Critters in the Classroom program helps teach valuable lessons in Moncton school

Two new names have been added to the attendance sheet in Mrs. Hall’s fourth grade class at Beaverbrook School in Moncton, N.B. -- Skunk and Bison.

The new students have four legs instead of two and are guinea pigs instead of human, but their classmates aren’t complaining.

“We’re so happy to have them because they’re really cute and friendly,” said student Aubrey Pilaspilas.

Nestled quietly in the corner, the duo has an important job and a lot of responsibility.

“We’re using them for stimulus for all of our writing at the moment, so we are turning our pet guinea pigs into super heroes and what crazy adventures they’re going to go on… let’s wait and see,” said teacher, Tracy Hall.

“In math, we’re measuring how much food we’re giving them daily and we’re going to use that to sort of graph and chart.”

She says she has been able to incorporate the pigs into the normal curriculum. However, the boys have an important task outside of group lessons as well.

“Some of our kids are reluctant to read to others or even adults to hear them read one-to-one, so it’s a nice way for them to practise either reading aloud or even just a quite space to spend some time with something that’s really calm,” said Hall.

“It’s just been a bit of another incentive to get our kids to read.”

Taking a field trip from the People for Animal Wellbeing Shelter (PAW), the piggy pair joined the classroom on Monday.

“My favourite thing about the guinea pigs is they’re cute, but they smell bad,” said student Amar Al Aawar.

Their adventures are part of PAW's new "Critters in the Classroom" program and this is the first school to jump on board.

“It’s a way that guinea pigs or other small animals can go into the classroom as like a foster situation,” said PAW adoption councillor, Cassandra Malley. “It teaches kids responsibility and how to properly care for animals and that sort of thing.”

The hope is that animals in the program will stay in a classroom for two months at a time.

Even after just a few days, Hall says she’s noticing a positive reaction to bringing the pigs into her room.

“From the moment that we heard we were going to get guinea pigs, they have been more than thrilled and it’s been a really nice way to engage some of those kids that are a little more reluctant," she said.

"And some of our children were quite afraid of the guinea pigs, they’re quite quick moving, and they’ve been able to overcome those fears."

She adds that other students have wanted to drop by the classroom more often and the goal is eventually for her Grade 4 class to become experts and teach other kids all about guinea pigs.

“If you’re going to get a guinea pig, you might as well get two because they like having company,” explained student Harmony Maillet-Mair. “Like if you’re somewhere and they have no one to spend time with, they might as well spend time with another guinea pig.”

The students have also learned the guinea pigs can’t eat iceberg lettuce, how to properly hold them and other tips to keep their new friends safe and healthy.

While the guinea pigs are definitely helping teach the kids lessons, officials say the students are also helping the guinea pigs have a better chance of finding a forever home.

“They need to be socialized in order to have a happy healthy life, so it’s definitely good for them to get a break and go in and get socialization,” said Malley.

Skunk and Bison are not currently listed for adoption while they’re visiting the classroom.

Malley says there is a chance that someone from the school will become interested in adopting them, they could go to a new classroom or be listed on the website for adoption from the public when their time at Beaverbrook is over.

Right now, PAW has one guinea pig who is available for adoption named Rosie. Malley says people interested in adopting her can visit the website or set up an appointment at the shelter.

The People for Animal Wellbeing Shelter (PAW) in Moncton, N.B., currently has one guinea pig up for adoption named Rosie.