NOTL Accommodation Review DSBN Parking LotQuestions and Answers Question: It is my understanding that DSBN Trustees will make their decisions about NOTL schools at their May 28th, 2008 meeting. Is this true, and if so, does this mean that the public has three opportunities to address Trustees prior to their decision, not four as stated at public meetings? Or can we still address Trustees on the 28th - the same day as they will make their decisions. Answer: Trustees will make their decision no sooner than 60 days from the date that the ARC Recommendations and Board Administration Reports are tabled. Delegations can be made during two Board meetings in April, 2008 and two Board meetings in May, 2008. Question: I'd like to know why a program was deliberately misrepresented for 35 years? Was it to lure more students to Sir Winston Churchill? If French Immersion did not exist, then why did the DSBN not change it? Answer: It is not the program that is misrepresented, but the terminology has to be cleared up. When students are in Grade 8 and wish to access the program at Sir Winston Churchill, they are presented with the program so they know what the courses look like and how they are taught, before they enrol. Question: I am wondering if there is yet a response to a question I sent some time ago regarding the various agreements the DSBN has made with Eden, including but not limited to the agreement to bus NOTL students to Eden for free; when and how this arrangement between DSBN and Eden was reached; when and if these agreements are reviewed; and what precisely would be the process to revise any aspect of this agreement. I have yet to see a response posted regarding these questions, nor have I seen posted the information promised, which was purportedly being "pulled" by lawyers and/or other DSBN staff, in response to an earlier question posted by someone else on the Parking Lot regarding the Eden/DSBN agreement. Could you please respond to these questions, or let us know when you will respond? Thank you. Answer: Eden High School has been an alternative school within the public board since 1989. The agreement contains a provision that if the Board wanted to change, vary, or terminate the agreement, the Board would need to consult with the Eden/Lincoln Liaison Committee. However, this agreement was made four (4) years before amalgamation and dealt specifically with a school property that is no longer owned by the Board. Decisions regarding Eden would be made by the Board. There was no mention of "transportation" in the agreement. The Eden students access courtesy transportation from Niagara-on-the-Lake because there is space available. A decision to change this policy would have to be made by the Board. Question: How would amalgamating the area's elementary schools on the NDSS site save the high school?
Answer: Amalgamating the area’s elementary schools would not directly affect the high school. The thought of those who support this initiative feel that if students are on the property in their early years, they will be accustomed to the school and perhaps change their mind about going elsewhere.
Comment: If NDSS were to close, according to the enrolment numbers/% for the NF/St.Cath. high schools the NOTL high school aged population would likely have to be split between 3 or more schools in two different municipalities. Merriton's closure led to increases at three different high schools (Kernaghan, SCCVI, and SWC) but they all went to school in the same city. Question 1: Would the Board have to look at restructuring the boundaries for other secondary schools if NDSS closes. How would this affect students presently enrolled in schools in places like Governor Simcoe, would they have to move to Lakeport to accommodate NOTL students incoming as their "home secondary school?"
Question 2: Is it possible to move all NOTL students to ONE other high school? Which school would the ARC or board consider making the new "Home Secondary School" for NOTL. Answer: To answer question #1, no student would be displaced from their current high school.
To answer question #2, this would be the role of a Transition Committee who would take these issues into consideration. It is not the role of the ARC.
Comment: If I wanted my children to go to school in St. Catharines, I would have moved to St. Catharines!
My husband and I moved from Toronto to Niagara-on-the-Lake in 2006 with our then 1 year old daughter. We now have 2 children and hope that they will have the opportunity to attend local elementary and secondary schools. We left the "big city" because we wanted our children to be raised in a safe community environment. We wanted them to learn small town values and appreciate all that the local rural areas have to offer. The higher housing prices compared to neighbouring towns did not deter us from moving here. I'm very saddened to learn that my children may have to go to a St. Catharines high school during the years that will shape who/what they become as adults. Without a local high school, I doubt that many families will look at Niagara-on-the-Lake as a place to call home. I'd hate to imagine Niagara-on-the-Lake becoming a "retirement village" instead of a family town.
I am not suggesting that a superschool is the solution but we are not threatened by the idea and would be happy to send our children there, so long it well researched and well instituted; with seperate areas and enterances for different age groups, including some shared facilities that would also be open to the community. Maybe even include a desperatly needed daycare centre.
As a community, we need to be thinking about the long term gains/losses that will result from these decisions, and the impacts that they will have not just on students and their parents, but the entire community.
Comment: At the last ARC meeting the question of Eden students receiving free transportation from NOTL was again raised, and in response the term "courtesy" bus was used (meaning if seats happened to be available). I wonder how mismanaged our transportation system in the board is, when there are 160 or more empty seats "available" on the numerous buses, that we can then offer "courtesy" transportation.
Comment: We are opposed to the idea of a "super school" for many reasons. We have three children ages 5 and under. We would consider going to a St. Catharines school if this idea were to be implemented. The main concern is the exposure of 3 and 4 year old children to the behaviour and language used by kids in their teens. They will be exposed to it soon enough and we do not need to promote this earlier on in their innocent lives. The other issue is that it is healthy for children to change schools especially when growing up in a small town. Please make the right choice for our children.
Comment: We moved to the niagara area a few years ago (for a job in Niagara Falls) and chose to live in Niagara on the Lake largely because we have two elementary school children and we wanted them to live in a smaller community and attend a school with a small community feel and focus. Our designated school was perfect. And still is. It is not state-of-the-art and could stand some updates and upgrades but that doesn’t matter. Some thoughts...
- in elementary school ALL kids should feel important and significant, to facilitate their developing sense of confidence (among many other senses) – we believe their sense of self importance diminishes as school population increases [we don’t think it matters if school teams are more competitive, but that MORE students have the opportunity to FEEL THEY CAN BE PART of a school team, regardless of how well they do] - we understand the problem of declining enrolment and can understand a need to adapt/shift the existing structure to suit this but do not see a ‘super school’ as the ideal solution to this problem - keeping smaller schools means less bussing for most students – many children can still walk/bike to school and bussing times are kept to a minimum – increasing time available for being active kids and lowering the risks inherent to riding a bu
s (I speak as someone who had to ride the bus to school for 12 years growing up) - as payers of (high) property taxes I feel we as residents deserve to be a major driving force behind the decisions being made - realizing that having a financially healthy Niagara School Board therefore affords our children ‘more’ for their schooling, I truly hope that the overall health of the community and our children’s true best interests are not going to be put aside in order to profit from property values of the existing schools (property tax point again) - ********what about the argument that… were the Ontario Government NOT to fund two separate school boards, we may not be facing a financial concern – lobby the government to fund ONE PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD instead of splitting the funds up between public and catholic and thinning out every dollar spent********** - Nor do we see an elementary superschool as a logical part of a solution to the dilemma that is NDSS – simply putting the schools all on the same property will NOT therefore make parents more likely to send their children to NDSS once the time comes… decisions to send high school students outside the area are based on a wide spectrum of wants/desires/concerns (this does NOT mean a high school is not desired in the community) - There is a myriad of research to support the argument that a superschool is not good for kids from both an educational and a social/behavioural point of view… I hope that, as a board and individually, you have looked into these and will consider them heavily during your decision making process. -keeping a smaller community high school with better programming is also desirable and preferable, we hope this can be achieved through creative thinking and working together... it is such a disappointment to see that in this wonderful community some people are making this issue disturbingly personal. I re-iterate that we chose to live here because of the small schools, a superschool would definitely have had a very negative impact on our view of this town.
I am confident we are not alone in our thinking.
Comment: What is this JK-12 'super school' idea? Is it a ploy to save a doomed highschool? Or is it a way for the town or whoever owns the land to cash in on some high priced real estate? Whatever or whoevers idea this is, it certainly is not in the best interests of our communities or our children.
I would love for there to be a local highschool and I can't say it enough that I am not against NDSS, I am against the JK-12 option. We all need to look at how this effects the elementary aged kids and not just the heartache of losing a highschool. Why is it that 200+ children travel out of town to attend highschool? Is it because NDSS "sucks"? Of course not! They leave because they have the choice to further their education at a highschool that has programs they need or want for their future careers etc. Also, there are catholic students that leave for catholic highschools. More enrollment means better programming, but unfortunately better programming comes with more enrollment.
By combining all the schools into a jk-12, all you've done is cram 800+ elementary students in with 200+ highschool students. There still won't be any programming or higher highschool enrollment. When the elementary kids are ready for highschool , they will look at what all the highschools have to offer and chances are they w
ill go out of town to a highschool offering the best programs. It isn't a popularity contest, this is the future of these young adults, I would hope that all parents would want their kids to not waste time in any highschool that doesn't offer the courses that they are interested in or will benefit their future career choices.
When it comes to the Elementary schools. I am strongly for the three elementary schools option. Each community gets to keep there small school charm of knowing where there kids are, who they talk to, who there parents are and the children who this matters to most, are happy, comfortable and safe and get to remain kids for a few years longer and not have their little worlds disrupted. Why would you move all 800+ elementary kids instead of just moving 200+ highschool kids? I understand that there has been talk of separate buildings or even a 'green' building but lets be realistic. The money it would cost to rebuild NDSS or even knock it down to build some fancy campus would be huge. Where will this money come from? Wouldn't it be more realistic to split funding between the 3 elementary schools that already exist keeping our communities alive. And if NDSS desires to give another year a go they could have some funding aswell to improve the facility. Back in the day everyone wanted a community centre and finally one was built, a one floor hall with nothing to offer anyone except the occasional stag and doe, 'beehive' or seniors card night. There was absolutley no planning. just like the millions spent rebuilding the pool at the commons to be exactly the same! We are supposed to belive that NOTL can get it together enough to make this super school work?! Come on people open your eyes! We pay through the roof to buy a house here and that doesn't include the outrageous taxes on top of that. Niagara is one of the most expensive towns in North America that offers nothing to its locals. We can't even get the town to force Mori gardens to allow the bike path to be completed. Do you really think some super, green, double building campus is going
to be built? We don't even have a community centre with basketball courts, indoor pool, fitness centre, a permanent place for early years playgroup and boys and girls club of niagara, these are things that every YMCA in the country offers. A place to take our kids when the weather sucks and for people to know eachother, hence the name community center. I realize the whole community center idea is another battle yet to be one. Lets look at the reality of a jk-12. What is going to draw new young families to NOTL if not only will it cost them a fortune to live here but they won't have a school that their kids can ride their bike or walk to. Without the finished bike path, kids that miss the bus will risk their lives walking or heaven forbid get picked up by a stranger. When it comes to sporting events where is the competition if there are no other school in Niagara to compete against remember how fun it was to go to the other schools to play. How will bullying and other social issues be handled in a school that size? Security? Are we going to have metal detectors like city schools? I know if I wanted that kind of life for my kids I would move to America. The kids who behave badly already, will be worse, since the bad behaviour is a cry for attention, in a super school they are going to have to cry extra loud for someone to notice them. The kids with stagefright or crowdfright will really suffer if they have to get up in front of 800 kids instead of 200. If you think its hard for kids to get one on one time with teachers now, try adding a few hundred more kids into the mix and soon that child that needed extra help will just give up. Any of you who know a pre-teen girl, knows that if an older grade boy asked them out, they would think that was sooo cool. Not so cool if it is your 12 year old who got wasted at a highschool party or better yet pregnant. Harsh, yes, but very much a possibility. At least one of you knows a girl 12 who looks 17. I could go on and on but the bottom line for my family is, we pay school taxes like everybody else in every other villag
e, town and city. It is our right as people of a community to have a community school and I think the vote should be given to the people who have kids or will have kids in elementary school. Ask them what they want. I also feel that NDSS should be a separate issue.
Comment: I must comment on the perception in some people's minds that NDSS does not provide a "quality, well-rounded education".
This is a flat -out, unfounded lie! My children are currently attending NDSS, doing extremely well, and are on the honour roll.They have everything they need to go on to university and college.The teachers and support staff are dedicated and hard-working, and always willing to go the extra mile.
On what basis are you making your assumption that NDSS is inferior to other schools? Do you not know that ALL schools have to follow the guidelines of the Ministry? Do you not know that a grade of 85% is the same at all schools, as mandated by the Board? Have you ever spoken the students who have graduated from NDSS recently and are now attending universities and colleges to become dentists, doctors, accountants and teachers, how their secondary school education prepared them for their future?Before you make such ridiculous accusations, get the facts.
It's this sort of misinformation and rumour- mill that is perpetuating the perception that NDSS is not a good choice for our students,. As a parent and on behalf of my kids, I'm offended and astonished at this narrow-mindedness.
Question: I see that DSBN sent out a survey to grade 7 and 8 students, to discern what would need to be provided in order for them to enroll in NDSS. Would it be appropriate to survey the current students of NDSS at this time, to ascertain what schools they would choose should NDSS shut down, with an explanation about their choice or if the families would consider re-locating under that scenario? They could also discuss how they feel about the long-term ramifications and impact on their family. Is it possible to survey families with children who are not yet of school age about their considerations for future education choices? Answer: It would not be appropriate to survey the current students of NDSS regarding that matter as that would presuppose that NDSS would close. Depending on the situation, a transition team may be put in place to assist in easing the transition.
It would not be possible to survey families of children who are not yet school age, as we would not know who those families are. However, there have been comments, questions, on the NOTL Accommodation Review Parking Lot from people that do not have children in the system.
Question: Is Eden the only publicly funded Christian Secondary school in Ontario.
If so why?
Also the buses are not a courtesy they have always had free busing for the students of NOTL, unlike the students coming from other areas. Why is that?
That deal made with the last administration needs to be changed and I am positive if NOTL parents have to pay to bus their children out of our community, they will send them to NDSS.
Answer: Since Eden follows the Ontario curriculum and has chapel outside of the school day it is considered like any other high school in the Board. An agreement was made with Eden when they moved to St. Catharines to continue to provide them with transportation from Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Question: Has anyone considered building a new green building (with wings) or buildings on the home site of Niagara District Secondary School for all grades? This would accomplish several goals. The cost extended could be put into; an energy efficient (solar, wind and geothermal heat) building, voc free paint and floor and general construction so that students and staff with allergies will have a safe and healthy environment to work in, one large structure to support compasion among student and staff population - Special needs, cross curricular sharing (parenting students with primary students, reading buddies, senior mentors, etc.), less money on administration-more efficient, large cafeteria with different recess times for different grades, excellent fitness facilities for all grades at different times including a time for commuity members, ie. indoor pool, etc.) The wings of the building would allow busing for different ages at different entrances at different times for the purposes of safety.
Answer: One of the options left on the board is a JK to 12 option so the ARC has been looking into this.
Question: It was said at the Jan. 24 meeting, that "art students" from out of the NDSS catchment receive free bussing to the school for the special arts programming.
It was also said that NDSS does not offer Computer Sciences programming. So would that mean that a child choosing Computer sciences (from the NOTL catchment) would receive free bussing to the school offering such programming, because my understanding is that that would not be the case. I understand that French Immersion, Religious component and strings programming offers free bussing, however the onus is on the families who choose for example Computer Sciences or other curriculum based offerings not currently at NDSS, to get their child to that school with no bus seating being alotted. Could you please clarify if this indeed the case, and if it is, to explain this posturing, as it would seem fundamental that if we have to bus out of here because programming is not available, that the onus is on the school system to get those kids to the institution which fulfills their programming requirements.
Thank you for your time.
Answer: System level programs such as French Immersion and Eden from Niagara-on-the-Lake do receive transportation but students wanting to ask for alternate requests for courses or school programs not system programs such as Strings, Computer Science or Auto do not. Students coming into DNA Arts program can access transportation for the program at NDSS.
Comment: I was made aware recently of a proposal under consideration by the Board with respect to the consolidation of elementary schools in my area (NOTL) as part of a plan to “save NDSS”. I am appalled that this proposal could even be given serious consideration, given the numbers of secondary students that would actually be affected at NDSS, factoring in declining enrolment. The elementary school students (of which my grandchildren will be included next year) deserve more from our Board than a decision based on pure sentiment and nostalgia rather than common sense. Our 5 and 6 year old children deserve more from the school board than a super sized compound that would expose them to much more than their impressionable young minds need to see, hear and experience.
I urge you to carefully consider all options, looking at actual facts and basing a decision on what is best for the young children whose lives would be drastically affected.
Comment: The challenges of school closure are difficult for parents, students, teachers and the officials of your district. I am writing this note to provide one more view of the issues surrounding school closures. I coordinate one of the 172 Relocalization Network think tanks, we study how society is affected by an energy constrained world. Our research has direct bearing on the decision facing your district.
It is common knowledge that the price of fuel at the pump has gone up in the last two years for both gasoline and diesel fuel. Additionally, the price of natural gas has continued to rise and will likely jump in price significantly within 2 years. Let me dissect this information with regards to its ramifications to the decision regarding closings.
First, in terms of busing. The large fleets of school buses will become increasing difficult to fuel. It is likely there will be a diesel fuel shortage in North America this year and the ongoing price of diesel will increase, perhaps reaching as much as two dollars a litre by Christmas of 2008. This will strain budgets and make transporting students any significant distance increasingly difficult. Second, as to the price of gasoline, school staff, parents who drive their children to school, as well as adolescents who also drive will find their ability to get to school strained or even curtailed. Finally in terms of natural gas, the ability to heat schools with natural gas will have to be rethought. If environmental controls cut too deeply into budgets and substitutes rise in price as others in our society also seek to switch to them, planning for a solution implimenting it in advance will save a great deal of consternation in the future.
Now how this affects the future of schooling and the school closing issue. Modern school depend on fossil fuels to get staff and students to them, as well as in many cases, as the means to heat them. I would suggest to you that instead of building one large school that requires students and teachers to travel greater distances to, that smaller schools be adopted. Much smaller schools, neighbourhood type schools that are reflective of what occurred prior to the 1950s. In rural settings it will be necessary and for the one or two room school house to return. In suburban settings students will have to either ride their bikes or walk to school, smaller neighbourhood schools will allow for this. This may mean the future of schools will require the renting of space from churches, community centres, or vacant retail store fronts. I am not an expert on pedagogy, however I am aware of the ramifications of the fossil fuel crisis for this society. This assertion is certainly something you have not heard before but is very real and very relevant to this topic at hand. I would like courtesy of a reply. If you would care to discuss this at greater length, please do not hesitate to pose more specific questions to me regarding these two issues and their affect upon each other.
Comment: There are 585 Secondary School Students that live in NOTL, yet only 281 attend our local high school. UNBELIEVABLE!!
I’d like to ask the ARC if they know of any other School in this Province where 52% (or anywhere close) of the students travel past their local high school to attend a different school?
If the answer comes back No, then wouldn’t it be a conclusion that this Board (and previous Board) have been pursuing policies which are also “unique” and are therefore responsible for this situation?
Is it fair then to conclude that Solutions must and can also be unique to this Board?
Comment: While the significance of a community high school cannot be overstated, in its current condition, Niagara District Secondary School does not fill this important role. In discussing the future of NDSS, the committee is correct to focus its attention on realistic changes that can be made to improve the school building, program offerings and public perceptions.
In the area of programming, the committee should seriously consider recommending a new high school for Niagara-on-the-Lake with a unique, forward thinking, truly specialized program that would be of interest to students from across the Board while complimenting the basic program offerings required by the Ministry.
What if NDSS were known for its Interdisciplinary Studies program that “provides students with opportunities to understand the diverse perspectives of and the links among discrete subjects/disciplines and to develop their knowledge and skills beyond the scope of individual disciplines to solve problems, make decisions, and present new findings.”
Or a partnership with the Native Centre that lead to the introduction of a Native Studies program which “provides students in Ontario schools with a broad range of knowledge related to Aboriginal peoples to help them better understand Aboriginal issues of public interest discussed at the local, regional, and national levels.”
Then there’s the fantastic Technological Education program that a state-of-the-art high school could offer that would truly prepare students for the undiscovered opportunities of tomorrow.
These types of program offerings would have a broad appeal and would help to develop a sense of identity and purpose for the local high school that would foster community pride and a regional awareness about the great things happening in Niagara.
Course descriptions taken from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/secondary/subjects.html
Comment: As the Niagara-on-the-Lake Accomodation Review Committee is narrowing down its options, I want to provide you with a number of questions or points for your consideration during your future review of the committee's recommendations:
1) In a community where those who live here have chosen to do so specifically because it is a smaller community, how could we not have our own small town highschool? * If we wanted our children to go to a large highschool, we would have chosen to live in a larger community.
* Also, you will hear many of the NOTL parents advocating strongly for maintaining our smaller population elementary schools (rather than a "super school") as research shows that children do better personally and academically. We want the same benefits of a small highschool for our secondary school students.
2) Why are approximately 200 NOTL students leaving NOTL everyday to attend highschools other than NDSS? * If it's programming, then we need to invest in programming for NDSS. I realize that if you don't have students, it's hard to justify additional programming. However, if you don't have programming, you won't attract students. You, as a school board, need to make a conscious commitment to the taxpayers of NOTL and invest in programming and marketing for our highschool.
* Over 160 NOTL students attend Eden. If a Christian-based education is so appealing to NOTL families, then why don't you offer that type of education at NDSS? If you, as a board, are not prepared to offer another Christian-based school, then what about re-focusing the mandate of the school on "Values-based" education? Sir Winston Churchill offers a "values-based" message every day on its announcements and creates and maintains a school community heavily based on core values (that are very Christian-like). Why not offer this at NDSS and attract more NOTL families?
* What about putting a group of talented, enthusiastic teachers and principal/vice-principal at NDSS with the mandate of revitalizing that school? Would that not be an exciting challenge for some of your talented teachers? 3) What are the wishes of parents of current NOTL elementary school students? What kind of highschool do they want for their children? Has anyone asked? * By asking the parents of future highschool students from NOTL, you will be able to determine what the needs and wants are for a highschool in our future. With this information, it will help arm you to understand how to change or evolve NDSS and ensure its ongoing viability. These are just a few points I would like you to consider in the weeks leading up to your consideration of the NOTL Accomodation Review Committee's proposal. As a supporter of public education and a taxpayer in NOTL, it is absolutely unacceptable to me that you would even consider leaving our community without a highschool.
It is your duty to define what the issues are and invest in a solution for NDSS. Closing a school is an easy and irresponsible way out.
Do you really want Niagara region's citizens to think that you didn't apply your combined skills, experience and knowledge to turn a school around? If you close NDSS, that is absolutely the message you would send.
Thank you for your time.
Question: When Eden refused to provide a satellite chapel at NDSS they moved from a part of the solution to a part of the problem. The basics of problem solving demand that to solve a problem one first needs to understand it. The committee and taxpayers of NOTL now need to know the details of the first agreement with Eden. The Director was Gary Holmes. Freedom of Information Legislation would make this information available. Perhaps the facilitator should help us by providing this information at the next ARC meeting. This information legally can not be withheld.
Answer:
1. Our legal department is pulling the information on the original agreement, for the Accommodation Review Committee.
2. The 1999 Accommodation Review recommended :
(b) That Eden High School be re located to the Lakeport Secondary School site.
And
That a joint use arrangement be developed whereby Lakeport Secondary School, including Lakeport Lifetime Learning Program and Eden High School can share these facilities while maintaining the integrity of their individual identities.
Comment: The accommodation review committee has reached a stumbling block. It has been agreed in principle we want to keep our high school in the community. Yet with a chicken and egg conundrum, the school cannot offer the programs to keep the enrolment from dropping. There must be external examples to help us. The example of Port Dover, overviewed at the last ARC meeting, indicated they are also struggling with maintaining 9-12 programming and student numbers, yet I believe I heard that the principal there does not "borrow" sections from other facilities to make the numbers work. I know differing communities may need different solutions, but there must be other "1 high school" towns, that are too close to neighbouring communities to be considered rural, that have declining enrolment and have or soon will be facing this same review process. Are there any mechanisms for inter-board problem solving? We need some solutions for increasing or at least maintaing the grade 8 transition to our community high school, but we also need solutions if our best efforts don't change current trends. There must be alternatives with e-learning, videoconferencing, webcasting or whatever the next new technology will be, that can educate small classes as satellite settings in partnership with a bigger program. It ha
s been said at many of the meetings "we must think outside the box" - maybe it is time to think even beyond a traditional classroom. Kids are connected to the electronic/digital world as we never were. Perhaps a recommendation to the board should include that it be a leader within the province, as Niagara is a region of smaller communities, to organize all small communities to work together toward province wide solutions with the ministry to best educate our students AND maintain vibrant small communities. Thank you for your efforts as a committee, you are not in an easy position as the discussions get more heated and personal.
Question: On behalf of the many parents who have asked me as a trustee, please help clarify what a supershcool, composite school, 7 - 12 school or JK - 12 school may look like, with separate quarters for the various ages which is the typical model, to alleviate parental concerns about intermingling students of various ages.
Answer: If the committee decides to support a large school in one or two facilities, the elementary students could be separated into a separate building or a separate wing of one building. They could have separate entrances, separate playgrounds, separate drop off area. The bell times can also be separate. With planning, the two communities, elementary and secondary could be kept apart for most of the day.
Re: Accommodation Review N.O.T.L. -- Foods/Chef Training/Hospitality program The inclusion of a Foods/Chef Training/Hospitality program in a proposed secondary school would make the secondary school option more attractive, and with good reason. Programs of this type are a win-win for students, school operations, parents, taxpayers, and the community. Benefits:
Nutrition -- Enhanced Learning and Long-term Health: Doctors are calling long-term health problems related to poor diet "the new cancer" because of the enormity of the problem. It's also well documented that students learn better when not full of junk food and drinks. With a Foods Program, student cooks can provide appealing and healthful lunches for the entire school at a low cost as part of their own learning. The school could have an "Eat Well - Be Well" motto and focus.
Program usefulness: Career: Hospitality workers are in demand in this concentrated tourism area. Niagara "has it all" in terms of support for this type of program: enormous co-op opportunities, an excellent college nearby, excellent local foods growers, and a culture of fine food and dining. The Ministry's new High Skills Major program fast-tracks students into apprenticeships and post-secondary programs. Opportunities ther e are growing fast -- Niagara College's new Culinary program, with 4 times the capacity of the old program, is filled; and an enormous Performing Arts Center is planned for the area. (Note that even students not pursuing a Hospitality career often work in this field while in college or university - they use it as a "stepping stone" job. Retirees may also seek a second career in this field.)
Community: A hospitality program can offer night-school courses to anyone in the community. Possible learning opportunities for the students can benefit the community in a variety of ways: Meals on Wheels for an increasing number of local seniors; low-cost catering for various local events; Dinner Theatre for the school's fine drama program. The Program can collaborate with Agriculture courses, and buy from local growers. Taxpayers: Although foods prepared by students sell at prices are far below restaurant prices, they do make money. This is something no other program in education can claim. Over the years in other DSBN schools, Food programs have contributed to new gym floors, bleachers, libraries, books and other enhancements. I envisage a fine school with a wealth of programs to enrich the whole community: a school with a flair for drama, foods and agriculture that the area is known for; a school that would draw students from other areas due to its strengths; an exciting school with a forward-looking approach. Can we really accept the concept of not having a high school in NOTL?
Comment: I am concerned that some of us are so intent on keeping a high school in NOTL just for the sake of having a community high school. Currently there are insufficient numbers to provide the programming that our children require to have a quality and well-rounded Secondary education, and the future promises an even lower enrollment. Ask yourself, are you willing to sacrifice your child's education just for the sake of having them attend a community highschool? I know that I most certainly am not. My children will be attending the highschool that can best meet their needs and interests, and that can fully prepare them for which-ever path they choose after Secondary School. If not in NOTL, then elsewhere.
Question: Could funding for facility upgrades and program enhancements still be available to NDSS if the community votes to keep the three elementary schools separate?
Answer:There could be some facility upgrades for NDSS if the committee votes to keep the 3 elementary schools separate but program is always based on student enrolment so regardless of whether the elementary school is on the NDSS site or in the community, the program issue will still be there.
Comment: We need to take this oppportunity to do some long range plans to address what is best for the children. I hear from many intermediate students that their visiion is one of a Super School. If the building or buildings were designed properly, any fears of small children exposed to high school students would be nil. They could all have separate entrances, possibly separate areas on the playground and yet, how convenience for children at opportune times to work together. A brand new facility with possible day care provided on site (which has always been a concern for young families - lack of day care in their communities) and maybe even a community pool on site (possible funding shared with the town). During the hours outside of the school day funds could be generated from pool use by other community groups (example: seniors). We could house Parliament Oak, Virgil, Col. John Butler and the Niagara District Secondary School students together and maybe keep St. Davids open for their area and those from Laura Secord Elementary. I think if we do not address long range plans now, this great opportunity will be lost. We ALL need new facilities, but with the funding and grants, only a few will see great improvements. If community schools remain, and Virgil and Col. John Butler are the only ones to receive a new facility, what shape will everyone else's school be like five or even ten years from now, when costs will skyrocket and numbers will dwindle. Please embrace the concept of a Super School. Don't be afraid of change!
Comment: I hope that ARC will reconsider the options chosen at the last meeting. It seems to me that building a new elementary school in the Virgil/Butler area and changing the boundaries will only cause more problems. Not all current Butler students will not all attend the new school if the boundaries are changed. I don't think that this will be "what is best for all students". I think we should consider amalgamating the 3 elementary schools Virgil, Butler and Parliament Oak as a JK-6 school on the NDSS site, in a separate building where all the NOTL students get a new facility. Leave St.Davids school where it is as a JK-6 with changes being made to that building as well. I think all the grade 7 & 8 students should be in a different wing of the high school either new building or renovated, still following an elementary timetable and bussing schedule, but able to access the high school facilities ie: science lab, gym, art, music etc. This will give them a gradual step forward to high school as they are preparing for it in those grades anyway. For those concerned about their children not being able to walk to school, why couldn't we put some kind of indoor track like Brock University has, maybe that is something that could be implemented in the schools that all students have to walk or run around before school starts. They could have a choice to use the outdoor track in good weather or indoor track all year. Sports teams are a concern for some parents, I think you could have a house league and travel team situation. That way all students have the opportunity to participate. This has been done in other schools and has worked very well. My child would be in this situation and I have one in high school now and I believe this will be most beneficial to ALL students of NOTL. Remember for those who are in fear of high school students your child will be that age one day and there is such a thing as "yard duty" and "supervision".
Comment: Less than 5 years ago I returned with my two boys, then 8 and 10, to Niagara on the Lake from London, England. I chose to return here not only because my parents still live here but also I wanted my boys to live in a small, safe community. I knew the schools were good as I contacted them before I moved home. I knew the High School well as I attended it myself, as did my siblings. (Now a Chartered Accountant and a Biologist). However, had I known that NDSS was to be reviewed and possibly closed - I would have moved elsewhere, at least my taxes would have been reasonable. How, as a community, can you possibly sell a house to a family? Why would they want to buy here knowing that their children will have to travel 45 minutes each way to St. Catharines for High School? If the High School closes, it is no longer viable to me to live here in this community, regretfully we will be compelled to move. I'm sure we will not be the only family do to so. For those parents who don't want to send their Gr. 7 & 8's to the High School- what do you think they are going to do in Grade 9 at a High School with Public Transit outside their doorstep? The most our teenagers at NDSS can do is go to Harvest Barn, MacDonalds or Simpson Pharmacy. If they walk off the school property the Principal and Vice Principal know about it - and so do the parents. Wake up Niagara on the Lake- you're about to lose your community to the elderly.
Comment: Recently, the ARC looking at options for NOTL schools pared its long list of possibilities to two: (1) amalgamating, redrawing boundaries, and constructing new facilities amongst the five existing elementary schools to create three community elementary schools, and expressing support for the continuation of a high school in NOTL; and,
(2) closing NOTL schools and constructing new facilities, for all students grades JK through high school, on a single site. We have children in grades 4 and 8 who will be immediately and ongoingly affected by any decisions made regarding NOTL schools and students. We have followed this process, and discussions surrounding the various options, closely. Some of the most important considerations in my view,: THANKS
First, and perhaps most importantly, I would like to commend the majority of participants in the process for keeping divisive rhetoric to a minimum, for their passion and their reason in addressing these sensitive issues, and for the general stress on common ground and goals rather than pointless infighting. I have been consistently impressed with the consideration, in every sense of the word, of most ideas and opinions expressed. in these ubiquitous discussions, even when they grow heated. May we all continue to take the high road. ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
I would like strongly to express support for keeping the three proposed elementary schools in their communities. Current research, as well as common sense, indicates that small, local elementary schools are most beneficial for young children. They are also more likely to involve parents in the activities of the school and the education of their children; they are environmentally as well as developmentally friendly, in that many students can walk or cycle safely to them, or at the least do not undergo long bus rides when they are young; and they are critical for anchoring and attracting families to a community (it is elementary students of course who become the high school students NOTL seeks). These and other positive attributes would be lost should all elementary students in NOTL be bussed to a central location. Additionally, while others have outlined objections to the proximity of young students to those of high school age, as a parent and educator I believe it is of much graver concern to have grades 7 and 8 either intermixing with or in proximity to high school students, than it is for very young and senior students to mix. The special needs and circumstances of middle school/junior high aged students have perhaps been most overlooked in these proposals. While no system is perfect, certainly maintaining these grades within primary schools, or creating a separate middle school pointedly NOT on the site of a high school, would be optimum for this age group. HIGH SCHOOL
I support the idea of a local high school in NOTL. However, I am not convinced that the proposed “superschool” of option two, whether it is a single building housing grades JK-12, or separate schools for different ages sharing the same site, would be an effective alternative to the challenges facing NOTL schools, for several reasons. It would not be in the best interests of the education of students of any age; it is a very expensive proposition; but most importantly, it would be a short term solution, as building such a facility would n
ot solve any of the problems the high school currently faces, in addition to creating a series of new difficulties for elementary schools. Neither of the options we have now addresses some important issues, which, if ignored now, will ensure we find ourselves back at this precise point a short time, several million dollars, and too many kids' uncertain futures, from now. THE ISSUES
As things stand, there exist several circumstances which will jeopardize the superschool plan to save the high school even if it is built. One key issue is simply demographics – if we build it, they won't come if they don't exist. It has yet to be shown to my satisfaction that regardless of what is built, a substantial (never mind growing) number of high school age people will reside in NOTL to attend a large new school (interestingly, the fastest growing segment of this demographic seems to be in Niagara-on-the-Green, which is as close to several Niagara Falls and St. Catharines schools as the proposed NOTL site). I remain open, in fact would be cheered by, reputable demographic studies which can refute this impression, but until I see them, this seems an important if obvious observation. Second, leaving aside at what magic number of students a school becomes viable, what is making the percentage of students from NOTL who now attend school in St. Catharines leave their community? There are several reasons, some clear and overt and others more amorphous, but few of which seem likely to change. Students go elsewhere for religious reasons (e.g., to Eden); for programming reasons (e.g., to Sir Winston for French immersion); and because of other perceptions, correct or not (e.g, that NDSS does not provide as strong an academic preparation as do other high schools, that it has more drug and discipline problems than other institutions, etc.). I do not wish to argue the veracity of these perceptions; each person will have formed his or her own view of such allegations, based on a mixture of facts, hearsay, experience, and received opinion. However, as they do
influence families' choices as to where students attend school, these perceptions deserve to be considered as contributing factors in such decisions. The crucial key thing to recognize in terms of all these factors, however, is that few if any can be addressed by building a superschool. Will some families' desire to educate their children in a particular religious environment change because we build a new school? Will it make others forget about options like French immersion? Will bricks and mortar change university enrollment rates? Will staying in the same school or on the same site for ten years in primary school induce children to want stay at the same place with the same people for 4-5 years more? Hard to believe. So what, besides expense, will a new superschool get us? How will it change things exactly? At what price? REFRAMING THE PROBLEM AND POSSIBILITIES
Price is, of course, the real issue. It is not rocket science to see that this comes down to money: NDSS is slated for review and possible closure because it is not economically viable. No one has suggested that a small high school cannot be academically and otherwise competitive; indeed, research indicates that smaller schools may often deliver superior social, vocational and intellectual experiences. No one doubts the merit, in principle and for the most part in practice, of maintaining a high school in the community. A critical question which is not being asked seems to be, wouldn't it be more efficient all around to build a small high school for this area and run it as a small high school? Wouldn't this be educationally, politically, socially, and environmentally, but also economically, more effective than building a brand new superschool, or several new schools on one site? Yes, a high school so conceived could not offer everything to everyone. Yes, many families would opt to send their students elsewhere. But that is happening anyway. Despite its shrinking enrollment, NDSS has nonetheless continued to survive, and to find ways to accommodate students' need s for additional courses and programs in other ways – off-site, online, etc. Surely it would be worth investing a smaller amount in sustaining a small local high school (could it not be built on one of the sites vacated by the elementary schools slated to close?), rather than pouring a large amount into creating an unproven, and substantially unpopular, superschool. It seems a better use of local human and financial resources in every way. If in the future, ways are found to increase high school enrollment in the area, excellent. If we are to believe there are enough high school students to fill the high school division of a superschool, then a smaller school just for them would serve even better. Perhaps it is time to question how and why this issue was framed as it was initially, and consider that the fundamental problem is the assumption bigger is always, or only, better. If what we want is community schools and choice, surely a small high school and local elementary schools allow us to have it. At the very least, a cost comparison taking into account all costs over time should be undertaken, before the Board decides how to spend our tax dollars and our town's future. The wrong decision for the wrong reasons is no good; the wrong decision for the right reasons is no better. Let's have more information not only on the possible solutions, but on how the problems themselves will be addressed, before we act. Surely our children are the priority here, and in discussions about their futures, we should privilege education over economics, pedagogy over price.
Question: The Accommodation Review should be all about the multiple Elementary Schools and the possible combination of options with a new High School. The option of closing or reviewing the viability of our High School should never even have been on the table. The DSBN should now come out and support funding for a new High School along side reviewing and funding viable options for the Elementary Schools at the same time. The High School issue would not even be on the table if it were not for archaic DSBN rules in place which allow, for "programming reasons", an exodus of students from our community. My question is; Is the DSBN going to be accountable, and stand up and address the revision of these rules to stop our local students from being bused to another city? This, I believe is the heart of the matter.
Answer: Board policy which is based on the Education Act allows students to apply for alternate school requests if the student cannot get the program at their home school. Students are strongly encouraged to attend their home school and will not receive transportation if they choose to go to another secondary school (except for the case of Eden), which was an agreement made several years ago. There are also 40 students about 13%, of students in Niagara District Secondary School (NDSS) who are bussed in for the Arts program. If the rules were changed, NDSS would lose those students who are really interested in the Arts program.
Question: I read, with interest, the article on your website "Grimsby Secondary Going Green". In it they said "As a part of the project students will be conducting a full environmental review of the school." I think it would interesting and worthwhile for us all to understand the obviously significant environmental impact of busing 250+ students out of NOTL (buses out, buses back twice a day) to the city schools vs keeping them in a local High School. QUESTION: Would the DSBN support such a study and explain to the public why this is not already being addressed from a cost and environmental perspective? Surely this is a factor in the review process?
Answer: This has not been done. Many of the students who are going on the busses are accessing programs such as School to Work programs at Kernahan Park or French Immersion programs. Other students attend other schools for programs that they need but cannot get at Niagara District Secondary School (NDSS) but they are driven by parents. We also do not want to stop students from coming into NDSS to take the Arts program. They too come by bus. Although the environmental issue is a factor, that has to be weighed with the educational issues.
Question:Just a couple of questions for you. Can we change the cap number for children going to Eden? I believe that allowing almost 200 children to attend Eden, free of charge, with no cost busing is huring our local high school. You say "courtesy transportation as long as theer is space on the buses", how do you know if there isn't space? Do you leave these children standing on the corner? If we bus so many children out of the town (as it seems you've made it very easy to do), why can't we promote our wonderful high school to St. Cath and NF and areas? You seem more than happy to bus 200 children out; why not offer that free busing to INCOMING children? I know of a couple of children that have to be driven to St. David's in order to catch a bus to NDSS. I think this is ridiculous, considering we're busing anyone and everyone OUT of our town!!!!
Answer:The cap on the number of students going to Eden was established many years ago but not all students are from Niagara-on-the-Lake. There are many students who came from St. Catharines, Jordan, Vineland, Beamsville etc. We know at the beginning of the year if there is room on the bus. We also offer free transportation to children coming into Niagara District Secondary School (NDSS) for the Arts program and currently there are about 40 children from St. Catharines and Thorold who attend NDSS and receive free transportation.
Comment: In regards to keeping our children from growing up too fast and "having enough other influences in their maturing", and "having my girls in the same facility/yard as secondary aged students" I pose the question "when your two primary aged girls" reach high school level should we also view them with your "poor" eye sight? As a mother of a teenager I am insulted that parents, such as yourself, are to judgemental on all high school students and have such an ignorant way of thinking toward teenagers. Here's another thought, your children are growing up and should I look at them the same way you are looking at our students attending NDSS? Also, all the "worrysome influences(of NDSS)" happen at all high schools. Open you eyes and think. Older students can tutor younger children who are having problems in their school work. It could be a good thing. Lets support a great thing...our local high school.
Comment: I was speaking with some local parents at the arena and was throwing out the question "Who is going to serve you your coffee at Tim Horton's, or help you out at Harvest Barn if our teenagers are on a 30 to 45 minute bus ride home from Niagara Falls or St. Catharines?" They were surprised and said they didn't really look at this problem. So I told them they need to support their local high school. If our children need to be bussed to and from school outside the NOTL region this is going to cut into their time they could be working or helping out in the community, such as, helping out at the arena, working at MacDonalds, Harvest Barn, Red Rooster, Valu-Mart, etc. is our community thinking of the "good" of the community? I am not sure. I don't get the feeling that parents with younger children are giving this review a whole lot of thought because their children are not at the high school age. Well sooner or later they will be....where will they go if NOTL doesn't have a high school? Living in a community that is always seeking for local support for our local wineries, farmers market, local businesses, etc where is the local support for our high school? Are we together on the whole NOTL community including our high school or not?
Comment: With regards to the accommodation review, in the end no matter what the final option chosen for our “primary” schools in the area, we know with all certainty that our children are staying in our community while attending school....it simply boils down to a matter of which site. And not only are they going to be staying in our community, but the schools will offer full programming, resource staffing, intramural choices and extracurricular activities, and thanks to the 6.6 million offered up by the federal government, some newer, safer environments.... all the things children and parents should expect for their child`s education.
Not so of our secondary school.
The future for our high school looks dim indeed. At the last meeting, to my astonishment, I heard that NDSS is “subsidized” to “offer minimum programming”. Since when should our school and our children settle for “minimum” anything? Why should our kids be less equipped or offered less choices for all streams of their future, or be offered less of a viable social high school experience, because we’ve settled for status quo. I also heard at the meeting, that this process has been ongoing since 1999, while moratoriums from the ministry were in place, lifted, policies changed and more committees were established to review the issues. Eight years is long; even by government standards, to settle, to wait, to accept less than other school communities. Are we receiving tax benefits or credits for lesser services?....of course not. And we will continue to pay taxes even if our school gets yanked out of the community entirely.
While the option for closing NDSS was eliminated as a possibility during the last meeting of the ARC, it is well known that it is still a popular choice among some of the committee members and in our community, and that the proponents of this solution will fight hard to bring it back to the table as one of the options. What does it say about our community that we are “throwing in the towel”, because there is “no point” to struggle to keep open our one and only high school? Are there not creative solutions and options out there to revitalize our school? Are we to believe that all avenues have been exhausted? I use the word “exhausted”, as I believe, that nothing short of that is what is required in making such a monumental decision for the future of our children and our community. Should there be success in bringing back the closure as an option, are we to resign ourselves to the idea that our children should be on a bus for 10 to 15 hours a week, to ride into two other communities to attend school, simply because we haven’t come up with a solution to grow our own school population? Can you imagine what kids could do with an extra 10 or 15 hours every week?
I speak from personal experience in terms of the bus ride as one of our primary aged children currently takes a bus into a St. Catharines secondary school for additional programming (not offered here in NOTL), and he absolutely “hates” the ride. He heads to the bus at 7:15 a.m. for a 9 a.m. start time, and returns home at approx. 4:30 p.m. having left school at 3 p.m.; and that only takes place on a periodic basis. Further to that point, we “chose” to only have him attend the St. Catharines programming on a part-time basis as we thought it was critical for him to socialize and attend school with the neighbourhood families, a pertinent point to the argument of keeping “local” schools open.
It is one thing as an adult to choose to commute to your work environment, it’s quite another to have it thrust upon you, because schooling is not provided to you in your own backyard. How sad. Sad that people who chose to raise their families here in NOTL are faced with such a dilemma. When are the rights of the students going to be protected?
Our family has lived in four school board districts to date, and this is the third time we have been faced with closures. Indeed two of our moves have been due to closures, and in fact, as a family we have discussed moving again, depending on the outcome of this accommodation review. But with our children still being in primary school, I can tell you that this process is becoming very discouraging.
When we moved here, the message was clear regarding high school; specifically, pick a school.....any school that you wish your child to attend. In fact the board here prides itself on being “so accommodating”. In other boards, there is no way that this broad, open-ended, multiple school choice is offered in such a way. And while I understand it is part of the Education Act to allow some migration to other schools, it is not presented in the manner it is here in Niagara. And does the board ask themselves why so many kids are opting out of NDSS? Or, does it just comply with the choice to leave, and not resolve to offer here, what kids and families are leaving for in the first place? It would be one thing if it was 2% or 5% of the population seeking out another school, but it’s approximately 50%!
Has anyone asked what this community will look like once the high school is gone altogether, as our children’s worlds become entwined and involved in other communities. Will they seek out intramurals, or pass, because their bus rides prohibit them from being involved in after school programs? Will they choose after school employment closer to their schools, so they can be to work on time? Has anyone “studied” what the downside to us as a community will truly be? Has anyone considered the impact on families for additional driving and car-pooling to accommodate the kid’s new school region, activities, and friendships?
I would imagine the impact on the community would be even more far reaching than just dealing with the kids and families that already reside in this community. Does anyone believe as I do, that even less families will choose to move here, knowing the school options in the immediate area are only offered up to grade 8? And if that is true, how is that going to impact primary schools down the road. Will we be looking at declining enrolment in those schools in the very near future?
Shouldn’t the board and the ministry pride themselves on building, growing and supporting our school? Should they be happy with the idea that this open catchment has allowed for a mass exodus of our children? Are they even sure that children attending high school in other towns are still indeed enrolled in the programs that got them on a bus out of here?, or that they didn’t leave because it was the popular thing to do, or their best friends were going to attend that school, so they should go too?
And should we resolve to renovate or rebuild a high school here, then what? Having a shiny new school means nothing without offering all streams and avenues to our children embarking on their future education and career choices. That’s been made very clear by all those who have chosen not to attend our school. “How” are we are going to retain students and therefore retain funding which retains and grows programming? Another option that was swiftly wiped from the slate was the option of grade seven and eight students attending school on the NDSS site. Would this provide the foundation and facilities that would prompt families to choose to stay on and finish their high school education here?
While it’s obvious through the demographics and studies done of the declining school population and enrolment in the area, that this is going to be a difficult problem to confront, please remember everything your teachers, your parents, your principals ever told you. Anything “worth having”, is worth working hard and fighting for! We must put our collective heads together to understand our families......their needs, their child’s needs. Obviously our school currently does not provide them with what they need, or simply put......they wouldn’t be leaving. And while we would certainly prefer not to move as a family, their time is valuable, their teenage years impressionable and their high school experience key to their development as young adults. I can’t imagine four years of their lives being spent in an educational environment with less than full, complete programming choices and school experiences on all levels, or have them spend so much of their precious time sitting on a bus, whiling away the hours. High school is the avenue we provide to our children to make choices for their future as they become young adults, and they can only make concrete, well-informed decisions when they have a full, complete foundation in which to move forward. “Settling” for less is simply not an option. And accepting that we cannot offer in our community what these children need and their families seek, is nothing short of shameful. Why should we be made to accept that one, at best we can look forward to our children being offered minimum choices because that’s just the way it is, and two, we may lose the one and only high school we will ever have.
I urge anyone who can offer solutions to this huge problem to attend any meetings, email the board, speak to your local schools and community representatives to have your voice heard. This problem is not going away, and the impact that our choices will have on our children and our community can be positive and forward thinking or devastating. Choosing not to speak out, will lead to choices being made for us, and quite possibly choices we don’t agree with.
Comment: As the parent of an elementary school child I would like to say that I and I would argue many like me do not want the high school to close. We dont want any school to close. This is not the issue. We are all on the same side. The side that argues for the best educational needs for our children, whatever the age. We would like the discussion to be about our kids, their education and not about buildings. We are all on the side of the importance of community education. We have children who will go to high school and it is important that that high school be a community one.
We are a community. There is no line drawn in the sand. We all want the best for our kids.
Comment: There appears to be a strong lobby of people who say that the way to save the High School is to amalgamate the region's Elementary schools and put them on the same site as NDSS.
How would this save the high school?
As it stands mere proximity does not deter significant numbers of students from opting for the long daily commute to high schools in either St Catharines or Niagara Falls rather than attending NDSS. There is clearly more to the issue.
I am the parent of an elementary student who is only a few short years from making a decision on his choice of a seconday education. I would like send him to the local high school - but not at the expense of ruining his elementary school experience - expecially when the case for an amalgamated elementary system has not been proven.
Comment:I cannot believe you are considering a super school! This review is supposed to be all about what's best for our children. A super school is not the solution. There would be 900 students in JK to grade 8 alone!!! Do you want your child going to a school where they won't get the attention they need? If they are in sports, they will have to compete with more than three times as many students to get on a team. If there were three community schools, there would be three school teams, not just one. Your child has more of a chance to succeed in a small school, than in a large one, where they will get overlooked. Moving grade 7 and 8 to the high school will not guarantee them to stay there for grade 9-12. The high school does not provide our children with enough choices for courses. There are too many rumors about the school (that are heard from more than one person) that scare our children away from wanting to attend there. Why should we have only one school to send our child to, when St. Catharines has 8 schools to choose from? Our children need to have choices, not be told they have to go to District. Maybe we should all stay in our little community to buy groceries, clothes, gas, get haircuts, etc, etc. We shouldn't be allowed to go outside of our community, because you don't want our children to go outside of the community for school. The word communism comes to mind. I think if a super school is created, you will find very few young families moving into the area, and more retired people settling here. That will create even more of a problem for the school system. I will not send my children to a super school. They will either be transferred to St. Michael's (maybe a new catholic school will be built to make room for all the parents wanting their child in a small (300) community school), or I will send them to a school in St. Catharines. The christian schools there have grade JK to 12, but their enrollment is less than 561 students for ALL grades, which is less than half of what the super school you want to create will be. I love living in Virgil. I am a community minded person, but I don't think a super school is a community minded option. Please think of our children. Let us keep them away from bullying, drugs, smoking etc, for as long as possible. Let us keep three community schools of 300 students, so they will get the attention and nuturing and everything else that comes with a small community school. Thank-you
Comment: In my observation, it appears that the driving force behind the ARC Committee / Process is NDSS. There has never been an at length discussion of how to provide the optimal learning environment for the elementary students despite it being stated that the guiding filter for the ARC committee is "what is best for the students". Elementary students have different academic, social and emotional needs which need to be brought to the table.
In reference to the anecdotal site visits of the 3 schools - it is interesting that 2 out of the 3 schools' numbers are far below the 1200 being proposed for our community. It is also interesting to note that the large school has also addressed programming issues by bringing in the IB programme etc. to attract students. In addition, geographical location indicates that these schools are more rural than Niagara hence limiting students options of attending other schools. It is also important to note that the academic, social and behavioral performance of this model has not been empirically and rigorously proven to be beneficial to students development and academic performance.
Comment: I've always wondered why NDSS has not had programs to serve those with special needs. As a former teacher, who now runs Red Roof Retreat, a respite facility in NOTL for this population, I wonder if a partnership could be developed between us and the school board for day programming. This could take on many forms, such as modelling programs that already exist in other schools, or it could have a whole new look, such as us using space and providing our own programs, which DSBN students could become involved in for credit. Any scenario puts an added number of students into the school, and expands the experiences of all students enrolled.
If increasing student enrollment is a goal to help keep a local highschool open, then this is one area that should be looked at more closely.
Comment: We in NOTL have a high tax base and if we lose our only high school it will be detrimental to our community. Families will not come here and we will not have a diversified community. We should contribute thru our taxes to local schools not city schools. Even though I don't have children in the school I still think an important base for our community. If the high school disappears then we will lose our elementary and our churches. Businesses will erode and it will be a slow decline...it will be a ghost town.
Comment: I am an honour roll student currently enrolled at NDSS. I think that people are crazy to send their kids to St. Catharines to go to high school. Niagara District is an amazing school, close to where i live. Why would I get on a bus for 45 minutes or longer,to go to St. Catharines twice a day? What about the environment? Shouldn't we be saving gas? What about safety issues? You parents don't even know where your kids are when they are in St. Catharines. My parents know exactly where I am during the day... they can drive to see me in less than 5 minutes! Niagara District has given me all the courses I need to be successful. I don't know where people get the idea that it doesn't offer math and sciences. How did our grads go to University to become doctors and lawyers and dentists and engineers and architects?! People spread rumours about NDSS not being a good school. This is absolutely not true. These parents don't know what they're talking about .I have never had any problems at NDSS with bullying, drugs or safety, like the schools in St. Catharines do. I just want to say that if you send your son or daughter to Ndss, they will be so happy that you did, and so will you. I think that the people in charge should build a new high school for us. We deserve it. It's pretty obvious that not much money has been spent on NDSS. I think that the elementary school members on the ARC are selfish , because instead of thinking about the possibilty of a jk-12 school, and the benefits to future students , they are thinking about their own jobs. Why are they allowed to have a say in the future of my high school, when all they want to do is close it?
Question: Why doesn't the school board send out a survey to ALL potential NDSS students and find out what would KEEP them at NDSS. We know why they are leaving but what would make them want to stay at their community school, and what makes the students stay that are here now.
Answer:A survey has been sent out with DSBN grade 7 and 8s in Niagara-on-the-Lake to determine what changes could be made to have them attend Niagara District Secondary School (NDSS). The results will be shared with the Accommodation Review Committee on Thursday, January 24, 2008. A survey will also be administered to current NDSS students to determine why they stay at NDSS now.
Question:I would like to know what the footprint is of the currently being build El. school on Kalar Rd N.F. If we can make a recommendation where the new Virgil/CJB school should be build, knowing the footprint of a same size school would be helpfull.
Answer:We can present the current footprint of the new Niagara Falls school at the next meeting of the ARC.
Comment:A sense of community is obviously very important to many parents, as is evidenced by the interest and comments shown by many elemenatary school parents. It does not appear many parents with high school children are voicing the same concerns. Sense of community and building good, responsible citizens does not end in elementary school. It becomes even more important in the high school years, where children are able to put to begin to put to use all they have been taught and can mature to become responsible young adults, and contribute positively to the community to which they belong. This is our future.
I believe there is much at stake should we as a community decide a high school is expendible.
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