Punxsutawney Phil and Trombly Bob don’t always see eye to eye. This year, they did; the world’s most famous prognosticator and the lesser-known Grosse Pointe Park groundhog each predicted six more weeks of winter.
Steven Buckman, a second-grade teacher at Defer Elementary School, brought the stuffed toy to recess with his students on Tuesday to see whether Trombly Bob — named after Robert Trombly, who served on the Grosse Pointe school board 30 years — would see his shadow. Alas, for those not so fond of cold weather, he did.
“We’re going to have six more weeks of winter, but that’s not so bad if you like winter,” Buckman said.
This was the first year the 22-year-old tradition took place at Defer. Buckman, a longtime teacher at Trombly Elementary School, started it in 1999. Buckman brought Trombly Bob with him to Defer when the decision was made to no longer operate Trombly as an elementary school.
The tradition even pre-dated longtime Trombly Principal Walter Fitzpatrick, who made the switch to Kerby Elementary School this school year.
“This morning just about 8 o’clock I got this phone call on my cell and it was Walt Fitzpatrick who called and said, ‘Hey, I’m thinking of you. Happy Groundhog Day. Let us know what Trombly Bob predicts for our winter,’” Buckman said.
He added that Fitzpatrick, whose extended family lives in New Jersey, took Trombly Bob with him one year to Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney and brought back keepsakes for Buckman’s students.
Fitzpatrick made a point of stopping by his classroom each year to join in on the tradition, Buckman said.
“He probably misses it, but I think he’s doing well over at Kerby and we’re doing well here. Dr. Rheaume has been very inviting and it’s been a pretty good fit so far. It’s nice to work with a wonderful bunch of teachers just like I worked with a wonderful bunch of teachers at Trombly.”
He added his students have been “as good as gold” during hybrid learning due to COVID-19. Parents, too, have been supportive.
“It’s been an unusual year, but my parents take what we’re doing seriously. My students understand that we need to stay socially distant. They understand the protocols and they know I’m counting on them.
“Truly, the students continue to be my superheroes because they understand why we’re here,” Buckman continued. “They might not like wearing the masks any more than we do, but they always rise to the challenge and I’m happy to take them along.”
The second graders did a little reading about groundhogs in preparation for the big day. Here are some interesting facts, according to National Geographic:
Groundhogs are related to squirrels.
A groundhog’s burrow can be anywhere from eight to 66 feet long, with multiple exits and a number of chambers.
Farmers consider them pests.
They’re loners.
They’re known as “true hibernators”; when they sleep, they really sleep.