Baker Montessori School's chicken project teaches students biology, husbandry, food science, and more

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HOUSTON - A small group of students from Baker — formerly known as Wilson Montessori School — could be seen cheerfully greeting a flock of clucking chickens.

Principal Shameika Sykes-Salvador said that observing and caring for a flock of chickens is a great way for students to learn biology, animal husbandry, food science and sustainable living practices.

The first flock of chickens nested on campus eight years ago. It was made possible by an initial donation from the school and its parent-teacher organization. After that, teachers were quick to bring the hens to the classroom for lessons.

At first, noise pollution was a challenge.

“When a young rooster crows for a class, it’s a magnificent sound. Not so much on weekends when those living nearby want to sleep in,” Early Childhood Co-Teacher Nichole Campbell said. The baby roosters were all soon relocated. The move also enabled students to focus on the hens.

The school continued the program in 2019 after its renovation project was completed. The large chicken run was part of the 2012 Bond Program.

Students gave the chickens unique names. These include Zero, Crouton and Maria Montessori. The breeds of the chickens varied from Barred Plymouth Rock, Sapphire Olive, to Blue Orpington. The chickens at Baker are not pets, but they provide social-emotional support to the students during daily feeding times.

A fifth-grader, Faustine Llorca, adopted a chicken after working with them for three years and named it Daffodil. She took it home, and the chicken now lives in her backyard. “It was so much fun!” the girl said.

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