WestMetroNews and Dawn Kujawa – Lexington 2 Schools – The signs of spring are abundant at Riverbank and Cayce elementary schools.

On Monday, Chuck Underhill of House of Raeford, brought six fertilized eggs to a kindergarten class at each school. By Thursday those eggs were hatching into baby chicks.

“We use the baby chicks to teach a science lesson,” said Kamryn Hall. She teaches a kindergarten class at Cayce Elementary. Stephanie Fredette is the Teacher Assistant in the class.

Hall said the eggs are placed in the school’s incubator, which is set at 100 degrees. Then students monitor the eggs and watch in amazement as the eggs hatch into baby chicks.

“We teach them about the life cycle,” Hall said. It takes 21 days for the eggs to hatch. Hall said her students are taught about hens and roosters and they study the feeding habits of the chicks, from worms, grains and corn, to fruit.

“One of their favorite things to do is to hold a flashlight up to the egg to see what stage of development the egg is in,” Hall said.

Underhill said he loves to see the level of excitement on the children’s faces as they watch creation unfold before them.
“Every year it’s a treat to see the look in their eyes when they’re around the baby chicks,” he said.

At Riverbank Elementary Kindergarten students gathered on their class rug, a large strip of bright blue paper rolled out before them. They waited patiently to meet their newest, if temporary, class members.

Teacher O’Neta Poovey carefully lifted out of an incubator six baby chicks, after most had hatched overnight. She placed them on the bright blue paper, as her students held out gentle hands and spoke in soft voices, hoping the baby chicks would come their way.

Eggs carrying the soon-to-hatch chicks were donated and delivered earlier this week courtesy of House of Raeford Farms to Riverbank as well as Cayce Elementary.

“There is nothing like the amazement that shines on the faces of kids watching creation unfold before them,” said the House of Raeford’s Chuck Underhill. “We love it and are happy to share it with each and every class.”

Poovey and fellow kindergarten teacher Beverly Hill said Thursday their students’ excitement in meeting the new baby chicks, after days of learning about the life cycle of chickens, will not soon fade.

“Our students are able to observe first-hand the life cycle of a chicken from watching the incubator, the hatching process, observing the baby chicks and helping to care for them once they are hatched,” Poovey said. “This is a wonderful hands-on learning experience for our children as we study life cycles of animals and what they need to survive.”

First three photos are O’Neta Poovey’s class at Riverbank by Dawn Kujawa and the next three photos are Kamryn Hall’s class at Cayce Elementary by Terry Ward.