Hello all,
The Home and School Council hopes that as many family voices can be documented via the survey sent out by Principal McKenzie as possible.
In case you missed it, here is the link again: Parent Council Playground Survey
The survey takes 2-3 minutes, helps inform you of the decisions ahead and gives you the chance to express your priorities for fundraising and how the funds are allocated. Please participate at your earliest convenience to best inform the decision-making process!
Howard Junior Public School Council 
Interested in participating in the survey, but does this mean the decision to proceed with artificial turf has been finalized, despite concerns expressed by parents about its heat retention and potential for injuries?
Please note, I am not saying artificial turf definitively causes more injuries — but I do think people should be making an informed decision.
From what I’ve seen, turf has a “learning curve” as a surface for high-impact physical activities. School-based care providers and parents should be aware of this as it helps mitigate the potential for injury. There has been a lot of debate over the years about higher incidences of concussion, and higher rates of injuries to lower and upper extremities, particularly with regards to kids and high-impact sports. And, although the composition of artificial turf has changed significantly since what we know as “astroturf,” even recent iterations have generated concerns about long-term health issues from inhalable exposures.
Here are some of the more recent debates, regarding the pros/cons of artificial turf:
https://plantscience.psu.edu/research/centers/ssrc/research/synthetic-turf-injuries
http://theconversation.com/why-artificial-turf-may-truly-be-bad-for-kids-72044
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5544152/
https://www.popsci.com/sports-injury-turf-grass-football-soccer/
https://www.sportslabs.co.uk/field-notes/2018/12/13/fact-vs-fiction-artificial-turf-injuries
I am sure these concerns have been taken into serious consideration by the council, but I am not aware of this ever being introduced as a larger discussion amongst parents or if our input has been requested regarding the transition from grass to artificial turf?