HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2000-06-07, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2000.
Parent speaks mind
Continued from page 1
of safety at school. The environment
impacts overall achievement.”
“I honestly believe the move (of
Grade 7 and 8 students into the high
school building) would have a nega
tive impact on the quality of the edu
cational experience,” said Bowers. "I
am strongly opposed as 11 and 12-
year-olds are not emotionally, physi
cally or sexually mature enough to
deal with situations which they may
face with older students.”
Bowers said he was not trying to
paint a bad picture of Seaforth
District High School students, but
that the younger children were at an
impressionable age.
He questioned whether the admin
istration had done their homework
regarding how such a move affects
children. “Has it worked for kids in
other areas? How did they do it and
what were the issues they had to deal
with?”
He wondered if opinions had been
sought from parents, teachers, etc.
“To the best of my knowledge, I
was never asked,” he said.
Brian McGavin, representing the
Walton Public School Advisory
Council offered trustees the results
of a survey sent home to Walton
Public School parents May 25.
With more than 70 per cent of fam-
ilies returning the surveys, 68 per
cent said they were definitely against
the Grade 7 and 8s moving into the
high school building. .
Noting that the board was between
a rock and a hard place with the
court ruling and financial con
straints, McGavin said they should
always do what was right for the
children first.
He suggested the board and com
munity members should be “getting
on” the provincial and federal gov
ernments about financing, “other
wise we are banging our heads
against the wall.”
Although many Walton parents
had said they preferred to see their
school stay open, the next option
would be to keep Seaforth Public
School as a kindergarten to Grade 8
facility with the use of portables,
McGavin confirmed.
Armstrong supported the kinder
garten to Grade 8 alternative as it is
the more typical configuration of
schools in the AMDSB.
Trustee Maggie Laprade repre
senting West Perth, Perth South and
St. Marys and Stratford Trustee Atje
Tuyten agreed with others that morq
study needed to be done before stu
dents were moved.
Trustee for Huron South Bob
Allan said he would support the
motion to move the students as he
had seen it done in other areas. “Fear
soon disappeared and it became a
positive situation after two or three
years,” he added.
Trustee for North Perth Don
Brillinger agreed, saying Grade 7
and 8 pupils need facilities available
in the high school building to deal
with the new curriculum.
The provision of those facilities
would give others the opportunity to
plead unfair treatment, said Trustee
Ray Ford of Stratford, as other
Grade 7 and 8 students in the board
would not have access' to similar
equipment.
Brillinger responded to Bowers’
concerns about student interaction
by saying there would be very little
contact between the different age
groups.
The expense of the portables could
not be justified to the taxpayers
when there would be empty class
rooms at the high school, he also
noted.
The approved motion stated that
the public school building would
remain kindergarten to Grade 8, the
high school Grade 9 to OAC and
three portables, at a move-in cost of
$15,000 and $9,000 annual mainte
nance, would be the accepted option
for September 2000.
Allen, Brillinger and Vicki Culbert
(Huron Northwest) voted against the
motion.
The $300,000 cost savings which
would have been realized by the clo
sure of Seaforth High School and the
move of the elementary school will
now have to be found somewhere
else, said Director of Education
Lome Rachlis.
Armstrong warned the community
that this vote still does not address
the problem of the high school (with
low enrollment and excess space).
It was suggested the town now has
one year to come up with options to
make the high school a viable
option, however alternatives can not
simply draw students from other
areas within the county. Increased
enrollment would have to come from
outside the region.
Rachlis re-affirmed the board’s
considerable excess space problem,
saying the board is maintaining
buildings for 24,000 students, but
has only 20,000. He also noted the
board will lose more in 2003 when
OAC disappears.
“We have students for eight high
schools, but 10 buildings, and pupils
for 35 elementary schools but 45
schools,” he said.
Armstrong said that if the commit
tee comes up with something con
crete, real consideration will be
given.
Hearing from a politician
Huron-Bruce MP Paul Steckle spoke to the Blyth Dining Out group last Friday at Trinity
Anglican Church. He spoke of the role and responsibilities of a politician, what was expected
of him and what he could realistically achieve.
Letter to the editor
Poor turnout frustrates Lion
THE EDITOR,
To the Citizens of Blyth - your
children, grandchildren, nieces,
nephews, neighbours, friends,
scouts, girl guides, etc.
At one point or another, everyone
in the Village of Blyth will know one
of the above who has enjoyed the
Blyth Lions Park - either the pool,
the pavilion or the playground equip
ment. The Village of Blyth is lucky
to have such a facility.
Have you ever wondered where
the funding comes from for the
upkeep of this park, the pool person,
the chemicals, the cleaning, the grass
cutting, not to mention the cost of the
existing equipment arid possibly the
new playground equipment that the
Blyth Lions thought the village peo
ple would appreciate?
The Blyth Lions try to raise funds
on their own with events like the
Pork Chop Barbecue on Saturday.
You didn’t know about it you say? It
just happened to be on the front page
of The Citizen a couple of weeks
ago. I would like to thank the very
few who did support us.
These fundraisers are necessary to
have our pool open for the summer.
We donate to the arena, the Boy
Scouts, the Girl Guides, CNIB, the
Diabetes Society, Sight First and the
list goes on and on.
It is just like the old saying, you
don’t know what you have until it is
gone.
If you want the Blyth Lions to help
you - then we need your support in
return.
Signed - A Blyth Lion.
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Ted's Tasty
Regular Spring Hours... Tomatoes & Asparagus
Mon. - Fri. 8-8, Sat. &. Sun. 9-6 are ready!
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