Cora’s First Day of School

One particularly warm Monday in September, Cora was up bright and early. It was the first day of school and she was excited! Cora loved summer, but seeing the leaves changing color reminded her of only one thing: school! Cora looked forward to the first day for weeks, cheerfully shopping for new pencils, markers, tablets, and, most especially, a brand-new lunchbox! Cora enjoyed school because, along with being a hard-working student, she was what her grandma called a “social butterfly.” And she appreciated all of the opportunities school provided to meet and play with other pups. That morning, she put on her special first-day-of-school-outfit, which she picked out two weeks ago and which was, of course, PINK!

Cora packed a super scrumptious lunch, hopped on the school bus, and was the first pup to arrive in class. As usual, Cora grabbed a front-row desk. She felt nervous excitement in her belly as she breathed in the familiar scent of chalk. While Cora was in her element, she was also anxious. Cora was outgoing and confident, but change could be stressful for Cora as she tended to worry about the unknown.

Cora wiggled and squirmed as she waited for the bell to ring. She watched the rest of the class take their seats, exchanging smiles and paw pumps from several classmates. When she heard whistling, Cora looked up and saw the English teacher, Mr. Flock, scramble into the room. He was a new teacher at the school and Cora worried that he

wouldn’t be nice—she so loved Ms. Birnbaum, who taught the class last year.

Mr. Flock looked a bit untidy: he wore crooked glasses and a funny hat like her grandpa’s. He was a wiry guy who sort of bounced around the room until finally situating himself in the front of the class. He reminded Cora of her little brother’s magic jumping beans—he certainly was a ball of energy! The kids all braced themselves as this unusual guy suddenly stopped moving and looked straight at them. And when his face morphed into an enormous welcoming grin that reached his eyes, the class sighed with relief. As Mr. Flock took roll and described the course, his paws moved 50 miles per hour. He was as animated as a cartoon and already so entertaining!

As she fiddled with her sparkly new pencil box, Cora really tried to pay attention. But her thoughts were moving too fast. First, she thought about each of her buddies. She wondered how many friends would be in her classes. Then she began to worry about who she would play with at recess and who she would sit by on the bus. And then she thought about which clubs and sports she should join: Should she play softball again? What about gymnastics? Drama? Should she run for Pep Club President this year?

Just as she was becoming overwhelmed by her thoughts, she heard her name: “Cora, hello? Is there a Cora here?”

The boy behind her snickered as Cora realized Mr. Flock was speaking to her.

“Um…yes, I’m here,” she said, as she slid down her chair with embarrassment. Cora took a deep breath and tried to relax and pay attention. But, within seconds, her mind

began to wander and, as her belly growled, she wondered which friends she would see at lunch…

It was just like Cora to be extra enthusiastic about school. Her brothers and sisters often teased her for being such an early bird. They didn’t understand how great it made her feel to have every one of her buddies in one place and to plan all sorts of fun things to do. And, while she knew it wasn’t easy for other pups, Cora was really good at making new friends. Because she was both friendly and caring, Cora had a rare ability to bring others together, which made her popular with her peers. The other pups sometimes found Cora to be a bit of a busy bee—always buzzing around and planning activities for her friends. Sometimes this made it hard for her closest friends to get her to slow down and relax. Cora was a natural-born leader; she even put a bit of pressure on herself to be the first of her friends to suggest something fun to do. She also loved to plan and organize activities; she excelled at this, but she could also be a little bossy. Her parents would sometimes remind her to slow down and relax, and let her friends take control of planning and organizing. They also reminded her that it was okay to simply spend time with friends with no specific schedule. Cora had a kind and caring heart, especially when it came to her friends; so, she actually appreciated her parents’ gentle reminders.

The Puppy Pack

Cora enjoyed spending time with Emily who, unlike Cora, was a little shy. She sometimes helped Emily with her assertiveness by suggesting ways to greet other pups or ask them to play.

Cora was especially excited to see Jacob and Emily that morning, as well as her other close friends: Scarlett, Tess and Zach. Cora knew Jacob would have his camera on hand—like always—since he was constantly taking pictures.

Scarlett was Cora’s newest friend and always the one to turn to when she needed help with homework. Scarlett was considered a “brain” because she loved books more than anyone Cora had ever met.

And then there was Zach—who was always on the go! Zach loved sports and games, especially those where he could show off some of his best skills, such as frisbee and relay races. Tess, like Cora, loved pink and was very proud of her wardrobe. Tess was adorable and creative, making all sorts of beautiful drawings. They were the Puppy Pack, inseparable BFFs who had been friends for quite some time. Each was unique and truly special to Cora.

Scarlett sat near Cora and was already scribbling notes ferociously. Zach, who was even antsier than Cora, was raising his hand to ask a question when Principal Zoober walked in with a new pup Cora didn’t recognize.

A New Student!

This pup was petite, with reddish-blonde fur, long, black eyelashes and brilliant blue eyes—eyes that Cora thought looked a little sad.

Mr. Zoober said, “Good morning, class, I’d like to introduce our new student, Sunny!

She just moved here with her family and I’m counting on each of you to give her a warm welcome!”

As the class responded with “Yes, Mr. Zoober,” the new girl took a seat next to Cora. Mr. Zoober gave Cora a little wink before he left and she knew exactly what he meant. As the school’s official “Friendship Ambassador,” it was her responsibility to help new students find their way around and make new friends. Sunny was the first new student since Cora took on this role, and Cora was determined to do her absolute best! She looked over at Sunny and noticed her lovely pink hair bow. Cora thought Sunny was even prettier close-up. Cora complimented her bow and gave her a smile. When Sunny didn’t smile back, but only looked down in her lap, Cora didn’t know what to think. Cora wondered if this new girl was unfriendly or if she came from a much fancier place than Pine Grove Elementary. Cora tried not to be judgmental, but she had some concerns about this new girl.

Cora’s Important Assignment

Before school ended that day, Mr. Zoober took Cora aside in the hall to tell her more about Sunny. He described how Sunny’s family just moved here after being victims of a recent hurricane. Cora didn’t know much about hurricanes and always felt they were too far away to affect her family. But apparently this one hit close to home. Mr. Zoober went on, saying, “This family lost their entire house, absolutely everything, and are desperately in need of assistance.” He added that the family, which was large like Cora’s, was currently staying with relatives and that it would take some time and generosity for them to get back on their feet. Mr. Zoober continued with “So, this is where you come in, Cora. You are one of our most sociable, kind and helpful students. As Friendship Ambassador, I’m depending on you to help Sunny by introducing her to other pups, showing her around, and checking in to see how she’s doing.” Mr. Zoober went on to shake Cora’s paw, telling her she had a big heart and was the best pup for the job!

This discussion left Cora with an odd mix of honor for being asked to do this job and empathy for the poor girl and her family. She was also nervous given Sunny’s unfriendly reaction in class, as well as worried that Sunny wasn’t interested in being her friend. Nonetheless, as true to her character as a kind and social pup, Cora was up to the challenge!

For the rest of the school day, Cora found herself distracted as she thought about Sunny and what might be done to help her. When Cora spotted Sunny in the hall before lunch, Cora motioned for her to come over. But the next thing she knew, Sunny had disappeared in thin air.

“Wow,” thought Cora sadly, “she really doesn’t like me.”

Cora’s Family

Later that evening, Cora sat down to dinner in her usual spot in front of the garden window next to her dad. The dining room and kitchen were painted a tranquil yellow, and the centerpiece was a jar of red tulips in a cranberry glass vase. Cora’s house was a little noisy and could even be chaotic, yet it was also comforting and cozy. As Cora breathed in the delicious stew her parents prepared, each family member went around describing his or her day.

Cora found herself lost in thought as she barely listened to her brothers and sisters go over their first-day-of-school details. When Cora’s turn to talk came around, her parents were surprised at how quiet she was, as Cora was typically the family pup who most loved school. The cuckoo bird above her head snapped Cora out of her stupor and she began describing a few things about her school, such as how Tess finally got her braces off and that Jacob was home sick today. Cora’s point about Jacob lead Doogle—Cora’s most verbal little brother—to go into great detail about how his friend Marvin barfed-up strawberry milk over the merry-go-round during recess, a story which quickly marked the end of the dinner conversation.

After her brothers and sisters went to bed, Cora sat with her parents who were playing cards in the family room. Cora told her parents all about the new student, noting how sad it was that the family lost everything and was forced to move. She described the pup’s lonely blue eyes. And, of course, she told them about the important task ahead of her and her sense that Sunny really didn’t want to be friends. When her parents asked what she meant, Cora described how Sunny refused to smile back at her and generally ignored Cora—even when Cora tried to invite her to lunch. Cora’s parents expressed concern for Sunny’s family, with her dad noting how scary it would be for her parents to have to start over. Cora’s mom said that Sunny was going through a very difficult

transition—losing her old life and trying to fit into a new one without any friends. Cora considered how nervous she always felt on the first day of school, even when she was not the new pup and had many friends.

“We don’t know anything about Sunny,” added her dad. “She might be scared or bashful—or just terribly sad. We just don’t know.”

Cora realized she was judging Sunny based on her initial impressions. Cora felt bad for making assumptions about Sunny and told her parents she would be more open-minded from now on. Her parents were proud of Cora for having such a compassionate heart.

Her mom added, “Just be yourself and try to imagine how you would feel if you were in Sunny’s shoes.”

Feeling more determined than ever to help Sunny, Cora decided to do one last thing before bed. She pulled open her laptop and looked-up hurricanes. To Cora’s astonishment, there were seven hurricanes during the prior year—which was apparently one of the worst storm seasons in quite some time. When she read about Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose and Maria, Cora thought their nice names were deceiving. She learned that Irma was the most powerful hurricane ever recorded! Cora read about the terrible destruction these hurricanes left in their paths and learned a new word—“displaced”—which occurred when people were forced to flee from their homes. She read that hurricanes caused displacement for hundreds of thousands of people—a number too big for Cora to visualize that many people displaced. And Cora also learned that deadly hurricanes often occur in neighboring states, just like what happened to Sunny’s family. Learning more about the problem inspired Cora to get involved. She decided to start by paying more attention to the news about national disaster victims in her community. And, of course, she became even more dedicated to help Sunny.

Cora Tries to Help

The next morning at school, Cora took her usual seat in the front and motioned for Sunny to sit next to her. Fortunately, Sunny took the seat next to Cora once again. As Mr. Flock was writing something about poetry on the chalkboard, Cora slipped a bright pink heart eraser onto Sunny’s desk. The pink erasers were all the rage that year, as they came in all sorts of cute shapes and smelled like bubble gum. Cora had begged her parents for the very eraser she just gave Sunny. When Sunny saw the eraser, she immediately picked it up and breathed in the bubble gum scent. Cora thought Sunny seemed to like the smell and hoped she also appreciated the color.

When Sunny looked over at Cora, she quietly said, “Is this yours?” Sunny’s voice was so soft and hesitant that Cora immediately realized her dad was right: Sunny was one shy pup!

“No,” answered Cora cheerfully, “it’s for you! It’s your ‘Welcome to Pine Grove’ gift! All of the new pups get one.”

At this point, Cora saw Sunny smile for the first time. It wasn’t a big smile, yet it somehow changed Sunny’s entire face. As Sunny said “thank you” and smelled the eraser again, Cora even saw a hint of mischievousness in Sunny’s eyes. At that moment, Cora decided never to make quick judgments about someone before they have a chance to smile.

That day, Cora was able to talk to Sunny a little bit before class and learned that, yes, Sunny loved pink! Over the next several days, Sunny and Cora sat next to each other, and Sunny opened-up a tiny bit more each time. Cora learned that Sunny also was from a large family, loved strawberries and was allergic to milk. On Wednesday, Cora gave Sunny a sparkly pink pencil, and on Thursday Cora slipped her a fat, juicy strawberry just before class. When Mr. Flock flew into the room, tipping his hat—Sunny had strawberry juice dripping down her chin! This led to some pretty uncontrollable giggling by the two pups as Mr. Flock dramatically dictated a silly poem about Christopher Robin.

When lunchtime came around that day, Cora looked all over for Sunny, but didn’t see her anywhere. After getting a drink from the lunch lady, Cora sat down with her

buddies. Cora had been telling them all about Sunny and they were anxious to meet her. As they ate lunch, her friends immediately started thinking of creative ways to raise money. Zach wanted to have a big sports contest of some sort—like arm wrestling or tug-of-war—whereas Emily thought a musical concert was a better idea.

As the pups became animated with all sorts of ideas, Cora was caught-up in her own feelings of confusion because she felt like she and Sunny had almost become friends. She thought Sunny had opened-up a little bit, but Cora was perplexed because Sunny always disappeared during lunch. Cora told her friends that she was slightly offended because of the thoughtful gifts she’d given to someone who didn’t seem to appreciate them. Cora’s friends didn’t know what to think, but they were protective of Cora and didn’t want her to be upset. It was only Emily who recognized that, deep down, Cora’s feelings were actually hurt because she thought Sunny didn’t like her.

Cora Devises a Plan

That evening at dinner, Cora told her family the latest about Sunny. She told them what she had done to help Sunny open-up and how she also felt confused. Cora’s parents reminded her that Sunny is unusually bashful, even more than Cora’s littlest brother, Ty—who wouldn’t even go to kindergarten without hiding behind his mom for the first hour.

“So, she’s really shy, and going through a traumatic event, and at a new school,” said Cora with renewed understanding.

Cora decided that whatever they did to help Sunny, they should be careful not to draw too much attention to her. She knew they would need to be thoughtful about what to do. Cora’s mom, who was a member of the school board, suggested generating donations from the school’s auction. She added that the grown-ups could then offer the donations to the family in private. The whole family—except Doogle, who was busy hiding peas under his chair—thought this was a great idea. Cora’s mom said she would present it to the school board the next day.

As far as how to help Sunny in the meantime, her parents suggested that Cora ask herself an important question: “Remember when you were the new kid at school three years ago? What was the main thing that made you feel better?”

Cora considered this question for the rest of the evening, and when the answer finally hit her, she grabbed her crayons and got to work!

Mr. Flock’s class began as usual the following morning. As it was only the beginning of the school year, the class politely arrived on-time, a situation Cora knew would change as kids got more comfortable (especially Zach, who was not a morning pup and often plodded in late). Cora once again motioned for Sunny to sit by her. Cora spent the prior evening reflecting on what it was like when she was the new kid at school a couple of years back. Cora remembered that the one thing that helped her the most was when Emily invited her over to play. This act of kindness took away some of Cora’s loneliness and made her feel like she would be okay. Emily quickly became her best friend and had been ever since. When Cora decided she would do the same for Sunny, she didn’t hesitate for a second.

Once Sunny sat down, Cora gave her a warm smile and complimented her on her cute outfit. Then she handed Sunny a pink card that she made the night before. It was a personal invitation for Sunny to have lunch with Cora and her buddies! Cora had worked hard on the card, adding a colorful drawing of several pups in the cafeteria. Cora watched Sunny’s face light-up as she read the card!

“So, is that a yes?” asked Cora happily.

And Sunny immediately nodded her head with a great big smile, which was interrupted when Mr. Flock began reciting a mysterious poem about a raven.

When lunchtime rolled around that day, Cora saw Sunny near the cafeteria and showed her to their usual table in the corner. The room, which smelled of spaghetti sauce and bananas, was buzzing as pups grabbed their food and looked for friends. Scarlett immediately recognized Sunny as a pup who was always in her favorite place: the library. But, as the pups soon learned, Sunny wasn’t studying; she was hiding. Sunny was terrified to go to the cafeteria alone. Although she was getting more comfortable with Cora, walking into a cafeteria filled with strange pups actually gave Sunny a stomach-ache and filled her with dread. So, she huddled in the back of the library waiting anxiously for lunch period to end. This was a lonely experience for Sunny, who longed for a solution. When Cora introduced her to Tess, Emily, Scarlett, Jacob and Zach, Sunny felt immense relief given each pup’s welcoming response. As they talked, the seven pups realized they had a lot in common. And to their great surprise, the pups also learned that Sunny, though soft spoken, was actually hilarious once you got to know her. The pups had never laughed so hard!

Sunny continued to feel more comfortable with her new friends each day. The pups also played together after school. At one point, when both Cora and Tess realized that Sunny would fit perfectly into some of the barely-worn clothes they’d outgrown, they offered them to her. Since the clothing was very fashionable and mostly pink, Sunny was more than happy to accept! The adults did their part and generously raised hurricane money and household items at their annual auction. When Mr. Zoober offered the donations to Sunny’s family, they were deeply grateful, with Sunny’s mom even getting a little teary-eyed. The donations enabled the family to purchase new shoes and coats for the children, pay bills and buy some much-needed household items.

Cora Gets a Gift

Weeks later, it was Cora’s most favorite day: her birthday! Cora had planned a wonderful party with a pinata and a bouncy house—she was SO excited to play and

celebrate with her friends and family. The house and yard were really festive; Cora’s mom worked really hard with her decorations. And Tess drew a gigantic, pink “Happy Birthday, Cora” sign with flowers and frogs (Tess’s favorite things to draw) covering each corner. The sign was hanging over the front porch, along with a huge bunch of red and pink balloons.

Cora was wearing her pink birthday hat as she waited for her friends to arrive. Eventually, the whole class was there and having a terrific time bouncing and laughing. When Cora took a break from the festivities to get a drink of water in the kitchen, Sunny showed-up beside her.

Sunny handed Cora a pink card and quietly said, “I’m afraid I wasn’t able to buy you a gift, but I made you this instead.”

Sunny was clearly embarrassed, as she turned pink and quickly scampered away. Cora was taken by surprise; she asked the pups not to bring gifts this year but to instead donate to the school’s crisis fund, but several of them brought presents anyway. Cora felt terrible about Sunny’s sense of shame—it was the last thing she wanted. Cora opened the card and saw Sunny’s neat handwriting and colorful flowers drawn on the margins. As she read a paragraph with the title “My Friend Cora,” Cora got a lump in her throat and sat at the kitchen table. She read Sunny’s beautiful card, which was actually the following poem:

Cora wiped a tear from her eye as she read the poem a second time. Sunny had chosen Cora as the subject of Mr. Flock’s poetry assignment: “Write a poem about someone wonderful in your life.” Cora was deeply touched that Sunny had written the poem about her, since she felt that she was the one who gained the most from knowing sweet little Sunny.

Cora ran to find Sunny and gave her a big hug, saying, “This is the BEST birthday present I’ve ever had!”

As Sunny’s face brightened, Cora’s heart felt full and she had a realization: of all of the birthday presents she received that year, Cora knew Sunny’s card would be the most meaningful, because it was the gift of friendship, kindness and love. Similarly, it was clear that the most valuable thing Cora gave Sunny was not a material object—but friendship. Sunny needed a friend who didn’t judge or feel sorry for her, and who had the patience to hang in there as her shyness slowly faded, allowing the silly pup underneath to finally emerge. Cora was so grateful to know the real Sunny, who they began referring to as “Sunshine” because the name was so perfectly suited to her personality.

Dream Big, Change the World

Sunny’s family eventually settled into the community and did much better. Although Sunny didn’t know much about the donations, she did notice that things were looking better for her family. The stuff they lost in the hurricane would never be fully replaced, but the transition was a lot less painful with new friends. Cora and her Puppy Pack learned the importance of compassion and empathy for others. Cora vowed to Principal Zoober that she would continue her role as Friendship Ambassador, and that she and her friends would always be on the lookout for lonely pups in need of a friend. But Cora decided to take her job a step further by figuring-out ways she and her friends could raise money for the Community Crisis Help Center. So far, they’d held a canned food drive, but Cora and her friends had all sorts of ideas in the works. Cora was less naïve as she realized that bad things can happen, but she also felt a new sense of empowerment and confidence that her actions can make a difference.

Because of her research, Cora learned that the holidays are especially hard for those who are displaced or homeless, so she planned to coordinate a holiday fundraiser that would require ALL of the Puppy Packs’ talents. As Cora would also soon learn, working together on big projects with different personalities can be both frustrating and challenging. Cora had some tough lessons ahead of her about the importance of teamwork and compromise. The holidays were going to be interesting this year, but, with her newfound sense of purpose and determination, Cora was as ready as ever!

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