Fish tanks bubble and rabbits hop along as the students softly talk to them, excited to have a break from classwork to meet these class pets.

English teacher Megan Springs owns a rabbit named Houdini who only visits on Fridays.

“I have a rule, please ask before you pick him up, or before you feed him, and that’ll protect him from being fed things he probably shouldn’t eat,” Springs said. “Also, make sure he’s not being held too much because I don’t want him to be stressed out, either.” 

Springs has other rabbits at her house, but  she does not keep them for pets. 

JAG Specialist Christy Pray had fish in her classroom until they died, but she plans to buy more.

“I took the sample bottle to pet smart, and the dude said ‘lady you broke the record, you have the worst water I have ever seen. It’s a way too clean: nothing can live in it,” Pray said. “He told me to give it a few weeks, and I’m trying to get it restabilized.”

Fish may be too much to handle, but Pray says they can be soothing at times. 

“I have found it to be the opposite effect; really it’s very calming,” Pray said.

Her class says Pray is not a great fish mom. 

“They tease me about being a not so great fish mom,” Pray said. 

Business teacher Kellee Roberts has a betta fish in her classroom.

“I do not have certain times for the kids to look at the fish as long as they are not in the middle of doing work,” Roberts said. 

The fish was a prize for one of Robert’s classes in a game, senior Grace Kasilima won the fish

“His name is Ye because I gave it to Grace Kasilima,” Roberts said. ”We were playing the game called trading games, and she won it and asked if we could keep it in the class.”