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A month-long science lesson at Whitman Middle School has grown into a year-round program, with a flock of chickens now helping students learn, focus and find calm during the school day.
The birds arrived as eggs in an incubator for a lesson on embryo development. They now live in a heated coop within an interior courtyard, where they sometimes poke their heads through open classroom windows and interrupt lessons with a cluck.
After-School Program Specialist Lee Maguire, affectionately known as “chicken daddy,” initially expected the experiential program to last only a month. Nearly a year later, the chickens have become a popular part of the Wildcats community.
“There was a lot of intentional effort to integrate the chickens into both the curriculum and school life,” Maguire said.
Some students initially worried about interacting with the birds and wondered what it would feel like to be pecked. With instruction and experience, that hesitation turned into curiosity. Students became especially interested in flock hierarchies and how they compare with human society.
They now help feed the Novogen Browns, clean the coop and collect freshly laid eggs. The breed’s docile temperament also makes the hens approachable companions.
The courtyard has even motivated some students academically. Maguire said students in remedial math classes have studied outside and requested additional work so they could remain near the flock longer.
For students overwhelmed by the pace of a large urban middle school, the courtyard offers a place to decompress. Holding and spending time with the chickens can be a calming experience.
The birds also evoke memories of family and life abroad. Eighth grader Emma Posada said they remind her of her grandmother’s property in El Salvador.
“Chickens are very important in El Salvador and are considered good luck,” Posada said. “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 is also comfortable among the hens because her father raises animals on an out-of-state farm.
“I’ll often come out here after lunch and hold a chicken or two,” Lee said. “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 aligns with the ethical and global citizen attribute in the FCPS Portrait of a Graduate. With grant funding, Whitman hopes to add a second courtyard coop and expand the flock in the coming months.