Acts of Kindness Moose

by Shaftsbury Elementary School

Location: West Mountain Animal Hospital

The idea for the Shaftsbury School moose came from our annual "kids" calendar. For many years, the students have created amazing calendars at the beginning of the school year based on a school-wide theme. This year the students, from kindergarten through sixth grade, created a 2005 calendar around the theme of "Acts of Kindness". The classes worked together to make wonderful, imaginative drawings for each month. It is an all school project, which involves the students working with the Arts and Basics Program, our Parent-Teacher Organization and our staff.

When the moose project was presented to Shaftsbury School, we had to come up with a way to include all of the students. At a teacher's meeting, Gabrielle Watson, a student teacher, came up with the idea of collaging pieces of the calendar pages onto our moose. She carefully cut up the pages from the calendar for the students to color with permanent marker. Then she took on the job of decoupaging the pieces onto the moose in an eye-appealing way. The moose was set up in the art room for all the students to watch the progress being made. Many kind words were spoken as the moose received its "Acts of Kindness" blanket. Our moose includes not just drawings, but verses and messages that the students wrote...truly acts of kindness for all to enjoy.

Submitted by: Kathy Link
Arts and Basics Program Teacher
Shaftsbury Elementary School

Sponsor: West Mountain Animal Hospital