Peep. Peep. Peep. Those were the sounds coming from Mrs. Mulkeen’s 1^st grade class in March where they welcomed a newly hatched clutch of baby chicks. 

The eggs’ arrival coincides with Dr. Suess Month when teachers read Horton Hatches the Egg. The eggs go into an incubator (from a MACS Foundation grant) and the students begin a three week journey learning about the lifecycle of a chick and the miracle of life. 

For 21 days, the eggs have to be rotated and kept at the right temperature and humidity. Thankfully three “Chick Moms” – Michelle Potuzak, Kim Zarsadias and Amy Marin – take on the job! 

The eggs can be taken out of the incubator for up to 20 minutes. Using an egg candler (a gift from the PTO), the students see inside the egg. While this is a fascinating learning tool, it is also essential for monitoring the chick’s development. 

As the eggs begin to hatch, the children watch this miracle unfold over several days. The eggs hatch in the incubator as well as in little hands.

 “The kids are part of the whole process from the time the eggs arrive in the classroom until they leave to go to the farm.  They get to see the chicks moving and getting bigger inside the eggs and then see them struggle to get out of the egg,” says Kim Zarsadias. “They look alien and wet when they first hatch and then turn into something cute as they dry.  Just being part of the entire process is so special for them!” 

The chicks are named by the 1^st grade classes and then, after a week, they go to Bradford Farm where they will grow into adult chickens. 

A true reminder of the Miracle of Easter: God promises us all new life!