It’s Monarch season in Ellsworth- and it’s just as magical again this fall!!
Our first graders were back at it this year- caring for caterpillars, waiting for the chrysalises to hatch, and releasing their beautiful Monarch Butterflies into the wild behind EEMS!
Each year, the kids watch the metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly and learn a ton about animal traits, inheritance- and since the Monarchs are gathered right here in Maine, they’re also building some community bonds while doing so!
“We connect it to learning animal traits and inheritance, and building community ties and accepting things from others,” says Mrs. Chapman, one of our awesome first grade teachers leading the charge. “There were a couple years we couldn’t find any up here, and it just wasn’t the same. It wasn’t the same feeling for the kids that people had found them outside- so getting them from a teacher, from a different community and being able to release them up here has been wonderful. The kids love being able to release them.”
Big thanks to our Ed Tech Mrs. MacKay- she normally gathers our caterpillars by hand, and this year it was her sister Deb who gathered our caterpillars and some eggs down in Auburn and sent them our way! Mrs. MacKay was kind enough to make the few-hour round trip down there and hand deliver our caterpillars to our first graders. Our kids were thrilled to receive a few of the over 130 caterpillars Deb and Michael raised in their milkweed garden, and they treated them with top-notch care until it was time to say goodbye! Later this year, the kids will draw and design thank you cards to show their gratitude for this experience!
The butterflies didn’t stop there, either! Over at the high school, they didn’t let first grade have all the fun! Ms. Hessler had her own collection of Monarchs in the library that Mrs. MacKay brought over, and she raised them into chrysalises and watched them hatch into butterflies! They released those upstairs by the raised garden beds- and a few student photographers were on hand to capture the moment!
We love how our older and younger students can find fulfillment in the same project. Thanks to the care of our students, staff, and our community, this year’s Monarch project has once again filled our children with joy and wonder- and even gratitude! These butterflies may have flown away, but the lessons—and the bonds—will stay with our kids long after. And a huge thanks to Mrs. Chapman, Mrs. Richard, Mrs. Perlman, Mrs. Sprague, and Ms. Hessler for an awesome experience!