Students at Madison Elementary School in Hinsdale assembled teddy bears and handwritten notes for newly arrived refugee children in DuPage County.
The project, called "Teddy Bear Buddies," was led by multilingual learner educator Donna DeVito, according to the school. Students prepared personalized packages containing plush teddy bears, cheerful illustrations and handwritten notes of encouragement. The school said the packages were meant to help arriving children feel safe, valued and welcome in their new community.
The initiative gave students a real-world application of their classroom learning. Students applied listening, speaking, reading and writing skills to connect with children they had never met, the school said.
Madison Elementary did not identify the organization that received the kits or say how many packages students assembled. The school's announcement, posted Nov. 10, also did not specify which grade levels participated or whether the project will continue.
