Ms. Noor, the Biochemistry teacher located in Room 707, had gained a “valuable addition to the classroom” from one of the students in Inlet. Being named after the Canadian kids show character Franklin the Turtle, Franklin has proven himself an “interesting” class pet.

The biology teacher first obtained Franklin from a student who could no longer care for him. They had deemed the turtle “too aggressive to care for” and decided that the animal-loving Ms. Noor was the best option for proper care.

The students in Ms. Noor’s first hour have taken Franklin in with opened arms, and have been volunteering to care for the creature. Be it through feeding him, or aiding her in cleaning his tank every two weeks, or when it gets too dirty, the students are happy to help.

Franklin has been kept alone with no other fish or turtles due to his species’ temperamental behaviors. “He is a yellow bellied slider, and is typically active at night,” said Ms. Noor. “I can’t put him with other fish because they are semi territorial, and he will try to eat them. The same thing goes for other turtles. I‘m just scared they’ll try to fight each other and end up getting hurt.”

Upon further inspection, Ms. Noor has estimated him to be somewhere between 4 and 6 years old. Which would explain why he is so protective.

However, despite his natural aggression towards other turtles, he is docile when held by his new owner and other students. “I like to hold him,” said Allen Shagon, a medical student in her first hour. “He’s cute and very calm, plus he fits in my hands perfectly.”

Because of his “active antics,” Ms. Noor will occasionally allow Franklin to wander about the classroom while she is teaching. “I trust my students not to step on him, and they even announce where he is when someone leaves or enters the room, and if I need to put him back in his tank” said Ms. Noor.

While Franklin is considered a class pet, Ms. Noor says that “anyone is welcome to visit her classroom and play with him in the morning before class starts, during lunch, or after school.”