Our new classroom friends. We have some new, yet to be named, friends in our classroom. Two little male guinea pigs. They both have very long fur. One has red eyes and the other brown. Why? We don’t know but we can care for them just the same. Animals teach us compassion and empathy as well as responsibility. These two have been learning to enjoy cuddles and trust that we will be kind and gentle to them as out in the real world other animals like to eat guinea pigs! The NZ science curriculum tells us that children will recognise that all living things have certain requirements so they can stay alive.