Excitement brims in the air as DIS releases their newest class pets: butterflies. Since their colorful debut on April 26th, the butterfly larvae have become the center of attention. Now fully transformed, the butterflies captured students’ attention over the past week as they fluttered in their enclosure and were released into nature.
DSAA Butterflies
The Daegu Student Animal Association (DSAA) discussed the idea of class pets earlier in the year. ”Mr. Coleman first suggested the idea to get a class pet with our remaining funds, and we decided to realize this vision with the hope that it will release academic stress for students and teach students about responsibility. We wanted DIS to experience a little more joy and hope with a class pet,” said junior Amy Shim, the treasurer of DSAA.
“We looked at a lot of different animals. We talked about fish, beetles, snakes, and tarantulas,” Mr. Coleman, advisor of DSAA, said. Though mammals came to the discussion very briefly, the club decided against them due to the increased accountability that comes with warm-blooded class pets that are more difficult to take care of.
“It’s another living thing— a little more excitement just for us to watch it grow. At the end of the day, we are responsible for another living being’s life. It’s not something to be taken lightly,” Mr. Coleman said.
They ultimately decided on Cabbage White Butterflies. “Butterflies seemed like the easiest, but it’s actually turning out to be not as easy as we thought,” he said, as he described the meticulous process of keeping the plants well-watered, clean, and safe for the critters.
Soon after their arrival, DSAA hosted a naming ceremony for the caterpillars—an interactive event that encouraged students to connect with the class pets and take part in their journey. ”We decided to collect names for the caterpillars and give students the opportunity to vote for the eight most popular names in total, for each of the larvae,” Shim said. The class proudly crowned these names as the winners: Lil’ Bron James, CJC junior, Butter, Karl Marx, Honeybaby, Fluttershy, Jake, and Mizuki.
Three weeks after their debut, the caterpillars emerged from their tightly woven cocoons, and the sprightly butterflies were released into the wild.
Third-grade Rhinoceros Beetle
Surprisingly, these squirmy creatures were not the first critters to share the classroom with students. Third-grade teacher Mrs. Ringrose introduced a Rhinoceros beetle, Julius, to her room. This low-maintenance pet gives students the opportunity to closely observe the fascinating behaviors of tiny creatures.
Third-grader Gia Park said, “I think having a class pet is sometimes good but sometimes not good because when Mrs. Ringrose lets us take the beetle out of the cage, it’s fun, but sometimes we can’t take it out.”
She explained how class pets contribute to learning in the classroom. “We learned about their life cycles and we learned how to feed them and how to take care of them. I like having class pets. I want more in the future,” she said.
While students express enthusiasm for class pets, school leadership emphasizes the importance of responsibility and safety. Mr. Jolly said, “It is really important to consider the care of the animal, as it is a living thing. We also need to consider who would be taking the animals over the break.”
He reflected that class pets can still play a valuable role in the classroom, with the right circumstances. “I think simple insects for learning purposes within classes can be quite good. It just depends on what animal, as the pets have to be safe for our school community,” he said.
