MOORE MONTESSORI COMMUNITY SCHOOL ASSEMBLY DECEMBER 2024
Moore Montessori Community School welcomed the Pet Responsibility Program with open arms for its maiden voyage. Entering the building you are received by a warm office team. While waiting for our lessons to begin, they shared stories of their personal pets and welcomed visitors all while passing out apples and cheese to an occasionally hungry student. You get the instant feeling of being surrounded by advocates for children and animals.
The learning environment is not your typical public-school setting of desks in a row. The students are seated on a carpet for each lesson. They were prepared and excited to learn more about being a responsible pet owner. Many of the students have pets including a bearded dragon. They were inquisitive and asked many questions about caring for their pets and researching future pets. The kindness they showed to each other mirrors the kindness they have for their pets.
Pet Responsibility Committee members Diane Ingold and Cheryl Stuckey along with Certified Therapy dog Sunny had the pleasure of meeting with fourth grade students under the attentiveness of Ms. Delene Wilmott. Every week Ms. Wilmott made certain the students had their folders out, pencils in hand and prepared to
engage. Of course, the star of each lesson was Sunny.
Our lessons concluded with a cozy celebration of animal advocates in the classroom. The students proudly shouted the “I Can” statements with gusto and “It’s the deed not the breed” was emphasized with Charlie a pit-bull mix Certified Therapy Dog rolled over for our guest speaker veterinarian Dr. Erin Barney to examine her. Charlie’s mom, Sarah Monzillo shared the heartwarming story of how Charlie found her forever home with her. The students were inquisitive about the medical equipment and procedures veterinarians may perform. Dr Barney patiently answered every question.
The classroom community along with parents and guests celebrated with two winners of the Speuter Story essay contest: Lucy is donating her spay or neuter voucher to the Vass Spay Neuter Clinic and Arete donated her voucher to a teacher at Moore Montessori Community School.
Cooper and Ivy received The Star Artist Awards for clinic bags with beautiful positive messages about being a responsible pet owner. Also, a few students were recognized for making posters reminding everyone to get their pet spayed or neutered to help stop the pet overpopulation problem. The posters were displayed at the entrance of the school and around the Montessori Community.
Thank you to the many volunteers who help bring this program to the schools: PRC mascot Speuter (Cindy Hall) for tolerating a hot costume and delighting the students with poetry. Our leader Angela Zumwalt was also the photographer and Mary Ann Root who manages to schedule and match the PRC teachers in the places they need to be.
Mostly, a heartfelt thank you to the Montessori Community School for opening your doors to the Pet Responsibility Committee. We are grateful to the many animal advocates in your community and hope to continue the Pet Responsibility Program for many years to come.
