Guess Who

Self-Portraits by Mrs. Fedun's Grade One Students (media-chalk pastel and oil pastel on white construction paper) Our goals for our project were- To have fun. To look closely at our faces with a mirror. To keep the sparkle in our eyes. To show missing teeth. To put our eyes, ears, nose and mouth in the right place on our face. To choose the best colours for our portrait.

The Friendship of Owen and Mzee

Tristan and the Calgary Tower

Tristan visited the Calgary Tower on a school field trip and look what he painted. 

 Grandmaman sees an incredible skyline with a mountains  in the distance.  Grandmaman sees skyscrapers with a variety of windows and differing and interesting shapes at the tops of those buildings. Grandmaman sees subtle shades of blue, yellow, red and grey.  Grandmaman sees straight lines and curved lines.  Grandmaman sees buildings behind other buildings.  Grandmaman sees The Calgary Tower as a focal point with it's "Look at me height and solid color". 

The fun part is that Tristan drew, then painted this work of art (watercolour pencil) after climbing 762 stairs with incredible speed and endurance.

Bravo Tristan!

Mon Ami Charlie

Meet Charlie, 
our chocolate standard poodle.
Notice the little bit of white on Charlie's chest.

The grade one children at Barrie Wilson School had some great questions.  Most of the questions can be answered by clicking the PLAY button on the picture above.

Some questions that weren't answered are:

Does Charlie lick people?

Charlie sometimes licks people to greet them.  Many dogs, and most poodles, use their mouths and sense of smell to get to know people.  Charlie is still learning not to nip at people to say hello.  Puppies need to learn this.

What is Charlie's favourite snack?

Charlie loves small treats that smell a lot. 

He also likes crunchy treats.

Does he have some favourite toys?

Charlie has lots of toys. Some of his favourites are a stuffy goat, a rope with a knot, a crunchy blue toy, all his balls and anything that squeaks.

Does he protect your house?

Charlie would protect our house if he needed to but Charlie is a friendly dog when visitors come.  He is not a guard dog.  He lets us know when he hears noises he doesn't recognize and he is always very excited when we come home.

Does Charlie get so excited that he piddles?

When Charlie first came to our house he would piddle 

when he got excited or when he met someone new.  He hasn't done it for a long time but he might if he got really excited or scared.

How did you train Charlie?

We train Charlie by telling him he has done something well, giving him pats and by giving him treats.  After a while he does it without treats but always try to praise him.  When Charlie does something he shouldn't we tell him no and sometimes ignore him for a few minutes.  It takes patience to train a puppy to live in a "people house" because when dogs live in the wild they can do things that one can't do in a house or with people.  Charlie wants to please us and he tries very hard to learn people manners.

Can he do any tricks?

Charlie has learned to sit, stay, wait, come, down, finish, ring the bell, pounce, give me 5, get the ball, drop and give.  He is working on learning to roll over.  Charlie is learning not to jump on people, no bark, no bite and leave it.  He is working on manners when greeting people.

Does he wear clothes outside when it's cold?
Charlie doesn't wear clothes when he goes outside.  In the winter we will leave Charlie's hair long and that keeps him warm.  In the summer his hair will be shorter so that he can stay cooler and it will make it easier for him to swim.  Sometimes I put a bandana on Charlie to make him feel special.  We plan to get boots for Charlie because on long winter walks through the snow Charlie  builds up ice balls in his paws.  When he is fully grown Charlie will go skijoring and will wear a special skijoring harness.

What do you do when he gets sick.
 Charlie hasn't been sick yet but when he does we might take him to the vet.  Sometimes when a dog is sick it is because he ate something he shouldn't and it helps to feed him white rice to settle his stomach.  Sometimes they need to get more rest or be in a quiet place.  Sometimes dogs need to drink more water. Veterinarians are doctors that know how to look after sick animals.

How should you approach an unfamiliar dog? 

Click on the word unfamiliar dog above to read a story.

Even if the dog looks friendly you must always check with the dog's owner before you approach the dog.  

If the dog's owner is not there it is best to leave the dog alone. If the dog's owner is there, 

ask the dog owner how to approach his dog.

Charlie would like to remind you that it's important 

to treat all animals 

with respect 

and to be responsible 

around them.  

Charlie found some sites that have good tips for your teachers and parents to help you learn about dog safety.  

Doggone Safe           SPCA