Side note: Peyton has his own Instagram account! Make sure to follow him over at @big_peyton_bear.

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Peyton is the beloved class pet and heirloom of Class 2-3, having been proudly passed down from past classes. Being a petite panda bear soft toy, he is undeniably adorable. Ever since the start of the year, our classmates, David and Zhuo Xun, have fervently taken care of our little friend during class time. Over the course of the first school term, we have all come to enjoy Peyton’s company. His presence is most certainly palpable, and we all enjoy spending time with him. Peyton has transformed from an inanimate stuffed toy to a good friend.

Peyton’s day in school starts off on a rather sad note, greeted by tired, sleep deprived faces of the students. However, as the sun rises on the horizon and more classmates arrive at school, all of our spirits are lifted as the class starts to warm up and buzz with life. Many can be seen caught in their own animated chatter or catching up on schoolwork. Some give Peyton a morning hug, carrying him around the class for everyone to meet him. During lesson time, Peyton is often passed around so that we may embrace him while paying attention to the teacher and focusing on our work. We should learn from Peyton to keep quiet while listening intently. During recess, we relish our respite from schoolwork with Peyton, taking turns to carry and hug our tiny companion. At the long awaited end of our day in school, Peyton returns back to David’s table to rest and prepare for a new day of learning.

Unfortunately, as of late, many in 2-3 have started to mistreat Peyton through different means such as squishing him into different shapes and hurling the poor thing around our classroom. These mischievous actions have led to Peyton sustaining numerous injuries which mostly include cuts. He also got increasingly dirtier throughout the term and is now a dust-caked shadow of his former pristine self. Thankfully, Zhuo Xun, who is skilled in sewing, helped to stitch Peyton's cuts and grazes along with cleaning him up.

Although we never meant to harm our panda bear friend, there is no doubt that we should be more responsible and take care of Peyton properly. Examples of how we should take care of him would be making sure we are clean before making physical contact or simply by refraining from "yeeting" him around and squishing him. Whoever soils or injures him should also own up to their mistakes and try to clean or fix Peyton.

Peyton is our class mascot and pet, but most importantly, our friend. While we have fun playing with him, we should also set a good example for the next 2-3 to ensure that he may continue to be passed down for future generations. He is an integral part of our class culture and we must act responsibly for the sake of his well-being.