For Immediate Release:

Pets in the Classroom Program Sets Goal of Reaching 1 Million Children

Bel Air, Maryland – April 20, 2011

The Pet Care Trust announced that they have targeted reaching 1 million children in 30,000 classrooms across North America through their popular Pets in the Classroom grants program.  The program, established by the Pet Care Trust in 2009, provides grants of $100-$150 to purchase or adopt a new pet and required equipment or $50 to support existing classroom pets.

Steve King, Executive Director of the Pet Care Trust, says the program has had a powerful impact in elementary school classrooms throughout North America. In just one year the program has awarded grants to nearly 3,000 classrooms, giving up to 90,000 kids the opportunity to interact with a pet every day.  “The feedback we are receiving from teachers is overwhelmingly positive,” King says.  “At a time when school budgets are being slashed nationwide, Pets in the Classroom allows teachers to provide valuable enrichment activities through a classroom pet of their choosing.”

Sixth grade teacher Susan Dougherty-Fitzpatrick expressed her appreciation for the program, explaining, “This year, our entire fifth grade of over 150 students was allowed to learn about tree frogs and hermit crabs in our unit, ‘Systems and Survival’. Without your help and support, we would not have been able to undertake such a project and cannot thank you enough.”

The Pets in the Classroom program benefits students by teaching them responsible, long-term pet care at an early age and providing the psychological and developmental benefits associated with the human-animal bond.  Studies have shown that caring for pets has a positive effect on children, improving school attendance and teaching children responsibility, as well as encouraging nurturing and building self esteem.  Pets in the Classroom grant recipients confirm that having a classroom pet has a big impact on their students. “My students are learning how to be responsible care takers and the best of all, my very shy student and English language learners are talking now!” says Mrs. Johnson, a first grade teacher from Kentucky.

In the first year, approximately one-third of the funding has gone to freshwater aquariums. Another one-third has funded small animals, such as guinea pigs, rabbits and hamsters. Reptiles, amphibians and birds comprise the final one-third, with snakes, lizards, turtles and frogs most popular.

For more information, please visit www.petsintheclassroom.org and view a video documenting the impact of the Pets in the Classroom program at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGtQdRUyWrI.

West Shore is Going to the Birds

By Ms. Dascola, Mrs. Dermer and Ms. Sturges

Respect, Responsibility, and Caring…three things that every West Shore Wildcat knows very well! Two fifth grade teachers, Mrs. Laura Dermer and Ms. Elizabeth Sturges, and one second grade teacher, Ms. Amy Dascola, have recently incorporated these three character traits into their daily science instruction. Being a Positive Behavior (PBS) school, these three are traits that are important to all of us here at West Shore. These three teachers are using science and the care of animals to help instill these in their students.

It all started with the writing of a grant. Each teacher submitted a grant through Pet Care Trust to help with the care and cost of having a classroom pet. They worked as a team to get the grants written and now all three classrooms have an extra $100 to help care for the rescued cockatiels. The students are now assisting with the upkeep of having a class pet and Blanca Nieve, Lola, Shiloh, and Flower have become temporary classmates for the students. Through a partnership with Florida Parrot Rescue, a not-for-profit avian rescue dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and placement of companion birds, the students are learning to be responsible by helping clean the animals’ cages, they are demonstrating care by giving the birds food each day and keeping their water dishes full, and showing respect by not teasing or mishandling the birds. It is a positive situation for all involved. The teachers know they are helping their students become better people, the students are receiving hands on experiences as part of life science, and the birds are enjoying a happy time in their lives before they find their permanent homes. 

 
The last step in this process will also include the students showing respect, responsibility, and caring for the birds. Our students are foster “parents” for the birds and hope that homes can be found for their feathered friends once the school year comes to a close in June. Once a home is found, they will have to be responsible and respectful enough to be willing to let the birds go and care enough for the birds to know that a permanent home with a loving family is what is best for Blanca, Shiloh, Lola and Flower. The family or individual that adopts these little birdies will be wonderfully rewarded. They will be receiving a new family member that has been lovingly cared for and tended to for many weeks. For more information on becoming a forever home to a feathered friend go to www.FloridaParrotRescue.com.

In the February 17, 2011 edition of  The Yorktown Press, Kris Berry, a fourth grade teacher at the local elementary school, was mention in the article “Yorktown Stars” as a recipient of the Pets in the Classroom Grant.  Congratulations Kris!  We hope your students enjoy their new classroom pet!

The excerpt from ”Yorktown Stars”:

YES (Yorktown Elementary School) fourth-grade teacher Kris Berry is a recipient of the Pets in the Classroom grant sponsored by The Pet Care Trust.The $100 grant will be used to purchase a small animal for her classroom as well as all the needed food and supplies for the animal’s care. The Pet Care Trust offers this grant to teachers so that they can use small animals in their classrooms to help enhance the curriculum and provide an enriching classroom experience for their students. Students will learn not only how to properly take care of the animal, but they will also learn about responsibility and how important it is to be responsible when you are a pet owner.

Click Here to view the article online!

When it comes to choosing a pet for your classroom, the possibilities are endless, but not all pets will be the right choice for you.  Maybe you don’t want to take on a rabbit or a guinea pig just yet, or you don’t have a solid enthusiasm for lizards or hermit crabs.  That doesn’t mean you can’t still have a fun and fascinating classroom pet.

Goldfish make great pets and have a lot more “oomph” than they get credit for.  The large variety of species available gives you the option of different features, like veil tails or bubble eyes, and the option of different sizes too.  Some goldfish stay relatively small, while others can reach more than 12 inches!

Many people are also surprised to know that goldfish have extremely good senses of smell, sight, and touch.  They’ll quickly pick up on your movements, react differently to a variety of environments, and learn to recognize feeding time.  They only need to eat once a day, but there are treats, like live brine shrimp, that you can give them on occasion.

Housing your new goldfish might make a great creative project for your class.  Check out some of the different aquariums and accessories at your local pet shop. While goldfish can live for quite some time in a regular glass bowl, having a tank with a pump and filter will keep your new pet a lot happier and healthier.

Your goldfish might seem drab when compared to other pets, but there are many learning opportunities that come with it.  Your class will learn a wide variety of interesting new facts to take home and share with their families, such as goldfish actually have two types of fins – one to help stabilize it, the other to steer and guide it through the water.

With a little help from Pets in the Classroom, your new goldfish will bring some color to your room and a smile to your students’ faces.  Give the kids something to talk about, and start the process to a cooler classroom today.  Visit www.petsintheclassroom for more information and to apply for your educational grant today!