Auckland international school utilises SPCA’s education resources

SPCA is not just about rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals.

A huge part of our role lies in education – not just helping members of the public with understanding their responsibilities in regards to their pet’s welfare, but teaching the younger generation what animals need to be happy and healthy, and how to become caring animal guardians.

By inspiring kindness and compassion towards animals in young New Zealanders, we can prevent cruelty in the long-term.

Our education programme is set up to engage young Kiwis with everything they need to learn about important animal welfare topics.

Our online portals allow learners and their teachers to access our resources, regardless of where they live. SPCA's Teachers’ Portal is for early learning through to year nine teachers, providing innovative resources in line with Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, and the New Zealand Curriculum.

This goes hand-in-hand with our SPCA Kids’ Portal, where students can delve into project-based learning – not just in the classroom, but anywhere they can access the internet!

SPCA also has various Instructional Readers. These are storybooks based on real-life animal welfare stories told through the eyes of children, which not only help improve reading skills, but teach tamariki how to care for animals at the same time. They have been provided free to every primary and intermediate school across the country, and are also available to purchase online.

Just one of the schools that has been utilising SPCA’s education resources is École Française Internationale Auckland. We spoke with their teacher and Deputy Principal, Élodie Rodriguez, to find out more about their experiences with our resources and how the children have been engaging with them. Read on to learn more about their experience!

Before joining École Française Internationale Auckland, I worked as a Head Teacher in an early childhood centre, where I regularly used SPCA Education resources to prepare young children to be safe and confident around dogs. I found these materials incredibly helpful in supporting tamariki who were either very excited or fearful when encountering dogs — in both cases, it was essential to teach them how to approach animals calmly and respectfully.

Now, as a teacher in a new international school, I’ve naturally continued using these fantastic resources. Our school is deeply committed to nurturing values such as kindness, empathy, and responsibility from the earliest years. The SPCA Education Programme fits beautifully with our philosophy and has supported our unit on animal care — especially with the recent arrival of Fudge, my puppy, who is now 21 weeks old. Fudge is a White Swiss Shepherd and our beloved school mascot. He visits the children twice a month, and his presence has made the learning even more engaging, practical, and memorable.

Importantly, the SPCA resources also align closely with our French curriculum, which places a strong emphasis on social-emotional development, daily physical activity, and environmental awareness. I’ve designed a cross-curricular programme that integrates the SPCA learning into a wide range of areas — including language learning, science, art, and wellbeing — making the lessons even more meaningful and accessible to our diverse group of learners.

They love it! The SPCA Education resources have sparked curiosity, empathy, and lots of lively discussion in our classroom. The students now confidently talk about how to care for a dog, from choosing healthy food and understanding what’s dangerous (like chocolate or candy), to recognising the importance of exercise, sleep, and visits to the vet.

They’ve also learned how to behave safely and kindly around dogs — including the importance of using a calm voice, gentle hands, and respecting a dog’s personal space. They’ve practised how to approach Fudge slowly, how to invite a dog to play, and how to understand when a dog might want space. These skills have not only helped them build confidence but have also fostered deeper emotional intelligence and compassion.

Yes — the lesson content focused on responsible pet ownership, healthy vs. harmful food, animal communication, and care routines was especially helpful. It provided clear, age-appropriate explanations that we could reinforce through both classroom activities and Fudge’s visits.

The SPCA Kids’ Portal has also been a valuable visual tool, offering accessible content that sparked meaningful conversations, storytelling, and even artwork inspired by the animals featured.

I’d say: "en route"! The SPCA Education programme is not only easy to use and beautifully designed — it helps build the foundation for lifelong values of empathy, kindness, and respect. It also provides countless opportunities for cross-curricular integration, especially for younger learners. Whether you're exploring science, literacy, art, or social studies, these resources can be adapted in powerful, age-appropriate ways.

Élodie recently won an SPCA prize pack for her class, by entering our recent prize draw where we asked teachers to share feedback on our Teachers’ Portal. Thank you to our wonderful supporters, EUGY by dodoland, who provided prizes.

We’ve so grateful to Élodie, and to every other individual who engages with our Education Programme. Through education, we can help break the cycle of neglect and cruelty.