Local High School Pet Tech Students Teach Mohonasen Elementary Class About Animal Care

Pauline Yearry, a Schoharie High School student in the Pet Tech program at BOCES, recently helped an elementary class from Mohonasen learn about various animals. The animals, ranging from geckos and bearded dragons to canines, are cared for by Pet Tech students. The initiative was led by Career and Technical Education (CTE) Teacher Helen Thompson and her students.

The high school students shared their knowledge on grooming canines, feeding bearded dragons, and caring for geckos, fish, rabbits, and other animals. The elementary students enjoyed the experience, with a fifth-grade student, Joseph, expressing his excitement after petting a bearded dragon named Slick, assisted by Pauline Yearry.

Thompson stated that the experience was beneficial for both the elementary students and her CTE students. The high school students had to prepare and present information about the animals in a way that was understandable to the younger students, enhancing their communication skills.

The Pet Tech program at BOCES, with 30 students currently enrolled, teaches students basic animal care skills such as grooming, washing, and boarding best practices. It also covers customer service, written and spoken communication, office and computer skills, phone etiquette, budgeting and money management, inventory and ordering, advertising, basic accounting, and business math.

This initiative demonstrates how high school students can share their knowledge with younger students, while also improving their own skills. It also showcases the comprehensive nature of the Pet Tech program, which teaches students about animal care and important life skills.

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