A fourth grader has been learning about the life cycle through hatching chickens in her teacher’s class. Now, she is starting a petition to change their HOA’s rules about keeping chickens in her backyard.
Fourth Grader Starts a Petition
Avery Pussin is a fourth grader at Harding Avenue Elementary School. She lives in a Blacksburg neighborhood governed by a homeowners association. Every year in school, her teacher, Will Holliman, teaches his class about the life cycle of hatching chickens.
Holliman says hatching chickens builds engagement, which is important in the classroom. However, Avery has taken extra interest in her teacher’s methods. She wanted to find a way to keep one of the hatched chickens as the countdown for the hatch continued.
However, her homeowners association does not allow chickens in their rules. This prompted Avery to write a persuasive essay and petition to allow chickens in their HOA. She’s obtained several signatures from her neighbors. Avery’s parents knew she was serious as they saw her initiative.
The HOA’s Response
Jessica Prussin, Avery’s mother, emailed a copy of her petition and letter to the HOA board. The HOA responded by providing them with a formal process to amend the HOA’s bylaws. It entailed attending an HOA meeting and filing a formal petition to change the rules.
The Prussin family followed the HOA’s instructions. Avery thinks most of the neighborhood residents will agree to having chickens. Her teacher, Holliman, loves nothing more than seeing students take initiative in what they learn in school and apply it in real life. He says this is exactly what education is all about.
Avery will be more than excited to see her HOA rules change. Meanwhile, the HOA is currently getting input from the neighborhood residents. The HOA needs more than half of the members to agree to amend the bylaws officially.
