email : Webview : Guildwood Community PARC Update #5

GUILDWOOD PARC UPDATE #5

This update is part of a series of emails providing the Guildwood Community with more information about the PUPIL ACCOMODATION REVIEW COMMITTEE (PARC) currently underway for Elizabeth Simcoe Jr. P.S, Guildwood Jr. P.S., Jack Miner Sr. P.S and Poplar Road Jr. P.S. Recipients of this mailing are encouraged to share it and anyone wanting to be added to the mailing list or to receive the past updates may send an email to me at jerry.chadwick@tdsb.on.ca.

The PARC working committee has met twice and staff are preparing for the first public meeting to be held on Tuesday, February 21, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of Sir Wilfrid Laurier C.I.

The working committee is made up of 4 parent reps from each school in the PARC, 3 student reps from Sir Wilfrid Laurier C.I. (one graduate from each of the junior schools and all from Jack Miner Sr. P.S.), a representative from the Guildwood Village Community Association, the Principals of the 4 schools (Welcome to newly promoted Principal Janna Solman, Principal of Elizabeth Simcoe Jr. P.S.), Superintendent Kerry-Lynn Stadnyk, Facilitator Nadine Segal, staff from the TDSB planning department, construction department, teaching and learning staff, day care department, Administrative support from Teresa Avarino-Mauro and the Trustee. Detailed minutes of all meetings are kept and shared with all working committee members.

During the first two meetings, we reviewed the staff recommendation for the area, the data both historical and projected, talked about programming needs, reviewed facilities index information for all four schools and reviewed the policies and procedures covering the PARC process.

Members were asked to review a very large binder of data, share with their school councils and communities and ask questions. For many of the questions, staff had to go away and do research and some new modelling.

One suggestion from a parent representative asked about the possibility of looking at three K-8 schools (with only one new build) and extensive updates/renovations to the Guildwood Jr. and Poplar Rd. Jr. buildings. Staff took that away and came up with three different models related to this request. That data will be available on the TDSB website:
Elizabeth Simcoe Junior Public School, Guildwood Junior Public School, Jack Miner Senior Public School, and Poplar Road Junior Public School. This site will be updated following all meetings.

Repeated Comments:

This morning, via email, I once again heard that the decision has already been made. The email also contained some very incorrect information about the dates for closing, the details of the new build and the daycare situation. I strongly suggest that community members come to the public meeting on February 21 at Sir Wilfrid Laurier C.I. and listen to the information presented and hear the facts. I have committed to a no surprises, transparent process and am doing everything in my power to make it so.

This process is tracking to the TDSB Planning and Priorities Committee meeting on June 5 and then to the Board meeting on June 21. Only after these two steps will decisions be finalized.

The other frequently made comment revolves around this process being only about money. I agree there is a financial component to it. There is pressure from the Ministry of Education to review schools that are below 65% capacity and to reduce surplus student spaces. However, from staff and my points of view this is more about quality programming for our students. At the sessions, Kerry-Lynn reviewed the challenges posed by smaller schools (e.g less flexibility in class placements, less staff expertise on a smaller staff, co-curriculars being restricted, etc.) We also have to look at the ages of our buildings and see if they provide the best opportunities for learning in the 21st century. All decisions made by the TDSB Staff and Board of Trustees will be based on three pillars: student achievement, student wellness and equity. That will be the case in the Guildwood PARC process. Decisions must be made based on data and measurable facts.

Community Input re: Building of New Schools

(if the staff recommendation and funding is approved.)***

At the end of the second working committee meeting, I got into a conversation with parent reps about the placement of the new building on the Simcoe site. I must admit I was tired and may have tried to answer some of their questions with information I did not have as I have not been part of a process where new builds were recommended. I apologize if I misled anyone.The diagrams of the sites were provided as part of the committee members package and can be accessed through this link.

When I tried to obtain more details, the staff response was as follows:

The site plan of Elizabeth Simcoe that was provided in the PARC documents shows a layout of a replacement school. This drawing was prepared to evaluate the possibility of building the replacement school while keeping the existing school operational. This we can confirm is possible and can be done safely. For your reference the drawing is prepared to scale using a template layout of a 540 pupil two-storey elementary school that the TDSB is currently building in North York (for reference only).

With respect to a more detailed drawing of how the replacement school will sit on the property, this will have to wait until the Ministry of Education funds the replacement school, should this be recommended by the PARC, approved by the TDSB Board, and accepted as a Capital Priority by the Ministry. During the design process of a new school, the TDSB works with communities and neighbours to develop the project. For instance, for each major capital project the TDSB sets up a New School Review Team (NSRT) which includes stakeholders such as parent representatives, child care operator (if applicable), teaching staff, and ratepayers associations (if applicable). In addition we host Public Meetings to review the design direction of the project where we can garner recommendations from voices outside of the NSRT. In short, should we find ourselves building a new project in the Guildwood Community, there will be opportunity for the community to have a say in the design of the school and its site layout.

Child Care Facilities in the PARC Schools.

The Board’s primary responsibility is to fulfill its educational mandate. In addition, the Board supports child care in schools as an integral component of the education system and recognizes the need for security in child care occupancy arrangements.

When a Pupil Accommodation Review involves schools that have onsite child care, a separate but parallel procedure to examine options for the affected child care programs must also take place. This is done through a Child Care Occupancy Review. Please refer to PR 662 on the TDSB website.

Child Care Operators located in the named schools and members of the school community are invited to participate in the Child Care Occupancy Review Committee for the Guildwood area schools.

The first meeting will take place on: Thursday, February 16, 2017 at Jack Miner Senior Public School. This meeting is for the operators and school council reps only.

YOUR ARE INVITED TO ATTEND THE:

GUILDWOOD PUPIL ACCOMODATION REVIEW COMMITTEE

PUBLIC MEETING

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2017

6:30-8:30 P.M.

CAFETERIA

SIR WILFRID LAURIER C.I.

145 GUILDWOOD PKY

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