Retiring custodian spent 10 years caring for ducks

When Juliette Low Elementary School's kindergartners arrive in the morning, they immediately check on the ducks that are a mainstay on school grounds.

While many school courtyards are home to ducks, the birds at the Arlington Heights school are spoiled. For the last 10 years, custodian Russ Nendza has cared for a family of ducks. He feeds them in the morning and fills a pool for them to play in. He built a bridge to help the birds easily get into the pool.

Each April, the elder duck returns to lay her eggs and the students can watch the family play from the time they hatch until mid-October when they head south. There were 16 babies to start with this year.

"Every morning, he's like a little mom," said teacher Mary Ann White.

White said Nendza held a dying duck to keep it from suffering alone after its mother shunned it.

Staff and students have grown accustomed to seeing Nendza with the ducks, and interacting in the school. His retirement next Monday, after 19 years, will hit Juliette Low hard.

"He's a part of the community," said Principal Brian Ganan. "Everybody knows Russ."

Ganan said the students enjoy watching Nendza take care of the ducks.

"They're Mr. Russ' ducks," he said. "They get all excited."

White said Nendza's dedication to caring for living things sets a good example for the kids.

Students can learn from their janitor's relationship with the ducks by seeing him feed them and make sure they are healthy, Nendza said.

"They think the ducks are here because Mr. Russ is here to take care of them," Ganan said.

For years Nendza took the ducks home on weekends in a box he made with a screen and a light to keep the ducks safe and warm. At his house, the ducks spent their days in his backyard and their nights sleeping in his garage. His fence doesn't completely enclose the yard.

"They can leave anytime they want, but they feel safe back there," Nendza said.

While Nendza no longer takes the birds home, he stops by school three or four times a day on Saturdays and Sundays to care for them. He also watches them all summer.

"Everyday the hose goes on and they get their water," he added.

Nendza began caring for the ducks after a kindergarten teacher brought eggs in from the Farm Bureau so students could watch them hatch. He said the mother duck might be one of the school's original birds, although she could also have found the courtyard on her own.

Nendza is moving to central Illinois where he plans to live near a lake. The school's staff has promised to keep on eye on the ducks for him.

While he was not interested in ducks before his tenure at Juliette Low, he said he looks forward to watching ducks in retirement, along with other animals.

"Wherever I'm going to move, there's going to be ducks around," Nendza said.