provided for Zack and all the children every day!!!!!!! Art, pretend and imaginative play, messy and sensory play, math, shapes, number sense, matching, phonological awareness, rhyming, read aloud books, literacy, encouragement with writing and letter formation at appropriate developmental levels, trips to the community garden, crafts, gardening, music and movement, fine and gross motor, games, biking, experiments, sand play, water play, swinging, sliding, discovering, gymnastics, field trips to Chollas Lake, annual Christmas light tour, ginger bread houses, and even taking Zack to swimming lessons! Thank you for teaching Zack how to write his name! I loved how you took what the children were passionate about and then turned their passion into a teaching tool. Example: Bey Blade spinners and then you timed how long they would spin…and then compared how each Bey Blade was shaped differently and how that might have made a Bey Blade spin longer than another

Zack loved giving me the craft and art creations he made with you. It really made Zack feel proud to be able to give me a gift he created. Thank you for the wonderful mother’s day gifts you helped Zack make for me…the card and gifts you helped him make each year for Mother’s day are near and dear to my heart. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you Judy for all the support and guidance you provided in regard to potty training Zack. I couldn’t have done it with you! The highly nutritious meals you made for the children each day has been incredible. In your care Zack has learned about healthy food choices, how to make some foods and has a wide variety of foods he will eat because he has had the opportunity to taste and try a variety of foods with you. Zack loves making his salad at the salad bar, rolling his own burritos as well as eating food from your garden and fruit from your trees. Zack also enjoys earning the “special cups” when he sets the table! Zack has learned to see himself as responsible and capable because of the time you took to teach skills – such as helping prepare his own food, setting the table, serving himself, pouring his own milk, bringing his dishes to the kitchen and scraping his own plate. Through these experiences he has learned to become increasingly responsible, self sufficient and see himself as a capable person. The idea of viewing yourself as a “capable” person is essential to the development of a healthy self-esteem. I know it would have been easier for you to do many of these things yourself. I appreciate you taking the time to teach the children skills –it’s not often this happens – usually busy teachers and providers do for the kids instead of taking the time and patience to let the child do things for themselves. Thank you for your immense patience with Zack. Thank you for the frequent emails in regard to the activities that took place each day. Receiving pictures of Zack having fun and playing with his friends while I was at work truly my day!!!!

I wish I could give you an award, a medal, a trophy and trip to somewhere fabulous for being the absolute “Best Childcare Provider in San Diego!” As you know I work for San Diego Unified School District as a speech-language pathologist and have worked in many preschools – Child Development Centers and Head Start Preschools. Judy and Randy- you are exceptionally patient and outstanding teachers. You truly are the best preschool teachers I have ever seen. That is why I chose to work at a school located right next to where you live because I knew I wanted Zack to be in your care until he went to Kindergarten. There are many childcare options close to my home. But, I chose to work at a school near you and drive far from my home because the enriching environment you have created at Tender Care was definitely where I wanted Zack to be. You are a gem and any child would be incredibly lucky to have you in their life.

Thank you for the enormous positive difference you have made in our life. Zack has grown into a curious, responsible, joyful, fun loving and eager learner because of your positive influence in his life over these past four years. Zack talks about you highly (and so do I!). We will miss you immensely and certainly hope to always stay in touch. I have been sad about the arrival of this day – Zack’s last day with his beloved friends and “Judy and Randy”. Anna has also been an incredibly patient teacher and positive role model in Zack’s life. Zack reminds me that we can always come and visit you. After four years you have both become like family to us and we will miss seeing your smiling faces each day. I have relied on you for so much and I thank you for all your support and guidance. You will always be close in our hearts and never forgotten. You have the hardest and most important job on the planet. Raising small children is no easy task. Please know your hard work and patience does not go unnoticed. You make taking care of young kids look easy! All research shows the importance and positive long term benefits of early intervention. You are an early intervention teacher who is educating children and providing each child with a strong foundation for future success…this benefits each child, family, community, society and the world. I am not sure what I am going to do without you guys! Please keep in touch and from the bottom of my heart thank you for all you have done for Nathan, Zack and myself. You are both amazing!

Love,

Corrie, Nathan and Zack