Even as the world faces turmoil, we at Clayton find joy and hope in expressing our deepest gratitude for your support and the profound difference it makes for children and families in our community. From everyone at Clayton Early Learning, we send our heartfelt thanks and wishes for a bright and happy season of peace and gratitude.
Celebrate with us and count down our Top Ten List of thanks…
#10 A THRIVING COMMUNITY
Our dedicated team is committed to ongoing professional development, both individually and collectively. Clayton Grows, our redesigned schedule of professional development is more inclusive and relevant for staff than ever before. This year, we were honored to welcome civil rights icon Carlotta Walls LaNier, a member of the Little Rock Nine. Her keynote address of courage and perseverance inspired our team to embrace their power as educators in creating an inclusive world.
#9 SHARING OUR EXPERTISE
Clayton’s workforce development initiatives – including Elevate, our newly launched brand of coaching and training products and services, bring our decades of expertise to bear for continuous improvement to the field of early childhood. It’s a privilege to partner with the early childhood community throughout Colorado and across the nation to transform the delivery of high-quality early childhood education.
#8 OUR ECOSYSTEM OF COMPASSION
Clayton children are given the sense of safety and security they need to participate in learning and problem-solving. Armed with the nationally recognized trauma-informed Sanctuary practice and an emphasis on healthy social-emotional development through the Conscious Discipline curriculum, our compassionate team of educators, social workers, and health and mental health care specialists work seamlessly to create a tightly woven safety net of care.
#7 THE GIFT OF VOLUNTEERISM
Clayton is indeed fortunate to have a dedicated group of volunteers who bring their gifts of time and talent to bear for our mission. Whether working tirelessly in the Clayton Cares Market or digging in to help at our annual Garden Planting Day, the contributions of our volunteers are vital to our community. Our newly created affinity group, MAMA (Mothers Activating Meaningful Advocacy), is working to ensure our children and families are supported with the basic essentials for success at school and home.
#6 THE BEAUTIFUL CLAYTON CAMPUS
We are proud of our 20-acre campus, and we love opportunities to share it with friends and partners in the community. We welcomed many of you over a beautiful fall weekend when we hosted two special events. First, our annual Taste of Clayton raised glasses and funds to support our mission for children and families. Then the following day our first annual Blues and BBQ concert drew neighbors from near and far to enjoy a series of live musical performances in a fun family atmosphere.
#5 FEEDING OUR COMMUNITY
Access to healthy food is a human right, and Clayton is proud of our work to fight food insecurity among our families and in our community. The Clayton kitchen prepares 1,000 fresh meals every school day, and the innovative Clayton Cares Market extends increased food access to put nutritious food on the table at home. We also teach children and families about sustainable gardening in our newly reimagined Discovery Garden.
#4 EXCEPTIONAL TEACHERS
Clayton’s dedicated, professional educators are the heartbeat of everything we do. Exceptional early childhood education starts with a well-trained, well-supported workforce of professional educators. We proudly celebrate the excellence exemplified every day in our classrooms. This year, we launched an annual award to do just that. The inaugural Charlotte M. Brantley Teacher of the Year Award was presented to Stephany Hurst, a lead teacher in one of our toddler classrooms.
#3 COMMITMENT TO EQUITY
Clayton’s mission is rooted in equity. We know that our future rests in the hands of the youngest generation and that the experiences of inclusion and belonging they have in early childhood will stay with them well into their adult lives. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging is not a trend at Clayton, it is our north star, guiding every aspect of our identity as an organization and creating a safe community for children and families and every member of our team.
#2 OUR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
By deeply engaging with the families we serve, we are able to interrupt the cycle of poverty, cultivate equitable futures for children to thrive, and influence a more vibrant future for everyone in our community. Clayton provides more than exceptional high-quality education for young children, we open doors of opportunity for the entire family by surrounding them with the support they need to build sustainable lives.
And the #1 Reason we are Thankful is... YOU!
Investing in the futures of young children and their families is a powerful force for good. Together, we can fill their lives with love, hope, and opportunity. Give to Clayton Early Learning…where dreams take root and futures grow.
