April 2015
The spring issue of Bark! is jam-packed with ways to participate in Be Kind to Animals Month, so get ready
to feel the love with activities to help companion, farm and wild animals. Create
cool cat ear headbands, follow a special recipe to stuff a Kong for a pooch, play
the “Chicken and Egg” game or make a bee bath. And we didn’t forget that people also benefit
from kind acts; Bark! includes a
“Kind Acts for People” page.
Plus, exclusively for teachers, we’ve
produced a special extra publication with this issue of Bark!. Look for Meow!, our first BC
SPCA Teacher Guide to Kindness to
Animals. This eight-page insert is all about ways to bring cat welfare
lessons into your classroom. Find book recommendations, art and reading activities,
a “High Paws Starter Kit” and more! Download craft and lesson activities at spca.bc.ca/activities.
The latest issue of Bark! should be on your school library shelf now. If you are a
teacher in British Columbia, and would like to order a class set of this issue, or your own copy of Meow!,
please email us. Be sure to include
your name, number of students, grade, school name and address and we’ll package
them up and send them off for your class to enjoy.
Remember, we appreciate any feedback on Bark! or any of our educational
materials. If you have a suggestion for a story or want to share a project by a
student or your class, let us know.
Sharing Snowy
by Marilyn Helmer,
illustrated by Kasia Charko
Ali loves cats and dreams of having one of
her own, but unfortunately her brother Jay is allergic. Unable to have a feline
friend at home, Ali is thrilled when she discovers a white cat hanging out in
her backyard clubhouse. She names her Snowy, and quickly becomes all-consumed
with being a good guardian. She brings her leftovers to eat, makes her a
comfortable bed and even leaves her beloved teddy bear with Snowy at night to keep
her company.
Everything seems to be going well until Ali
sees a “Lost Cat” sign at the store with a picture of Snowy. Ali doesn’t want
to give Snowy up but knows that she belongs to someone else who also loves her.
Reluctantly, Ali returns Snowy to her guardian, Ruby. Ruby is ecstatic to have
Snowflake (Snowy’s real name) back home. She can see that Ali has taken good
care of the cat so she invites her to visit anytime – the best gift Ali can
imagine.
Many young readers will relate to Ali’s
desire to have a pet and her sadness at giving up an animal she cares for. Read
in the classroom, this book may lead to discussion around the proper actions to
take if you find an animal.
Sharing
Snowy is a chapter book recommended for a reading
level of grade 2 to 4.
Get more BC SPCA book recommendations online.
This month we are featuring the École
Cobble Hill Animal Club.
Headed by parent Heidi Hutton, a dedicated
and animal-loving mom, the École Cobble Hill Animal Club invited a BC SPCA
representative for a presentation. They
hoped the presentation would inspire them – and did it ever! The club now has
more than 100 members. With the help of their parents, they baked and sold more
than 700 cupcakes for National Cupcake
Day and raised a whopping $518. The club is planning more activities for the
upcoming year and has had a huge
impact on the whole school population.
Want
to start your own school club? Register now to receive your welcome package.
A sweet,
loveable but badly injured pup in Williams Lake needs help to get the vet care
she needs for a new start on life.
No one knows what Miss Phit has been through
but she was found in pain, severely matted and barely mobile. A
Good Samaritan brought her to the SPCA where she received immediate care. This
tough little pooch still has a long, active life ahead of her and with the public’s help she will get that second chance.
Learn more about this news item and other BC SPCA
news that you may want to include in class discussions.
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