Class Pet: Jimmy

Well, folks, we have a new member to our classroom--Jimmy. Though he's significantly shorter than all the other students, they all love him. Unfortunately, he does not talk very much. Oh, that's right! I forgot to mention the fact that Jimmy is a box turtle. As our newest member, we want to make sure Jimmy feels welcome in our classroom. Every day a different student gets to put fresh water in Jimmy's bowl and feed him. What do box turtles eat? Well, box turtles are omnivorous, which means they eat both plants and animals. We always keep a healthy amount of plants in Jimmy's large tank, and the students take turns putting other food in the tank. He likes snails, slugs, worms, crickets, grasshoppers, some berries, and even mushrooms. Once Jimmy starts to eat, the whole class watches intently. The students are really good about focusing on their work when he isn't eating, but I still have the divider to block their view of him if he becomes too distracting.

Jimmy, the newest member of Miss Miller's class