When you walk into the French classroom of Madame Newman, you might find a little surprise. Edgar the squirrel lives within room 47, and he seems to have a bit of a mischievous side to him. Underneath all that furriness and cuteness, there is a trickster.
Edgar loves to hide in different places within the classroom, surprising students with something new everyday. He might be on the ceiling one day, and the next he might be on the window.
A blue cowboy hat rests upon Edgar’s head, accompanied by an adorable white and blue t-shirt. His fur is luxurious, a mix of grays and whites. He is fun and greatly lovable, and many students appreciate his presence in the classroom. According do Madame Newman, Edgar has been around for 8 years.
“He’s very cute, he’s very sneaky–the way he gets around the classroom and we don’t even know where he is sometimes. He’s a very intelligent squirrel, he’s just very creative and clever.” Newman says. “He really did not like the Zoom school. He was with me and he didn’t get to see students. He didn’t get to see his friends, so that was kind of a sad thing. He just really enjoys being the French class ‘mascot’ I guess you could say. It’s been pretty fun with him”
Recently, Edgar took a trip far from home–a trip to New York. He traveled alongside Kaitlyn White 23′ and Benjamin Lozano 24′, but not before a contract was signed. Madame Newman found that it was hard to let Edgar go–he’d be away from her for more than a week and is most precious to her. In order to insure Edgar would be left in the right hands, the contract between Newman and her students was created.
“It actually was kind of hard for me. I kept seeing pictures of him, and I was like ‘Oh! I miss him!’ and it was the first time he’d ever traveled without me. It was odd that I kind of missed him, but I was happy he was having a fun adventure.” says Newman.
Edgar was able to visit many places he’d never seen before–such as the Statue of Liberty, Broadway shows, the Museum of Natural History, Riverside Church, the Met, Good Morning America, Times Square, Ellis Island, and much more.
When asked what he thinks Edgars favorite part of the trip was, Lozano says, “I think it was mostly just like–being with us and he was an absolute joy to everyone. For him, not only were the sights really cool, but he got to meet new people. He’s such a friendly and interactive person.”
Lozano and White were able to take multiple pictures with Edgar on his journey, and found the experience to be quite fun and entertaining. The three of them had a blast together, and they were able to make many memories with one another.
“My favorite thing about traveling with Edgar was that Ben and I got to take a bunch of pictures together–like in Central Park, just us being silly. Additionally, the funny faces I got when I pulled a squirrel out of my purse, and when Ben put it in his pocket. I thought it was pretty hilarious” White says.
Edgar was able to get home safely, and return to Madame Newman, thankfully, without a scratch on his head.
“I think he had a really good time. It looks like he saw many fun things. He was in good hands–with Benjamin and Kaitlyn.” Newman says.
Overall, the trip had a great impact on Edgar. He was able to open his eyes to new sights, and got to experience and participate in activities he could have never imagined he would. Edgar opened new doors for himself, and has become a changed squirrel.
“I think it made him more adventurous, and curious. I know he’s been on planes before, but he’s never been to New York City and I think it made him more responsible.” says White
“I think he’s grown a lot as a squirrel, and he’s really been able to, y’know, have new perspectives on things. He just really has been able to be more interactive with people to bring joy to them.” Lozano says.
Abigail Acevedo
Abigail Acevedo, class of '26, is a photographer for the Redwood Gigantea. Her favorite movies are Little Miss Sunshine and Bullet Train. “You put peace out into the world, you get peace back.”
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