Kindergarteners To Raise Rescued Chickens In Baltimore County
WINDSOR MILL, Md. (WJZ) -- Kindergarteners at Watershed Public Charter School in Baltimore County will help to raise rescued chickens.
Baltimore County Animal Services will deliver six adult chickens to the Windsor Mill school, where they will be cared for by kindergarteners at the school's working farm. It'll become a part of their structured learning about science and life cycles.
"We're very excited to receive these chickens, which will enhance learning for our whole school as part of our multi-disciplinary approach to environmental education," said Executive Director Jessie Lehson. She added that the new chickens will replace two elderly chickens who are retiring this year to a life of leisure at the home of one of the school's teachers.
The chickens came into BCAS' care after they were seized from their owners who were not providing adequate food, water and shelter to animals in their care.
"Well, I know that they eat corn," said one kid.
"Me too!" said another.
"They also live on farms and they lay eggs," chimed in another student.
The chicken care assignment is a way to introduce this group of kindergartners to science and a new way of exciting learning.
"Watershed Public Charter School is founded on environmental agriculture and nature-based learning," said Karen Norton-Smith, a teacher at Watershed.
Each grade level has their own special job, which means these five-year-olds are the keepers of the chicken.
"We have chicken here as part of our curriculum to learn about life cycles, animal behaviors and all sorts of things so that's why we have chickens here," Norton-Smith said.
These birds replace two who are enjoying a life of leisure at one of the teacher's homes. These six are still hard at work eating clovers and worms.
How did the chicken coop get to the school in the first place? It took parents only three days to start a fundraiser for $3,200 to get the kids to learn.
