BEARly in School – Kindergarteners Learn About Giving

At Clarkston Schools, children take part in Academic Service Learning. Students are taught to see beyond the classroom and into the community where they learn math, science, language arts and other subjects by addressing community needs.

This year, kindergarten students at Bailey Lake Elementary chose to develop a project helping Hurley Children’s Hospital. We were so grateful! The father of twin girls in Kristin Sprague’s class came up with the idea. The twins and their classmates donated Teddy Bears to give to children in the hospital, hoping to bring a smile to the patients’ faces.

They graphed the bears to learn math. Kristin Sprague says it was a good lesson on giving too. Many of the children had never donated before. It was hard to let go of the bears they bought, but they learned how giving can also make you feel good and how it’s important to think of others and the needs they have.

It is amazing to encourage that compassion at such a young age – and so important that it’s happening at school as well as at home.

The twins really understand the project and are great speakers and advocates for our CMN hospital. We sure hope they embrace Hurley next year! Thank-you Bailey Lake!