Teacher’s Pets Help With Quake Lesson

Two border collies and a tale about how they survived the 1994 Northridge earthquake kept the children at Christian Nursery School spellbound Monday.

The story of Sammy and Rosie’s reactions during the devastating temblor was told by their master, Trisha Pfeiffer of Valley Village.

Pfeiffer, author of a short story called “Sammy and Rosie in the Land of Rock ‘N Roll,” said the reading was intended to help educate the youngsters about earthquake preparedness.

Maggie Hollis, director at the school, said young children may become confused during an earthquake.

“It’s for preschoolers who sometimes might not get what they need to do during an earthquake from what we tell them,” she said. “This way it’s learning by interaction.”

The story begins with Sammy saying that “everything started shaking worse than a wet dog on a cold night.” The story reveals what the dogs did to stay safe.

The maxim “duck, cover and hold” is repeated often.

There are many reminders about keeping supplies such as flashlights, bottled water and a radio with extra batteries handy.

The story tells children what they can do after an earthquake, such as sharing feelings with family members.

“We think this is an important issue,” Pfeiffer said. “When you have kids, your life changes and little things like this become an important issue.”