In the heart of the busy city of Avonlea, where the sounds of rushing cars never ceased, lived sixteen-year-old Emma. Unlike her classmates, who were often keen on the latest technology, Emma had a preference for knitting (编织) .

Emma’s love for knitting was deeply influenced by her mother, who possessed a skilled and creative touch with needles. Her mother’s passion for knitting and generous spirit of helping others always inspired Emma to follow in her footsteps and take up knitting as a meaningful hobby.

Emma was really good at knitting. She liked to make scarves, gloves, hats and mini bags for her friends as well as her relatives. Her hats were created in a variety of styles and colors, each one unique and full of personality. Whether it was a mini bag or a classic scarf, each knitting work was a carefully crafted masterpiece and a unique gift full of love and warmth. With beauty and practicality, Emma’s creations never failed to impress.

One freezing morning in the peak of winter, the city had just been blanketed by a snowstorm that had left many, particularly the homeless, in desperate situation. As Emma made her way to school, she noticed a shaking figure under the bridge near her school. It was a homeless man she often saw on her route, but today he looked particularly miserable (可怜的) . His face was half-hidden under a piece of worn cloth that hardly served as protection against the cold. Touched by the sight, Emma decided to present her scarf to the homeless man. She approached, handing the scarf to him.

“For me?” the man asked, his eyes widened with surprise.

“Yes! I thought it might help with the cold,” Emma said, her breath visible in the cold air.

The man wrapped the scarfaround his neck, instantly feeling a bit warmer.

Led by Emma, Knits for Hope Club was started in her school.

One cold windy day, a poor boy tried to pay his way through school by selling goods door to door. Wandering on the street, he was not a successful seller. What's worse, he found that he only had ten cents left. His empty stomach reminded him constantly that for days he hadn't eaten anything. He had no choice but to beg for a meal at the next house.

Hesitantly (犹豫) he knocked at the door, thinking about what to say when it opened. However, he lost his courage when a lovely young woman opened the door. "What can I do for you?" asked the young woman. The boy paused for a while. "Would you please give me some...a drink of water?" the boy dared not look directly into her eyes. She looked at the bony boy and thought he might need something to eat so she brought him a glass of milk. His head rising and small hands taking the cup, he drank it up slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe (欠) you?" "You don't owe me anything, '‘ she replied with a warm smile on her face. " My mother has taught me never to accept pay for a kindness."

Deeply moved, he said sincerely, "Then I shall thank you from the bottom of my heart."

As Howard Kelly left that house, he felt stronger physically, and it also increased his faith in the whole human race. As a matter of fact, he was about to give up and quit before that point.

Years later the young woman became seriously ill. However, the local doctors were unable to give the effective medical treatment. Finally, they sent her to a hospital in the big city, where specialists can be called to cure her rare disease. Among those famous specialists was Dr. Howard Kelly. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately, he rose and went down through the hospital hall into her room.

Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her.

The bill was sent to her room.

I am a volunteer of Story Dogs. Rosie and I began our Story Dogs journey at a local elementary school in Term 2 this year.

Story Dogs is based on the successful American literacy program, Reading Education Assistance Dogs, which was built around the appealing idea of children and young adolescents reading to dogs.

Reading sessions take place in a quiet area of the school grounds, such as the library or outside the classroom. A reading session is about 20 minutes long, where each child is one-on- one with the dog team. Books are chosen to suit the student’s reading level.

Jayon, a Year 2 student, is such a good boy as everyone likes. No one is perfect. Jayon, however, wanted nothing to do with reading! That made Jayon’s teachers and parents feel helpless. His wonderful teacher used all kinds of teaching methods, but none of them improved. At the same time, his parents trembled with his reading performance. Jayon struggled to stay focused, which meant he was disinterested in his school work... until he met Rosie!

When Jayon first came to read with us, I noticed a few things about his reading. For example, he would guess the words and become distracted very easily. He was unable to hold the book still, which would obviously make it difficult for him to read and he would lose interest very quickly, which meant I would have to read to him.

So I came up with a plan. I decided I would hold the book instead and point to each word and helped him to sound the words out instead of guessing. To keep him focused and still, I asked him to pat Rosie’s back, which helped keep his hands busy. Rosie certainly didn’t mind a bit!

Using these methods, Jayon’s reading improved every week! He developed a beautiful bond with Rosie and she would show him so much love and affection! She knew he needed her and it was lovely to watch them together. With weeks passing by, Jayon’s enthusiasm for reading became stronger.

Jayon finally loved reading.

I was told that Jayon would receive the Growth Award at the end of year.