The Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA) celebrated the Anna House Class of 2022 graduation Tuesday at Belmont Park with 12 students from its early childhood education program for the children of backstretch workers based at Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack and Saratoga Race Course.
The ceremony, attended by New York state and local elected officials and community leaders, marked the completion of the children's year-round pre-K program, where they were taught English, math, reading, gardening, art, nutrition and other topics in a STEAM-based curriculum. The students are now prepared to enter Kindergarten in September in local public schools, with many set to continue in BCCA's school-age program where they will receive tutoring and enrichment activities outside their public-school classrooms.
“This is always such a big day for our children and for our families and it's one that we all look forward to each year,” said BCCA President Libby Imperio. “To celebrate their accomplishments and to see how proud they are is a credit to them and to their families as we all work together to prioritize the importance of education.”
BCCA was established in 1998 and since opening its doors in 2002, Anna House has educated more than 1,000 students.
During Tuesday's event, the children presented handmade “thank you” gifts to BCCA Founder and Chairman Michael Dubb, Imperio and the BCCA Team. They also gave a special painting to Dubb to commemorate Anna House's 20th anniversary.
Look for a video feature on the ceremony and the program in Saturday's TDN.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
