SINCLAIRVILLE, N.Y. — Cassadaga Valley Middle-High School, got some new students at the end of winter break --- two baby emus hatched from inside the school.
In December, Cheryl Burns, the agricultural science teacher at Cassadaga Valley, shared with 7 News how she shares her passion for raising emus with her students.
“Show them what it’s like to have a cute little creature that grows up to be so tall and so strong,” Cheryl said.
Just a few days ago, two of those emu eggs hatched.
“It looks like an ostrich,” said Jackson Frangione said. “You get to learn about a new animal and what they look like and what they do.”
For the first time ever, the two birds found a new home with Cheryl’s 6th grade students, Zophiah Swierkosz and Jackson Frangione.
“Whenever she told us we were hatching them, she had asked everybody if they wanted any and right away we said ‘yeah’,” Zophiah said. “We were working on building an enclosure in our backyard.”
“I think it would be a fun experience of a new animal,” Jackson said.
Their father, Joe Swierkosz, shared that this was his favorite school project that the kids have ever brought home.
“We enjoy the diversity and that emus are so friendly and so personable, they’ll make a great addition to the farm,” Joe said. “We are prepared for them, we are ready for them.”
With Cheryl retiring at the end of the school year, she’s happy to pass her emu legacy on with another family.
“They have a big family, I can't imagine they wont get enough attention,” Cheryl said.
A Southern Tier family, now two exotic birds bigger.
