THE LARVAE ARE HERE! THE LARVAE ARE HERE!

Student in Mr. Scott's class observing the newly hatched larvae.

Early Tuesday morning the 11th, an overnight shipping box arrived in the front office with 62 just hatched Monarch larvae. Some of these babies were sooooo small that we were not sure we could even get them onto milkweed without squishing them!



Day 3 of life!



Since that morning, each class reared at least 3 larvae and will spend the next weeks watching them eat, poop (called frass), grow and change. Classes will ensure that our very hungry caterpillars will have all the milkweed they could dream of from our very own butterfly garden.

Ms. Covington planting our butterfly garden with students during last school year.

Each class will approach their study differently- some singing songs, others getting down and dirty with investigations and parasite testing, however all students will experience the amazing phenomena that is metamorphosis. Ms. Bomba and Mr. Rogers are also in teaching science lessons on these special insects since they went to a special training this summer!



Mr. Rogers and Ms. Bomba

Student in Ms. Levin's class explains what she observes.

                                        Ms. Timmons' class singing the Monarch Life Cycle Song

Students closely investigating the holes left behind by their hungry larve.

Student in Ms. Timmon's class makes his rendition of a leaf and chrysalis.

"Can you see them in there?"


Stay tuned to the large bulletin board over the next two weeks as photos of our pets are documented through the process (including pics from the upper grades!). Please feel free to grab a magnifying glass and look at the two growing outside my office and leave a post-it note with questions.