The Citizen, 2009-11-19, Page 1Solemn occasion
It was an impressive turnout under sunny skies for the annual Brussels Legion Remembrance
Day service, Nov. 11. President John Lowe and Padre Sandra Cable led the service with
Cadets and Guides taking part. The occasion was attended by community members and
students from Brussels Public School. The pipe band led the way to Melville Presbyterian
Church following the cenotaph service. The Legion also conducted a service at Huronlea in
the afternoon. (Bonnie Gropp photo)
Officials of the Avon Maitland
District School Board can finally
stop saying, “no news yet” to the
Wingham and area community.
Now, however, the hard work
begins of turning a newly-purchased
piece of property into a brand new
elementary school for an estimated
515 pupils.
On Tuesday, Nov. 10, trustees
approved the purchase of an 18.14-
acre parcel of land on the eastern
edge of Wingham, for the
construction of a new school meant
to house all of the students from
three existing facilities (Wingham
Public, East Wawanosh and
Turnberry Central), and a portion of
the student body from another (Blyth
Public School).
Grades 7 and 8 students from all
facilities, meanwhile, will be
relocated to an altered high school
setting at F.E. Madill Secondary
School – which sits immediately
adjacent to the newly-purchased
land.
The changes were approved last
June, following a year-long
accommodation review process.
Over $9 million is being made
available by the provincial
Education Ministry for the project.
In an interview after the Nov. 10
meeting, business superintendent
Janet Baird-Jackson estimated that a
further $1.5 million can be freed up
from funds on reserve at the board,
which should cover the approximate
$11 million projected cost.
“There’s a lot of work to be done
yet,” said board chair Jenny Versteeg
following the purchase approval.
“But I’ve been hearing from people,
asking ‘when will you know?’ And
I’ve been saying, ‘no news yet.’Well,
now we have news.”
The land is part of an estate
controlled by the Willis family.
According to Baird-Jackson, a
portion of the same estate was
parceled off in the past to
accommodate an expansion of the
properties of both F.E. Madill and
the nearby Catholic elementary
school.
“So obviously, there is an affinity
for education with the family,” she
said.
Most of the property lies within
what is now the municipality of
North Huron, while a small portion
(2.6 acres) lies across the boundary
in Morris-Turnberry. Preliminary
plans include a “U” shaped school,
considerable green space, and a
soccer pitch at the southern edge of
the property.
“We will be able to make good use
of what we have learned from the
research and consultation done for
our new build that is currently
underway in St. Marys,” explains a
news release. “We know what we
want and need for classrooms and
what is available to build an
environmentally-friendly school.”
None of this can happen, however,
until approvals are received from
various levels of government.
“There are an awful lot of hoops
you have to go through,” Versteeg
commented.
At the municipal level, the
property could only be described as
“prime” for development. According
to Baird-Jackson, growth around
much of the rest of Wingham is
restricted by landforms and
waterways. This portion of the Willis
Estate has been earmarked for
residential development, and
securing changes in that zoning will
take time and – if it’s to be done
quickly – co-operation of
community stakeholders.
Full funding from the Education
Ministry, meanwhile, is contingent
on having students in the school for
the 2011-12 school year. “If there
are no appeals on any of our
applications, then it should be
possible for us to meet those
timelines,” the business
superintendent said.
This September, parents will have
another option for schooling their
children.
Angela Horbanuik, who has
operated a pre-school Montessori
School in Blyth for three years, has
made the decision to go to a full
elementary school for students from
junior kindergarten to Grade 8.
While it’s a move Horbanuik has
been considering for a while, there’s
no question that the recent Avon
Maitland District School Board’s
closing of Blyth and East Wawanosh
Public School has played a role.
“The timing is perfect. This is in
response to parents of children
currently here who will be going into
Grade 1 and the parents would like
them to continue here,” said
Horbanuik. “But another reason I’m
moving forward is what I’m hearing
from the community and reading in
the papers.”
What is coming through “loud and
clear is that parents don’t want the
Grade 7 and 8s in high school.”
She spoke of overhearing a
conversation during which a woman
said that the community must accept
what’s happening because the only
other option is to send their child to a
private school in the city. “That
doesn’t have to happen now. Parents
wanting something different will now
have a choice,” said Horbanuik.
The Blyth Montessori School will
stay in its current location,
Horbanuik’s home on Dinsley Street,
while the family will be moving out.
“The whole space will be for the
school with each room a different
class.”
Horbanuik is taking the Montessori
principal’s course at the end of the
month and will be hiring teachers,
also qualified in the Montessori
method. The school and its staff,
though there are no inspections, is
under the Ontario Federation of
Independent Schools and the
International Montessori Council.
Classes will run from September to
June, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Before
and after school care is provided at an
extra cost if required.
An information session is being
held Monday, Nov. 30 from 6:30 -8:30
p.m. at the art gallery in Memorial
Hall. Horbanuik will explain the
Montessori method, the school’s
vision and the tuition. “This is a
natural way to learn. It’s tried and
proven, it’s been around for 100
years.”
“Having done this for three years
now I have seen the results,” said
Horbanuik. “The method works.”
Parent Patricia Smith of Belgrave
agrees. Her four-year-old daughter has
just begun her second year at the
Montessori site and can already do
basic reading and writing, and can add
numbers into the hundreds.
“But what really impresses me is
that she comes home and talks about
how to be good to the Earth and to
other people,” said Smith.
It was the Montessori philosophy
that attracted her, she added. “Every
parent can see that their child loves to
learn. Montessori works with that
through interactivity and by allowing
abstract thinking.”
“I see how passionate parents have
been about the school closures,” said
Horbanuik. “But that is just bricks and
mortar. They should be as passionate
about their child’s learning and if a
child doesn’t enjoy learning, there’s a
problem.”
“I see us losing a school and what
that does to a community. This is one
way I can give it back,” said
Horbanuik. “I encourage people to
attend the information night with
questions. They will also be able to
talk to other parents who have had
children go through the system.”
Parents can begin registering now
by calling 519-523-4800 or on-line at
blythmontessori.ca
Blyth to get private elementary school
CitizenTh
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$1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009
Volume 25 No. 45SPORTS- Pg. 9Teams win gold inbroomball tourney NEWS - Pg. 14 County’s public worksdirector shares good newsNEWS- Pg. 6North Huron reviewsRFP for fire servicePublications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 PAP Registration No. 09244 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0INSIDE THIS WEEK:
By Bonnie Gropp
The Citizen
School site chosen
By Stew Slater
Special to The Citizen