Naming the Chicks

Our smaller chick had a small medical scare during her first few days of life and Maria brought both chicks home to care and nurse back over the weekend to help with the guidance from her stepfather - a certified chicken man! Together they fed and gave them water, keeping them nourished and comfortable, with the success of both chicks getting their strength back. These chicks each have distinct characteristics on their bodies allowing us to tell them apart and use these to come up with names. The smaller chick has been named Nugget due to her smaller stature when she hatched. The first chick to hatch has a lighter tuft of feathers right on top of her head. We are referring to both chicks as her right now until we learn who they really are (hen or rooster). The power of positive thinking! Hopefully in the coming weeks we can see what they grow into and fingers crossed can join our already established flock here at school! 

We have been generating a large list of names from all the groups here at school and are working on voting to pick the name for the other chick.  Friday morning we gathered together and dwindled down our list first by a hand raising voting opportunity. After reading each name on the list we kept the names with a higher number of votes and the lower voted names were erased.  We did that twice then moved onto blind voting as to not be pursuaded to vote based on our peers.. We kept the names with the top three highest number of votes. The remaining names were Suki, Sandy and Coconut. Finally we cast our ballot by writing the name we wanted on a piece of paper and placing it in a ballot box. Lastly we read aloud each paper and tallied the number of votes for each name. Coconut was victorious with the majority of votes!  

Chicken Home Improvement Update

Our Chicken Run Home Improvement project is off and running! After sending out our Request for Proposals we received back two incredible responses! It was time to decide who would be our chosen Chicken Run builder. 

Before looking at the proposals, The Hummingbirds outlined what it was we were actually looking for. After discussing, they decided we needed someone with building experience, knowledge of farm structures and animals, and they need to be “Randolphian”. (Randolphian as defined by The Hummingbirds: creative, ability to collaborate, unique and more!) We then read through both proposals very carefully, and compared the two by making a T-Chart listing which of our needs were met. 

Proposal one had building experience and was Randolphian. Proposal two also had building experience and was Randolphian. In addition, proposal two had experience with farm structures and animals. As we were coming to the end of making our comparison chart, one Hummingbird raised their hand with an idea. They asked, “Since both of these proposals are willing to collaborate and both meet our needs, can we have BOTH of them work on our chicken run?!” With that, the other Hummingbirds all agreed (as did Renée and Jackie!) Both proposals had so much to offer, and having them come together as a team, we had no doubt that they would be able to create something amazing for our chickens!  And so, our “Chicken Run Building Crew” was born!

Our team of builders is made up of 3 amazing Randolph dads: Andrew Brehm (dad to Pippa and Thekla), Erik Fyfe (dad to Frankie and Annie) and Keith MacLean (dad to Merritt & someday Randolph kid, Robin). Andrew is an incredible artist whose proposal was filled with creative, “Randolphian” ideas and highlighted his charming and clever sculpture work. Erik and Keith worked together on their proposal under the company name Dugnad D.A.D.S. (pronounced "doog'nahd") - a Norwegian tradition of community work and support. (Yes, they created a fictitious company for the purposes of participating in this project!) Erik has ample agricultural experience and has designed predator proof poultry enclosures before. Keith is a master builder. With his woodworking skills, we know the structure will be a solid one that lasts for years to come. We couldn’t be more delighted and impressed by this dream team!

Once we notified the dads of their selection, they were happy and eager to collaborate and start planning! They came to visit The Hummingbirds to discuss what was envisioned for the new run. Hummingbirds have had many discussions and planning sessions, so they looked back at their notes and reminded themselves of what we actually need, and also what we want, once our needs are met. Some of those needs included: enclosed and peaked somehow with sturdy fencing for predator and weather protection, along with easy access to the coop. Some wants are a rumpus structure style roosting playground, comfier nesting boxes, and a covered bulletin board to share chicken information. The trio of dads gathered the information from kiddos and took a walk over to the existing run with us to see the space. 

After they had the information needed, they told us they would come up with a design plan and get back to us once finished. We awaited eagerly, but didn’t have to wait long! Within days, the team told us they were ready to present their design plan. Our Chicken Run Building Crew returned to Randolph and shared out a beautiful, creative plan of an octagonal shaped run that plays off the round shape of our amphitheater and Randolph's connection to banjos. This was a shape that we had never even thought of and were beyond impressed by the creativity, practicality, and thoughtfulness of the design! It also came as a surprise to us, that after careful research and surveying of the land, it was decided to shift the location of the run away from the sloping walkway, into a flater, unutilized area. The new location will provide shady areas in the summer, but prime sunbathing spots in the winter for our beloved chickens. 

To better understand this concept, the team had brought a framework of the shape they designed, so that we could visualize the structure in actual size. Kiddos paired up, two stood in the middle holding up the center beam, while others spread out holding onto strings that came from the center, creating the octagonal shape. 

Right now, we are in the midst of clearing out and preparing the land for the build. Hummingbirds spent a few mornings moving rocks, logs and debris. Believe it or not, there was an entire carpet (plastic sheeting and all) hidden under the materials we moved! This prep was proving to be more involved than we ever expected. We rolled up our sleeves and got to work doing as much as we could. Thankfully, later in the week we had help from a whole crew of parents! They removed the carpeting, and relocated massive quantities of rocks. We paid a visit while this work was happening, and Erik explained to us that the soil under the carpet had been smothered by the plastic sheeting and now without microorganisms the soil was technically dead; which isn’t ideal for the chickens. Have no fear, there is a plan! To amend the soil, the team and some Hummingbird helpers added wood chips and healthy soil to the area. There is also a plan to add edible mushroom spores to the run area to continue soil revival. Added bonus, the mushrooms will be a tasty treat for our chickens!  Over time, this soil amendment, along with the chickens’ poop, will provide healthy soil not only for our chickens, but for the sugar maples growing in that area as well. 

We feel so grateful for the Chicken Run Building Crew, along with all the other parent helpers. We are so proud of The Hummingbirds’ commitment to this project. It highlights one of the many things that makes Randolph such a special community; children, teachers, and parents, coming together for practical, meaningful and joyful work…We cannot wait to see the finished product! 

Leading Morning Gathering

The second half of the school year is a time to really show off our new and improved skills. Each morning one Duckling friend is able to lead the class during our Morning Gathering. Taking on this leadership role provides an opportunity to boost our Ducklings' confidence and self-esteem, as they learn to share their knowledge and guide friends.

We got mail!!!

Another big accomplishment for the Ducklings was finishing our Animal Tracks book. We were so excited to receive our published copy in the mail we decided to share it with our buddies. This was special because it was our last Buddy Links of the school year. When asked what they thought of the book, our buddies all gave us two thumbs up! We were also able to read the book to our Neighborhood friends during our weekly shared time. Each class we have visited has been so encouraging and complimentary, which has boosted the pride that we already had in our work. 

Bird sanctuary

As we welcome the birds back from their winter migration we decided to turn our lean-to into a bird sanctuary. Some friends had birds that simply enjoyed soaring through the sky, some perched in the tree, while others had the important job of keeping their eggs warm. This open-ended play led to us comparing and contrasting different types of birds and exploring flight. Do all birds fly? How do birds fly?  What does it mean to soar? We explored these questions usings books from our Randolph school and local library.

Jumping cups

As we expanded our spring investigations to include space and rockets, we noticed an interesting connection - how things move! We began to study the movement of people and animals as well as vehicles, learning new songs and reading stories for research. In preparation for rocket building, we made "jumping cups" powered by rubber bands. Children had the option of making an animal, person, or vehicle, and soon the launch pads were booked to capacity! Launching our creations took a bit of trouble-shooting and problem-solving and then they were flying all over the place.

Space station

We continued exploring flight while building our space station! We used various loose parts to create jet packs, walkie talkies, and everything else an astronaut needs for space.

A sneak peak of our rockets

We continued to dive into the theme of birds and butterflies while starting our bottle rockets, and our first step is complete! We look forward to seeing you at Rocket Launch!

We are always looking for ways to get Woodpeckers hooked on deeply meaningful work that leads to real-world outcomes that the whole community can enjoy. This is where the idea that “living and learning are interdependent conditions” becomes so beautifully evident.  Here are two current examples that we hope may take root and lead to the ultimate adventure: lifelong learning and skill development.

See you at the Rumpus!