Maya McFadden Photo
Chief Dominguez reads aloud Friday at Lulac Center.
A new tradition began at Lulac Head Start’s three locations Friday honoring the trailblazing early-childhood educator Sandra “Sandy” Malmquist.
Starting this month on every fourth Friday participating daycares will host a read-aloud for its students at 9:22 a.m in honor of the late Malmquist’s birthday.
Preschool educator Kashonda Lawrence spearheaded the read-aloud initiative. She celebrated its Friday kick-off with a guest visitor at Lulac Head Start’s Fay Miller Center at 250 Cedar St.: Interim Police Chief Renee Dominguez.
Dominguez joined in support of the initiative and to celebrate pedestrian safety month with the preschoolers.
Malmquist, founder and director of Creating Kids at the CT Children’s Museum, died this past Aug. 9 at the age of 73. In September Lawrence suggested the Lulac team honor her. Rather than a one-time read aloud event, an ongoing initiative was agreed on fir every fourth Friday of the month.
Dominguez and Kashonda Lawrence.
Lawrence, an educator at Lulac for 19 years, met Malmquist during a teacher workshop and was immediately inspired by her passion for education, she said. “You don’t have to know her to know her legacy should be honored.”
“Sandy built a center for children who need a place of their own, where they can experience the magic and wisdom of learning at their own pace by interacting with exhibits that are full of whimsy and wisdom, in spaces built to their size and specifications: for early childhood educators, working in a myriad of programs throughout the city and its suburbs, needing a place to bring their children and a place where they can find support and inspiration; and for families needing a place of full of color, joy and community where they can play and learn together,” her husband Paul Wessel said in an email.
The Lulac team encourages all other daycare and early-education centers to join the initiative to honor Malmquist and push their kids to gain a love for reading.
In addition to the read-aloud Lulac, will provide each participating family with a copy of the chosen book to help build their home libraries.
For Friday’s launch, Dominguez read the book Hello Sometimes, written by Amy Vatner and published by Read to Grow, to all seven pre‑K classes at the Fay Miller Center.
In her role as chief, Dominguez said, she doesn’t do as many read-alouds with the New Haven youth as she once did as a district manager. “My whole day will be better after this,” she said.
“We want to show them that their heroes love reading. And that their parents and teachers do too,” Lawrence said.
While at the center, Dominguez signed the school’s domestic violence pledge.
When Dominguez asked the preschoolers what “chief” means. Most did not know. But one student responded: “It means you’re the leader!”
Lawrences preK class Friday.
As she read, the students pointed out pictures in the Covid-era book, of the kids wearing face masks, on FaceTime, socially distancing, and riding the school bus.
They asked Dominguez questions like: “Do you stop people, put them in a car, and bring them to jail?” “Will my mom go to jail for saying a bad word?” “Are you a real police officer?”
She gifted each student a plastic police badge of their own.
Four-year-old Emma presents Dominguez with a thank you card from her class.
And she received a than-you gift of her own from the students: A handmade card signed with each of their names.
Then a generous duo helped escort Dominguez out for the day.
It warms my heart that Sandy is being honored by a monthly read aloud day. She was a wonderful educator and early child education advocate.
More police should have community participation events like these where they can develop positive interactions with the young children whose families the officers will be protecting and serving on the job. Positive interactions in community events between police and the community helps to build understanding, caring and trust.