“My 11th graders are beginning the year with a study of memoir,” the 11th grade teacher for Queensbury High School in Queensbury, NY wrote to Sy, “and I found really fun inspiration in your memoir, How To Be A Good Creature. I decided to have all of my students write their own memoir inspired by an animal who taught them how to be a good creature….”
That’s not all. The students then decided to print hard copies of our book of stories to sell in school, and donate the money to their local dog rescue, Lucky Puppy.
“My students are of course most excited about the field trip that’s in the works, where we will drop off the donations and play with the puppies for the afternoon!” wrote teacher Kerri Bundy.
“Many of my students are reluctant learners,” the teacher continued, “and school has not always been a place they feel good about themselves. But I don’t think there was a kid in my class who didn’t enjoy writing about the good creatures in their lives!”
Look at what they created. Here are a few pages from the 52-page book:
Then the students went to visit their chosen charity. “We had the best day volunteering at Lucky Puppy!” says teacher Kerri Bundy. “It was a wonderful culmination to our project, where my students began to see their writing as a kind of real-life outreach to do some good for these sweet animals! My heart feels full!”
