Teddy Bear Picnic held at St. Vincent DePaul Catholic School
By Sara Weikel, The Cottonwood/Holladay Journal (October, 2007)

A teacher at St. Vincent’s School has found a clever way to make learning fun for her students and bring them closer to their families.

After finishing a study unit on bears, Rhea Hristou’s second-grade class got to bring their parents, younger siblings and teddy bears to school for a “Teddy Bear Picnic” on Sept. 2.

“It was an opportunity for all the parents to get together and have a nice little lunch with their child,” Hristou said.

Before the picnic, Hristou’s class studied features, habitats and hibernation of bears, the near-extinction of the polar bear and more. They learned about the history of teddy bears and how they were named for President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt because he refused to shoot a bear. Hristou also incorporated writing into the bear studies by having a different child take home the class bear, “Bart,” each day and record in a journal where they took him and what they did with him.

During the picnic, Hristou’s class sang bear-themed songs they had practiced during school. In addition to being fun family time, the picnic gave the kids a chance to perform for their parents, said Hristou.

“My favorite part of the Teddy Bear picnic was having lunch with my mom, singing with my friends and playing with my bear,” said Sakina Masud, one of the participating students.

Most of the students who gave statements agreed that singing and getting to spend time with their families was the highlight of the event.

This year was the 14th year Hristou has held the “Teddy Bear Picnic” for her students.

Photo Credit: Valley Journals