Cleveland Heights, OH

Cuyahoga County Universal Pre-Kindergarten/Starting Points

Margie Jennings, Site Administrator

Margie.jennings@thecentersohio.org

Sip and Paint to Thank Essential Workers

Sip and Paint took on a new form due to COVID-19 safety requirements. The activity still aimed to engage families with teachers to increase preschool students’ skills and attitudes. Last year, on Zoom, Sip and Paint asked families and children to think about the essential workers in their communities.

The ATP and school leaders publicized Sip and Paint with flyers and by calling parents to invite them to participate. Parent volunteers filled Sip and Paint bags with a canvas, paint, brushes, cups, tea, and juice boxes. Parents picked up the supplies on the school playground a week before Sip and Paint Day.

Parents also were given a helpful page of questions to talk over with their preschooler at home. They discussed their favorite essential workers in the community—what they did, where they worked, and how they helped them and other people. Through conversation, children built their vocabularies with words like “essential,” “community,” and “virus.”  They used math skills by counting the colors they used in their paintings.  They talked about what was happening in their paintings. Students used their thinking skills, coping mechanisms, social interactions.  Parents and students had some fun with art.

Students and parents displayed their paintings and shared ideas. The children brought their paintings to school, where they were framed and taken to some of the community workers featured in the pictures. The recipients were truly appreciative about being recognized and remembered. An Assistant Store Manager at a grocery store said. “You and the families and students … will never know just how important this really means for all of us. Just to know that our daily efforts have been recognized.” Another noted, “We will place this on our ‘love board’ in the staff room. Saying thank you is not enough.”

Students not only developed school skills, but also extended social and emotional skills. They expressed their appreciation for people in the community and took some time to think about others. Sip and Paint is a creative stress-reducing activity for participants that also produced priceless art and valuable messages for community partners.

Read more about Sip and Paint to Thank Essential Workers in Promising Partnership Practices 2021.