A.W. Becker Elementary School student Livia Kindlon noticed that the apple in the AWB Welcome Bear’s hand had seen better days. The bear has received much love over the years, and with that love comes normal wear and tear, specifically to the apple that was in its paw. This gave Livia an idea!
The bear was donated years ago by our now-retired RCS teacher, Denise Mulligan through her family and is believed to be close to 20 years old! During the last school year, a small group of 5th graders (now 6th graders), at the direction of Ms. Esmond, gave the Becker Bear a fresh coat of paint and revived him to his newer look. With this needed update, a STEAM class created a new apple with a 3D printer. Unfortunately, the apple was not able to stand the test of the elements and needed to be removed.
Livia approached Principal Mrs. Neubart with her idea, and with her blessing, worked with Art Teacher Ms. Clare Esmond to bring to life a new item for the bear to hold as an update to the beloved bear. Livia had the perfect idea for school. With guidance from Ms. Esmond, she used acrylic paint to bring to life a calculator for the bear's hand! She selected the colors gold and green as she wanted to display our school colors.
“I am so impressed with Livia,” said Mrs. Neubart. “She took this initiative all on her own. She identified a problem, considered her options, and worked with others toward a solution. It is amazing to watch our students come into their own, take initiative and work towards creating a welcoming environment for all. I could not be more proud!”
The calculator was installed in the bear’s hand just before the February Recess and is already welcoming students, staff, and families to A.W. Becker! Next time you are at AWB, stop and check out the bear’s mini-makeover!
Big thank you to Livia for this wonderful idea, as well as to Ms. Esmond, Mrs. Neubart, and STEAM teachers, Mrs. Brozowski and Mr. Verga, who donated a non-functioning calculator to the project.
