By Braelyn Versen
74% of children in elementary school and middle school ask their parents for a pet, according to a One Poll study. Parents say no because of the responsibility and how much they cost. But now, when middle schoolers advance into Louisville High School, they can walk into their science classroom and see Strawberry. Strawberry red-footed tortoise provides multiple benefits for students.
You may wonder why she is named Strawberry. Well, Mrs. Frahm Krick, the high school science teacher who has ownership of Strawberry, states,” I let my students name her Strawberry… One of my classes found that she really enjoyed strawberries and noticed that she would hall shell to get it.”
Strawberry is a 10-year-old tortoise. Tortoise years are the same as human years. They are not like dogs, where when we say 10 years old, it means 84 years in dog years. Frahm Krick has had her since 2014. Strawberry is a red-footed type of tortoise. Though Strawberry might just be a tortoise to some people, she is more to others.
An idea that some people have had is bringing Strawberry different fruits and vegetables for her to try. One problem is that some foods are toxic and hard for her to digest. Some of her favorite foods are strawberries, cucumbers, and watermelon. Foods like spinach, tomato leaves, broccoli, cauliflower, rhubarb, avocados, and other vegetables and fruits are poisonous for Strawberry due to high levels of solanine, an alkaloid, oxalic acid, and glycosides, goitrogens, and high levels of oxalates, and contain a fungicidal toxin called persin.
Strawberry gets taken care of by almost everyone who steps foot in Mrs. Frham Kricks science room. The students take care of her by giving her water, food, and making sure that she always gets the chance to be let out so she can roam the room and be able to see all the students.
Frahm Krick said,” An animal ambassador in a classroom helps kids learn about something that they did not know about, and helps them learn empathy.”
These tortoises can be left without food for up to a week and still be able to thrive. So, over the two-day weekend, Frahm Krick leaves a big pile of tortoise biscuits for her to eat over the weekend. Another important fact to know about Strawberry is that she hisses like a snake when she is scared. This is important for students to know so that they can try to prevent scaring her or know when it is time to step away. Another thing to keep in mind is that she can get the flu. So, if someone is sick, keep in mind that she can be sick as well. They will start to cough when they are sick or too cold. So, it is important to not keep her out for too long.
“When you take the yard stick and you scratch her shell and she twerks her butt,” Frahm Krick states.
Senior Dayton Carlson said his favorite memory is when “ one morning, while I was giving her her morning back scratches, she was still asleep, so it kind of startled her. But, for a tortoise that moves pretty slow, she moved pretty quick.”
Strawberry brings so much to the table for the students and teacher. There are many benefits, ideas, and memories that kids can now say they have, all thanks to Mrs. Frahm Krick bringing Strawberry into the classroom. So, the next time you are feeling like you need a little uplifting moment, go see Strawberry.