Pets are a huge part of our lives. These adorable, cuddly creatures are our number one best friends. At Ida B. Wells High School, teachers and staff often share stories about their animals, a wholesome part of a school where teachers open up and give students a peek into their personal lives. What follows is a collection of stories about the pets of teachers and staff at IBW.
Emilee Refvem is the school psychologist at IBW and supports the school’s climate and students’ mental health. She has eight pets: two rescue dogs from Texas named Lucy and Hazel, five chickens with big personalities and a leopard gecko named Bright. “Lucy is goofy and enjoys long walks on the beach,” said Refvem. Her other dog, Hazel, “loves chasing squirrels and playing with squeaky toys.” Her chickens Hermione, Chickee, Cuckoo Pants, Fig and Batrhmol “love eating grubs and squawking it up.” Refvem says, “in the summer, they hop around and jump up to get berries off the vine.” Her leopard gecko, Bright, “[loves] napping on the warm side of the tank. She’s a sneaky girl who gets really excited at dinner time.” Ms. Refvem has an adorable crew of pets that all have unique personalities.
Joshua Martin, a health teacher at IBW, has two rescue dogs, Oona and Trixie. His dogs love to play and cuddle. “I’ve had a dog my whole life. The longest I’ve been without a dog is a few, lonely weeks,” he says. Martin also has three chickens: Dinner, Nugget and Pot Pie. Martin isn’t the biggest fan of his chickens, but “the eggs are delicious,” and “the family loves them so [I’m] outnumbered.”
Amy Durham teaches Spanish 3-4 and Spanish 7-8 at IBW. She has three parakeets, five chickens and two dogs. Three of the five chickens are named Peggy, Angelica and Eliza, after the sisters in the Broadway play “Hamilton,” and Susan Good Old Little Red Hen. “[I love] spending time with my chickens in our backyard in the summer, Angelica is my favorite,” said Durham. Her parakeets’ names are Sweetie, Chirps and Pretty Bird. Durham had “goldfish and parakeets as a child, but [I] always wanted a dog.” While her dog Max is “the best dog in the world,” her other dog Toby “is a bit of a handful.”
Emily O’Loughlin is a chemistry teacher who teaches both NGSS and AP chemistry. Growing up, she had an array of animals: three dogs, two cats, a button quail and a bearded dragon. Now, she has one cat named Izzy, which she adopted from the Oregon Humane Society. Izzy is a mixed breed with dark fur and big eyes. She is almost two and a half years old and is a mixed breed. “Izzy loves to play with a laser pointer,” said O’Loughlin. “She has an electric wand toy that she enjoys batting at.” Izzy is timid with other people but is outgoing and playful with O’Loughlin. She is a very sweet cat who enjoys cuddles and playtime.
Noah Shemmer, an IBW math teacher, is easily the teacher with the most unusual bunch of pets. He shares a shrimp, several snails, and a cat with his sister. His snails have millions of babies in many colors, including red and black. Some are mixed-colored, too. Concerningly, his shrimp is hiding from him and he hasn’t seen it in months.
Pets are a great way to see into people’s lives and hearts. Next time you’re in class, ask your teacher about their pets!
