On a Saturday in mid-October, students and teachers from The Harker School’s lower school campus participated in the Walk ‘n’ Wag, a charity walk for the Humane Society of Silicon Valley that encourages people and their dogs to come together for a mile-long walk through Kelley Park.

This is the second year that the lower school has participated in the event, and Rita Stone, grade 1 teacher, said she hopes it becomes an annual event. “It started last year as an introduction/kickoff for the first grade community service project, which was raising supplies and funds for an animal shelter,” she says. This year, 10 students and eight staff members participated. “We even had some faculty with no dog, but a lot of spirit and enthusiasm,” says Stone. One student, Arissa Huda, a first grader in Cindy Proctor’s class, participated in the walk, and said she liked it when she fed one of the canine companions, Wiggin, “a little treat.”

Stone says she presented the idea to the class by first talking about animal shelters, and telling the students how they always need help.

After the walk, Dalya Tanurhan, a student in Stone’s class said, “I was so happy!”

Shalini Bhatia, a grade 1 student in Proctor’s class, said, “I wish the walk had been longer! It was too short.”