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What the Cat Taught

Human beings require courage, commitment, and desire to get involved in social interests, to be active citizens in a democratic society. Children do too.


A defining feature of Raintree is our focus allowing our students genuine participation where children take part in making meaning of a problem, defining it, analyzing it root causes, and envisioning and enacting a solution. It’s called teaching for action competence and we are the only school in St. Louis that has action competence as a pillar of our school-wide approach.


Action competence allows children to voice their intentions, take action, and implement actions within their community.


This week, the children of Kitty Pizza Pod ended their semester long inquiry into the life of the stray cat found on campus and their effort to find him a home. And in a remarkable display of action competence, they headed to the Humane Society, spoke in front of an audience about Kitty Pizza and how and why they helped him.


At the end of their day, the ten children ages 3-6, gifted the Humane Society of Missouri a documentation panel that detailed their afterschool project. They even had the chance to snuggle and pet a few kittens who have yet to find forever homes.


Thanks Humane Society for celebrating Raintree’s young advocates! They are remarkable in their spirit, commitment to their cause, and courage to make a change.

a place where children are engaged in civic mindfulness; where young citizens share a sense of common good, intellectual courage and a love for all things wild.

2100 South Mason Rd.

St. Louis, MO 63131

​tel. 314.858.1033

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