May Update from 2017 CTKG Jessica

Hello Everyone!

This month has been lots of fun. I have been helping some of my teachers with things in school. I am also still working with my 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Stuart, on our proposal for getting therapy dogs into the Milford Public School District. You can read about our work so far in my last blog post. So far, we are doing great!

Did you know that therapy dogs can solve lots of problems that are physical, mental, social, emotional, and they can even help with health! They can do all of this while looking adorable. Did you know that 44% of kids from the ages eight to eighteen have trouble sleeping caused by stress? Well dogs can help with these problems. They are able to help teens and kids calm down and focus. Dogs are very powerful when it comes to helping.

I'm also looking out for some people doing great deeds for animals. One lady named Alice creates items for the animal shelter to give to the animals. She makes dog toys, cat toys, rabbit toys, and even bird toys. She is definitely making animals happy!

If you would like to hear you or a friend in a shout out like this, email me the great things you or others are doing for animals at CKGJessica@kidgovernor.org!

Remember to help animals, those without a voice!

Have a great day,

Jessica

A Busy Month for 2017 CTKG Jessica

Hello Everyone! 

I have been doing quite a bit of work this month. Currently I am working with my 5th grade teacher, Mrs.Stuart, on getting therapy dogs into the Milford Public Schools District to help with things like stress, anxiety and even reading comprehension. I have been researching the benefits and concerns to having dogs in school. 

Me with Mrs. Stuart, my fifth grade teacher, last year at the ASPCA Humane Awards.

One example of a benefit for having a dog in school is if a child has a reading disability, like dyslexia, they can sit down next to a sweet, calm, patient dog and try to read slowly. This is good because when a child gets stuck on a word they can keep working at it a find it out without being rushed. But when you are with another student or even with an adult you can feel rushed by them causing even more stress. When you get stuck on a word in front of your friends you might get embarrassed but when you stumble in front of a dog it’s no big deal. 

One of the downsides might be a cultural difference*. This might be a problem because certain cultures don’t like dogs. Now there are ways to take care of this, like having the children that don’t like dogs at a distance from dogs and to not talk about dogs in front of them. I can’t wait to do more work and research. I hope we can get dogs into the Milford Public Schools District. 

I hope everyone is great! Remember to help animals, those without a voice!

Have a great day!

-Jessica

*A message from your friends at the Connecticut Public Affairs Network...

Along with cultural differences, dogs and pets may not be allowed into schools due to allergies. Some people may be allergic to dogs and dog dander. These allergies may cause severe reactions that range from a runny nose to swelling of the eyes and throat. Dogs that are service animals or police dogs are allowed into schools though and there are no laws to prevent them from entering a classroom. You should always alert the school first to make accommodations for those with allergies.