The students in Heather Harrietha’s Junior Kindergarten class are a very kind bunch – to the point they surprised their teacher.
Tasked with donating to the Chatham-Kent animal shelter, the Queen Elizabeth School students went from trying to fill a bin in the classroom to filling a corner of the room with dog and cat food and treats, cleaning supplies and more.
“It’s definitely more than we’d thought we’d get,” Harrietha said.
Myriam Armstrong, in charge of Pet and Wildlife Rescue, the organization running the shelter, was also surprised at how much the class of five year olds raised.
“Are they ever compassionate,” she said.
Armstrong said it is a wonderful trend.
“We hear more and more how kids from age 4 to 18 are asking their parents that instead of getting presents for their birthdays or having a party to donate to the shelter,” she said.
Harrietha said the school held a Random Acts of Kindness month and her students ultimately opted to give to the animal shelter. That idea evolved after a veterinary clinic at the school.
“We asked them what other ways could we help animals and they came up with this,” she said.
It helped that the family of one of the kids in the class had recently adopted a cat from the shelter for the girl’s birthday.
“It certainly helped having someone with a recent experience with the shelter, Harrietha said.
The class handed over all the items May 5 to Armstrong.
