My Visit to Cantiague Elementary School

This was one of my most favorite events. Visiting Cantiague was very special because I was invited by my cousin Daniel! He couldn’t wait to have me come meet his kindergarten friends. There are no kids with hearing loss in Daniel’s class, but he told everyone about his big sister, Julie, who has two cochlear implants. Did you know Mel combined parts of both Julie and me to create Sophie’s Tales? Mel went into the classroom to read with the kids. Daniel got to sit right next to her holding the Sophie toys. The classroom was special because it had a backdoor leading right to the blacktop. I stayed out there watching through the window. I could hear that the kids were loving the story because some of them talked about getting their hearing tested just like Sophie did. The funniest part was when they all told stories about the times their dogs had to wear cones after going to the vet! When Mel finished reading it was my turn to get lots of attention! The kids came outside in groups of four to pet me. I surprised some of them by hopping up to give kisses! When we went home, I asked Mel about one special little girl in the class. I learned that she had Down Syndrome which is why she looked a little bit different than the other kids. Mel was proud that I asked her about it to learn more about differences just like in our book when Billy talks to Sophie. I think dogs are great at understanding what makes everyone unique because we come in so many different sizes, colors, and breeds