The students of Whitman Middle School no longer get surprised if a chicken pokes its head through an open classroom window and interrupts their study with a cluck.

That's because during the past year, an internal courtyard at the school has become a happy home to a growing flock of feathered friends, now a much-loved part of the Wildcats’ community.

They came to the school as eggs in an incubator for students to learn about embryo development, but it quickly became clear that the benefits of having the chickens around went far beyond textbooks. Now, they are here to

It's not unusual to see a chicken peering through a classroom window.

 

After-School Program Specialist Lee Maguire, known affectionately as “chicken daddy,” initially planned for a month-long experiential learning program about embryo development.

Almost a year later, staff, students, and families are captivated by the flock and what they bring to the school community.

“There was a lot of intentional effort to integrate the chickens into both the curriculum and school life,” said Maguire. 

He says that many students were initially unsure about how the chickens would interact with them, fearing what it would feel like to be pecked. But after time and teaching, their fascination grew, particularly when learning about the hierarchy of flocks and how that compares to human society.

Now, students help feed and care for the birds, cleaning out the heated coop and collecting freshly-laid eggs.

The opportunity to hang out with the flock of the Novogen Browns, a breed known for their docile nature, has proved a motivating factor when it comes to school work, too, added Maguire.

“We have had students in remedial math classes studying outside in the courtyard, asking for more work to stay out here longer.”

Some students can feel overwhelmed in the hectic environment of a large, urban middle school, and the courtyard has become a go-to place to decompress. Being around the chickens and handling them is a calming experience for many.

For others, the chickens remind them of family abroad. 

Eighth grader Emma Posada enjoys being around the birds because they remind her of her grandmother’s property in El Salvador.

“Chickens are very important in El Salvador and are considered good luck. My grandma owns a lot of chickens, so I am used to being around them. I think it's really interesting to have them in school.”

Savannah Lee feels right at home amongst the hens as her father raises animals on his farm out of state. 

“I’ll often come out here after lunch and hold a chicken or two. It feels good to be around them. You do not expect to find this at a school in an urban area like this.”

The program, which aligns with the FCPS Portrait of a Graduate’s ethical and global citizen attribute, has been such a success that during the next few months, and with funding from a grant, Whitman hopes to add a second coop to the courtyard to expand their flock.