Today we had two special guests at school. We had the pleasure of having Mr Natalino Cristiano and his dog, Glen, for a visit. Mr Cristiano is blind and Glen is his guide-dog. Mr Cristiano gave an interesting and informative talk to the children about his experiences and about the importance and the work of his guide-dog. He spoke about the special training guide-dogs must do in order to be the ‘eyes’ of their owners. He also explained how we, the general public, need to react if we come across a guide-dog and its owner walking in the street. The rule is to NEVER touch the dog because the guide-dog is on duty doing its work!! Touching the dog might distract it from doing its job properly and the owner might get hurt. For this reason the children were not allowed to touch the guide-dog. The children were very interested with what they learnt and Mr Cristiano expertly answered many of their questions. To conclude the session Mr Cristiano and Glen demonstrated how they cross the street and how to get up and down the pavement. We were all impressed by the performance!! Special thanks also go to Mrs Cristiano who drove Mr Cristiano and Glen to school.
This event was planned to link to Science since we are currently exploring the Five Senses (Sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch). It also links to Maths as we have talked about Directions (left, right, forward). And finally, it links to PSD (Personal and Social Development) during which we learn to respect everyone, even people who are ‘different’. Today’s event was definitely an enriching experience for all of us!!
