By Guest Columnist, Rebecca Nelson, Pelahatchie Elementary STEAM Teacher
A posted “Missing and Missed” sign outside the STEAM Lab at Pelahatchie Elementary sparked compassion and concern in many students and classrooms. They jumped right into action to try and find a missing hedgehog figurine that has become a cherished classroom pet by 4th grader, Kinleigh Amos. She has taken such great care of the figurine by naming it Henry and keeping it in a special place. She has also been creating a habitat for it using makerspace materials. Henry went missing after one of Kinleigh’s building sessions, so she made a missing poster to try to get help finding it.
Each class that entered STEAM was concerned about Henry and wanted to help. Many students searched high and low for Henry, but he was not found. The news made two 6th grade students, Hayzlee Nelson and Hadley Taylor, ponder what they could do to help Kinleigh, and they decided that they would create new hedgehogs that Kinleigh could keep. They wanted to make sure the new hedgehogs would look similar to the missing hedgehog, so they took great care when designing them.
Once finished, Hayzlee and Hadley were eager to deliver them to Kinleigh, whom they had never met. Kinleigh was surprised and excited to have her very own hedgehogs that she could keep. The kindness and compassion shown by Hayzlee and Hadley has inspired Kinleigh to create a STEAM TEAM that shares kindness and tries to help others when they need help.
The halls of Pelahatchie Elementary are filled with more than just books and lesson plans; they are filled with heart. By reaching out to a student they had never met, Hayzlee and Hadley proved that no act of kindness is too small to make a difference. Today Kinleigh has a new set of hedgehogs to care for. More importantly, she and the rest of the school have a shining example of what it means to be a compassionate neighbor.
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