Message from Stu

A well-deserved break

As we come to the end of our first semester, I must say how pleased I am with the tremendous focus on teaching and learning I’ve seen in our district these past few months. As I walk through the halls, I am impressed with the caliber of student work I see hanging up — it’s particularly great to see more and more evidence of student writing and open response questions. Many schools are successfully using the learning checks we developed this year to stay on top of student progress. Entire school staffs have been to visit high performing schools across the state to look for ways to improve achievement. And I’m very encouraged by the collaborations between schools I’m seeing. As schools discover successful strategies, our principals are sharing those ideas with their colleagues and offering help to one another. During school board meetings with school-based decision making councils we’re hearing about the development of individual intervention plans for each student — exactly the kind of work that it’s going to take to reach every child. The changes in Fayette County will make a difference for our kids.

Other exciting changes are also in the air! I hope each of you had an opportunity to see the 2020 Vision recommendations that we published in this weekend’s Herald-Leader. We will be sending copies home with our kids and employees after the winter break and mailing copies to local houses of worship, businesses and community agencies. The ideas developed by our community truly lay out the blueprint of a world-class school district. District leaders and community members will continue working over the next months to find ways to make these ideas a reality.

Another idea I’d love to see happen here in Fayette County was published last week in the Business Lexington newspaper. Inspired by the announcement in Kalamazoo, Michigan that every child who graduates from the public schools there will receive paid tuition to any public college in the state, Business Lexington announced its Christmas Wish for the kids of Fayette County — paid tuition for our kids. Imagine how that would transform Lexington if every child who entered our schoolhouse doors knew that the community had already made that kind of an investment in them. We have kids who never dream of going to college and make decisions throughout their school years because they know a postsecondary education is beyond the financial reach for their families. A program like this would give every single child a dream. I hope we can find a way to make it happen – if they can do it in Kalamazoo, why not here?

Our teachers and students have been working extremely hard and I believe the work that is being done will translate into higher achievement. It is now time for a break to rest, relax, celebrate, and recharge. As our students, teachers and community members celebrate (or have celebrated) the different holidays of their choosing (Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas, Ramadan, New Year, to name a few), I would like to extend my best wishes to all for a wonderful time with your families. Thank you for continued support of our kids and our schools.

‘Tis the Season

The season of giving is in full swing in the Fayette County Public Schools and we wanted to take this opportunity to highlight some of the generous ways our community and school partners are working to support our kids. We appreciate all that you do.

Sixty-five students from Linlee Elementary School were treated to a day of holiday shopping, all the pizza and snacks they could eat, and a very special visit from the “big man in red” who arrived in style on a fire truck! Wishes for a happy holiday season were granted by the Blue Grass Women’s Club, whose volunteers took the students shopping for their families at Wal-Mart and then brought them back to school for a wrapping party and a visit with Santa Claus.

The Squires Elementary School Family Resource Center sends words of thanks to the following groups for their ongoing support: Word of Hope Lutheran Church for holiday assistance, financial donations, clothing, food & volunteers; Kiwanis Club of the Bluegrass for emergency shoes for children; Christ Church Cathedral for household and personal supplies; and St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton for school supplies.

Several community groups help Julia R. Ewan Elementary School each year with holiday gifts for families. Gifts have been donated from Crestwood Christian, the U.K. Circle of Love, the YMCA, Seton Catholic School, South Elkhorn Christian and several private donors. Julia R. Ewan teachers are also sponsoring families with gifts for the holidays. Thank you for your kindness and support!

The Laboratory at Central Baptist has donated Thanksgiving baskets, Christmas baskets and presents to three families at Lansdowne Elementary School. Twenty children also received presents for the holidays from the UK Circle of Love program and REGISTRAT Inc. donated presents for two families.

Dixie Elementary School has been blessed with tremendous support from the community. Two neighborhood churches, Our Redeemer Lutheran Church & Aldersgate United Methodist Church, are sponsoring several families for the holidays with food and gifts for the children. In addition, the school receives significant support from the staff of the Lexington Clinic’s numerous offices and departments. Thanks to their generosity, 28 children will receive gifts this holiday season. The University of Kentucky Angel Tree has also provided gifts for 15 students. Several members of Dixie’s staff and PTA parent volunteers have stepped forward and offered their help to the less fortunate by sponsoring individual children and, in some cases, entire families for the holidays.

At Russell Cave Elementary School, students don’t know where their holiday gifts come from. Donations given are gifts from the heart and most are fun and educational. Parents are also given the gift of feeling good about themselves as parents and the generosity of community partners and individuals allows them the opportunity to free up their money for other family necessities. The following is a list of donors for this holiday season UK Circle of Love (20 children); Crestwood Christian Church (75 children); YMCA (8 children); Russell Cave Church of Christ and Gardenside Baptist Church (10 children); St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton (1 child); Shop with a Cop (7 children); Russell Cave ESL team (2 children); Anonymous ($300 cash donations for three families); Old Union Christian Church (two $50 gift certificates).

More than 140 students or their families at Johnson Elementary School received a gift from the generous donations of the following organizations or individuals: IBM; University of Kentucky; Fraternal Order of Police; Transylvania University; Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity; Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority; St. Paul AME Church; the law firm of Walther, Roark, Gay and Todd; Bath and Body Works; the Friends of Mary Ella Smith; Broadway Christian Church; Back Plumbing; Calvary Baptist Church; Pat Kirkland; Sarah Durbin; Dr. Megan Taylor; Kimberly Joyce; and Kim and Bill Smith.

Gethsemane Lutheran Church has been a great partner to Garden Springs Elementary School to help meet the needs of students. This year the church donated money to help the school’s PTA provide Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets for families. Ladies from the church made school bags and filled them with school supplies to help get the school year started. The youth group at the church also sponsored a pancake breakfast to raise money for our “Helping Hands” group to provide Christmas gifts to students. The school PTA, along with many individual parents, also worked endless hours to provide clothes, money and food for families in need.

Through Glendover Elementary School’s Kids Helping Kids Campaign, 32 children received clothing and toys and 16 families were provided food baskets. In addition to the partners listed below, each grade level sponsored a food item for the baskets (fruit, vegetables, pasta, stuffing, dessert, cranberry sauce). Thanks to the following for their support this holiday season: UK Circle of Love; Fraternal Order of Police (Shop with a Cop); The Marines; Lexington Firefighter’s Toy Program; Pepperidge Farm; Laura’s Lean Beef; and Glendover Children’s Fund.

The Family Resource Center at James Lane Allen Elementary School has been busy the past few months working to ensure that their students and families in need were remembered during the holidays. Thanks to the generosity of the staff and several community organizations, 86 students will have a brighter December. Sponsors include: First Christian Church; Distinctive Image; private individuals; Russell Cave Church of Christ; University of Kentucky Circle of Love; Shop with a Cop and the YMCA Caring Tree.

The faculty at Tates Creek High School sponsors a “H.O.O.P.” (Helping Out Other People) Tree for their students, who are selected from amongst the general population for uniquely different reasons. Students are academically advanced, culturally advanced, quietly shy, outspoken, or extra special and some are identified as in need. Faculty may nominate students for the H.O.O.P. Tree anytime during the academic year via the Social Committee.

During November, a small group of faculty meets, selects names, assigns numbers, and guesses at sizes and likes or dislikes for the nominations after closely observing students and selectively asking questions. Random numbers are assigned to each student so that faculty members draw students and purchase gifts anonymously. Two student clubs also choose to participate this year — cheerleaders and Spanish Club.

We present the gifts to the students just before exams and holiday break. H.O.O.P. students receive a Guidance Pass from our “Elf” assistants — student aides dressed in red and white hats. Each student arrives at the Guidance Office and is directed to the conference room, where they receive a poem explaining how they were selected and they open their gifts with sparkles in their eyes. Through the generosity of 68 faculty and staff and two student clubs, 90 students’ received a little extra reminder that they are special at Tates Creek High School.

We’ll close with the following letter, which was submitted by Allison Givan, the Professional Staff Assistant at Breckinridge Elementary School:

Three years ago, our staff began an “Angel Tree” to help some of our students have a happier holiday season. (This tree is in addition to the many families for whom our Family Resource Center director already coordinates holiday assistance). Participation in this program is strictly voluntary, and we have “sponsored” an average of 50 children each year.

This year, we have an especially poignant story to share. Jody Cabble, a World Civilization teacher at Henry Clay High School, called Breckinridge to request an “angel” from our tree. Tragically, Robert “Frankie” Bishop, a HCHS student, had been killed in a car accident the previous week. His World Civilization classmates approached Ms. Cabble and Mr. Mirazain (another World Civilization teacher) with the idea of collecting money in Frankie’s honor and “adopting” a needy child for Christmas. They made this decision based on his love for children and his generous heart. By the time Ms. Cabble got off the phone with our school secretary, Frankie’s classmates had sponsored not one, but three, children! (Wal-Mart generously agreed to match the donations, so the adoption of three students was possible). After purchasing the gifts, another group of HCHS students used their lunch time to wrap them.

When Ms. Cabble and Mr. Mirazain attended Frankie’s visitation, they presented his family with a giant card full of his classmates’ memories and three certificates acknowledging the “angels” from Breckinridge who were adopted in his name.

I hope that it might bring some small amount of comfort to those who knew and loved Frankie to understand the level of appreciation and gratitude that we at Breckinridge have for the generous spirit of Henry Clay students and teachers. We have three little boys whose holiday season will be brighter because of their thoughtfulness. It’s so uplifting to see that in Fayette County, it’s certainly not just the adults who believe “It’s About Kids”.

Happy holidays and thanks to all of you for supporting our kids!

Essay contest winners announced

Winners of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government’s “What Living in the Horse Capital of the World Means to Me” essay contest have been announced. Congratulations to Shay O’Neil from James Lane Allen Elementary School, Sabrina Hunt from James Lane Allen Elementary School, Sarah Milam from Garden Springs Elementary School, Graham Tucker from Edythe J. Hayes Middle School, Cody Reed from Edythe J. Hayes Middle School, Alaka Bradley from Edythe J. Hayes Middle School, and Annie Hill from Henry Clay High School. The winners will be honored at a reception at the LFUCG Government Center on December 20. To view their essays visit www.lfucg.com.

Soldiers and students develop relationships across the miles 

Last week, students at Edythe J. Hayes Middle School gathered around the flagpole to raise a very special gift from soldiers. The gift, a flag that flew at Bagram Airbase in honor of the school, was sent to students from the 13th Division Armor, Military Police stationed in Afghanistan.

As part of an assignment, students on Team 6A began writing to the soldiers and responses to those letters began pouring in. Language arts teacher Deedra Murray was amazed. “Because of the hostile times in Afghanistan, it was my hope that some of the soldiers would find time to write the students back,” she said. “To my surprise, however, we had an almost 100 percent response from the soldiers stationed in Afghanistan! Not only did they write each student a personal letter back, but they also sent pictures of themselves, pictures of their base, and one soldier even sent a student a military police division patch.” The school also received a flag and a plaque.

The correspondence has had an impact on the class and the school, Murray said. “This project has allowed students to develop their writing skills and has also made the war much more concrete and real to them. The soldiers encouraged students to continue their educations and follow their dreams.” The flag and plaque will be on display in the trophy case at the school.

Fred sightings

Fayette County school employees are placing a renewed emphasis on excellent customer service this year. We have encouraged everyone in our district to go the extra mile and show the people we serve every day just how much we care.

We call folks who provide excellent customer service “Freds,” inspired by the book, “The Fred Factor” by Mark Sanborn about a very service-minded postman named Fred. Anyone can be a “Fred,” just by going above the call of duty in serving the public. If you spot a Fred, please call, write or send me an email.

Making good on a promise makes a difference

Athens is fortunate to have many wonderful people helping us with the important job of educating all children. I wanted to share the latest Fred sighting that occurred here on Thursday. A student, new to Athens and Fayette County, has been having some difficulty adjusting to our school wide behavior plan.  And, even though all of the regular adults in his life have worked with him on it (his mom, regular classroom teacher, guidance counselor, PSA, principal), there are days when he just cannot comply.

During a visit to our school on other matters, Officer Eileen Welch saw this young man sitting with me in the cafeteria. In her wonderful way, she managed to strike up a conversation with him regarding wrestling and cars. As they concluded their conversation, she asked him what else she could do to help. He indicated his need for something to keep him busy when he found himself getting bored. She struck a deal with him that if he would work really hard on his compliance, she would come back out after Thanksgiving and bring him a “Tangle Toy” (a small little toy often recommended for students with fidgeting issues).

True to her word, she e-mailed me on Monday to say that she just couldn’t get out here on Monday but she wanted me to let him know that she was thinking of him and would becoming out here one day this week. She made it here Thursday morning. She brought him a Tangle Toy and a small set of Legos to build a car. The look on his face when I called him to my office was worth a million dollars. He was so excited and pleased to see that not only had she come to visit him but that she had made good on her promise as well. We are fortunate in this district to have so many people working together for the benefit of all kids. “Freds” are everywhere and we are all the richer for it!  We appreciate all of them greatly at Athens!

Submitted by Peggy Henderson, Principal
Athens Elementary

Car duty keeps on rolling after delay

WOW! What a spectacular staff we have here at Rosa Parks! Thanks to all of you for “stepping in” for me this morning at back car circle duty. I was stuck right behind an accident on New Circle Road. It was such a surprise to see so many people out in the cold for me and our kids when I finally arrived 15 minutes late. You all touched my heart this morning. We all should feel thankful to be apart of such a caring staff. Again, I thank you and I know the parents and students thank you too for all your help.

Submitted by Stephanie Gross, Kindergarten Assistant
Rosa Parks Elementary School

Leslie Thomas, the principal at Rosa Parks Elementary School said: “This e-mail is from one of my kindergarten assistants who always goes above and beyond. It is nice to see her kindness repaid from other Freds!”

Caring for 600 kids as her own

We have a Fred in our school. She does not give 100 percent. She gives 200 percent. She is Connie Whitaker, Cafeteria Manager at Glendover Elementary School. When asked how many children she has, she tells everyone she has more than 600. She says that all the children are her kids. Every morning as the kids come through the breakfast line, she greets them all by their names (yes, she knows them all, what allergies they have, and what foods they are not allowed to eat). Connie knows who hasn’t eaten lunch and comes to the office to find out if she needs to save a lunch for them. Connie goes out of her way to make everyone feel like they are special, and to her they are. There is nothing Connie would not do to help anyone. There are not enough words to thank Connie for all she does to help our school and staff. Connie deserves a lot of credit for being the person she is. We all love her.

Submitted by Lucille Gibson, Gloria Groves, Kathryn Crow,
Mary Beth Kiser, Alice Haskins and Dee Dee Lamour
Glendover Elementary School Cafeteria staff

Cheerful attitude is appreciated

Since you work with her all the time you will undoubtedly consider this a statement of the obvious. However, I just want to be on record as saying that your Jodi is a JEWEL. She has not only been extraordinarily helpful when I called her for help, but patient with my technological stupidity. And … she’s done it just as cheerfully as she’s done it efficiently. Please let her know how much I appreciate her.

Jodi Jelinek is the secretary in the Assessment Office at IAK Support Services

Submitted by Ron Schmidt, Professional Staff Assistant
Lansdowne Elementary School

Teamwork and flexibility make D.A.R.E. graduation possible

This past Monday, our fifth grade students graduated from the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program. We had to find space for 90 students and their families. As with most schools, the gym is the largest available space, so we scheduled it for 1:30 p.m. in the gym. This, of course, meant that the second grade class that was supposed to have P.E. at that time lost their specials time AND their Fred-like teacher gave up her planning as well. Not to worry, my Fred-like fifth grade teachers made arrangements to give back their colleague’s planning time by inviting her second grade class up to their fifth grade classrooms to play math games with the big kids the next day. Thank you to Wendy Bottom, Trevor Singleton and Teri McMillan for their generosity and flexibility to do something good for kids.

Submitted by Deborah Moore, Interim Principal
Julius Marks Elementary School

College students equip kids with special needs

In August, the Design Theory II and Advanced Project Development classes at Spencerian College approached Gina Blair, a special needs instructor at Crawford Middle School, about a unique collaboration between the two schools. What resulted was beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. College students would design and create learning tools for Ms. Blair’s students who would in turn use what was built to help them with their individual needs. The partnership has already made a difference in the lives of all those involved.

Article submitted by Gina Blair, special education teacher at Crawford Middle School

It all started with a little boy and a puzzle...

Over the last 11 weeks, students at Spencerian College took part in a very innovative class- Design Theory Il/Advanced Project Development. This multidiscipline course combined students from the CADD department (Computer Aided Design Drafting) with students from Spencerian’s Computer Graphic Design department to make educational tools for students with moderate or severe disabilities at Crawford Middle School. The “Dream Team” spent a lot of time identifying a need for products, defining the project’s criteria, researching about children with functional disabilities and their need for sensory stimulation, designing projects, and working out the fine details of each object to maximize its function, safety and durability.

“I am so excited about the partnership that has been created between Spencerian College and Crawford Middle School. This collaborative effort has made many things possible for our students,” said Crawford’s principal Joyce Florence. “It gives us just a glimpse of what could happen if we all come together through the 2020 Vision project to help all of our kids.”

On December 6th, 2005, students and staff of Crawford Middle went to Spencerian for a formal presentation of the projects lead by the “Dream Team.”

“Phil Bloomfield and Scott Darragh met with me a couple of months ago and asked if there was anything I wanted for my room that I was never able to get,” said special educator Gina Blair. “I could have never imagined that our 30 minute conversation would turn into projects that are better than anything I could order out of a catalog.”

Occupational therapist, Christy Dalton said, “From a sensory integrative perspective, Spencerian hit the nail on the head! It was obvious from the final designs that they had done their research in order to meet both the academic and sensory needs of the kids. Each project provides multiple opportunities for the kids to explore and experience inputs from all the sensory systems (i.e., tactile, visual, auditory, vestibular, and proprioception). Allowing the kids to learn about their environment through direct exploration is not only fun, but also invaluable. It is a motivating hands-on way for them to learn concepts, develop and improve motor skills, and stimulate communication.”

Speech pathologist Ann Grevious said, “At the ceremony, it was literally standing room only. Mrs. Blair devotes her life to insuring that any student with special needs meets his or her highest potential and now, she can do her job even better with the materials these Design students made for her classroom. Today, the best came out in all the people involved and it was truly a community effort to make sure that those who may not always have a voice themselves are heard.” Thanks So Much Spencerian!

This week's Kudos go to...

Beaumont Middle School sixth-grader Hannah Tolson for being chosen for the American Choral Director’s Southern Division Children’s Honor Choir in Charleston, West Virginia.

Maxwell Elementary School third-grader Caroline Nell Copley. Caroline was a contributing film critic, writing a review of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, for the Lexington Herald-Leader. Her review appeared in the Weekender section on Friday, December 9.

Maxwell Elementary School third-graders for collecting 923 pounds of canned food and winning the Adios Hunger food drive for God’s Pantry. The school collected 3,834 pounds – a whopping 7.39 pounds per student.

Garden Springs Elementary School for winning a recent Chick-fil-A “Battle of the Schools” spirit night. The win earned the school $752.44 that will be used to help purchase computers.

Ready, set, read!

For eight weeks, more than 11,000 students have been getting a reading workout while participating in the Ready, Set, Read reading competition. The program – which challenged Fayette County’s first and second graders to read eight hours in eight weeks --is sponsored by Fayette County Public Schools graduate and NFL football Hall of Fame nominee Dermontti Dawson and Lexington-area McDonald’s. Students’ were given cards to track their reading time and the class with the most minutes of reading at the end of the eight week period was promised a blow out celebration.

Last week, Mrs. Katie Peppers’ second and third grade classes at Veterans Park Elementary School were treated to an in-class party with Ronald McDonald and Dermontti Dawson after winning the challenge. Mrs. Peppers’ 22 students read a total of 39,780 minutes -- that’s 663 hours!

The class was presented with an autographed football, a cake, certificates for food from McDonald’s and gift cards from Toys R’ Us. But it was more than fun and games, the Ready, Set, Read competition hopes to encourage kids to start reading at a young age.

Mrs. Peppers has already noticed a change in her class. “My students have gained a love of reading from participating in this,” she said. “We hung the poster about the competition in the room next to the sink, so when kids washed their hands, it inspired them. We require they read at least 20 minutes every night, but most read for at least an hour now.

Learn more about local government

Help mould future government leaders in your classroom by taking part in the celebration of City Government Month this January. Teachers can access a full educational curriculum, including suggested community activities, an essay contest and other materials to make learning about city government both fun and educational by visiting the Kentucky League of Cities’ Web site at www.klc.org. In past celebrations, mayors, council members and community leaders have spoken to classrooms across the state about the importance of city government. For more information on how to get your class involved, contact Karen Butcher at 1-800-876-4552 or by email at kbutcher@klc.org.

Winning holiday card goes global

This holiday season, Lexmark sponsored a greeting card contest for middle school students in Fayette County. Five middle schools participated in the contest, generating more than 150 submissions. Three winners were awarded with Lexmark All-in-One printers and one honorable mention was selected. Lexington Traditional Magnet School student Amber Markham’s entry won first place and will be sent by Lexmark’s Chairman and CEO Paul Curlander to customers and friends around the globe.

The other winning cards will be used by Lexmark employees to send greetings to customers and business partners. Students and their families have also been provided 50 greeting cards featuring their work.

Wining artists are:

• 1st place – Amber Markham – Lexington Traditional Magnet School
• 2nd place – Brittany Ann Alexander – School for the Creative and Performing Arts
• 3rd place – Lauren Jarvis – Jessie Clark Middle School
• Honorable Mention – Lauren Cracraft – Jessie Clark Middle School

View the four winning pieces of art here.

Mark your calendars

Here are some fun and educational events coming up in the weeks ahead:

• The West End Community Empowerment Project is sponsoring the puppet show Santa’s Magical Friends on Wednesday, December 21 at 1:30 p.m. at the Sankofa Community Mall (Black and Williams Cultural Center) located at 498 Georgetown Street. Seating is limited. Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door. For more information call 281-1248.
• The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Department of Parks and Recreation is hosting a Winter Tree ID on Saturday, January 7 and Saturday January 21 at McConnell Springs. There are more than 100 native trees in Kentucky and learning how to identify them in the winter is great fun! Grab your hats, mittens and notebooks and take part in this tree identification hike. The cost is free. For more information call McConnell Springs at 225-4073.
• Explore a beehive, learn about honey and find out how to become a beekeeper during the Living Arts and Science Center’s monthly Science Night entitled Honey, Hives and Hibernation on January 5 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Kids can also “star hop” at the planetarium show and participate in an art activity. For more information contact Katherine Bullock at 252-5222 or at 255-2284.

Leadership lessons from Sam

Dog bytes

Dad is always on his computer, (which leaves no room for me on his lap) so I asked him what the big deal was. Well, you know Dad, he had to give me a lesson on the value of technology. Dad said that there is this thing called the “World Wide Web” where I could find information about any subject. Dad realized that I didn’t believe him so he gave me a homework assignment. I had to go on the Web and find information about dogs. Now, at first I didn’t want to waste my time doing it, but once I got started I liked it. Here’s what I turned in to Dad. My next assignment will be to search for the best tasting dog food in the world. Bow Wow and Felices Fiestas!

Internet Research Paper
By Sam
December 19, 2005

• Dogs become loyal not because you feed them, but because of the companionship you give them.
• Anyone can buy a dog, but it takes a kind owner to set its tail wagging.
• Choke chains can be dangerous.
• Dogs chew up your underwear because it smells like you.
• World’s largest dog: The world’s heaviest as well as longest dog ever recorded was an Old English Mastiff named Zorba. In 1989, Zorba weighed 343 lbs and was 8 feet 3 inches long from nose to tail.
• Dogs’ internal clocks are really magnificent. They know when it’s time for you to arrive home, feed them, or go to bed if you are normally on a schedule.
• People could learn a lot from their dogs: to be a true friend, to be faithful, and to appreciate those who love them.
• Dogs that chase cars have learned that cars run away. This behavior is reinforced each time he chases one away.
• World’s tallest dog: The tallest dog on record was named Shamgret Danzas. He was 42 inches tall at the shoulder and weighed 238 lbs.
• Anyone who says he works like a dog obviously doesn’t own one.
• World’s smallest dog: The smallest dog in history was a tiny Yorkie from Blackburn, England. At two years of age and fully grown, this little guy was an incredible 2.5 inches tall by 3.75 inches long and weighed only 4 ounces. He was approximately the size of a matchbox.
• Puppy love is the beginning of a lifetime affair for most dog owners.
• To a young puppy, exercise and play are the day’s most important events. As a dog gets older, he lives for dinner time.
• Never assume that a barking dog won’t bite, unless you’re absolutely certain the dog believes it too.
• World’s oldest dog: The oldest dog that has been reliably documented was an Australian cattle-dog named Bluey. He was put to sleep at the age of 29 years and 5 months.
• A dog can hear sounds 250 yards away that most people cannot hear beyond 25 yards.
• A dog’s heart beats between 70 and 120 times a minute, compared with a human heart which beats 70 to 80 times a minute.
• A dog’s smile runs from the depth of his eyes to the tip of his tail.