FOX CH APE L AR EA SC H OO L NE WS
ox Chapel Area
HARTWOOD STUDENTS SHARE LOVE OF READING WITH SHELTER ANIMALS
W
hen Hartwood Elementary School fourthgrade teacher Amy Zottola heard about a program in which students volunteer to read to shelter animals, she knew it would be the perfect activity for both her and her students. “My kids know from the very beginning of the year how much I love animals,” Mrs. Zottola says. Animal Tales 2022 is a program of the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh. Students ages 4-12 can visit the shelter in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood and read to the animals – dogs, cats, bunnies, and even turtles! Eighteen of Mrs. Zottola’s students attended a voluntary orientation program in early February, during which they learned about the shelter, its residents, and keys to observing
18
FOX CHAPEL AREA AREA
animal behavior. A few days later, the students went back, pulled up carpet squares, and began reading to their new animal friends. “It was satisfying to spend time doing something good,” says Mrs. Zottola. “The students loved it, and it was a wonderful experience. They had so much fun, and we all left there so happy!” Fourth-grader Colin Allen enjoyed reading to and petting the animals, and also felt like he was making a difference. “The animals are probably lonely, and this helped them feel less lonely,” he says.
