Why did the chicken cross the road? To hang out with the students at Springdale Elementary School, of course!

Springdale Elementary welcomed eight Rhode Island Red chickens, each around 11 months old, donated by the House of Raeford’s charitable arm, FLOCK. These chickens have already made a meaningful impact, bringing enjoyment and educational opportunities for both students and staff.

Students are even diving into chicken-themed lessons, while some classes are having whole units centered around them.

"Students and staff are looking for as many real-world connections as they can make to chickens and the chicken coop," said Springdale Principal Annette Ariail. "Each morning, students learn about chickens on the news show and get to see a different type of graph with the amount of eggs collected each day." 

Ariail further said that students connect the graphs with other learning throughout the school day.

Kindergarteners are responsible for caring for the chickens. This includes feeding them mostly spinach and broccoli, making sure they have fresh water, gathering the eggs and even cleaning up after them. The staff did mention that cleaning up after the chickens isn’t necessarily the students’ favorite part of the job.

Each chicken lays one egg a day, with each egg varying in size and color, adding an element of surprise and excitement for the students to guess.

To ensure the chickens stay warm as the weather grows colder, one staff member made sweaters for them to keep them cozy. However, the chickens weren’t exactly thrilled with their new wardrobe.

In fact, some students will even be writing opinion pieces on whether chickens should have to wear sweaters in cold weather.

Each of the chickens has a colorful band around its leg, helping both students and staff identify them. The school had asked students and staff to come up with name suggestions for their new feathered friends. They will vote on the names this month.

The Rhode Island Red chickens, often known for their adaptability, are primarily known for their egg production. On average, a well-cared-for Rhode Island Red hen can lay between 200 to 300 eggs per year.

FLOCK, which is an acronym for faithful love offering for Christ’s Kingdom, partners with organizations and donates their time, money and products to help those in need.

FLOCK teams are currently providing services in Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina and South Carolina.

"FLOCK's overarching purpose is to focus on the communities that we have locations in, and schools are the backbone of every community," House of Raeford's Chuck Underhill said. "There may be no better way of telling your community that you truly care about it, than to bless their children and those who teach and support them. On top of that, there isn't always budget availability to do these kinds of special projects that truly amplify the learning experience and environment."