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A science lesson at Whitman Middle School has grown into a permanent campus attraction, with a flock of Novogen Brown chickens helping students learn, focus and find calm during the school day.

The chickens arrived as eggs for a monthlong after-school program on embryo development. Nearly a year later, they live in an internal courtyard and have become a beloved part of the Wildcats community—occasionally poking their heads through open classroom windows with a cluck.

After-School Program Specialist Lee Maguire, affectionately known as “chicken daddy,” said staff made a deliberate effort to incorporate the birds into classroom instruction and broader school life.

Some students were initially nervous about interacting with the chickens and worried about being pecked. That uncertainty gradually turned into curiosity as they learned about flock hierarchies and compared the birds’ social structure with human society.

Students now help feed the chickens, clean their heated coop and collect freshly laid eggs. The breed’s docile temperament also makes the birds approachable companions.

Maguire said the courtyard has even motivated students academically. Some taking remedial math classes have studied outside and asked for additional work so they could remain near the chickens longer.

The space also offers relief from the busy atmosphere of a large urban middle school. Students can visit the courtyard to decompress, and many find holding or spending time with the birds calming.

For eighth grader Emma Posada, the flock recalls 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 also has a family connection to farm animals because her father raises them on an out-of-state farm. She often visits the courtyard after lunch to hold one or two chickens.

“It feels good to be around them,” Lee said. “You do not expect to find this at a school in an urban area like this.”

The program supports the school system’s goal of developing ethical and globally minded citizens. With help from grant funding, Whitman hopes to install a second courtyard coop and expand the flock in the coming months.