05/23/2026
One of our Nor'wester handlers wrote an end of the year message to her host teacher and class. It was a wonderful year full of creative therapy dog support in the third-grade curriculum. This is why the Nor'wester program is called canine partners in education. Thank you to Carol and Ms. Ripans for such a great partnership this year.
Greetings from Tex and Ms. Carol,
Tex and I have very much enjoyed visiting you in class this year!
It is Tex’s most favorite activity (well, besides eating). He gets excited when I get his therapy dog collar and leash out at home. When we arrive, he hurries from my car to the front door of the school, and then he must say “hi” to all the office staff.
As many of you who escorted Tex and me to your classroom have observed, Tex speed walks to reach your classroom. When he arrives, he thoroughly enjoys floor inspection and getting pats from all of you.
You and your teacher did so many interesting learning activities with Tex and me it is difficult to choose which ones we liked best. However, there were several which were memorable. One of the first activities you did was estimating how long Tex’s tail was, and then actually measuring it with your clown fish measuring tool. You also made Tex the subject of multiplication word problems, and he provided support while you took a timed multiplication test.
There were many Language Arts activities too. Tex again took the spotlight as you wrote similes, metaphors, and hyperboles with him as the subject. One of my personal favorites was the limericks you wrote about Tex.
There were two others that were very memorable. One of these was describing Tex’s body and finding synonyms for the adjectives. Several groups stated, “Tex’s tail was long,” which turned into “Tex’s tail was lengthy.” It’s amazing how the very first activity of measuring Tex’s tail appeared in one of the last lessons you did with him.
We also loved the persuasive letters you wrote about why every classroom should have a therapy dog. Your letters highlighted the impact that Tex’s visits had on you and your classroom.
Tex is a very special dog and I’m very glad that I got to share him with all of you this year. Tex and I thank you for the wonderful experience. We hope you enjoy fourth grade.
Enjoy your summer,
Tex and Ms. Carol
