A real scoop for chickens

A Rivercrest student with one of the chickens. Picture: SUPPLIED

The strong connection between the Crest colleges in Clyde North has continued recently with the practical assistance of Hillcrest Christian College VCAL students.

The VCAL students were invited by Rivercrest Christian College to assist in the refurbishment and upgrade of its much loved chicken coop.

“The coop was in need of a crisp new look, a vibrant feel and a strong foundation. The senior Hillcrest VCAL cohort took up the challenge of refreshing the coop and making it a place for a group of chickens to call home,” said VCAL teacher Johnny Rabahi.

The 21 VCAL students worked diligently in two groups over many weeks to ensure a safe and speedy return for the homeless chickens.

“These two groups made a guarantee to the Head of Rivercrest Primary, Jonathan Shrapnel, that they would be the ones to get the job done in a timely fashion,” added Mr Rabahi.

The two groups consisted of a landscaping team and a construction team. The first worked with the aim of revivifying the encompassing area, whereas the latter focused solely on the chicken coop structure itself.

The landscaping team, led by VCAL coordinator Deborah Rebello, cleared, reordered, replanted, mulched the entire surrounding area, and beautified the garden.

The team even went as far as removing the old compost bin in order to make room for additional garden beds and a potential new and improved chicken coop for future use.

The construction crew, lead by property manager, John Majoinen and Mr Rabahi, painstakingly ensured that the existing coop was clean, fox-proof, and functional for the big move in.

On Monday 24 May an official meet and greet was organised, with the VCAL and Year 3 Rivercrest students, to welcome and introduce eight excited chickens into their new home.

“Students and staff were extremely proud to have completed this project together and are looking forward to the future prospect of building a brand-new chicken coop from scratch; to give the chickens an even better home in the long term,” said Mr Rabahi.

“We hope to involve the Rivercrest students in this project and look forward to maintaining and enhancing the connections we have already made between the campuses.”