Letters to the editor

Here is another letter. I would put them all on here but I can only get the two from the Bulletin at this time.


To the Editor,
Re: School closure plan gets provincial nod, Nov. 22.
As a parent of an NDSS student and taxpayer, I have reviewed Nanaimo school district’s Proposed Facilities Renewal Plan, the Business Case: District-Wide Facilities Renewal Plan, and have a number of concerns.
The reports appear to be short-sighted. There is little discussion on how the decision will impact on the quality of education for students, the environment and the community.
They do not account for possible and most probable future Nanaimo population growth (especially in the west and north end).
I do note it appears that it was the school board’s lack of decision making in the past which has resulted in some of the turmoil we face today.
The bottom line is that money (yet again) appears to be the major force in the school board’s decision-making process.
What about quality education? What about a central location with the city’s numerous sports facilities? What about a Nanaimo legacy?
I think it is most unfortunate one school community has been pitted against the other to try and “save” their respective school. In the end, we are all in this together. I believe the ultimate goal is for our children to have the richest education experience possible, but always being mindful of the costs both financially and environmentally.
Which decision gives the best educational opportunities for the (most) students of the Nanaimo school district for now and the future?
And which decision will have the least negative impact on the environment and the community?
Derek Poteryko
Nanaimo

Another letter to the editor

Hi all
Here is another letter that has been sent in. I am hoping that you have had a chance to see these in the paper.
I would urge all to send letters to the editor and cc the trustees as well as the Honorable Shirley Bond. Let all know how you feel and what you think.



"To the Editor,
Re: School closure plan gets provincial nod, Nov. 22.
Let’s get this straight – Nanaimo school district is considering selling off Nanaimo District secondary school.
A site that is located adjacent to the recently dubbed Nanaimo sports zone. With a list of amenities that includes the Nanaimo Ice Centre, Nanaimo Aquatic Centre, Rotary Bowl and, Serauxmen stadiums and surrounding baseball and soccer fields, the zone is indeed impressive.
Never mind it’s proximity to Malaspina University-College, easy access to the Nanaimo Parkway and well-serviced public transit. The site already deals with a high traffic corridor. Can this be said of other potential sites?
The hook of selling the site is to provide extra money for unspecified district plans. The trouble is, parents never seem to have a clear picture of what those plans are as they change dramatically by the minute.
A site with this many amenities is indeed unique and priceless not only to the students who attend the high school but to the area surrounding it and to the district as a whole.
The school district is already in partnership with the city with respect to the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre.
Building a new school on the NDSS site has even greater potential to improve and expand on that partnership which could even include the college.
Imagine, high school by day, adult education in the evening. Then the tagline Learn, Train, Play the city has designated for the site would really begin to make some sense.
Barb Humpherville
Nanaimo
Students, community need high school"

Dufferin?

What's this about Dufferin? Had anybody heard this before now? And why couldn't/didn't they say anything about it in the earlier "proposed" plans?
Makes one wonder......

Facilities Renewal link

http://www.sd68.bc.ca/News/Facilities%20Renewal.html

The first letter to the editor

This is just in case you can't get hold of the paper or somehow missed it.
Thank you to Sara for taking the time to write it and then to copy it to all of us.


Why is SD68 considering selling off the site of a high school that is located beside some of the finest sports facilities in the district and the most important educational institution in the region? In presenting their “business case” for facilities renewal, SD 68 seems to have forgotten what business they are in. The current and potential future opportunities for an enriched educational experience abound at the NDSS site, thanks to its location beside the Aquatic Centre, Ice Centre, Rotary Bowl, Serauxmen Stadium and Malaspina University-College. To sell the NDSS site would represent the permanent loss of a uniquely advantageous site, for a fleeting (and unnecessary) financial benefit. Who will benefit in the long run? Not the students of SD68.

I urge everyone who can to write a short letter as well; the more letters the media receives, the more they will be inclined to cover the issue, including asking the “why” question publicly… and this will help make sure that trustees know there will be a political cost to voting for the sale of NDSS. In fact, it is necessary to ensure that there would BE a political cost.

-Sara

Reminder

Don't forget the NDSS PAC is making the first of many presentations to the School Board tomorrow, the 28th at 6pm in the board room on Wakesiah.
Show your support by showing up!!!!

Petition

I have had to publish the petition without the attached form for signatures.
I don't know how to make the table work in the blog format, so my apologises for that. The table, just so you know, was set out with 4 columns and many rows. The column headings were "Name Printed", "Address", "Name Signature". If you want a print out, please contact me via email and I will be happy to send one to you.
lwhiteibc@shaw.ca



Petition in Support of New Approach to
Facilities Planning in School District 68
The “Facilities Renewal” approach adopted by School District 68 is based on the assumption that fewer, larger schools will bring in a more affordable, desirable outcome. We believe this perspective has several critical flaws, including,
$ Schools are more than buildings. They exist as communities of people, relationships tailored over time, to meet the unique needs of the neighbourhood. They serve social and educational needs that are not equally suited to fewer larger buildings that are spaced further apart.
$ Despite the symbiotic relationship schools and community groups, inadequate consideration has been given to improving or expanding partnerships in the interests of school sustainability.
$ There is no consideration given for important issues such as city planning and community development.
$ SD 68 has used questionable statistics and benchmarks which do not provide an accurate picture of the long term viability of a school.
$ The accelerated time frame imposed by SD68 does not allow time for parents and community members to properly understand the issues or provide input.

We, the undersigned residents of the area contained by British Columbia School District 68, petition School District 68 Trustees to recognize the importance of neighbourhood schools to communities by;

Recommendations
1. taking immediate steps to halt further closures by School District 68 and establish a policy to be enacted when School Closures are being considered. This policy will provide parents and other community members with a period of not less than 18 months to formulate a revitalization plan in response to any proposed public school closure, and to require the board to give such plan full consideration;

2. striking a task force comprised of trustees and qualified members of the public to review and make recommendations regarding School District 68 current school closure process to ensure that public schools are closed only as a last resort and after due consultation with the community; and

3. encouraging improved and expanded ongoing partnerships between parents, communities and municipal and provincial agencies to ensure that neighbourhood schools continue to fulfill the educational and civic needs of School District 68's communities.



#
Name Printed
Address
Name Signature

PAC makes presentation at School Board

Don't forget that the NDSS PAC will be making a presentation to the School Board on the 28th of November at 6pm at the offices on Wakesiah. Please come out and show your support. There is a petition that I am hoping to attach to the blog but if you don't see it here, there are other parents that have it, so just ask and I can direct you to one.

PAC meeting

Don't forget the PAC meeting, Nov 5th, 7pm in the library.

Daily news article

Kids protest to keep school; School district plans to close> NDSS and Woodlands Secondary> The Daily News (Nanaimo)> Friday, October 26, 2007>
Students at Nanaimo District Secondary School and their parents feel ignored by school district trustees who propose to close their school and Woodlands Secondary. Trustees sent a district-wide facilities renewal plan to the Ministry of Education in September, outlining their plan to replace the two schools with a new one that could house 1,100 students. Both schools are now pitted against one another to fight for which site gets the new building, according to some parents. If the ministry approves the plan, trustees could also close Woodbank, Mount Benson, Dufferin Crescent and Rutherford elementary schools. Trustees first announced the proposal to close the two high schools in July, but since then, parents of students from NDSS have been nearly silent. That was until Wednesday's regular board meeting, when even the school's football team showed their support as a crowd of protestors overflowed the district's board office. "Our huge delegation of support at the board meeting (Wednesday) was our notice to the trustees that the NDSS community does care and that we intend to be fully engaged in this process," said Barb Humpherville, treasurer for NDSS parent advisory committee. "I think we made it clear that we have an inordinate level of support from our parents, students and from the neighbourhood. There are other stakeholders affected who will be providing us support including Gabriola residents, feeder schools and students in the French Immersion program." Even though the proposal to close NDSS has been circulating since July, Humpherville and other parents said trustees should have contacted them before coming up with their new plan. They feel they are well behind Woodlands parents and students who have been lobbying trustees for months. Board of Education chairman Jamie Brennan told the Daily News that no parent has been kept in the dark. "I don't know why they were surprised about it," he said. "But the bottom line is, we're not deciding to close those schools. We're not in a consultation process."
Not all parents feel ignored. Robyn Tonack said she should have made an effort to find out what was happening with the district plan. "I only feel left in the dark because I haven't actively pursued the information," she said from the sidelines of her son's football game at NDSS.
"But, still, no notices have gone out to any parents." One of the biggest frustrations for parents is the battle that will ensue between the two high schools. Humpherville would have preferred to have both schools involved in the discussions before NDSS and Woodlands were targeted for closure. "It's unfortunate that we're at this point. Now each school will put their best foot forward and we're pitted against one another. That's unfair." DSpalding@nanaimodailynews.com>> 250-729-4231>

Kids protest to keep school

I hope that everyone got a chance to see the article in the Daily on Friday. I cut out the article and did go searching for it on the web but couldn't find it. If someone out there can get a copy up on here, that would be great. I thought they did a decent job.
I think we need to get on writing to our local MLA's and put this back on the province, where it belongs. I hope to put a letter together that you can download and you just sign....I want to make this easy. I will have that up very soon.

The way I see it

In trying to save the school, we need to capitalize on its assets....think about what makes it unique to the community and why should the School Board save it....think about its location relative to the college, the new ice facility, etc....the more reasons we can present, the better our arguments....they aren't using emotion to bring it down so we can't rely on sentimentality to save it...but that's just how I see it...let me know what you think

Welcome to the Blog

Well here it is folks. I hope that we can all use this as a forum to enlighten, engage and educate the public as to what's happening with the school closure.

Feel free to leave a message, information or whatever else you would like.

I hope to update regularly so check back often.

Thanks and here's hoping!