Whitemarsh kindergarteners welcomed baby chicks – and life lessons
Whitemarsh kindergarteners welcomed baby chicks – and life lessons
Liana Lakhter, Zoey Mayer and Owen Viall from Susan Hope's class on the Blue Team
Some excitement recently hatched in the kindergarten classrooms at Whitemarsh Elementary School — baby chicks! These fluffy visitors arrived still in their eggs and quickly became the centerpiece of a unit on the life cycle and the basic needs of living things.
“I learned that chicks hatch from an egg, and they grow bigger and bigger,” shared Maryn Bald, a kindergartener at WES.
After the chicks emerged from their shells, students helped carefully move them from an incubator to a brooder box — a warm, protected environment with a heat lamp that helps baby chicks grow. The brooder box also gave students the chance to observe the chicks up close.
“I think they’re cute, because they’re fluffy,” said classmate Clara Heleniak.
Gabriel Parisi from Kelsey Rhoades' class on the Orange Team
In Mrs. Hope’s room, one chick stood out. It had a red bump on its head, misaligned beak, and no eyes. Mrs. Hope used this chick to spark a conversation about differences and acceptance.
“The kids started calling it ‘our special chick,’” said Mrs. Hope. “They liked that it was unique, and they could always find it quickly among the others.”
The students taught all of the chicks how to find nourishment — and made sure that their special chick also learned what it needed to do. “We put its beak in the water and food to show him where to get food and water,” explained kindergartener Max Rosenbloom.
At the end of the unit, the students said goodbye as a local farmer visited the school to collect the chicks — leaving behind lasting memories and meaningful lessons about growth, care, and celebrating differences.
