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WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP – The kindergarten students in Mrs. Nicole Ferrante’s class at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School received a little help with their reading activity on Friday, June 2, 2017. Some four-legged friends and their owners, members of the Furever as Friends organization, came out to the school to provide a comforting ear to the young readers.
The students, broken up into small groups, gathered around Angel, Bella and Blue – dogs who are no strangers to this type of thing. One-by-one, the students in the group read short stories and books to the dogs and their owners. Simultaneously, the other students could use a brush to massage the dogs’ fur, or just pet them gently.
Furever as Friends has partnered with the Washington Township High School P.A.W.S. club and travels around holding a program for reluctant readers called S.M.I.L.E. (Silent Mentors in Literacy Education). The Gloucester County non-profit organization uses certified pets to provide therapy for young readers, exam preparation for students of all ages, and as calming influences in assisted living centers and hospitals.
The WTHS P.A.W.S. Club seniors helped with Friday’s program at TJ as part of the annual Senior Service Day.
Lending a Paw
Thomas Jefferson Elementary School Kindergarten Students Sharpen Reading Skills with Help from Furever as Friends
The students, broken up into small groups, gathered around Angel, Bella and Blue – dogs who are no strangers to this type of thing. One-by-one, the students in the group read short stories and books to the dogs and their owners. Simultaneously, the other students could use a brush to massage the dogs’ fur, or just pet them gently.
Furever as Friends has partnered with the Washington Township High School P.A.W.S. club and travels around holding a program for reluctant readers called S.M.I.L.E. (Silent Mentors in Literacy Education). The Gloucester County non-profit organization uses certified pets to provide therapy for young readers, exam preparation for students of all ages, and as calming influences in assisted living centers and hospitals.
The WTHS P.A.W.S. Club seniors helped with Friday’s program at TJ as part of the annual Senior Service Day.
-WTPS -