LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending the Dillon Child Study Center upon the
occasion of celebrating its 75th Anniversary on May 13, 2010

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize and
commend those institutions of true purpose and high achievement whose
exemplary programs and accomplishments clearly demonstrate the pursuit
of excellence in education and service to the community; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
the Dillon Child Study Center upon the occasion of its 75th Anniversary
to be celebrated on Thursday, May 13, 2010, at The O'Connor Mall, Brook-
lyn, New York; and
WHEREAS, Located on St. Joseph's College campus in the Clinton Hill
section of Brooklyn, the Dillon Child Study Center offers toddler,
preschool and kindergarten programs based on the child development
approach to the education of young children; and
WHEREAS, The Dillon Child Study Center was established in 1934 by the
former St. Joseph's College President, Monsignor William T. Dillon; as
one of the first campus laboratory preschools on the East Coast, the
Center affirmed the importance of the early childhood years in a young
child's development; to this day, it serves as a model and demonstration
program for college students and professionals interested in the field
of early childhood education; and
WHEREAS, Through the years, Dillon Child Study Center has continued to
grow and expand its services; aware of the evolving needs of children,
parents and professionals, the Center opened a program to serve young
children with developmental delays in 1981; approved by the New York
State Department of Education, the program supports the unique needs of
young children as they are integrated into early childhood classrooms;
in 1998, the Center opened a state approved preschool inclusion class,
further adding to its adaptability to all children; and
WHEREAS, Valuing the family as the center of a young child's life, a
"Parents with Toddlers" group was formed in 1986 to give younger chil-
dren an early play experience and to provide information and support for
parents; once a week, a small group of wonderfully energetic and inquis-
itive toddlers arrive with parents to play and enjoy the thrill of
exploring their world and the wonder of relating to new friends; and
WHEREAS, From 1934 through the present day, teachers serve as adjunct
faculty working with St. Joseph's students in the College's child study
program; the Dillon Center fields experienced teachers who help the
Department of Child Study educate the college students in best prac-
tices; the Center is a laboratory school that provides college students
with a role model of the ideal preschool setting; and
WHEREAS, Each child's development is fostered in all areas - physical,
social, intellectual, emotional and moral - as they follow a unique
pattern in the predictable sequence of growth; during the critical early
childhood years, children need to become secure, confident, self-direct-
ed persons who can understand their world through activities involving
focused attention, observation, exploration, problem solving and cooper-
ative action; and
WHEREAS, A child's uniqueness is appreciated by early childhood
specialists who plan the curriculum to meet the needs and interests of
each individual; the child explores the world through play, literature,
music, observation and the manipulation of a wide range of materials;
and
WHEREAS, It is by doing the ordinary that children are exposed to the
extraordinary wonder of learning as opposed to rote or drill activities;

in an atmosphere where children are free to express their feelings and
ideas, the child develops a sense of self-awareness and an understanding
of interpersonal relations while expanding concepts, language and motor
skills; and
WHEREAS, Licensed by the New York City Department of Health and regis-
tered with the New York State Department of education, today, Dillon
Child Study Center serves over 100 children, with five classes for pre-
kindergarten and kindergarten children and an inclusive class of both
typically and atypically developing children; in a child-centered atmos-
phere, children learn through play and develop confidence, competence
and dispositions for future learning; and
WHEREAS, Those institutions which seek to enhance the education of our
youngest students help to provide children a solid knowledge base upon
which to build their future studies; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to extend its high-
est commendation to all of the individuals who have been involved with
the Dillon Child Study Center, past and present, noting the importance
of their work and their enduring commitment to young children; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend the Dillon Child Study Center upon the occasion of celebrating
its 75th Anniversary on May 13, 2010; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the Dillon Child Study Center.