It is Chicken Mania around the halls of Hollin Meadows!  We have eggs incubating in the library and the questions and thinking it is generating in all the students and staff is exciting.  We are curious about what is happening inside the eggs every day and very impatient for those little peepers to start peeping!  Fairfax County School District used to have a program in place and a farmer that supplied 4,000 eggs to all the 1st grade classrooms.  It is not part of the standard curriculum at this time; but we have found soooo many applications and tie-ins at all levels of learning that we want it to be a regular part of our year!  The second graders are practicing real life application of all the measurement tools they have learned to use in science.  The first grade is bringing all their bird knowledge into the mix as well as getting a head start on learning about life cycles.  The third grade is bringing in their ancient civilization studies (because the chicken harkens back to Ancient Egypt!)  The fourth grade is bringing in their Virginia studies about agriculture.  Many of the classes are also using this project for writing activities and journal keeping.  Because we have a very generous and chicken friendly librarian, we have been able to make this project a central part of everyone's day at HM.  That is just how the egg rolls around here :))

So you want to be a Farmer? You better have some stamina ;)

NPR just did a story on how young farmers are getting creative in finding land to grow produce.  Our HM Garden supporters and all around awesome couple Chris and Sara Guerre, are featured in this spot.
Chris has been extremely generous with time, knowledge, and supplies, for our school garden program.  He is very passionate about children having access to healthy food and knowing where it comes from.  He will actually be supplying our school with an incubator and chicken eggs to hatch for an amazing life cycle lesson this year. Thanks for all your help "Young Farmer"!!

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/12/26/257391197/heres-how-young-farmers-looking-for-land-are-getting-creative