Turtles Take Over Classrooms At Goosehill Primary School

COLD SPRING HARBOR, NY — First graders at Goosehill Primary School recently welcomed some new classmates with shells.

Eastern painted turtles arrived at the school as part of Goosehill’s ongoing partnership with the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery, allowing students to care for and learn about the reptiles throughout the school year.

Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery educator Krissy Forman visited the school to introduce students to the turtles and explain how to care for them. She walked students and teachers through maintaining the turtles’ tanks, filters and other equipment, as well as keeping the animals warm, healthy and properly fed.

Each class also received adoption papers listing its turtle’s actual hatch date. The turtles were then placed in “turtle taxi” bins and brought to their classrooms, where students will vote on names for them.

Students learned that they will not be able to determine whether their turtle is male or female until it is about 3 years old.

The annual program is part of a collaboration between Goosehill Primary School and the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery that has continued for several years.

Throughout the school year, first graders will feed the turtles, care for them and watch them grow. In the spring, students will take a field trip to the Fish Hatchery, where the turtles will be released into the turtle pond.

Until then, the students will be responsible for keeping their classroom turtles safe and healthy while getting a hands-on lesson in animal care and the turtles’ life cycle.