Beamer - Classroom Assistance Dog
Donation protected
Hello! My name is Beth Keane and I am a special needs teacher at Nathaniel Morton Elementary School, in America's Hometown of Plymouth, MA. I am asking for your financial support for Beamer, the Assistance Dog that joined my classroom this. My self-contained classroom serves children between the ages of eight and twelve that have significant special needs. My children come from all over the town of Plymouth and present with unique sets of talents and challenges. Two qualities they all have is a tremendous amount of love to share and the desire to succeed. How each child achieves success is vastly different.
I applied for classroom therapy dog through the NEADS (Dogs for Deaf and Disabled American) Program in March of last year. Our classroom was quickly approved and we were matched with a 20 month old, yellow lab named Beamer. This summer I attended six days of training at the NEADS Program in Princeton,MA. As part of this process,I passed a national accreditation test in order to utilize Beamer within our classroom.
Since 1976, the NEADS program has been matching people with disabilities with assistance dogs. More recently they have begun training dogs for special classrooms. These dogs become extensions of the children themselves and encourage connections with general education peers and a renewed sense of independence. More information about the NEADS program can be found at www.NEADS.org!
Adding a therapy dog as a member of our classroom family has given me a new way to reach my most challenging students. The way children, especially those with challenges, interact with animals is far different than the way they interact with people. The unique interaction between child and therapy dog enables the special needs child to: create bonds faster, relax more quickly, and build bridges connecting them to their typical peers. In the words of my students, having a specially trained canine friend in our classroom will: "give us someone to share our scariest secrets with, give us someone to read with that will never correct us but just love our voices and help us to make new friends on the playground." Having this special opportunity will help my students in achieving their best! Beamer is also helping my children with physical challenges to use both sides of their bodies, walk independently through the hallways, navigate the stairs and build their endurance. For my children with speech deficits, in order to have Beamer understand commands, the children have to speak in loud, clear voices. Even within the past three weeks, I have seen children “finding their voices” in ways that I have never seen before.
In addition to working within our classroom everyday, we are always looking for innovative ways to use Beamer throughout the school system. Beamer has visited the CARE Program at West Elementary School (Emotionally Impaired Program), our High School ASD Program and has taken part in lesson for other classrooms within our building on disability awareness and the use of assistance dogs within the community. Beamer recently had the opportunity to participate in the Halloween Talent and Costume Contest at Plymouth South High School. Beamer, myself and my daughter Kyilee performed an adapted version of the Wizard of Oz. In this version, Dorothy was injured in the tornado and had to negotiate her journey down the yellow brick road in a wheelchair. Fortunately she had her loyal assistance dog, Beamer, with her who helped her meet every challenge and make her way to the Emerald City. Participation in this event provided a teachable moment not only about the skill level and purpose of assistance dogs but about the challenges that people with physical handicaps face on a daily basis.
Beamer also travels with the Plymouth Rocks Special Olympic Team for both practices and games. We have found that Beamer’s presence at these events draws people who to our athletes and students would otherwise be afraid to approach. Beamer has provided common ground on which to begin to build relationships between our special needs athletes and students and the community within which they live.
In the past few weeks, the Plymouth has lit up with excitement about Beamer and what he has been accomplishing. Feature articles both within the Old Colony Memorial and the Patriot Ledger have provided glimpses into his everyday life at Nathaniel Morton. For a more in depth look at Beamer’s contributions to his classroom, please view the video at the following link: https://vimeo.com/143771690.
As part of the NEADS program, participants are required to raise a total of $9,500. This money is used to defray the cost of raising and training the dogs through the first 20 months of their life - a $25,000 expense. My students and I have taken on this challenge and are striving to meet our goal. Please consider helping us by donating.
My students and I are truly committed to making Beamer a permanent part of our classroom community! We are extremely grateful for donations of any amount!
Thank you!
Beth and the students in Room 201
I applied for classroom therapy dog through the NEADS (Dogs for Deaf and Disabled American) Program in March of last year. Our classroom was quickly approved and we were matched with a 20 month old, yellow lab named Beamer. This summer I attended six days of training at the NEADS Program in Princeton,MA. As part of this process,I passed a national accreditation test in order to utilize Beamer within our classroom.
Since 1976, the NEADS program has been matching people with disabilities with assistance dogs. More recently they have begun training dogs for special classrooms. These dogs become extensions of the children themselves and encourage connections with general education peers and a renewed sense of independence. More information about the NEADS program can be found at www.NEADS.org!
Adding a therapy dog as a member of our classroom family has given me a new way to reach my most challenging students. The way children, especially those with challenges, interact with animals is far different than the way they interact with people. The unique interaction between child and therapy dog enables the special needs child to: create bonds faster, relax more quickly, and build bridges connecting them to their typical peers. In the words of my students, having a specially trained canine friend in our classroom will: "give us someone to share our scariest secrets with, give us someone to read with that will never correct us but just love our voices and help us to make new friends on the playground." Having this special opportunity will help my students in achieving their best! Beamer is also helping my children with physical challenges to use both sides of their bodies, walk independently through the hallways, navigate the stairs and build their endurance. For my children with speech deficits, in order to have Beamer understand commands, the children have to speak in loud, clear voices. Even within the past three weeks, I have seen children “finding their voices” in ways that I have never seen before.
In addition to working within our classroom everyday, we are always looking for innovative ways to use Beamer throughout the school system. Beamer has visited the CARE Program at West Elementary School (Emotionally Impaired Program), our High School ASD Program and has taken part in lesson for other classrooms within our building on disability awareness and the use of assistance dogs within the community. Beamer recently had the opportunity to participate in the Halloween Talent and Costume Contest at Plymouth South High School. Beamer, myself and my daughter Kyilee performed an adapted version of the Wizard of Oz. In this version, Dorothy was injured in the tornado and had to negotiate her journey down the yellow brick road in a wheelchair. Fortunately she had her loyal assistance dog, Beamer, with her who helped her meet every challenge and make her way to the Emerald City. Participation in this event provided a teachable moment not only about the skill level and purpose of assistance dogs but about the challenges that people with physical handicaps face on a daily basis.
Beamer also travels with the Plymouth Rocks Special Olympic Team for both practices and games. We have found that Beamer’s presence at these events draws people who to our athletes and students would otherwise be afraid to approach. Beamer has provided common ground on which to begin to build relationships between our special needs athletes and students and the community within which they live.
In the past few weeks, the Plymouth has lit up with excitement about Beamer and what he has been accomplishing. Feature articles both within the Old Colony Memorial and the Patriot Ledger have provided glimpses into his everyday life at Nathaniel Morton. For a more in depth look at Beamer’s contributions to his classroom, please view the video at the following link: https://vimeo.com/143771690.
As part of the NEADS program, participants are required to raise a total of $9,500. This money is used to defray the cost of raising and training the dogs through the first 20 months of their life - a $25,000 expense. My students and I have taken on this challenge and are striving to meet our goal. Please consider helping us by donating.
My students and I are truly committed to making Beamer a permanent part of our classroom community! We are extremely grateful for donations of any amount!
Thank you!
Beth and the students in Room 201
Organizer
Beth Keane
Organizer
Plymouth, MA