St. Vincent de Paul School holds Teddy Bear picnic

Friday, Sep. 26, 2014

SALT LAKE CITY — Every September, the Saint Vincent de Paul second-grade class gains knowledge and experience in reading, writing, science and presentation skills with a friendly stuffed animal, Bart the Bear.  

Rhea Hristou, the second-grade teacher, organizes a “bear” month for her students. The class starts with reading fictional and non-fictional books relating to the imaginary and scientific aspects of bears.

Every year, a new “Bart” is purchased for the class. Mrs. Hristou has 20 retired “Bart the Bears” displayed in her classroom, this year being the 21st year of the tradition.

Throughout the year, each student takes turns bringing Bart the Bear home to visit his/her family. The student is asked to take pictures and write in Bart’s journal about their adventures together. Upon returning Bart to the classroom, the student is asked to present Bart’s activities. Some examples of Bart’s experiences include shopping at a grocery store, going to sports or dance activities, being a guest at the dinner table or at a restaurant, traveling on family vacations, or even attending a Jazz basketball game. 

“At times, Bart the Bear comes back with accessories; for example, one Bart wears  Karl Malone’s arm bands presented to him after a game. Another Bart even got his nose bitten off by a family pet!” said Mrs. Hristou.

 At the conclusion of the bear unit, the classroom celebrates with a Teddy Bear Picnic.  

Although the bear unit concludes in September, Bart continues to circulate with the students all year.  At the end of the year, the journal pages will go home in the student’s portfolio, making a memory book.

At the end of this school year, the 2014/2015 Bart the Bear will be retired and join the “Bart the Bears’ Hall of Fame” in Mrs. Hristou’s 2nd grade classroom. The children love this tradition and it has become one of the fond memories of graduating Saint Vincent 8th graders. What a fun way to build enthusiasm for reading, writing, and presentation skills while gaining a sense of adventure and imagination.

Courtesy of St. Vincent de Paul School