Focus on Education
Third, fourth and fifth grades can be hard.
Highland Falls Intermediate School officials recognize that, and, again this year, have found one small way to make it a little easier for the young learners in the building. Once a month, certified therapy dogs from Hudson Valley Paws for a Cause will stop by the school to spend some time with students who may be struggling just a little, particularly with reading.
Three of the dogs who will visit stopped by the school this week — Ivy Grace, a seven-year-old white Golden Retriever and Jake, an eight-year-old yellow lab (both owned by Kathy and Bud Schuck), and Clementine, a four-year-old yellow lab owned by Jean Hudson.
The three dogs and their owners worked in conjunction with the HFIS’ new Paws Pals Club to do a ‘meet-and-greet’ with the school’s third graders.
“We are excited to welcome back Hudson Valley Paws for a Cause this year,” School Counselor Trisha VanZetta said. She was excited, too, to present each of the sixth graders in the new club with a Paws for a Cause patch.
After introductions were made, the third graders got to meet each of the three dogs, ask lots of questions of their owners, and hear about how the dogs visit not only schools, but hospitals, colleges, soldiers at West Point, libraries, assisted living facilities, and even blood drives.
While the dogs will help mostly with reading (‘Reading Education Assistance Dogs’ help build reading skills and confidence without judgement) they also help students who may not have had any interaction with dogs become more comfortable with them. Dogs also help with social skill building — Ivy Grace is in a dog wheelchair after being hit by a car when she was two; her disability helps spark both conversation and acceptance.
For more information on Paws for a Cause, visit www.hudsonvalleypawsforacause.org. The organization also has a Facebook page, HVPaws.