PHOTO ESSAY: Montessori students give big to Charleston Animal Society

Charles Towne Montessori students present a check to the Charleston Animal Society. Photos by Lou Cattano.

If you want proof positive that reading can pay off, just talk to the Charleston Animal Society which last week received a $6938.35 contribution generated by a read-a-thon by elementary students at Charles Towne Montessori in West Ashley.

Each spring, the school, the only internationally-accredited Montessori school in the state, asks student teams to develop a class project.  About eight teams of students pick different nonprofits they want to help and follow-up with a research-packed presentation.  The class then votes on which charity to support.

Then the students solicit donations from family members, friends and neighbors to sponsor how much they read on a special day of reading at the school.  (We’ve learned long ago, thanks to picture books, that it is best to sponsor a set amount, such as $30, instead of a per-page fee.)

This year, the school’s 31 elementary students in grades one to six raised almost $7,000 for their efforts and got a special behind-the-scenes tour of the Charleston Animal Society, captured in images by local photographer Lou Cattano (website).  Enjoy:

Students learned about the medical treatment animals receive through the organization.

They listened to a great story.

They found a new friend.