Alexander High School Early Childhood Education students helped bring joy to elementary 
students by creating handcrafted comfort bears.
The bears were created as part of Brooke Morris’s Early Childhood Education class. The project expanded through a partnership with Shiloh Baptist Church, which contributed additional bears.
Each bear included a personal handwritten note for students participating in the Patriot Pals Mentor Program at Bill Arp Elementary School. The note reminded the Bill Arp mentees that they are loved and supported. These messages of support and encouragement strengthened the bond between the two schools.
Morris said with this project, students discovered how valuable small acts of kindness are. “Our students not only learned to sew, but also experienced the lasting effects of giving back,” explained Morris. “My goal is for these students to apply these important lessons beyond the classroom and into the real world.”
The initiative was a collaborative effort that united students, families, school staff, and local community members. Morris collaborated with Julie Jeffcoat and Tracy Small from Bill Arp Elementary School to make sure every Patriot Pals participant received a custom-made bear.
This year is the 15th year for the Patriot Pals Mentoring Program at Bill Arp Elementary School. Patriot Pals is a mentoring partnership between Alexander High School and Bill Arp Elementary. Jeffcoat, who manages the program along with Small, says she is proud of Alexander students who are dedicated to serving students at Bill Arp Elementary School. “The Patriot Pals is a group of students who are compassionate, caring, and patient,” Jeffcoat explains. “It is an honor to work with this exceptional group of students, and I’m confident that these students are destined for greatness.”