Shaking Up the Summer! :)

It has been a very busy summer for Project R.E.A.C.H. I've been a little low-key on blogging because there has been so much going on behind the scenes. I'm also trying to get an idea of some of the types of projects that would be most beneficial for my students and the animals in need/ organizations we can work with to create awareness and to generate much needed funds/ resources.

I can't stress enough, the importance of spreading the word to help animals in need and doing all we can to make my students and others aware of the ways in which action (or inaction) can have consequences. Local animal shelters are bursting at the seams with adoptable animals. Unfortunately, many of these organizations do not have the resources to keep all of the animals, which leads to euthanization. That is why fostering, networking, and advocating for animals in need is so important. I'm pleased to inform you that several Project R.E.A.C.H.'s supporters are actively involved in efforts to place animals in need in loving foster/adoptive homes to save as many lives as they can. This group of dedicated animal advocates work as the Agape'-Adopt-Foster group, which you can "like" and "share" on Facebook.

Additionally, I wanted to remind everyone of our work with Dog By Dog. "Dog By Dog" is a documentary about the terrible, cruel, and inhumane reality of puppy mills that is

"following the money trail across the United States and confronting those that have maintained this corrupt and irresponsible system. While many documentaries have admirably exposed the public to the sickening underworld of puppy mills, what has been missing from the public discussion is a close examination of the umbrella of monetary support which have sentenced millions of healthy dogs to death and allowed the most irresponsible dog breeders to thrive. Many people try to save these animals one by one, or dog by dog. This documentary aims to point out the problems of the current system in order to move toward a kinder and gentler one." (http://dogbydogdocumentary.com/) 

You may recall that I (Mrs. Sears) collaborated with Team DBD to contribute to their Kids Page on their website, which focuses on ways that other people can help to bring humane education to their schools, youth organizations, etc. There are also some fun coloring pages (which kids of all ages can enjoy) to spread a positive message about opting to adopt and ending puppy mills. You can check out the Kids Page here: http://dogbydogdocumentary.com/kids-page/. The documentary is set to be released soon, so you will be hearing more about what's going on with team Dog By Dog by making sure to "like" and "share" their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/DogByDog). If Twitter is more your thing, follow them at @DogByDogDoc.

In other fun news, Project R.E.A.C.H. is also now on TWITTER!! What?! :) So that means that the students will be "tweeting" throughout the school year. Exciting, right? :) If you like to tweet, you can follow us at @projectreach13 Don't forget to use hashtags like #projectreach #research #educate #act #create #help #opttoadopt #voiceforthevoiceless to trend our mission! :)

If you enjoy getting outdoors and/or  helping out a great cause, you may be interested in supporting Project R.E.A.C.H.'s efforts to collect money to benefit the adoptable animals at Camden County Animal Shelter as a part of the "Pledge a Paw Dog Walk and Event" on Sunday, October 12, 2014 from 12 p.m.-4 p.m. at Camden County College. It is a "1k Dog Walk and Event full of contests, games, and a walk to pledge money to benefit the animals of Camden County Animal Shelter." If you would be interested in donating to our efforts to raise $100.00 or to join our team, that would be great! You can check out our page below. :)
http://ccasnj.donorpages.com/PledgeAPaw/TeamProjectREACH/

This may be random, but, who here likes food? (I'm imagining you all are raising your hands.) Second question: Who here enjoys helping Project R.E.A.C.H. help animals in need? (I'm picturing the crowd going wild). Well, here's the scoop. I'm toying around with the idea of maybe having the students design a charity cookbook to use as a fundraiser to benefit animals in need. For a cookbook, you need recipes. See, that's where you would come in! :) Do you have a special recipe that you love? Do you think it deserves to see it's name in lights? Yeah?! Me, too. Don't worry if you don't think your recipe is fancy enough. If it's good to eat, that sounds great to us. It could be a recipe for a snack, an appetizer, a main course, a salad, dog/kitty treats--you name it, we could nom on it! :) If you have a recipe that you wouldn't mind sharing, please message it to us and you will see your name in lights (or in this case, in a cookbook). If you like this idea for the kids to design a cookbook, please let me know!!

365. Happy 1ST Birthday, Project R.E.A.C.H.

365.

1 year.

It was exactly one year ago, on June 20, 2013 that I officially established Project R.E.A.C.H. There have been so many amazing things that have resulted from the development of this humane education initiative and it's all due to the hard work of my students and your unwavering support.

You can check out the first blog entry here: http://projectreach2013.blogspot.com/2013/06/welcome.html and visit the archives for past entries.

Over the past year, we have accomplished many things together and moving forward, I know these accomplishments will continue to multiply.In the past month alone, some pretty amazing things have been happening not only for Project R.E.A.C.H. and my students,  but also for me.

National Kind Teacher of 2014

I received notification that I am the Humane Society of the United States' "National Kind Teacher."

Pretty cool! You can check that out here: 

http://www.humanesociety.org/parents_educators/award/national_kind_teacher_award.html

Here I am with my adopted pups (left to right) Niko, Rudy, and Harley! :)

Mural Design and Creation

The design of the mural for Salem County Humane Society was a whole process, which required a lot of teamwork and effort on the part of my students. It involved sketching a to-scale size sketch of the mural in pencil and outlining it in black sharpie marker to make it pop visually for me to have something to reference when I went to sketch the mural on to the wall so the kids could just focus on painting when we went to SCHS, as time was limited and we decided it would make life a lot easier! :) Here are some pictures of the sketch in progress:

 

On May 30 and June 6, we took our plans for our Salem County Humane Society and due to my students' tireless efforts, there is now a beautiful mural gracing the side of the no kill shelter in Carneys Point. On top of that, while at the shelter, my students read to and socialized with adoptable kitties, advertised for adoptable dogs, make cat toys, decorated the shelter, and made various crafts.

Dog By Dog Partnership

We were also able to reveal our partnership with Dog By Dog, which is a documentary from 5414 Productions.  

You can "like" DBD on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DogByDog?fref=ts 
You can "like" 5414 Productions on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/5414Productions?fref=ts

Dog by Dog is a documentary that aims to wake up the American public to the horrible realities of puppy mills by following the money trail across the United States and confronting those that have maintained this corrupt and irresponsible system. While many documentaries have admirably exposed the public to the sickening underworld of puppy mills, what has been missing from the public discussion is a close examination of the umbrella of monetary support which have sentenced millions of healthy dogs to death and allowed the most irresponsible dog breeders to thrive. Many people try to save these animals one by one, or dog by dog. This documentary aims to point out the problems of the current system in order to move toward a kinder and gentler one. -DogByDogDocumentary.com

 Together we have provided resources to help others begin humane education initiatives like R.E.A.C.H. to spread our message of positivity and love of animals to people across the country, hopefully inspiring others to help in their communities.

You can check out the page here: http://dogbydogdocumentary.com/kids-page/

Awarding Salem County Humane Society 

We were also able to give thanks to Salem County Humane Society for going "Above and Beyond" in helping us to achieve our service learning mission this year by awarding them at our 2014 Graduation Ceremony on Tuesday, June 17.

Looking Forward and Reflecting

We have also begun strategizing some plans for the coming 2014-2015 school year. You won't be disappointed.

Over the past year, I have met many amazing people as a result of Project R.E.A.C.H., all of whom have inspired me in their own way. This project has pushed me as an educator and as a person to continue to appreciate and  to recognize the power of one: one voice,  one message, one willing heart.

One might seem like a small, useless number, easily swept aside by more commanding numbers,  and if you think superficially, that's what you will continue to believe. However, if you pause to recognize the power of one, you will understand precisely what I mean. One is a building block. Without one, there could never be two. I speak to my students and to you when I say that you can be the one person to start a movement. You know this to be true. It's only when you are willing to open your mind to the possibility of what you are truly capable that you can reach out to others to show the world how you share your heart. 

I think, in some small way, my students and I have started just that. I hope that in some way, my students' efforts have shown you the vast expanse of your own potential to do good in this world, as we explore the ways we can make a difference. Our journey has just begun. 2014-2015 promises to be another year of success and exploration as we use our creativity and our talents to help animals in need in our community.

Thank you.
Thank you. 
Thank you.

Thanks to each and every ONE of you who recognize the power of ONE and who saw value in joining your voice with ours.

So, tell me: How do you R.E.A.C.H.?

Happy 1st Birthday, Project R.E.A.C.H.

Words from the Students

With that being said, I will leave you with some parting words from some of our R.E.A.C.H. students:

"Just love animals. Treat them as if they were you, but a miniature you, of course."-Jermaine

"Project R.E.A.C.H. is awesome. This year I had a lot of fun with Project R.E.A.C.H. Next year I’m looking forward to playing with the cats again and I can’t wait to help more." -Kevin

"Stay safe and help animals!"- Brandon

"Don’t be afraid to help animals." –Nah’Shon

"Animals are great creatures and they need love also." –Austin

"They need more support. Help animals at the shelter!" -Brazonna

"Give love to animals like you would humans."-Josh

"It is important to help animals because they need help."

Start small. THINK BIG. R.E.A.C.H.

Student Blog: Project REACH

      Project R.E.A.C.H. is fun. We get to help animals while doing various different activities. This upcoming week we will be visiting the Salem County Humane Society to paint a huge mural on the wall. Hopefully people will stop in to check out all of the beautiful adoptable animals. I hope while we are there, we can observe the animals. I'd like read to them and also help groom and clean out their cages.

Billy

April Showers Bring...the Act of Giving!

Not only have we extended our "Crafts for Critters" donation drive, where a $5.00 donation to the Salem County Humane Society will get you a student made Perler Bead ornament/magnet, we have so many other cool things starting to happen.

We are going to be customizing bandannas to donate to adoptable pups and kittens to make them look super cute in their "adopt me" photos. We are also going to be writing to our local legislators to ask them to crack down on animal cruelty and other issues facing animals in our community.

Project R.E.A.C.H. students are also hard at work on arranging activities for our trip to Salem County Humane Society in late May/ early June to paint a mural. We would love to hear from you some ideas that you think would be great to include in our mural design. :)

Additionally, I would like to thank everyone who showed my students so much love for the amazing work they did on the banner for the Salem County Humane Society's annual "Fur Ball" event in mid-March.

The students in each group collaborated to produce the design of the banner. Next, they traced the design using clip art and text formatted on the Promethean Board using a large piece of bulletin board paper in pencil. Once complete, the students outlined the pencil tracing in dark colored markers that would be visible through the banner material. The banner material was then neatly spread over top of the bulletin board paper so the students could trace the design onto the fabric using sharpened pencils. Afterward, students determined the appropriate paint colors to use for the different sections of the banner and went to work!

I'm sure that you will agree (in case you haven't already seen it) that the banner is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! Creative embellishments such as the glittering clouds and students' unique color schemes tied this banner together, capping off the idea that there is "no place like a forever home" and that you can certainly find your forever friend at the Salem County Humane Society. We are all very thankful for all of the wonderful work that the good people of SCHS do to help animals in our community find the families of their dreams! :) In case you were wondering, the Fur Ball was a great success for our friends at SCHS and we couldn't be happier that we were able to help them with this banner that can be used for many years to come.

2014: New Year, New Adventures. :)

Wow! Where has the time gone? January came and went by in a flash. I want to start off by thanking each and every one of you for the continuous support of my students and the Project R.E.A.C.H. initiative. We couldn't do it without you. We look forward to continuing to share our journey with you.

A look ahead at the rest of the school year has us VERY busy! :) We are going to be writing letters, designing public service announcements, and hard at work learning about the ways we can continue to help animals in need!

Moving forward, we have been asked by the Salem County Humane Society to design a banner for their upcoming third annual "Fur-Ball." We are so excited to be able to help them with this event and the students are surely going to "unleash" their creativity to make this banner another wonderful success that will make us all very proud. The details about the "Fur-Ball" are pictured below. If you have any questions, please reach out to Joann or Debbie.

With that being said, the students are also getting geared up for our "Crafts for Critters" fundraiser that will benefit the Salem County Humane Society. Stay tuned for student advertising and more details about ways you can help us make this fundraiser a GREAT success to help animals!!

Thank you!

Week 16: A visit from Herc and Donation Drop-Off (Round 1)!!

What an incredible week for Project R.E.A.C.H. students!

On Monday, December 16, we had two AMAZING guests, Ms. Terry and Hercules, who are both animal advocates who stand up to animal cruelty.

They even have their own Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HerculesWings

 If you don't know Hercules' story, Herc was the victim of abuse and cruelty, nearly starved to death, kept in inhumane conditions, and was injured by his previous owner. He was found in a basement in Deptford township, NJ, weighing a mere 38 pounds.

Herc's recovery is ongoing, over a year later, but thanks to the caring folks at NJSPCA, Gloucester County Animal shelter, the staff at Delaware Valley Animal Hospital, and more importantly, the tender loving care of his adoptive mom, Ms. Terry, Hercules is playful, loving, and has a wonderful life ahead of him. Although he is timid and untrusting of humans when he first meets them (due to the way he was treated by unkind humans), Hercules loves everyone and once he knows you won't hurt him, you've found yourself a new best friend! Now, Hercules attends events and visits schools to tell his story and to spread awareness about animals in need and the importance of standing up to animal cruelty.

To prepare for the arrival of our special guests, the students designed questions that could be asked after Ms. Terry's presentation. There was a lot of interest in Herc's "favorite" things, his costumes (he is a very well dressed furry family member) :), and other information about adoption and the conditions he had to face. Ms. Terry then brought Hercules around to meet all of the R.E.A.C.H.ers. Ms. Terry explained that we were all helping Hercules by meeting him, petting him, and caring for him, because that socialization helps with his recovery and to help him understand that not all humans are untrustworthy and mean-hearted.

It was awesome to be able for the students to meet Ms. Terry, who is an amazing human being and a fantastic role model, as well as a wonderful mom to Hercules. She reminded us that we all can help animals in need and it doesn't matter how old you are-we can all help! :)

I can't thank Ms. Terry and Hercules enough for taking time to visit Daretown School and share their story with Project R.E.A.C.H. It was an awesome experience and we were sad to see them go!

Additionally, this week wrapped up our "Bow Wow and Meow Holiday Giving Drive," as well as our "Warm and Fuzzy Towel and Blanket Drive." All I can say is-WOW! We are so very thankful for all of the kind-hearted people who donated to our drive to benefit animals in need!! Mr. Sears and I dropped off R.E.A.C.H.'s first set of donations to Salem County Humane Society on Friday, December 20th.

Leashes, collars, cleaning supplies, food, treats, and other donations were piled up in our classroom!! What an amazing feeling!!

Here's another angle to check out the massive amount of donations received....and that wasn't everything! 

Here was a poster the students made and signed to give to the Salem County Humane Society.

The donations were so very appreciated and will certainly be put to great use at the Salem County Humane Society. :)

Over the next few days, I will be taking the remainder of the donations to other local shelters and will post about them as well!! :) I have to say, I am brought to tears by the kindness and compassion exhibited by the many donors and R.E.A.C.H. supporters, all of whom believe so deeply in the work my students are doing. The spirit of giving is something so uplifting and empowering and I thank each and everyone of you for providing my students with the opportunity to experience it.

I thank each and every one of you for believing that together, we can all make a difference.

Week 14 and 15: Backdrops, Donations, and Holiday Cheer!

Week 14's Project R.E.A.C.H. focus was determining elements that the students wanted to go into the backdrop that we were asked to create to help Salem County Humane Society. Students scoured the internet for inspiration and images that could be used to design the backdrop. Once we all agreed on the perfect combination of elements, several students from different groups volunteered to trace the designs off of the Promethean Board, including Brett and Laquan. Students from Group 4, including Eugene, Tyler, and Dee Dee outlined the pencil tracings in black marker so the drawings could be easily traced onto the white sheet that was being used for the backdrop. After that, the students taped the papers onto the floor using masking tape so the design could be traced in pencil to make it easy to stay in the lines when the students began painting in Week 15. Dee Dee's attention to detail and steady hand were very useful when it came to tracing onto the sheet! :)

The sketch of the designed was traced on paper using the Promethean Board, and then was outlined in black marker and was taped on the floor. We put the sheet over top of the paper and traced it in pencil. This collage was designed by Dee Dee.

Week 15 was full of crazy winter weather. Hopefully you all were warm and safe where ever the week took you.  This week, Project R.E.A.C.H. students spent some time painting the backdrop. We had a great time and the students all took their painting very seriously.

The beginning stages of painting...and when we realized we didn't have enough of the green paint we wanted! Oops! :)

Students from each group took turns painting and helped to improve the details included on the backdrop, including outlining different elements in black to make them "pop," adding googly eyes, cotton balls (for hats), and ribbons. Our only trouble was finding a few extra bottles of green paint for our tree, but thankfully Mr. Sears came to the rescue! :)

I am very proud of each and every one of the students, who all worked so very hard (on top of all their other class work) to make this become a reality. I'm sure that this backdrop will be one that the Salem County Humane Society will treasure for many years to come. :)

I also want to note that during Week 14, we also received a number of generous donations from our supporters, including Ms. Carty, who donated kitty food, towels, and other awesome things for animals in need! During Week 15, Finally Home Farm, a wonderful rescue based in Williamstown, New Jersey, donated cases and cases and cases of wet dog food for us to use as donations. They have a Facebook page, too. https://www.facebook.com/FinallyHomeFarm  Please check them out and give them a "like," as well as any support you can give.

We are so thankful.  Thank you so much to each and every person who have given so selflessly to support our "Bow Wow and Meow Holiday Giving Drive" and our "Warm and Fuzzy Towel and Blanket Drive." Don't forget: we are accepting donations until next Friday, December 20, 2013! :)