Study Buddies to the Rescue!

Do you ever feel like you need a little company, and maybe someone to lean on to stay on task and work hard?  Then add in the reality that you are in first grade and it’s a pandemic and you’re in distance learning.

Staying connected is an art form this year.

Enter creative teacher Ms. Tuvey.  She knew this separation is hard on students and she came up with a very clever way to bring some ‘safe companionship’ to her students.

She read the story Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev and Taeen Yoo to her students.  In the story a little boy wants to bring his pet elephant to Pet Club but they have a sign that says “strictly no elephants” and they won’t let him in. The little boy heads home, but finds other kids whose animals were also denied entry into Pet Club. They go on to make their own Pet Club where all pets and kids are welcome.

Then Ms. Tuvey got her idea: what if each of her students had an elephant for a study buddy!  She proceeded to share her idea on social media, and friends, family and the community donated money to purchase a stuffed elephant for each of her students, which she delivered to their homes.

Ms. Tuvey shared, “This story, and their elephant is a great reminder that no matter what anyone says, the students will always have a place in our class!”

And then they had a zoom Elephant party where students shared their new friends.

Maybe now they are not quite so lonesome.

MTS Elementary is known for its  small class sizes, very personalized learning, and staff who know and care about each student.