To Whom It May Concern:

Mr. C. W. Meisterfeld provided a program on the proper approach to handling dogs at our Twenty-Seventh District Parents-Teachers Association meeting on January 6, 1988.

Mr. Meisterfeld was seeking the opinion of this group of parents (10) and educators (4) as to the need and appropriateness of such information as he could provide to fulfill a California Education Code requirement to include instruction in the proper care and handling of pets. He was advised to address this particular group by Dr. Donald DeMartini, Superintendent of the Ukiah Unified School District.

The following is a consensus of what the group felt about the program.

1. It is important, even necessary to the safety of children, that the facts contained in Mr. Meisterfeld's presentation be made available to pupils in our elementary schools.

2. To the extent that current instructional materials don't adequately or accurately address the problem, they should be replaced or at least eliminated from curriculum libraries in our schools.

3. Mr Meisterfeld's presentation is best suited for the following audiences in this order:

Teachers and Administrators
Parents
Children

To be most effective for young children, Mr. Meisterfeld's program needs more visual support. I understand that he is preparing a video-tape which will depict his work with animals. With properly designed narration aimed at the vocabulary and interest level of primary youngsters, a video-tape with follow-up discussion by a teacher trained by Mr. Meisterfeld would be the most desirable form of instruction in the subject. Finally, the learning's from such classroom instruction would gain even more impact if the information could be shared with parents either through pamphlets or programs at local P T A units.

Respectfully,

Luis G. Delsol
Formerly Mendocino County Superintendent of Schools