The End of Winter Break

Scarlett felt the cold ground crunching under her feet as she walked along the sidewalk with her dad and brother. It was a bright January morning and she was headed back to school after a relaxing winter break. Scarlett felt snowdrops on her whiskers and a chill in the air. She wasn’t especially fond of the cold weather and would rather have been somewhere warm and cozy with a good book but, her little brother Henri, whom Scarlett had nicknamed “Hank,” just loved winter and was doing a lot more sliding than walking.

When they reached the end of the lane, Scarlett hugged her dad and brother goodbye and headed-off to her own school. Scarlett loved to spend time with her 5-year-old brother, who had a giant smile and mischievous eyes. She was protective of him which had a lot to do with Henri being deaf since birth. Scarlett took her role as big sister very seriously. She wanted Henri to walk with her part-way to school so he could get used to going to school like a big kid. She also wanted to teach him all sorts of stuff along the way (although a lot of the time she was actually learning more from him). On this particular day, Scarlett learned the sign for “squirrel,” which she would immediately add to her journal when she got to school. But first, she stopped in front of the home of her BFF, Cora. Scarlett let out a piercing whistle and out scampered Cora! The two pups just saw each other yesterday, but it didn’t matter. They hugged and giggled as they headed toward school.

Cora and Scarlett had been best buds for two years. They had a lot in common since they both were dedicated students who enjoyed learning new things. Cora was more social than Scarlett; she was a party planner and always involved in various clubs and activities. Scarlett was just as happy to play quietly with a couple of friends and especially loved to read amazing books in the tree house her dad built.

Scarlett was also close to Tess, who enjoyed designing outfits for Scarlett as she exclaimed, “You are SO cute!”

Scarlett was petite, with soft brown and white fur. She had spider-like, long black eyelashes and always wore a red, pink or purple bow on her head. Scarlett was also quick to smile and to help other pups in need—like when Tess was having trouble with a science project last year. Scarlett had enjoyed some time off from school, but was happy to be back.

The two pups entered the schoolyard where they saw their friend Zach throwing snowballs at a tree.

“Hey Zach,” teased Cora, “if you go inside now, you won’t be late!”

Zach was often late and continued playing as the girls walked on by. When they entered Mr. Flock’s classroom, something seemed weird. As Scarlett looked around, she thought the room felt bigger and lighter somehow. And it smelled different.

“Wow,” said Cora, “the class looks SO different!”

“Yeah, that’s for sure,” replied Scarlett.

As Scarlett walked over to her desk, she realized her feet were “tap-tapping” loudly on the floor.

“Hey! Where’s the carpet?” asked Scarlett with surprise.

Something at School Is Amiss

Meanwhile, the other pups were taking their seats while also looking around at the strange new classroom. When most of the pups were seated, the missing chalkboard became clear to several of them.

“Wow, look at that! No more chalkboard,” said a boy in the back. “Maybe that means no more work!” he said hopefully.

“And the walls are so bright,” commented another student.

Just before the bell rang, Mr. Flock scrambled into the class in his typically chaotic way. After dropping and picking-up his pen twice, Mr. Flock dropped his lunch and various other books and papers on his desk, hung his black hat and stood before the class.

“Good morning, boys and girls! Welcome back to school! I hope each of you had a wonderful winter brea…”

Mr. Flock was suddenly interrupted by two pups urgently raising their paws while grunting at Mr. Flock to call on them.

“What is it, Jasper?” he asked one of the boys.

“Mr. Flock, what’s up with the class? It feels different, and there’s no chalkboard!”

As most of the kids similarly expressed their curiosity about the class, a girl pup stood

up pointing at the shiny white floor.

“Where’s the green rug that used to be here? I loved that rug!” she blurted-out.

“Yeah!!!” exclaimed several other pups assertively.

“Okay, okay…take it easy, class. Everyone needs to relax and take a deep breath. I know you’re excited, but you still need to use your classroom manners,” said Mr. Flock.

And once the class had calmed down, Mr. Flock moved toward the spot where the chalkboard used to be and began speaking.

“First, I apologize for not letting you know about the classroom changes ahead of time. The school was planning them for a later date and decided to go ahead during winter break,” said Mr. Flock. “Who can tell me what they’ve noticed is different?”

As several paws shot-up, Mr. Flock called on Scarlett.

“The room seems bigger and lighter, there’s no chalkboard and the carpet is gone,” she stated in a serious tone.

“You nailed it, Scarlett! Good job!”

When another pup raised his paw, Mr. Flock said, “Yes, Jacob?”

“The table in the back that we set-up for the Fluffernutters is much larger now,” he answered.

“That’s very observant, Jacob—thank you.”

The Fluffernutters were the two brown and white teddy bear hamsters who were scheduled to move in as class pets in a few weeks. The class was really excited about the hamsters and had held a vote to determine their names.

Mr. Flock took a seat on a tall stool in front of the class and stated simply, “Okay, here’s the deal.”

He took a breath and continued speaking.

“You all know Ricci, who sits next to Felix in the corner,” he said, motioning to an empty seat near the back. The class generally nodded; however, in truth, no one really knew Ricci except his best friend, Felix. Ricci was new to the school this year and was often absent. He was quiet and seemed nice, but wasn’t involved in sports during PE and recess, nor any other school activities. Scarlett was considering little Ricci, who was petite like she was and wore round spectacles. She knew he was smart because he helped her with a complicated math problem last month. She thought he seemed sweet and wondered where he was today. As Scarlett was lost in thought, Mr. Flock continued speaking.

“Ricci is a hard-working student who loves computers and skateboarding….” Most of the class looked puzzled that Ricci was into skateboarding; he didn’t seem remotely athletic. “But Ricci has something else that makes him special: severe asthma,” he added grimly. “Does anyone know what asthma is?”

Scarlett, who knew more medical terminology than many adults, immediately raised her paw. When Mr. Flock called on her, she said, “Asthma happens when you can’t breathe very well. My neighbor has asthma and she breaths into an inhaler sometimes.”

“Yes; great job, Scarlett!” said Mr. Flock as he stood-up and grabbed a blue marker. He

wrote “Asthma” in big letters on the whiteboard. “Asthma happens when a person’s airway becomes blocked. It’s serious because the number one thing we all need to survive is…what?”

“Air!” exclaimed the class.

“Yes,” he continued, “and there are often things in our environments that make it worse. In Ricci’s case, he has shortness of breath and wheezing when he’s around dust, dander, chalk and other pollutants in the air. So, this explains the new classroom! The rug was super germy, and now we can see our shiny white floor—which is extremely clean, by the way. The chalk was probably the worst thing for Ricci, which is why he sat in the back. Hence, our new whiteboard. And finally, yes, I’m afraid the Fluffernutter brothers will not be our class pets. I’m sorry; I know you are disappointed.”

The class groaned.

“But they are safe and sound at my house and I can assure you they will have top notch care. See…” he said, holding-up a photo of two large and fancy plastic cages with various tunnels going in different directions. He handed Cora the photo and the class began to pass it around. “No need to worry about those guys—they are living like kings! But please understand that Ricci is a valued part of our school community, which aims to make school a healthy environment for everyone. Also, Ricci can still do a lot of things; he just needs to be careful. He has an inhaler with him at all times and we have a school emergency plan in place for him. He is safe and okay, so please don’t make assumptions about his condition. If you have questions, just ask him. He’s eager to teach others about asthma and really wants to feel included at school. Does everybody understand what I’ve said?”

“Yes, Mr. Flock,” stated the pups simultaneously.

“Excellent!” said Mr. Flock. “Ricci will be back to school tomorrow, so let’s make sure he feels welcome. In the meantime, can everyone please take-out your history books?”

The class let out a loud groan as they realized the interesting discussion was over and it was time to get back to work!

Scarlett’s Family

As Scarlett and Cora walked home together, Scarlett was really distracted as she kept thinking about Ricci. She wasn’t sure why she cared so much; she barely knew the boy.

When Cora arrived at her house, Scarlett quickly scampered home. After helping herself to a snack, she sat at the kitchen table to do her homework. Eventually her mom arrived home from her work at the local university, and her dad and Henri returned from the store. Scarlett had a unique family, as they all spoke American sign language fluently. Scarlett was better at it than both of her parents because her little brother was constantly teaching her new words. Today Henri was excited to do just that. He pulled a fat, red pomegranate from the grocery bag and plopped it right in front of Scarlett.

“What is that?” she signed while laughing. And presto, she now knew the sign for “pomegranate!”

Scarlett’s father, who was French, added to the conversation by pointing to the pomegranate and saying “grenade.” Scarlett (who wondered what the French word was for “grenade”) was fluent in three languages, something her puppy friends found remarkable. She had a big brain all right and was thrilled to fill it with as much information as possible. It was her plan to become a doctor one day—or maybe a scientist like her mom—who worked to find a cure for diseases.

When she looked over at her brother, he was trying diligently to peel off the pomegranate skin with his fingers. His look of concentration sparked something in her.

“Hey, he reminds me of Ricci,” she thought to herself. They were both small in stature, but with a quiet determination in their eyes. Scarlett thought this was probably why she kept thinking about Ricci.

Henri and Scarlett had a unique relationship. They had always been close and Scarlett often worried about him. Henri was a happy kid, but it made Scarlett sad to think that he would never hear the beautiful sounds in life that she so loved—such as rain, music, her father’s whistling, laughter, Zach’s silly cartoon voices, funny Mr. Flock at school and her most favorite: birds. She did her best to describe these sounds to him, but so wished he could hear them for himself. When she grew up, she wanted to do the type of work that would contribute to medical advances that would help pups like her little brother. She knew Henri was starting to feel different and worried that he would become lonely. She’d already seen kids react strangely to him at the park and worried about him getting teased—especially at school. But her parents often reminded her that she’s a wonderful big sister, but she shouldn’t worry so much. Henri was doing great, after all, and he definitely knew how much she loved him. He especially appreciated the comic books Scarlett often brought home, as both pups were avid readers. As Scarlett’s mom showed the pups how to eat a pomegranate, Scarlett and Henri laughed as red juice squirted all over their dad’s chin!

Heading Back to School

The next morning, Scarlett told Henri and her dad about the new classroom during their walk toward school.

“That’s fantastic!” said her dad. He was glad the school had taken Ricci’s condition so seriously. “You know, your grandpa had asthma and it was a real problem—he couldn’t do a lot of the things he wanted to, like become a soldier. They didn’t understand his condition back then nor have much in the way of medicine,” said her father.

“Wow, I didn’t know that,” said Scarlett. “I guess asthma is more common than I thought, if my own grandpa had it,” she thought to herself.

When she and Cora entered the classroom, she decided the room was actually kind of nice. The new yellow paint was pretty and it had a fresher smell than she remembered. As the pups streamed in, she saw Ricci take his regular seat. He seemed self-conscious as he looked around the class. But he smiled when the other pups were uncharacteristically friendly to him, and he seemed more relaxed as he took his seat. And when Mr. Flock dashed into the room and set a delicious-smelling pie on his desk,

he had each of the pups’ attention.

“Today,” said Mr. Flock, “we begin our lesson in geometry. Oh, and we will also be eating this delicious pie!” he added, to the pups’ amazement.

Hurt Feelings

Over the next several days, school seemed to be pretty much back to normal. Scarlett learned about various angles and how to use a protractor, studied English literature and socialized with her Puppy Pack. Each day she ate lunch with her usual group: Cora, Jacob, Emily, Tess and Zach. They were great buddies who giggled at all sorts of silly things. During recess, Scarlett usually hung-out with Cora and Emily because they all loved to jump rope. But the days were getting colder, so one day Scarlett decided to spend recess in the library where she could warm-up with a book. It had been four days since the classroom changes and Scarlett thought things were fine. But, as she was heading toward the library, she heard a few boys talking in the corner of the hall.

“It’s his fault we can’t have a class pet. It’s not fair,” said one of them.

“Yeah, and I liked the classroom better before. Now it’s not even like a real classroom,” said another.

When Scarlett heard the boys, she was immediately worried, as they were obviously not happy about the changes and were blaming Ricci. She didn’t like the way this made her feel, but she figured the boys would adjust to the changes just like everyone else. But as she and Cora were getting ready to walk home after school that day, she heard the same two boys once again. But this time it was worse—they were teasing Ricci!

She heard one of them say, “Hey, Ricci-Sicky, thanks for wrecking the classroom!”

Scarlett was outraged and intervened in his defense, but this only made them tease

Ricci more. Scarlett and Cora turned right back around and went to speak with Mr. Flock.

They found Mr. Flock packing-up his things in the classroom. Scarlett told him about the teasing and how much it upset her. Mr. Flock was equally concerned; plus, he felt somewhat responsible since he took part in changing the classroom. He was afraid he hadn’t done enough to explain the situation to the students, but that he absolutely would not tolerate teasing. The three of them brainstormed about what to do and came-up with a plan they felt good about.

On her walk home, Scarlett felt both excited and nervous as she thought about how things would go the next day. When she arrived home, she quickly got to work on her computer. When Henri came in later and asked what she was typing, she said, “Oh, just some boring homework.” But what she was writing was far more important to her than homework.

Scarlett and Mr. Flock Take Action

The next morning, Mr. Flock arrived well before everyone else. There was a HUGE, empty fish tank on the side of the class and the words “Tease-Free Zone” written on the whiteboard. As the kids arrived, there was a lot of murmuring about what Mr. Flock was up to this time.

“Good morning, class,” said Mr. Flock cheerfully. “This morning we will be doing something a little bit different.”

Immediately, several paws shot-up wanting to know about the giant, empty fish tank.

“Hold on, pups; we’ll get to that later,” he answered. “We have three things on our agenda this morning: 1) A continued discussion about asthma with a little help from Nurse Livingston; 2) A discussion about the type of class and school environment we want here at Pine Grove; and 3) Yes, the tank!” said Mr. Flock.

Shortly thereafter, Nurse Livingston, the school’s senior nurse, entered the class. She was short and roundish with a stern expression. But any pup who’d ever felt ill and went to see her knew that she was gentle and had a heart of gold. Once Mr. Flock turned the class over to the nurse, she began a more detailed discussion about asthma. She talked about the breathing difficulties they had discussed before. She then noted that “Asthma has no known cause and that it’s no one’s fault if they have it. And how common do you think it is?”

One pup responded by saying that it was “Probably pretty rare.” But Nurse Livingston went to the white board and wrote “3 MILLION+” in big, red letters.

“This is how many people are diagnosed with asthma each year. How many of you know someone with asthma…besides Ricci?” asked Nurse Livingston.

More than half of the pups raised their paws.

“That’s right; it’s quite common indeed. As a nurse, I see it all the time,” she said.

She went on to describe the different variations of the disorder, noting that “Many individuals have asthma and no one even knows. But, for others, it’s quite serious. And very scary.”

Nurse Livingston showed a brief film where several pups described what an asthma attack felt like, noting the terrifying moments when they couldn’t catch their breath. The film also taught the pups more facts about the disorder. After the film, Nurse Livingston discussed treatment options for asthma and noted that there was not a cure, but there were ways to manage it. She described how asthma is made worse by various pollutants such as mold, dust, viruses, pet dander, certain chemicals and more.

“And there’s one more really important thing I want you to know: The changes made in this classroom will benefit EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU, even Mr. Flock! Along with removing the carpet, old paint, chalk and other things, we now have an air purifier,” she said, pointing to a white machine in the corner.

Scarlett realized the machine was making a quiet buzzing noise.

“The air purifier takes-in nasty germs, dust and other types of gunk none of us should breathe. How many pups have allergies?” asked Nurse Livingston.

Seven pups raised their paws.

“Well, our healthy classroom will be better for allergies and will make each of you less likely to get sick. How about that?!” she said.

The class was smiling and generally pleased with the idea of less colds. Ricci, who looked uncomfortable at the beginning of her discussion, was also smiling.

“I need to get back to the clinic, but does anyone have any questions?” asked Nurse

Livingston.

And, for once, no paws were raised.

Scarlett and Henri Share Their Stories

Once the nurse left, Mr. Flock stood-up and said, “On to the next item on our agenda. Scarlett, the floor is all yours.”

Scarlett, who was wearing her favorite purple velvet bow on her head, took a deep breath and walked to the front of the class. She held a sheet of paper in front of her and cleared her throat. Scarlett was smart—there was no doubt about that. But she wasn’t used to public speaking and was a bit nervous. But she knew this was important, so she gathered her wits and began speaking.

“Hello, everyone. I want to talk to you about someone who’s really special in my life: my little brother, Henri. Some of you have met Henri or maybe seen him around the neighborhood, but few of you really know him. He’s five years old, really hilarious, creative, kind of obnoxious, athletic and so sweet. Henri was born deaf. He’s never heard a single sound. Henri is the most cheerful little kid I’ve ever known. He loves to tell jokes, read comic books and to swing on the monkey bars. Aside from my parents, Henri’s taught me more about life than anybody. He’s starting to realize that he’s different than other kids. Sometimes I see pups staring at him or whispering behind his back. I’ve seen adults talk to him like he’s a baby. And I know he wants to make more friends. But he doesn’t let these things get him down, and he’s always ready to lend a hand to someone in need. Just last week, he told my dad he was worried about our old neighbor lady because of the snowy sidewalk. So, the two of them shoveled and salted it for her.

“Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that he’s a great little guy, and when other pups judge him, it makes me sad because they aren’t seeing who he really is. He can do anything other kids can do; and even does some things better—like running fast, playing catch and swimming. And he’s a great reader. I’ve been thinking a lot about my little brother

lately because I worry about how he will be treated when he starts school next year. I want him to feel welcome at school and for his personality to shine as bright here as it does at home. Anyway, this is mostly what I wanted to say. But now I’d like to do one more thing…” she said.

Scarlett waved through the door window and Henri walked in with their parents.

“Class, I’d like you to meet Henri!”

The girls in the class let out a collective “Ooooh,” with one girl adding “He’s SO cute!”

And he certainly was cute. Henri walked over to his sister with a giant smile that was lacking a front tooth. He had a little sparkle in his eye and seemed happy to be there. Then he started signing to the class while Scarlett interpreted: “Hi. I’m Henri. Scarlett said to come here. I’m five.”

Then he looked at Scarlett as if not sure what else to say. She signed something and he continued: “I cannot hear, but I read lips. I LOVE superheroes. Sometimes kids stare at me. I wish they would come play with me instead. I love to play.”

He paused for a moment and then added, “And I love my big sis! And cupcakes.” Henri paused for a second and then signed, “Knock knock…”

“Who’s there?” said the class.

“Doughnut,” he answered.

“Doughnut who?” responded the class.

Henri had a silly grin on his face as he signed, “Doughnut pull my tail or I’ll bite you!”

As he said this, he made a funny growly face. As the class was giggling, Henri signed “Bye-bye!”

And that was that. He turned and left the room with his parents following. The students were smiling at how adorable he was and the funny way he abruptly left the room. He was as silly as any other 5-year-old.

“So, that’s little Henri,” said Scarlett. “He has always been unique because he’s deaf, but he’s still just a little kid who feels lonely when other kids make fun of him. I wanted you to see how great he is and to maybe think about him if you ever see someone who seems different. He has so much to offer. He’s an advanced reader and knows more about Spiderman than probably anyone alive! And because of him, I know sign language! Anyway, thank you for listening.”

As she began heading back to her seat, Mr. Flock said, “Does anyone have any questions for Scarlett?”

Several paws shot up and each pup asked various questions about Henri, but most of

them wanted to know more about sign language.

“What’s the sign for ‘banana?’” asked one pup.

“Can you teach us our names?” asked another.

“How did you learn all of those signs?” asked a third.

Scarlett answered patiently until Mr. Flock said, “Okay, let’s give Scarlett a big hand for sharing with us today!”

The class clapped enthusiastically as Scarlett took her seat.

The Tease-Free Zone

Mr. Flock continued with the second item on his agenda: teasing. At this point, the class was so taken with Henri that they were ready to think about the impact of teasing on other pups.

Mr. Flock started the discussion with “Have any of you ever been teased?”

At first, just a few pups raised their paws, including Ricci and two girls. But Mr. Flock waited patiently, and eventually more than half of the class had a paw in the air. Mr. Flock asked the students how the teasing made them feel.

Ricci shyly spoke-up, saying, “It makes me feel really sad, but also confused about what to do. I think I’m a nice pup who is lots of fun to play with, and I don’t want to just be thought of as ‘the pup with the asthma.’”

The class was quiet for a moment as they took in Ricci’s words.

“Thank you, Ricci,” said Mr. Flock. “Everyone in this class has something unique and special about them. Some of you have brown eyes; others have curly tails. Some have glasses and others are extra tall. I’d like each of you to think of something about yourself that makes you different. Really envision it. Then imagine being teased about that one thing and how that would make you feel.”

After helping the pups to feel more empathy and compassion toward others, Mr. Flock talked about pups who tease others and asked the class why they might do this.

Scarlett said, “It’s because they don’t feel good about themselves.”

“Yes, that’s often the case with teasers,” said Mr. Flock. “They see someone who’s different and are afraid. When they put that pup down, it makes them feel superior. And they also often enjoy the reaction,” he added.

Mr. Flock spoke about the importance of kindness and acceptance, and then referred to the whiteboard and said, “This class is a TEASE-FREE ZONE. We respect each other and work as a community to build-up and support one another. We will carry these behaviors toward our fellow classmates with us at recess, lunch and everywhere else we go. If we see one of our community members being teased, we will speak-up.”

He continued to talk about the “Tease-free Zone” and then discussed how to avoid being teased and what to do if this does happen (i.e., ignore it, use humor, talk to your parents, etc.). The class was really involved in the conversation, with many pups sharing personal stories of their own. Even the two pups who had teased Ricci contributed to the conversation.

When they had finished their discussion, Mr. Flock said, “And now for our third item on the agenda!”

Mr. Flock and His Fish

“There’s something you probably don’t know about old Mr. Flock,” he began. “When I was in college, I worked at a saltwater fish store. At first, I just cleaned the tanks, but over time, I developed a lot of knowledge about saltwater fish and how to care for them. And I also began to really love the beautiful creatures. At home, I have three big tanks. Each once is its own colorful and harmonious community.”

Mr. Flock then turned on the slide projector and showed pictures of all sorts of interesting fish, including a bright orange pufferfish named “Stanley,” a dwarf angelfish named “Ruby,” a majestic lionfish named “Abercrombie,” a cranky looking yellow washman goby fish named “Mimi,” and—Scarlett’s favorite—a fascinating-looking fish called “Jax,” who Mr. Flock said was a lawnmower blenny who helped to keep the tank clean. He showed them photos of shrimp, seahorses and all sorts of colorful coral.

“Along with being pretty, you know what I really love about my tanks? Each one is a community where every single creature is unique and special, of all different shapes and sizes. But they live amongst each other peacefully. And I find watching them and listening to the humming of the tank to be soothing,” said Mr. Flock.

The pups were enamored by Mr. Flock’s fish—especially Stanley, who seemed to be smiling at them.

“So, here’s what we’re going to do: We are going to take that giant, empty tank and create a community. We will work together to decide how it will look and who will live there. And when the tank is ready, each one of you will get to adopt your own fish. You will get to name the fish and teach us all about him or her. The whole class will take turns feeding the fish, and I will show you how we will keep the tank healthy for our new community. What do you think?” asked Mr. Flock.

The students were beside themselves with excitement, blurting-out all sorts of ideas and questions.

“One at a time, pups,” said Mr. Flock, smiling. “First, let’s get our classroom community on track. I want to see positivity and kindness toward each other every single day. And, while we create our supportive classroom community, I will work on getting the tank set-up. And then we will get to work on picking-out our fish. My hope is that, by the end of the month, we will set-out on a field trip to the giant saltwater fish store downtown. Everyone in favor of this plan, say ‘Aye.’”

And, of course, the whole class broke-out into such a loud “AYE!!” that Mr. Flock had to shoosh them so they didn’t disturb the other classrooms. But it was a happy “shoosh” as he was truly proud of his plan and thrilled to see such enthusiastic students.

A Community of Kindness

When Scarlett and Cora were grabbing their coats after school, they heard Ricci and a couple of boys talking.

One of the boys said, “I’m sorry for being mean to you.”

“Me too,” said the other one.

Ricci answered with, “It’s okay. Hey, do you want to see my new skateboard?!”

Scarlett smiled as she heard the other boys say, “Awesome!” She knew things were going to be different now.

That evening, Scarlett told her family all about what happened at school that day. She really wanted Henri to know how much they appreciated and liked him, which made Henri very happy. Scarlett told her family, especially her brother, all that she had learned about why teasing happens and what to do when it does. And she told them about the new tank, which her parents thought was a brilliant idea. Henri did too and immediately began begging his parents for a giant saltwater tank! To which they

responded, “Maybe someday. For now, let’s just focus on taking care of each other and Mumford,” said their mom, pointing at their dark-blue betta fish.

“Now, off to bed, both of you!” added their dad.

The two pups, as well as the rest of Scarlett’s class, went to bed that evening thinking about all that they had learned that day, while also imagining the type of fish they would like to adopt. Mr. Flock’s plan worked like a charm. The students became more kind and accepting toward each other, and when conflicts did arise, they worked things out respectfully. On a few occasions when pups from other classes engaged in teasing during recess, Mr. Flock’s students stepped-in without hesitation. They had become a peaceful and supportive community. Ricci and Felix were still BFFs, but Scarlett’s Puppy Pack had also welcomed Ricci on all sorts of fun outings. Zach, who loved sports, invited Ricci to play miniature golf, and Jacob showed Ricci his beloved camera. Emily, who had dealt with her own shyness, taught Ricci some coping techniques of her own. Over time, Ricci gained more self-confidence and began to feel like he truly fit in.

When their brilliant and beautiful aquarium was completed six weeks later, students from all over the school came by to admire it. But the first visitor from outside the school was Henri, who beamed when he saw the gorgeous tank, and especially when

Scarlett pointed-out her fish—an adorable blue and orange tailspot blenny she named “Hank.” Scarlett nearly toppled over when Henri gave her a giant hug! Over time, Henri taught the Puppy Pack the sign for every fish in the tank, as well as all sorts of other things. And Mr. Flock’s class became a model for other teachers who decided to set up their own supportive, tease-free communities.

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