H.O. Brittingham students learn all about dogs

One Cape district elementary school has gone to the dogs - literally!

Second- through fifth-graders in the Learning Through the Arts after-school program at H.O. Brittingham Elementary School in Milton spent the semester learning about dog care, dog safety, and dog rescue, and they rehearsed and performed Disney’s "101 Dalmatians for Kids" April 1.

As part of the after-school program, students met two rescued Dalmatians, owned by Jim and Rain Tyler of Georgetown, and learned about dog rescue programs. In addition, students researched topics related to dog care, dog breeds, and dog training using iPads, and each created an electronic book from their research.

The students also spearheaded a fundraising campaign for the Sussex Chapter of the Delaware SPCA and collected Pennies for Paws in a school-wide effort to help abandoned animals. The students collected $324 to donate to the SPCA and received donations of food, bedding, toys, treats, and other dog-care supplies for the local shelter as well. H.O.B. teachers Adrienne Wingate, Nina Wilkerson, and Sherry Wells coordinated both the research and the fundraising efforts.

The students also performed the musical "101 Dalmatians" for their classmates and families in two performances April 1.

The program is a 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, a partnership between H.O. Brittingham Elementary and Clear Space Theatre Company in Rehoboth. Funded by a 21CCLC federal grant, the after-school program attracted more than 80 students who spent one day a week in literacy classes and one day a week in musical theater classes.