Students at Newlonsburg Elementary, in the Franklin Regional School District have been denied outdoor recess during the day due to a groundhog appearance. The groundhog is supposedly still there, because it hasn't been trapped. Even still, the cold months are coming and the kids should get out a few times while they still can
Updates
September 16, 2015
The emails I keep receiving from the district are just more excuses about why the playground remains stuck behind tape. It is exhausting to fight for something as simple as fresh air for these kids, but I am not walking away from this.
September 16, 2015
Reaching this point has been exhausting but seeing the support grow makes me feel like we are finally being taken seriously. I am tired of the bureaucratic delays keeping our kids inside but your energy keeps me moving forward.
14 Comments
This is a shame. My kiddos are really missing outdoor recess. There are numerous groundhogs around campus. These animals are most active during the day, but I've never heard of them being aggressive (unless with distemper/mange/rabid). Please let the kids play outside. The ground hog can hide for a few hours, not the kids!!!
Groundhogs are all over the FR campus especially around the front of the middle school building and woods in front of the high school. Maybe we should shut down those buildings too. Get real. Let the children of Newlonsburg go out and play for recess. I'm sure he or she is afraid of the children and will run and hid as soon as they go outside running and screaming with joy to be outside.
Hope you get some action! Good job taking a stand for this Chrissy.
i don't understand what harm a groundhog can do. unless it's near and bothering the children, kids should not be denied outside play considering the winter is coming.
let the children play outside, the groundhog will not come out of its home with so many children running around. They need the fresh air and to expend their pent up energy.
All they need to do is get a no kill trap from the game warden, stick some vegetables in it & catch it. But even without doing this, the kids should STILL go out to play. Unless it's showing signs of being rabid, like foaming mouth or purposely going over to people. It would be no different than most Murrysville/Franklin Regional kids going to play in their own backyards, or to any parks. It's ludicrous to make them stay in due to a groundhog!!! Basically any outdoor space is groundhogs home, and children outside anywhere outside playing are in nature's home. Therefore, animals of any kind can be outside anywhere kids play. Why don't our most wonderful, and uniquely inventive teachers, make it a learning experience for the students (and maybe learn some themselves) about getting along with nature, and nature being Mr. Groundhogs home. And that we all need to be kind and treat the groundhogs home with respect, or they could potentially be bit if they don't. As long as no one bothers him, he won't bother any of them. Geesh, common sense here guys. Scares me when ppl make irrational, quick decisions before they think. God forbid an animal accidentally get into the building! Would they close down school until it was out?
Though my kids r out of Newlonsburg Elementary, I'd like the present kids to have recess!! We have a great playground! Why r they being kept in for a groundhog? A King Cobra I can see but not a groundhog! Luv ya Chrissy for standing up for the kids!
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Students at Newlonsburg Elementary, in the Franklin Regional School District have been denied outdoor recess during the day due to a groundhog appearance. The groundhog is supposedly still there, because it hasn't been trapped. Even still, the cold months are coming and the kids should get out a few times while they still can
Updates
September 16, 2015
The emails I keep receiving from the district are just more excuses about why the playground remains stuck behind tape. It is exhausting to fight for something as simple as fresh air for these kids, but I am not walking away from this.
September 16, 2015
Reaching this point has been exhausting but seeing the support grow makes me feel like we are finally being taken seriously. I am tired of the bureaucratic delays keeping our kids inside but your energy keeps me moving forward.
14 Comments
Now there's a story for their class reunion... "Remember when we couldn't even go out to play because there was a groundhog somewhere on the playground?" sounds so silly. This over-abundance of caution is an over-reaction.
This is a shame. My kiddos are really missing outdoor recess. There are numerous groundhogs around campus. These animals are most active during the day, but I've never heard of them being aggressive (unless with distemper/mange/rabid). Please let the kids play outside. The ground hog can hide for a few hours, not the kids!!!
Groundhogs are all over the FR campus especially around the front of the middle school building and woods in front of the high school. Maybe we should shut down those buildings too. Get real. Let the children of Newlonsburg go out and play for recess. I'm sure he or she is afraid of the children and will run and hid as soon as they go outside running and screaming with joy to be outside.
Hope you get some action! Good job taking a stand for this Chrissy.
i don't understand what harm a groundhog can do. unless it's near and bothering the children, kids should not be denied outside play considering the winter is coming.
let the children play outside, the groundhog will not come out of its home with so many children running around. They need the fresh air and to expend their pent up energy.
All they need to do is get a no kill trap from the game warden, stick some vegetables in it & catch it. But even without doing this, the kids should STILL go out to play. Unless it's showing signs of being rabid, like foaming mouth or purposely going over to people. It would be no different than most Murrysville/Franklin Regional kids going to play in their own backyards, or to any parks. It's ludicrous to make them stay in due to a groundhog!!! Basically any outdoor space is groundhogs home, and children outside anywhere outside playing are in nature's home. Therefore, animals of any kind can be outside anywhere kids play. Why don't our most wonderful, and uniquely inventive teachers, make it a learning experience for the students (and maybe learn some themselves) about getting along with nature, and nature being Mr. Groundhogs home. And that we all need to be kind and treat the groundhogs home with respect, or they could potentially be bit if they don't. As long as no one bothers him, he won't bother any of them. Geesh, common sense here guys. Scares me when ppl make irrational, quick decisions before they think. God forbid an animal accidentally get into the building! Would they close down school until it was out?
Though my kids r out of Newlonsburg Elementary, I'd like the present kids to have recess!! We have a great playground! Why r they being kept in for a groundhog? A King Cobra I can see but not a groundhog! Luv ya Chrissy for standing up for the kids!
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Now there's a story for their class reunion... "Remember when we couldn't even go out to play because there was a groundhog somewhere on the playground?" sounds so silly. This over-abundance of caution is an over-reaction.