Gertrude Walden Child Care Center

We celebrate an incredible milestone and a very special member of the Gertrude Walden family.

After 25 years of dedicated service, Cheryl Drayton is retiring. For a quarter of a century, she has been a familiar face, a helping hand, and a caring presence in the lives of countless children and families who have come through our doors.

Her commitment, hard work, and love for the children have helped shape our school and make it the special place it is today. The impact she has made over the years cannot be measured, and her contributions will be felt for generations to come.

While we will miss seeing Cheryl each day, we are excited for her as she begins this new chapter. On behalf of our staff, students, families, and community, thank you for 25 years of service, dedication, and care.

❤️ Congratulations, Cheryl, and thank you for everything!

💵 Thank You to Our Super Saver Sponsor! 💵

Gertrude Walden Child Care Center is proud to recognize and thank Attorney Phyllis Gillespie for serving as a Super Saver Sponsor for the 2025-2026 school year.

For the past 10 years, the support of community leaders like Ms. Gillespie has helped us continue providing meaningful experiences, educational opportunities, and special programs for the children and families we serve. Her commitment to giving back to the community is greatly appreciated and continues to make a lasting difference in the lives of our students.

We are grateful for her partnership and investment in the future of our children. Thank you for helping us build a stronger community, one child at a time.

Please join us in thanking Phyllis Gillespie for 10 years of generosity, dedication, and support! ❤️👏🏽🎉💙

🌟 Thank You to Our Student of the Month Sponsor! 🌟

Gertrude Walden Child Care Center would like to extend our sincere appreciation to Floyd Law Firm, PLLC and Attorney Gloria Floyd-Williams for sponsoring our Student of the Month program for the 2025-2026 school year.

Because of the support of community partners like Mrs. Floyd-Williams, we are able to recognize and celebrate students who demonstrate outstanding character, leadership, kindness, and academic effort throughout the year. These moments of recognition help encourage our children to continue striving for excellence both in and out of the classroom.

Thank you, Gloria Floyd-Williams and Floyd Law Firm, PLLC, for investing in our students and helping us make a positive impact in their lives. We are grateful for your partnership and commitment to supporting the next generation.

❤️ Please join us in thanking Floyd Law Firm for their generosity and support of our children!

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Treasure Coast Community Church (TC3.Church) in Stuart for their partnership and support.

We are truly grateful for their generosity in hosting our graduates award dinner and graduation ceremony. Their team welcomed us with kindness and made sure everything was organized, comfortable, and meaningful for our children and families.

Because of their support, our graduates were able to be celebrated in a warm and special setting that they will always remember. We deeply appreciate TC3 Church for standing with us and helping make these important milestones possible.

Thank you again for your support, and commitment to our community and children.

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Ms. Pat Houston with the Early Learning Coalition of Indian River, Martin & Okeechobee counties.

Ms. Houston has been an amazing coach and leader to our program. She always does her best to help us give our children the best experience possible. Her support, guidance, and encouragement have gone above and beyond in helping us strengthen our staff and improve the quality of care we provide.

We truly appreciate her dedication and the time she invests in our center. Her impact does not go unnoticed, and we are grateful for her continued partnership and support.

Thank you, Ms. Houston, for all that you do.

Celebrating Our Fabulous Five

Gertrude Walden Child Care Center proudly celebrates a special milestone as we honor our Fabulous Five, five outstanding young men who began their educational journey with us as preschoolers and have now graduated from high school and are preparing to attend college.

Over the years, we have had the privilege of watching these young men grow from curious children into responsible, hardworking graduates. Their achievements reflect years of dedication, perseverance, support from their families, and a commitment to reaching their goals.

Their success is especially meaningful to our Gertrude Walden family because their story began right here. They are a reminder of the importance of early childhood education and the lasting impact that a strong foundation can have on a child's future.

As they move on to college, we celebrate all that they have accomplished and all that lies ahead. We are confident that each of them will continue to learn, grow, and make a positive difference in their communities.

Congratulations to our Fabulous Five. We are proud of you, grateful to have been part of your journey, and excited to see what the future holds for each of you.

🎓✨ They did it! Our little graduates are ready for their next big adventure! 💛🖤

From learning their ABCs and making new friends to growing in confidence and curiosity, we are so proud of everything our VPK graduates have accomplished. 🌟