GREENFIELD – As part of a lesson in non-fiction at Harris Elementary, librarian Shannon Norwood decided to read the students a book called “What if You Had Animal Hair?”
One of the animals in the book was a sloth, Norwood noted, and the kids seemed unusually interested in it. The book’s appendix contained web links to learn more about each animal, and the students ended up watching a video about a sloth sanctuary in Costa Rica.
From the online video, students learned that sloths live mostly in Central and South America; they sleep 15 to 20 hours and typically travel less than 40 yards in a day. They also learned that two of the six species of sloths were endangered. At the end of the video, the students had a request.
They were so touched by the plight of the sloth and its disappearing habitat, they wanted to know if Harris Elementary could adopt a sloth, Norwood said.
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Norwood put her head together with school counselor Allison Morgan and Harris principal Jan Kehrt. Together the three came up with a plan for students to donate their good behavior tickets – called PAWS tickets (P for positive thinking; A for act responsibly; W for work together; and S for show respect) – toward the adoption of a sloth.
Norwood was overwhelmed by the students’ response. It became a schoolwide project. Typically, the students use their PAWS tickets to purchase posters, bracelets, class popcorn parties or lunch with a teacher, but the Harris Elementary students were determined to adopt a sloth.
“I’m having students bringing in 20 or more and even up to 60 by one student,” Norwood said. “My heart has been overwhelmed with their response of kindness and caring.”
To receive a copy of the adoption certificate, a bookmark and a piece of lifesaver candy, kindergartners and first-graders donated five tickets, while second- and third-graders donated 10 tickets. Students also received raffle tickets to win a prize – a stuffed sloth. Students who donated more PAWS tickets earned more raffle tickets.
Norwood had no idea that sloths were trendy when she began the project. Since it took place in the month of February, Norwood went looking for sloth-related items to give away as prizes and found all kinds of sloth merchandise including sloth valentines, plush sloths and more. She bought two for prizes, but ended up with 15 thanks to the involved Harris staff.
Stuffed sloths just kept showing up in her office chair, her mailbox and on her desk.
“I was buying them, the staff was buying them anonymously,” Norwood said. “It was really sweet to see the whole school embrace the program.”
The program has continued at Harris Elementary. In February, the school adopted Charlie the Sloth from slothsanctuary.com in Costa Rica. In March, the school adopted Margo the manatee.
As it turned out, Margo had lost a fin in a fishing net, but March is Disabilities Awareness Month, Norwood said, and it’s been the sweetest way to introduce that topic to the kids.
