Happy September!
It has been such a joy to have all of the students and families back in the building for a few solid weeks. Their smiles, laughter, and even helping them through tears is why I love coming to work every day. Child’s Voice is such a caring environment for our students and their families, and I truly feel it brings out the best in all of us. Working together towards a common cause really creates a sense of community here for both staff and families. Seeing children with hearing loss thrive in all areas of their development is very inspiring, whether they are having their hearing tested in audiology, playing with their grownups in the toddler group, or running around the playground in the school.
I would like to take this opportunity to invite everyone, and for you to invite others, to see how this beautiful community comes together at our annual fall event, “Cheers for Child’s Voice!” held at the school in Wood Dale on Friday, October 20. This will be a great opportunity for both our current and new community members to see what our students experience on a daily basis. We will have stations set up around the school so you can learn more from our talented staff while enjoying delicious food, drinks, and experiences. There will be ways to give at many different levels so I hope to see familiar and new faces here.
Community has been on my mind a lot as I have been watching a documentary series on Netflix called “Blue Zones.” This is a book and show about areas of the planet that have the highest concentration of centenarians (people who live to be over 100 years old). I’ve been fascinated and encouraged by the fact that these populations of healthy aging have much in common even though their cultures and practices are very different. Of course, being active and eating healthy foods are key to aging well, but so is a strong social or family network and a sense of belonging. My hope in continuing the mission of Child’s Voice is that we provide this robust community for everyone who participates in our programs and who supports them as well. I thank all of you for helping me on that mission and for continuing to keep Child’s Voice going as long as those centenarians!
Best,
Wendy
