Mother duck marches ducklings through Virginia elementary school hallway to get to pond…again!

ASHBURN, Va. - For the second time in a year a mother duck marched her newly hatched ducklings through the halls of a Virginia elementary school to a nearby pond.

The mother duck, named Star, and her 14 ducklings made their way from the courtyard of Ashburn Elementary School in Loudoun County to the pond across the street.

This isn’t the first time the school has opened its doors to its feathered friends. A similar scene took place last year after ducklings hatched in the same courtyard. Substitute teacher Kate Brandenburg was there for both occasions and said the entire school community stepped in to escort the ducks through the school, across the parking lot and across the street to the water.

Brandenburg said she believes it’s the same mother duck as last year. "I have a feeling this is the same mom because she had a great time here last year!" she said.

She said she thinks the mother duck keeps coming back to the courtyard because it’s safe from predators and offers good shelter.

She said the students really learned how to come together to help another living creature. "We did a great job helping her, and the kids just love it. They listen great. They were quiet, which is great because we said we can't scare her. And it was a really fun time!"

Brandenburg said this may not be the last time we see ducklings in the halls. A second mother duck with seven eggs has taken up residence in the school’s second courtyard. Those eggs are expected to hatch in just a few weeks!