DUCKLING RESCUE
MAY 11, 2006
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Every Spring, we are lucky to welcome a mother duck who returns to the Fuller Meadow School to have her babies in the Atrium garden. In years past, the ducklings have fallen through a drain grate, so Mr. Sam, our handy custodian, thought to cover the holes in the grate with netting. Little did anybody at the school realize that there was a hole in the netting this Spring . . . until on Thursday, May 11th, Mrs. Hood and other staff members saw the mother duck quacking anxiously as she circled the drain. When Mrs. Hood went up to the grate, she could hear the ducklings quacking back in distress at their mother from inside the drain.
A rescue mission to save the newborn ducklings was underway! Mr. Sam and Mr. McLaughlin rummaged through their supplies to create a crowbar to lift the grate off so that they could fish the ducklings out with pails and broomsticks. The ducklings quacked for their mommy as they swam away in fear from their rescuers’ contraptions. It was tough to coax them out of their hiding place but Mr. Sam and Mr. McLaughlin persevered, assisted by several library volunteers and staff helpers.
Students looking on from inside the library and bordering classrooms cheered as the first of thirteen ducklings were fished out of the grate. What a joyous experience to witness the mother duck and baby duckling quack their way to a reunion. About 20 minutes later, after a series of fishing attempts, the last of the ducklings made its way to the mother and its siblings who were seeking shelter together in the Atrium pond.
Seeing Mr. Sam and Mr. McLaughlin head up this thoughtful rescue mission with such success, we knew we were witnessing our own local heroes in action. How lucky are we to have such a resourceful and caring staff taking care of our children!
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