Home/Blog/ April is National Heartworm Awareness Month and Annie Blumenfeld, a sophomore at Fairfield Warde High School in Fairfield, CT has been working hard to spread awareness of heartworm disease. CT State Rep. Tony Hwang appeared in support of Annie as she testified in support of her proposed bill - Read more
Finding Feelings
Finding Feelings, the second theme in the Mutt-i-grees® Curriculum, teaches children to understand and label their own emotions and the emotions of others. Before children can begin to figure out how others might be feeling, they have to be attuned to their own feelings. Adults, too, need to be aware, not only of the - Read more
Building Self-Awareness
How well do you know yourself? Self-awareness is the first step in social and emotional learning. Although we often focus on getting to know our students and their families and, in the Mutt-i-grees® Curriculum, on enhancing students’ self-awareness, it’s important to take the time to make sure we get to know ourselves! Gaining awareness - Read more
Encouraging Empathy
Encouraging Empathy is the core of the Mutt-i-grees® Curriculum; the preceding two themes set the foundation for developing empathy, and the themes that follow -- Cultivating Cooperation and Dealing With Decisions -- build on this skill. Although known as a social skill, empathy is critical, not only to effective relationships, but also to academic - Read more
12 Things You Can Do to Help Animals in Need
The following are some activities you can do to make a difference in the lives of Mutt-i-grees. Remember to ask for your parent or guardian’s permission (and assistance, if needed). Make cat toys from brightly colored yarn, and donate them to your local shelter or rescue group (check out our Pinterest page for ideas). Use - Read more
Curriculum Activity: Letters to Mutt-i-grees®
Writing letters to Mutt-i-grees® is a creative way to apply lessons on empathy and feelings in your classroom. Encourage students to think about life from the perspective of a Mutt-i-gree® awaiting adoption at a shelter: How might s/he feel? How can you help? Are there any lessons you can learn from Mutt-i-grees®? Download all of - Read more
Curriculum Activity: It’s Your Choice
Students in Shannon Coulter’s classroom at Fenton Avenue Charter School in Lake View Terrace, California inspired this activity sheet expressing the importance of making choices. You can download it here or create your own, using this example as inspiration. Download the "It's Your Choice Worksheet"
Sponsor a Spay Day
Sponsor a spay/neuter event in your community to promote pet wellness and highlight the importance of spaying/neutering pets. Students from South Side Bee Branch School District's M.U.T.T.S. Club have sponsored and volunteered at many spay/neuter events in Van Buren County, AR. Pawsome job by these motivated, understanding, thoughtful teenage students!
Yoga in The Classroom
Why yoga? Besides being fun for kids, who are attracted to the various animal related poses, yoga improves flexibility and studies show it can also improve posture, concentration, balance, and mood. Many teachers also add meditation, finding that it helps calm students and is an effective way to transition students to other classroom activities. Here we provide a few starter yoga poses, showing not only kids, but dogs as well!
Wall of Words
Vocabulary is an important part of learning and social interactions. The more words children know, the more they are able to understand what they read and hear, and the better able they are to communicate. Have you ever felt frustrated not having the right word? Sometimes it's a matter of recall – we simply can't remember the word. But often, we just don't know the word, leaving us unable to effectively express ourselves.
