Glynn A. Green students use Teddy bears to connect
Take a stroll down a neighborhood street in Fonthill these days, and you will no doubt see the results of physical distancing — empty streets, silent avenues and closed doors. When encountered, other walkers might cross to the opposite end of the street as a safety measure. However, a glimpse into the window of a nearby house might reveal the friendly face of a teddy bear. In another window, another teddy bear looks out onto the street. Then another.
The Grade 6 class at Glynn A. Green Public School has taken on a project dubbed, “The Teddy Bear Walk.” It is a game currently being played all over the world to give children (and adults) something fun to do during a time of isolation and distancing.
Under the guidance of their teacher, Michelle Furtney, all 26 students have placed a bear in the window of their home, or their parents’ business in town. The students have contacted five different people asking them to put a bear in their window, with the hope that these five people will then each contact another five people.
The idea was to give families and anyone walking by something positive to notice and talk about, and to distract from the stressors of the current COVID-19 pandemic. The teddy bear, a universal symbol of comfort and care, would hopefully inspire a sense of connection amongst neighbors. It would also be a useful educational tool—parents could discuss the teddy bears with their children, and kids could use the teddy bears as a mapping exercise, or simply as a positive visual.
The movement grew quickly. Soon after it began, one parent contacted Furtney and said that someone had already placed a teddy bear in their window even before being contacted to join, because they had seen one during a walk and wished to do the same. Furtney has also noticed that people walking by will smile when they see the teddy bear in the window.
A teacher for some 15 years, Furtney asked each student to write a letter explaining why they would put a bear in their window, and how it made them feel when they saw another bear during a walk with their family. The responses included, “to show connection to our neighbourhood, friends, and family,” “to give younger children something happy to look forward to each day,” and “to show we care.” Other responses said that when a child saw another bear, “I will think that person is smiling at me,” or “it’s like giving someone a hug.”
According to Furtney, the project has brought joy to her students, who “like the ownership of having an initiative.” She hopes that other families will be inspired to put teddy bears in their windows, and that the movement will spread through all of Pelham.
In certain windows, there might be a rainbow alongside the teddy bear. This was a previous project Furtney had done with her students. All who place a teddy bear in their window can also place a rainbow, to show that despite the uncertainty of the current times, that “brighter days are coming.”
