Patrick Henry Post

On Wednesday, September 15th, 2021, something wild and crazy happened at recess with Ms. Jami's second graders. The students were laughing and playing and having a wonderful time outside in the sunshine. They were playing tag. They were using the hoola hoops. They were throwing the ball. It seemed like a normal day at recess, when all of a sudden, a mystery guest appeared out of nowhere...a little white puppy! This cute little girl ran right up to Ms. Jami's class and wanted to join the fun! As fun and wiggly and beautiful as she was, this puppy was a stray dog, and we always have to be careful around stray animals. Ms. Jones and Dr. Rogers came outside to make sure the puppy stayed away from the students. They searched for a name tag and a phone number to call, but she only had on a collar with no information attached to her. Who was this cute little ghost puppy that appeared out of nowhere, and what would happen next?

Ms. Jones and Dr. Rogers called many shelters to see if they could help this lost little puppy, but everyone was full! Finally, Stray Rescue of Saint Louis, a local non-profit that helps lost, stray, or injured animals, said they could help. Dr. Rogers and Ms. Jones carried the puppy into the car, and Dr. Rogers drove her to Stray Rescue. There, they found out that this little girl had something called a "micro chip" in her that could tell us where she came from. Stray Rescue did their best to find her family, but none of the phone numbers worked, and the address they had for her was hundreds of miles away and no one lived there anymore! Stray Rescue was full of so many dogs that there was nowhere to put this beautiful little girl. They started asking if there were any foster families open to taking her in...but then Dr. Rogers spoke up.

Dogs are one of Dr. Rogers' favorite things in this whole world. She has a dog named Hank that lives with her permanently, but she also fosters dogs who need a temporary home. She has fostered lots of different types of dogs, but they have all been little tiny babies! This Patrick Henry puppy was going to be a lot older than her usual foster dogs, and she didn't know if Hank would like her.

Before the Patrick Henry puppy could come home with Dr. Rogers, she had to meet Hank. Hank is Dr. Rogers' GIANT dog. He is a Great Dane mix, and he was also rescued off the streets! Hank is a gentle giant, meaning he looks a lot scarier than he actually is. He has a BIG bark, but he will love you forever once he gets to know you. Dr. Rogers had to bring Hank to the shelter to meet the little white puppy so that both dogs felt safe and comfortable. A special dog trainer came and helped the dogs get to know each other by letting them meet on a leash, sniff each other a LOT, and eventually they got to play in a big yard with each other. Hank thought the Patrick Henry puppy was lots of fun, so she got to come home with the whole family!

Dr. Rogers and her fiance, Rob, took the Patrick Henry puppy home with them that night! But on the car ride home, they realized she didn't have a name. Rob suggested "Spooky," because she is white like a ghost and she appeared out of nowhere on the Patrick Henry playground. As soon as Rob said it, the puppy's ears perked up, and it was settled. The Patrick Henry puppy became Spooky. Spooky went on a LOT of adventures that afternoon. She took a car ride, she went to the pet store, she picked out a ghost toy, and then she got to explore Dr. Rogers' house and backyard!

After all of her time living outside, Spooky was covered in dirt. The vet believed that Spooky was living under a car because she was covered in motor oil. Dr. Rogers had to give Spooky a bath right away so she didn't get the house too messy. Spooky was very nervous to take a bath, so she got to explore the bathroom a little bit. Eventually, Spooky got in the tub and let Dr. Rogers wash her with a special shampoo that will help her skin heal from all of the time outside. Spooky had fun in the tub because Dr. Rogers smeared some peanut butter on the tub wall and Spooky got to lick it while she took her bath! But, when Spooky was ready to get out of the tub...she was REALLY ready. She jumped right into Dr. Rogers' lap and took half the bath water with her. Dr. Rogers was SOAKING WET! Spooky wiggled and wriggled and shook the water off of her, and gave Dr. Rogers a lot of wet, peanut-buttery kisses.

And now, Spooky gets to spend the next ten days at Dr. Rogers' house sleeping peacefully and playing with her new foster brother, Hank. Spooky will get to visit Patrick Henry next week to meet the students who saved her, and she will also get to meet everyone else too! This little Patrick Henry puppy was so lucky to wander into recess at this special school, where she met kind students who took care of her while she was in need. Thank you, Patrick Henry, for giving Spooky a chance at a new home!

Ms. Smith, Ms. Munnelly, Ms. Hill, Ms. Tolbert, Ms. Brandon, and Ms. McClain have an amazing preschool program that has settled into a fantastic routine now that we are a month into the school year. The majority of our preschool students are brand new to school this year because of the pandemic. This means that our three- and four-year-olds have been learning not only their academic content, but they've also been adjusting to life in a school setting. That can be an overwhelming! Our staff has done a wonderful job of welcoming students and getting them into a strong routine from their first steps inside the building. We love our youngest students and we are proud of the growth they have already shown in just one month of school!

Ms. Hammock's class visited Ms. Gonzalez in the music room and learned "Rocky Mountain High" on the xylophone. They started with body and vocal warm-ups so they were prepared for a true musical experience. They sang the song to learn the tune, then the notes on the xylophone, and then they put it all together for a beautiful rendition of the song. It was truly impressive to see their work come together smoothly! Music class this year has been an amazing experience because of the constant source of SOUND. If you walk by while Ms. Gonzalez has a class, you will certainly hear singing or instruments, and it is a beautiful thing to hear and see!

Our students have been working hard to meet the expectations of our Covid protocols. Pictured below, Ms. Jackson's class demonstrates social distancing during a transition from the classroom to their Related Arts class. Students throughout the building are required to wear masks, social distance, and participate in a health screening when they come into the room. We also have many practices in place to keep our students as safe and healthy as possible. All students eat both breakfast and lunch in their classrooms, students take scheduled restroom breaks, and we utilize our school nurse to screen students for symptoms. Take a look below for ways you can help your child understand the Covid protocols at home.