Haggeye Jnr and Friends

Haggeye Jnr is RNIB Scotland’s project for children with sight loss aged 5 to 12 years old. Haggeye Jnrs will organise fun activities and events for members, their siblings, parents and carers.

Issue 4

Spring 2017

Welcome!

Hi everyone, and welcome to issue four of Haggeye Jnr and friends. Included in this issue are fun activities, I tell you about my visit to the eye clinic, and Rachael tells us about her life with her Buddy dog.

I hope you enjoy this issue!

Happy reading!

Haggeye Jnr

Section 1: News and Views.

Section 2: Fun facts on Buddy dogs.

Section 3: Funzine (including loose leaf activity sheets).

Section 4: Jnr’s Journal and Top Tips.

Section 5: Friend’s Focus: My Buddy dog.

Section 6: Contact Us.

Section 1: News and Views

We hope you have had a great start to 2017! We had lots of fun at our Education and Family Services 'Shape and Share' event in December. There was face-painting, entertainment from Tickles the clown, popcorn, slushy machine, photo-booth and large games. There was also an opportunity to relax in the quieter sensory rooms.

Members of Haggeye Jnr, Haggeye and their families all joined in on the fun. Santa came and distributed gifts to every young person who attended. The event was a fabulous way to end 2016 and bring in 2017!

Haggeye Jnr is looking forward to all the fantastic events RNIB Scotland has in store for 2017 for children, young people and their families.

We will keep you up-to-date with information on future activities, residentials and 'Shape and Share' events in the coming year.

Section 2: Fun Facts on Buddy dogs

Did you know that you can get a Buddy dog?

A Buddy dog is a dog that didn’t make it as a Guide dog but is then trained to help visually impaired children.

The Buddy dog becomes the child’s friend and gives them the confidence to mix with other people. It helps them understand the responsibility involved in owning a Guide dog.

A Buddy dog wears a blue harness while a Guide dog has a white one.

A school dog is a Buddy dog that is owned by a teacher but is then used at the school for any children who can’t have a Buddy dog in their own home.

Section 3: Funzine

Funzine Jnr puzzle - Swell page enclosed

Can you find Jnr's Buddy dog, harness and dog bowl?

Funzine Draw a Buddy dog- Swell page enclosed

Colour in and decorate your own Buddy dog using pencils, smelly pens and glitter. Why not have fun together and decorate the dog with an adult? Why not add a harness or a bone for your Buddy dog?

Funzine Jokes!

Why are pianos hard to open?

+ Click To Show Punch Line

The keys are inside.

What do giraffes have that no other animal has?

+ Click To Show Punch Line

Baby giraffes.

What do you call a chicken at the North Pole?

+ Click To Show Punch Line

Lost.

Funzine Teasers

What travels around the world and stays in a corner?

+ Click To Show Punch Line

A stamp.

If a dictionary goes from A to Z, what goes from Z to A?

+ Click To Show Punch Line

A zebra.

Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.

Source:www.kids.niehs.nih.gov/games/jokes/index.htm Jan 2017

Funzine Jnr’s Buddy dog quiz

What colour of harness does a Guide dog use?

What is a school dog?

Is a Buddy dog a Guide dog?

How does a Buddy dog help a child?

Answers can be found in Fun Facts!

Section 4: Jnr’s Journal and Top Tips

Recently I had my visit to the eye clinic at the hospital. I was feeling a little apprehensive going to my appointment as I had not been to this particular clinic before.

As I entered the warm hospital, I walked to the outpatient department. I gave my name to the woman at the reception desk. The woman at the desk said “OK, just take a seat and we will be with you in a minute or two.”

I waited and waited, finally calling my name was a female nurse with blue overalls on. She took me to a room where a tall man was seated. He explained that he was called an Ophthalmologist and he would be looking at my eyes.

The Ophthalmologist described what he was going to do; he placed a large torch on his head and told me he was going to shine the torch into my eye; then he picked up one of the tiny magnifying glasses and put it to my eye, FLASH! The torch turned on and all I could see was blue, green and yellow flashes in front of my eyes.

After that he explained he was going to put a cold liquid into my eyes. He instructed me to look up and I felt a cold liquid swirling in my eyes.

I would have to wait in the waiting room while the liquid took effect.

Everything went fuzzy. The nurse took me back to the room with tiny magnifying glasses in it. Once more I heard the Ophthalmologists voice and he checked my eyes again.

The nurse went out of the room and returned with a sticker for me; as my eyes were still fuzzy I could not choose which one I wanted, but the nurse chose one for me and I left with a smile on my face.

Top Tips!

For videos on visiting the eye clinic visit VINCYP's website:

http://www.vincyp.scot.nhs.uk/videos/

Section 5: Friend’s Focus

In this issue of ‘Friend’s Focus’ Rachael Dougan speaks about her Buddy dog - Opal.

My Buddy dog

Hello my name is Rachael Dougan and I am 9 years old, I stay in Port Glasgow with my family and attend St Francis’ Primary School. I was born with an eye condition called Coloboma, I have it in both eyes which has left me partially sighted. Being partially sighted meant that I was able to get help from all different organisations and Guide Dogs was one of them, and that's where I found out about Buddy dogs for children.

Buddy dogs are for children who are blind or partially sighted and they become their companion for life. They cannot help with mobility but they give lots of love and make your life more fun and a lot better.

Opal is the name of my Buddy dog. She is a 3 year-old golden retriever. I have had Opal for 18 months now and she has made me so happy. All my family love her so much. Opal is my perfect match, we do everything together.

Having a Buddy dog is brilliant, it really makes me feel good and gets me out more. Before Opal came to be my buddy I never went outside much. I mostly stayed indoors or in my garden and played with my twin sister Lauren.

Now I am more confident to go places and speak to people when Opal is with me. Opal walks with me to school in the morning and is at the gates waiting on me at home time. All my friends run to see her before they go home, everyone loves her. She has even been into my school to meet my teachers and class mates and she loves getting all the attention from everyone.

Having a Buddy dog is a lot of fun but you have a lot of jobs to do too. I need to spend time grooming Opal daily and doing her obedience which she learned from her Guide dogs training. I also need to measure out her food so she doesn't get too much. We also go out walking twice a day near the woods. Opal gets to free run, that is when she is allowed off the lead to run crazy with me and my sister. Opal enjoys running through streams, she loves the water and getting mucky. Opal really has changed my life and made me happier. She makes me laugh when we are playing, but she also knows if I'm a bit upset so she will come over beside me and cuddle into me to cheer me up.

My Buddy dog is really my best friend and I love her so much.

Section 6: Contact Us

If you want to tell us what you think or just get in touch use the contact details below:

Haggeye Jnr

RNIB Scotland

12-14 Hillside Crescent

Edinburgh

EH7 5EA

0131 652 3140

rnib.org.uk/scotland

facebook.com/RNIBScotland

twitter.com/RNIBScotland

Haggeye Jnr and Friends