Day O - "The Arrival" with Mr Seery

What an unforgettable moment we had today. I was just leaving the classroom when the phone rang from the office:
“Mr Seery, the ducks have arrived!”

I didn’t waste a second. I hurried down the corridor, heart racing, and there at the office door stood a man holding a cage and an incubator, smiling as if he knew exactly how excited we’d be. He greeted me warmly and carefully handed everything over before helping me set up the eggs in their new temporary home.

As we worked, we talked about how these eggs would develop over the next few days and how magical it would be for the children to watch the whole process unfold. The thought of their faces lighting up when they saw the first cracks appear made the moment feel even more special.

Now the eggs are safely settled, and the countdown begins. The excitement in school is already building — and the children haven’t even seen them yet.

A brand‑new adventure has officially begun in our classroom.

Day 1 - "Cracking on" with Teddy, Harvey & Max

Today has been one of the most thrilling days in our classroom. Out of our five duck eggs, four have already cracked, and we’ve been watching them closely with huge anticipation. The fifth egg is still keeping us guessing, but we’re predicting it might hatch overnight. We’ve noticed something unusual too — it looks like this egg has two layers, and there’s a grey patch where the duckling has already broken through the first one.

One of the ducklings is so close to hatching that we can actually see a flash of yellow fluff through the crack. When the children spotted it, the whole room erupted in gasps and excitement. The atmosphere has been electric all day, with everyone hoping to witness that magical moment when the duckling finally breaks free.

We’re more than ready for their arrival. A cosy home is waiting for them, complete with food, water, shelter, and soft sawdust lining the bottom. Everything is prepared — now we’re just waiting for our little ducklings to make their grand entrance.

What an unforgettable day in Beech Class. We can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!

 

Day 2: Our Exciting Duckling Hatch! By Penny and Chloe

This week has been one of the most exciting weeks in our classroom because our duck eggs have finally started to hatch! We’ve been checking on them every day, and we are happy to say the eggs are doing really well. In fact, we had our first two hatchings—and one of them happened before school even started!

When everyone arrived in the morning, we noticed something amazing… another duck was trying to hatch! We watched carefully as it began to peck its way out. But just as we all had to head off to assembly, the duckling suddenly wriggled out of its shell! When we returned, there it was—another fluffy little duckling waiting to greet us.

Right now, we also have one “peeker”—an egg with a tiny crack where a duck might hatch later today or sometime this week. We’re keeping a close eye on it!

One of the best parts of having ducklings in the classroom is choosing their names. Our first little duckling is called Sunny, which suits her perfectly. She’s bright yellow, full of energy, and really is a little ball of sunshine. Everyone already loves her so much— and we’re hoping she loves us back just as much! Our second duckling is called Quacky" a darker-billed duckling who is still feeling sleepy after his egg-citing escape!

The ducklings are doing amazingly well. Right now, they are very tired, which makes sense considering how much effort it takes to hatch out of an egg! They’re snuggling up and trying to sleep, while one final egg continues to wiggle and crack. We’re all excited to see if another duckling joins us soon.

It has been such a wonderful experience watching life begin right here in our classroom. We can’t wait to share more updates as Sunny and Quacky grow!

Duck Diary – Day 3 Written by Archie and William C

Today was an incredibly exciting day in our classroom—ducklings 3 and 4 finally hatched! We have named them Buttercup and Nando’s, and they are already settling in beautifully.

All four ducklings are now together in the cage, getting used to their cosy new surroundings. After giving their area a quick clean, we made sure they had plenty to eat. Then came the best part: we carefully let them out for a short explore! The ducklings waddled around, stretching their tiny legs and checking out their environment with lots of curiosity.

the Ducks also got a chance to visit some of the other classes in school including a quick visit to reception as well as meeting some prospective students at the stay and play with Mrs Peters and Mrs Martin.

The children are buzzing with excitement and cannot wait for their chance to gently handle the ducklings and get to know them even better next week!

Duck Diary – Day 4 & 5 – Weekend Edition - Written by Mr Seery

This weekend, our lovely ducklings went on a special little adventure! The wonderful Mrs Papworth kindly took them home to make sure they were safe, comfortable and very well cared for. They received lots of love and attention, and she even gave them the chance to enjoy something completely new — their very first swim in a little paddling pool. The ducklings paddled, dipped and explored the water with great confidence, showing they are already naturals in the water.

We also discovered some sad news over the weekend: our fifth egg wasn’t fertilised and would not hatch. Although this made us feel a little downhearted, we remain incredibly grateful for our four healthy ducklings — Sunny, Quacky, Nando’s and Buttercup — who continue to bring joy and excitement to our classroom.

As they return to school on Monday, I imagine the ducklings will be full of excitement, ready to see the smiling children who have cheered them on from the very beginning. They may even show off their new swimming confidence as they explore their classroom once again. One thing is certain: they will be welcomed back with gentle hands, warm hearts and plenty more love.

Duck Diary – Day 6 & 7 Written by Mr Seery

Almost a week after joining us at St Michael’s, our ducklings are growing quickly and becoming more confident every day. This week brought a very special milestone: the students were finally able to handle the ducks for the first time. Using careful hands and kind words, the children gently held the ducklings and gave them some calm time outside of their cage, letting them explore the wider world around them.

Before the students arrived on Day 7, I gave the cage a good clean and allowed the ducks to have a little run around the classroom. They waddled happily from table to table, clearly enjoying their early‑morning freedom.

We even welcomed visitors from other classes who came to hold our ducklings and experience their gentle nature. Everyone who met them showed wonderful kindness, patience and care — true role models of gentleness.

What a lovely couple of days for our growing little flock!

Day 8 - Duckling World Tour by Mr Seery

Today was an exciting day for our four classroom ducklings as they went on their very first visits to other year groups in the school.

We began by taking them to Year 2 with Miss Thompson, where the children were thrilled to meet the ducklings up close. The pupils had the opportunity to gently handle them, observe their features, and notice how much they had grown since hatching. The class asked thoughtful scientific questions about the ducklings’ development—such as how their feathers change over time, what they need to stay healthy, and how their bodies adapt as they grow.

Afterward, we continued our tour to Year 3 with Miss Gezer. The Year 3 children were equally enthusiastic and curious. They discussed the ducks’ webbed feet, their beaks, and how these features help them survive in the wild. The children asked excellent questions focused on life cycles, growth, and the differences between newly hatched ducklings and adult ducks.

Throughout both visits, the ducklings were calm and content, and the children showed wonderful care while handling them. It was a fantastic opportunity for pupils to apply their scientific knowledge to real-life living creatures, deepening their understanding of growth, development, and animal care.

 

Day 9 - An Easter Journey and a Duckie Swimming Session by Archie and Muna

As part of our Easter Journey, the whole school visited our classroom to say hello to the ducks. Children from every class were invited to hold one of them, giving everyone a chance to get up close and experience just how friendly and curious they are.

Our ducks also enjoyed a lovely, warm swim outdoors in their inflatable pool. The ducks had an amazing time splashing around—and even managed to give Mr Seery an unexpected shower! There were smiles all around as the ducks paddled, played, and sent little waves across the pool.

It truly was a fun and adventurous day for all of us, filled with laughter, learning, and plenty of splashes.

Sadly, tomorrow we’ll be saying goodbye to our delightful ducks as they head off to preschool. We will miss them dearly, but we’re grateful for all the joy they brought to our school over the past nine days.

 

Day 10 - Saying Goodbye by Mr Seery

Today was our final day with the ducklings at St Michael’s, and it was filled with both joy and a little sadness as we said goodbye to our fluffy visitors. Reception and Year 6 joined together for one last play session with the ducklings, giving them gentle strokes, warm cuddles, and plenty of smiles before they left us.

The children shared some lovely reflections on their time with the ducks:
“The ducks are fluffy and cute. They are cheeky too!” — Eddie, Reception
“I like stroking the ducks.” — Isla, Year 6
“They are very cute — they are adorable.” — Finley and Skylar, Year 6

After bringing so much joy to our school, the ducklings will now join Preschool, where they’ll meet another group of ducks before eventually moving on to a farm. Although we’re sad to see them go, we are truly grateful for the opportunity to meet them, care for them, and love them during their time with us.

These past days have given our school community moments of wonder, laughter, and gentle learning — memories we will treasure for a long time to come.