The Longs Creek Elementary School Library is housing some special visitors this week. Tiny caterpillars that will soon blossom into monarch butterflies line milkweed plants in the library. So, while students read about the life cycle of a monarch butterfly, they’re watching it happen in real-time.
“It’s so much fun to see how excited they get when we bring in animals,” said Longs Creek Librarian Laurie Tuttle. “They’re just so excited to come and absorb everything we have to offer.”
Tuttle is always looking for ways to bring nature to the kids. That hands-on experience often cements the learning process and gives them the chance to witness something they may not realize is happening in their own backyard or neighborhoods.
Tuttle was the librarian at Oak Grove Elementary School before moving to Longs Creek. For the past five years, Oak Grove Speech Teacher Christa Tabares has gifted Tuttle milkweed plants with caterpillars so her students can watch the life cycle up close in the library.
April is School Library Month and April 4-8 is National Library Week. Thank you to all of the NEISD librarians who work so hard to support our campuses and students #theNEISDway.
“We try to instill a love of reading and learning in them,” said Tuttle. “It’s so much fun to be able to see and work with all of the different age groups and watch that pre-K child go all the way through fifth grade.”
