A Special Day with Guide Dogs for the Blind — Second Grade

As students walked off the buses, their eyes beamed watching a yellow lab walk by. The excitement of going to the Guide Dog Facility in San Rafael was all our Second Graders could think about for weeks. At first, students were simply excited to see all the different dogs and puppies. However, after learning about the impact a Guide Dog can have in someone's life, the focus became less about the cute puppies and more about the importance of understanding people's differences.

One aspect of our second grade social studies curriculum focuses on how people from the past and present have made a difference in our everyday lives. Students learn about Helen Keller and the impact she had on the blind community as a teacher, author, and friend. They learn lessons of perseverance, hope, and strength. To our amazement, a few students have even done reports at home, complete with pictures and detailed paragraphs about Guide Dogs.

As we made our way around the facility, students learned about how little things can make a huge difference for a blind person. They learned that rosemary, and other scented plants, can help a blind person recognize where they are. Pathways are paved with different textures to identify various areas of the facility. It was also explained that some identifiers (such as raised bumps and grates) are used on our city streets. We walk over them every day and to us they mean nothing. However, to a blind person they make all the difference in the world.

Students also observed trainers working with a variety of dogs throughout the day. Some dogs were being trained to maneuver through obstacles they might encounter while leading a blind person. Other dogs were being trained to heel while on a lead. Students were led into the veterinarian area where they were shown x-rays and sonograms of a Labrador Retriever and the three puppies she was carrying.

Students harnessed their excitement when they were taken to the "puppy socializing area", although the same could not be said for some of the adults! We were awestruck by how sweet and adorable the Labrador puppies were. We quickly learned that "play time" served a very important purpose. In this area, puppies not only learn to socialize with other puppies, but also with a special friend named George. When students were asked why they think it might be important for puppies to be around George the cat, one student answered, "so that if a blind person is walking down the street and their Guide Dog sees a cat, he won't chase it!"

The next time a Second Grade student from St. Isidore School sees a blind person walking a Guide Dog, they will see beyond the cute dog. They will see a person who has regained their sight and independence. Without Guide Dogs for the Blind, dedicated trainers, and some very special dogs, this would not be possible.

Miss Masucci, 2nd Grade Teacher

St. Isidore School In The News:
"St. Isidore's Hosts Veterans" - Danville Weekly (11/10/09)
"St. Isidore School Kids Set World Record for Reading"
     - Danville Weekly (12/06/09)
"St. Isidore Students Serving the Hungry"
     - Loaves and Fishes (12/09)
"Danville Knights of Columbus Deliver 500 Christmas Baskets"
     - Catholic Voice (1/11/10)