As students walk down the Green Hallway, a delicious smell wafts from G17. The students in G17, led by teacher Maria Sweeney, are busy baking away. What are they baking? Homemade “Crunchy Munchy” dog treats.

After a visit from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and a dog named Bentley, the students and their teachers decided to bake dog treats to sell to raise money for the SPCA. The treats will be sold from May 17 to May 27, from 11:30am to 12:50pm in the main foyer. A bag of dog treats costs $1, and all proceeds will benefit the local branch of the SPCA.

“We’re running it like a business,” says Mrs. Sweeney. The students call themselves the “Red Ram Baking Company.” They are responsible for baking, packaging, and selling the treats. Jonathan Tipton, a G17 student, designed the labels on the bags of treats. Mrs. Sweeney says that students are learning how to tally money, keep a checking account, work on communication skills, and be good citizens. The project was chosen because of its high interest – many of the students in the class love animals and have pets.

The class is also collecting supplies that are on the SPCA wish list: dog and cat food, meat-flavored baby food, blankets, cat litter, dog and cat beds, bowls, and leashes are a few of the items on the list.