NEED TO KNOW
We look forward to your participation in the read events on Our Calendar! You will find all the events listed on the Calendar in our Meetup webpage. Details about our participating schools and libraries are included in Upcoming meetups on the same website. Refer to Our Events for information about schools and libraries.
See Spot Read Calendar is not an organization or program. It is a loosely affiliated group of volunteers, who have, along with their canine companion(s), been certified to practice therapy dog work through a nationally recognized therapy dog organization. We follow a common calendar of events which is posted on the See Spot Read Meetup.
Each certified volunteer represents their therapy dog organization and must follow the rules of their specific certifying organization on all visits. Also, each volunteer team is covered for insurance liability through their certifying organization. Volunteers come from many distinct therapy dog organizations, among them: Therapy Dogs International, Pet Partners, Alliance for Therapy, Canines for Therapy (a NC group), and Love on a Leash. The See Spot Read Meetup is not an organization and assumes no liability for volunteer teams who choose to participate.
Please take a look at Why I do this? which features some of our volunteers. Why have they invested their time in visiting the schools and libraries to help Wake County kids advance in their reading skills and to cultivate a love of reading? Take a look and find out! We hope these statements will motivate you to get involved and participate actively.
You can listen to this page by clicking on the Play icon.
How Events Work
The following breaks down the process for attending an event.
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Register for Meetup.com and join the See Spot Read Calendar
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Complete the profile questions fully
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View Our Calendar for up-to-date information
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RSVP to attend an event
If you need to cancel, please change your RSVP.
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Check Upcoming Meetups for
information on the facility, parking, etc. -
Please plan to arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled time, so dogs and volunteers can meet outside before an event.
After you have registered and fully complete the Profile Questions, you may wish to bookmark this page for easy access. The SSR Calendar provides the most current information on our read events. It is a good idea to always check the calendar before heading out for an event, in the case of changes, e.g. cancellations.
Note: In the event of inclement weather, where school is canceled or delayed, there are no SSR events. For libraries, always call ahead to ensure the event is still running.
Our Purpose
The purpose of our SSR Calendar is to provide reading events for volunteers to provide a safe, fun and educational experience that brings certified therapy dogs and kids together to enhance reading skills in the schools and regional libraries in Wake County. An adjunct benefit is that children learn to interact in an appropriate manner with our canine companions and see that these dogs can be great friends and helpers.
Here are some benefits of the read events for children and their families:
Children....
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improve their reading skills in a safe, and fun environment
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build their self-confidence in reading
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feel a sense of pride in their accomplishments in reading
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recognize that they have the potential to improve their grades with strengthened reading skills
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interact with canines in a respectful and kind manner
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overcome the fear of dogs by working with a calm and gentle certified therapy dog
On all visits, volunteers and their canine companion(s) must always wear proof of therapy dog certification from their nationally recognized organization. It is within a school or library's right to ask volunteers to show their current certification documents.
Example Profile Questions
Please sign up with both first and last names.
Jane Doe or John Doe
Are you currently Therapy Certified and with what Therapy Organization?
Yes, My Therapy Org
How often and when do you plan on being able to volunteer?
Tell us about your schedule, weekdays, weekends, etc.
What part of Wake County are you interested in volunteering with?
You can list towns, or regions, and schools or libraries.
Please add a short bio of why you are interested in the See Spot Read Calendar and a little about your companion therapy dog.
How long have you been certified. Dogs favorite toys or activities. Why you are looking to volunteer with us.
Introduction
Short introduction to you and your dog.
Preparing for a Visit
Please review the document on Preparing for a Visit. The Conducting a Session document provides useful information on what to expect on your visits.
Also, although the children will often come with their books at schools and libraries, you may want to take a few of your books in case the child has a book, not at the appropriate reading level. Please see the Recommended Books list.
Rewards for Participants
Many of the kids, teachers, and parents are thankful for the time you spend with them. Some volunteers choose to give kids rewards, such as bookmarks with their dogs' photo on them. Some children delight in collecting these. It is in no way obligatory to give out rewards for reading with therapy teams. It is up to you.
If you want to give out stickers or other items, Stone School Supply offers many possibilities.
For instructions on how you can order bookmarks, see Ordering Bookmark on the good to know page.
About Photographs
Please secure permission from the parent or teacher before taking photos of students in the schools and libraries.
Teachers will know who can and who cannot be photographed.
In the libraries, please be careful and do not take photos without permission from parents. You must follow the rules of your therapy dog organization regarding taking/displaying photos. The names of children should never be used.
We cannot post any photos on our webpage and/or Facebook without the authorization from parents. Also, always ask permission to photograph other volunteers.
Attending Events
Be sure you have RSVP'd for any events you attend.
If you need to cancel, please change your RSVP, to allow anyone in the Wait List to participate.
Check the SSR Calendar before heading out to see who your fellow volunteers are and verify nothing had changed since you signed up.
Please be on time - this means meeting your co-volunteer teams about 15 minutes before, outside the event. Early arrival gives everyone a chance to introduce themselves and the dogs the opportunity to get used to one another.
Wait Lists
We have many dedicated volunteers and are continually bringing on more. Each event has an automatic wait list once the available slots are filled. Should all the slots be filled when you look at the event, be sure to add yourself to the waitlist. Plans can often change and we want to make sure our events have adequate coverage and our volunteers get to participate.
Think Ahead
To protect you and your dog, never be alone with a child without a librarian, teacher, parent, or another volunteer(s) present.