Supportive school
Grade 2 Stratford class leads effort to remember their teacher who died in February
Gerry Seaward says the actions of a Grade 2 class in Stratford are helping his family heal from a devastating loss this year.
Seaward’s wife, Kelli, who died suddenly in February, was also a beloved teacher at Glen Stewart Primary School.
Kelli’s passions in life were children, reading and animals.
So, to celebrate her life, the parents and students of her Grade 2 class decided to plant a tree in the schoolyard and to hold a read-a-thon, which raised money to donate to the P.E.I. Humane Society. “We’re still very much in shock over the loss of Kelli,’’ Seaward said. “It was very quick so participating in these activities is very healing for us. We already knew that she was tremendously loved because she was such a giving person. It was very heartwarming to us.’’ The school presented a cheque recently in the amount of $1,320.30 to the humane society.
Dawsyn Smith, one of the Grade 2 students, personally raised $520.
“I feel happy to support my teacher because we really miss her,’’ the youngster said. “We loved having her. She loved reading to us, so we did the read-a-thon in her name because she loved to read.’’ Also on hand were Kelli’s beloved cavalier King Charles spaniels, Buddy and Daisy.
Charlotte Bryand, principal at Glen Stewart, said the children in Kelli’s class hadn’t met the dogs until the day of the cheque presentation but felt they knew them anyway.
“In a lot of writing that Kelli would do with the kids, Buddy and Daisy were profiled in that writing,’’ Bryand said. “That’s what prompted the read-athon. One of Kelli’s loves was reading and the other was animals, so they thought this would be a wonderful donation to her memory.’’
Seaward said he can’t stress The Grade 2 class at Glen Stewart Primary School in Stratford paid tribute to their teacher and animal lover, Kelli Seaward, who died in February, by planting this tree in the schoolyard and holding a read-a-thon to raise money for the P.E.I. Humane Society.
Front row, from left, are two of Seaward’s students, Connor Casford and Dawsyn Smith. Back row, from left, are Jennifer Harkness, development co-ordinator with the humane society, Seaward’s husband, Gerry, and one of her dogs, Daisy. enough how much his late wife loved children.
“If there were a group of adults that came to visit and a couple of kids she would quickly be abandoning the adults to be with the kids,’’ he said. “She took an interest in every individual
kid, and that was the story of Kelli’s life.
“I knew the names of every one of the kids in her class. She loved talking about the kids. She was very proud of them.’’ Seaward said there was an additional $2,000 raised for the humane society through memorial donations. Jennifer Harkness, development co-ordinator with the humane society, said the gesture is heartwarming.
“I think it’s incredible that kids have shown so much heart for their teacher,’’ Harkness said, “and (for) something they care for and their teacher cared for — and that is animals.’’