Myles Richard King was born Jan. 12, becoming Cordova’s first baby of 2021. In recognition of this, the Cordova Education Association gave Myles a basket of books ranging from durable board books appropriate for babies, to children’s classics like “Goodnight Moon.” The CEA annually gifts a basket of books to the first baby of the year, Co-President Debra Adams said.
Elizabeth King, Myles’s mother, thanked the CEA for the gift and said she hopes to raise her son as an active reader.
“I love books and I love reading,” Elizabeth King said. “Even though he’s just a baby, we try to do one book every day with him.”
Uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic has depressed U.S. birth rates, and is projected to trigger a “baby bust” resulting in around 300,000 fewer births than usual during 2021, according to research by the Brookings Institution. However, Elizabeth King said she believed that Cordova had succeeded in creating a safe environment for children in spite of the pandemic.
“Obviously there’s a lot happening in the world, but I think Cordova’s pretty unique,” she said. “It really wasn’t a factor for us, because, living here, we feel pretty blessed that [Myles] is going to grow up in a safe place.”
Myles’s parents, Elizabeth and Kyle, are both graduates of Cordova Jr./Sr. High School, according to a CEA release.
