Officer helps bring the zoo to the school

Animal Connections program ties themes to visits

A school resource officer with the Boerne Police Department recently added another title to his duties — wildlife educator.

Cpl. David Chavez helped launch a first-of-its-kind collaboration — the Animal Connections program — between the San Antonio Zoo and Kendall Elementary School, officials said.

“Day to day, helping wrangle the kiddos is part of the job,” Chavez said. “But it has been exciting to see their enthusiasm with the Animal Connections program.”

Cpl. David Chavez, Boerne Police Department’s school resource officer for Boerne ISD’s Kendall Elementary School, developed the Animal Connections program for students in the school.

Courtesy photo The initiative echoes others across the nation, but with its own unique aspects, said Brooke Chavez of the zoo’s Animal Ambassador Division.

“When we started exploring this idea of a new program with the school, we reached out to other zoos across the country, and many had something similar,” added Chavez, who is married to the corporal. “However, connecting stories in a way that encourages empathy and confidence through a love for wildlife is unlike anything being done right now.”

Each month, a different animal from the zoo visits the elementary. The lesson begins a week earlier when David Chavez introduces the monthly theme to students.

Since launching in January, themes have included “keeping cool” and “practicing patience.” Classrooms incorporate the idea into the curriculum, culminating with the animal’s visit to campus.

The program had humble beginnings, organizers said.

When Chavez set up a bulletin board to introduce himself to his new campus, he quickly realized it was a photo of him holding a chinchilla — Dr. Garbanzo Beans the First — that drew the most attention, often sparking conversations with students who typically kept to themselves.

“Students loved talking about the chinchilla and began to open up,” Chavez said. “When I talked to my wife, Brooke, that’s when we realized there was a unique opportunity to bring a collaborative program to campus.”

Yavari the sloth visited students during a recent Animal Connections presentation focused on patience. Pupils learned that even one of the slowest animals in the wild continues moving forward at its own pace.

After the grade-level presentation in the cafeteria, zoo staff visited the life skills classroom to provide a more interactive demonstration, allowing students to experience the animals through sound, scent, and touch.

“I cannot think of a project that better encapsulates what makes Kendall Elementary and (the) Boerne (Independent School District) so special,” Kendall Principal Jennifer Escamilla said. “With the help of Officer Chavez and the San Antonio Zoo, we are creating new and exciting ways for our students to be engaged, learn and excel.”

The program will continue through the spring semester, and zoo officials are also exploring ways to incorporate Animal Connections into summer school. “Students loved talking about the chinchilla and began to open up.”

— Cpl. David Chavez, school resource officer