This week's "cool school" is White Hall Elementary School in Richmond. First grade teacher, Mrs. Laura Martin, has a very unusual pet in her classroom. It's called an axolotl and his name is Arnie. An axolotl is a unique type of salamander that is critically endangered. They live naturally in one lake in Mexico and there are fewer than two-thousand left in the wild.

Arnie is very special to Mrs. Martin's students. They look forward to seeing him every day and even write letters to him and books about him. Arnie is such a special little guy that people travel to see him. UK Curator Chris Muzinic and his wife came to the school recently to meet Arnie and to teach the kids more about him and other axolotls. Arnie is pretty small now but he will grow much much larger and will outgrow his tank. Axolotls have a life expectancy of about fifteen years and Arnie is only one so he should be around for awhile!

That's why White Hall Elementary..is a cool school!