Summer Camp 2009

One of my favorite things to do is play with the kids at summer camp. We go to Camp Carousel every year. The kids this year were playing a game. It was called dress up race. One of the teams needed an extra member and they invited me to be on their team. The idea of the game is that there is a pile of clothes at one end and the kids line up at the other end. They run down to the pile of clothes, put them on, take them off and then run back to the start. The first team to have all the members put on the clothes, take them off and run back win. Our team did not win, but we had so much fun. One lady took my picture just as I put the hat on my head. The kids weere laughing so hard they were rolling on the floor. I thought I looked pretty cool.

I had a great summer. We traveled a bit, went to the beach and had a blast.

End of Year Party

We completed our fourth year at Alexander Doniphan School. I just love going to school and reading with the kids. I hope they love me as much as I love them. They seem to really like it. Some of the kids even say they are better readers because I am such a good listener. They say I help them learn how to be more comfortable speaking out loud and they even raise their hand in class now and are not so afraid to speak out to answer a question.

Reading Progress

Reading Program Receives Blue Ribbon Award
The Greater Kansas City Association of School Librarians honored the “BowWOWing for Books” therapy dog reading program with their Blue Ribbon Award May 6. The R.E.A.D. (Reading Education Assistance Dogs) program is coordinated by library media specialist Joan Arth. The facilitators are Heddie Leger and Dana Marsh. Their canine partners are Hero, a Rottweiler and Megan, a Schnauzer. The students read 20 minutes once a week to their animal friend. The purpose is to allow students the experience of reading without the scrutiny of a teacher or parent. The animal-assisted therapy focuses on fluency, comprehension, confidence and a passion for reading.

School Days

Today was school day with the kids. There is nothing I love more than the kids. Mom had me wait by the door until they were ready to meet me. This was a new group. They called them special needs, and I thought they really were special. I brought along my table cloth and recipe for stone soup. The kids had fun taking turns setting the table (the felt table cloth goes over my back) and creating the soup, then stirring, sharing and eating it (all make believe of course) with the felt ingredients. Then they all cleaned up the table, put the ingredients away, and we play READing time. This is one of my favorites. The one they call teacher writes a word on the white board. I read the word and act it out, and all the kids have to do what I do. I think it is called Simon Says, or Follow The Leader, something like that. Anyway, I read a word that might say "sit", then I sit and they all sit with me. There are about six or seven words we all do together. The most fun word is under. I stand up and they all do the belly crawl underneath me. Then the next word is down, and well take a nap. It is so much fun. I did not want to leave. My mom had to drag me out of the room. I would have stayed with them all day. They all invited me back, and mom promised we would go back. So I will look forward to next time.

Guess what!!! My friend Halo shared that she had fun out in the field today. Pam hid shell casings and Halo had to find them. She did the happy dance again when she found them. She also found the lost guy hiding in a drainage pipe. Of course, she had to go through the brush the hard way, when she could have just followed the mowed path. She does love adventure. I on the other hand love the indoor things. I just don't like getting my feet wet and dirty. Hooray for Halo for a good day in the field.