Creativity Meets Compassion

In April, Primary and Lower School students put their learning into action through hands-on service projects with real-world impact. Partnering with Buddy Dog Humane Society in Sudbury, MA, and CASA, a Worcester County nonprofit that advocates for children in foster care, students explored themes of empathy, community responsibility, and civic engagement while contributing in meaningful ways to both organizations.

For their April service project, Primary students explored the role of animal shelters and how they help pets find safe, caring homes. To build understanding, they read Found Dogs by Erica Sirotich, a counting story that introduces groups of dogs and then counts down as each one is adopted, reinforcing early math skills and the concept of finding a “forever home.” Following the read-aloud, Head of School Katie Knuppel introduced the students’ hands-on project: creating toys for cats at Buddy Dog Humane Society. Using recycled materials from a recent field trip, students practiced sustainability by repurposing small water bottles and decorating socks with fabric markers. After adding catnip, they assembled the materials into durable, crunchy toys designed to stimulate play and reduce stress for shelter cats, putting their compassion for the animals into action.

Later in the month, Lower School students partnered with their Moose Buddies on a hands-on service learning project benefiting Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), a Worcester County nonprofit that supports children in foster care. Service Learning Coordinator Christina Berthelsen began by helping students build background knowledge, sharing an age-appropriate overview of the foster care system and the ways CASA advocates support children through connection and care.

Students learned that advocates often bring games and creative activities to visits, with building projects among the most popular. With this real-world need in mind, students took on a design-focused engineering challenge: to create custom LEGO building kits that CASA advocates could use with the children they support.

Working collaboratively with their Moose Buddies, students designed and built original creations—dogs, spaceships, playgrounds, and more—carefully considering what might spark curiosity and joy. They then deconstructed their models and packaged the pieces into individual kits, each including a photo of the finished design and a handwritten note of friendship.

Through this project, students engaged in problem-solving, design thinking, and empathy, applying their creativity in a meaningful, real-world context. The kits they created will offer not only opportunities for artistic expression but also a sense of connection, comfort, and imagination for the children who receive them.