Glen Rock High School and its dedicated Science staff is now mourning the loss of its beloved school Turtle; Tuck. On Tuesday Ap 8, 2025, Tuck the turtle passed away at over 30 years old who was brought to the school in 1995 by Carolina Scientific Supply Company by former head of Science Department, Mr. Grandon Voorhis.

Tuck the turtle became a staple part of Mrs. McDermott’s Environmental Classes and a popular part of the Science Department. Environmental classes helped build a beautiful small courtyard in the back of the High School Main Office to act as a home for Tuck, but in 2025 McDermott’s classes began restoring it. McDermott aimed to make Tuck a crucial part of the Environmental curriculum and have all her students involved and engaged with Tuck. 

Tuck’s passing was confirmed on Wednesday Apr 9, 2025, by Mrs. Crowley and Mrs. O’Hearn in the Main Office. The two became key parts of caring for Tuck the turtle and making sure he had all things necessary. 

“[Mrs. O’Hearn and I] kept turtle food in the assistant principal’s office to feed him daily. Sometimes on a sunny day when the door to the outside was open, he would visit the assistant principal and the staff,” Mrs. Crowley shared.

Mrs. Crowley plans to honor Tuck the turtle through a passionate eulogy and making sure he is remembered throughout the building. Similarly, Mrs. McDermott’s period eight AP Environmental Class honored Tuck through a memorable burial in the courtyard, on April 9. 

With this being a sad change in the Science Department, Mrs. McDermott is unsure about whether or not she will get another animal for the school, but for now Henrietta the Chicken, and the fishes in her classroom, continue to act as an important role in the school.