January 10, 2020

Parents,

We are beginning a month-long research and service project to help the animals in Australia
who have been displaced, orphaned, and injured due to the devastating bush fires. We are going to
make small ‘joey pouches’ (warm, secure pouches for baby possums, sugar gliders, and koalas) and
‘microbat pouches’ (for tiny, insect-eating bats). These pouches will be mailed to the caretakers of the
animals in Australia.

We need your help! Students can collect and donate fabric to make the pouches. Once the
materials are collected (the sooner, the better), students will help with the measuring and cutting of the
fabrics. Items cannot be hand-sewn, therefore, I can also use the help of parent volunteers to assist with
machine sewing. It would be great to have some parents bring in a sewing machine so that students can
attempt to do some of the sewing with adult supervision and support. Please reach out to me if you are
able to help, either at home or in the classroom – either with material donations, your sewing expertise,
or in any other way.

Guidelines for selecting fabric to make joey pouches:

• Fabric should be made only from natural fiber such as ‘baby soft,’ 100% cotton. Suitable types of
cotton include t-shirt material or cotton flannelette, which are easily washed.

• Fabric does not need to be brand new, good quality second-hand fabrics sourced from bed linen can
also be used (e.g. flannelette sheets).

• Marsupial joeys like to suckle, sometimes on their pouch, so materials that do not shed any lint, or pill,
or have any loose threads are essential.

• There is no preference for specific colors or designs, as long as the material does not have any glitter.

Suggestions: The fabric can be purchased in-store or online by the yard from Joann’s: www.joann.com –
Do a product search for items: such as ‘Sew Classic Solid Cotton Fabric,’ ‘Kona Quilt Cotton Fabric-Solid,’
or “Cozy Flannel Fabric.’ These are all relatively inexpensive and 100% cotton! Similar fabric can also be
purchased from Michael’s or Walmart. Cotton sewing thread is also needed.

Let us know if you have any questions! Thank you in advance for your support with this project.
Our students are incredibly excited!

- The Elementary Montessori Team