High Point’s Tradition of Community Engagement Provides Lessons in Both Work and Charity for Thoughtful First Graders—and Biscuits for Some Lucky Dogs!
“It makes me proud of myself for helping others.”—Grayson D., age 7
By Norma Richman
The final HPA service learning project for the school year proved to be the pawfect ending. Following a month’s long read-a-thon to raise money for supplies, Ms. Megan Summers and Mrs. Genvieve Falchini, along with associate teacher Rachael Moszkowicz, organized the classes into an assembly line of dough rolling, flour dusting, and biscuit cutting. The result? Dozens and dozens of peanut and pumpkin-flavored dog treats.
Only healthy, organic ingredients were used, and safety was utmost, as those students with peanut allergies made their own peanut-free, pumpkin-only batch. The dough also contained butter, eggs, and wheat flour. Working in teams of four, bakers carefully learned the art of rolling dough, making sure that the thickness was just right before placing the cookie cutters to maximize the number of biscuits produced. One attraction was the use of flour to make rolling the dough easier—flour seemed to be everywhere!
“First, we rolled out the dough and put flour on it so it tastes good and not so sticky. Then we cut it with cookie cutters that looked like dog bones. The dogs are going to get their biscuits tomorrow,” explained Grayson D., age 7.
Jasper L., age 6, pointed to the importance of the activity: “The most fun thing was using cookie cutters to make dog bone shapes. We’re making the biscuits to give to Piper. She is the lady who rescues dogs because she wants them to have a home. I felt good and happy too because we read books to raise money. For each book we got 25 cents and spent it on the biscuit supplies, but we could give more if we wanted. We just want the dogs to be safe.”
“Piper” is Piper Wood (HPA class of ’94), founder and president of Hand in Paw, a local rescue organization that is dedicated to finding homes and medical care for four-legged (and sometimes three-legged) friends in need. She explains on her website that “Hand in Paw is a registered 501c3 dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and adoption of abandoned, homeless, and abused dogs. We seek to educate the public about the crisis of overpopulation, irresponsible breeding, puppy mills, neglect, and abuse, as well as the importance of spaying and neutering.”
Presentation day at High Point included a discussion with the students about the job of rescue organizations and the importance of caring for those less fortunate—human or animal. Piper brought her favorite buddy Zeus along to prove the point. Zeus, a fourteen-year-old rescue, has become part of her family. His calm demeanor made for a perfect petting session as the first graders took turns meeting him and learning his story. Then the class presented Piper and Zeus with biscuits, $246 in cash, and a fluffy dog bed.
Jolene H., 7 summed up the entire experience this way: “We made dog biscuits because those dogs who don’t have any food or a home can have something to eat. It makes me feel happy and proud because I like helping dogs. I really love dogs, and I have three at home. I’m glad we’re giving the dogs their biscuits because dogs make me feel happy too.”
http://www.handinpawrescue.com/
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