Both of the guinea pigs are females. To choose the names, Mrs. Beauchamp wrote out a list of about five or six Spanish names and had a poll in all four of her classes. The two names that won were Luna and Chiqui. Luna is the gray and white one pictured and Chiqui is the multi-colored one. Luna's breed is Abyssinian and Chiqui's is an American short-haired guinea pig. "They are called sows in Spanish," Mrs. Beauchamp noted.
Currently, each class has assembled in a circle on the floor for ten to fifteen minutes in an attempt to help the guinea pigs get use to their new surroundings. Mrs. Beauchamp plans on doing this two times a week. She also plans on letting students have individual time with them during their free time. She has asked students to volunteer on taking Luna and Chiqui home for the weekend when the weather starts to get colder. On the following Monday, the students will be required to write a paragraph on the adventures they had with Luna and Chiqui. But, for now, the guinea pigs will stay at the school.
The Spanish classes have also decided to do fundraisers for the guinea pigs. The classes are undecided on how to raise money thus far, but if you have a good idea, stop by Mrs. Beauchamp's classroom and let her know. The classes plan on making Luna and Chiqui a play area in the back of the classroom. If you have any old towels or fleece blankets, please donate them to the guinea pigs. Also, if you would like to donate a bag of food, carrots, lettuce, or berries it would be greatly appreciated.