PLANNING DEPARTMENT PLN: 13‐17 June 11, 2013 File Code #: R02 MEMO TO: Martha Rogers, Director of Education FROM: Jennifer Passy, Manager of Planning Janice Wright, Superintendent of Finance Linda Benallick, Superintendent of Education RE: SIR ISAAC BROCK PS GRADES 7 & 8 FEASIBILITY STUDY – Report #2 Report Classification: DECISION BACKGROUND In 2008, at the conclusion of the Westminster Woods PS Boundary Review, staff recommended the phase‐
in of Grades 7 and 8 at Sir Isaac Brock starting in 2015, subject to a feasibility study to be conducted in April 2013. Trustees instead approved an alternate motion directing that Staff prepare a plan for implementing JK‐8 boundaries for Sir Isaac Brock PS and Rickson Ridge PS in October 2010. An information report was presented to Trustees at the Business Operations Committee meeting on October 12, 2010. The report concluded that expanding the program at Sir Isaac Brock PS to include Grades 7 & 8 in 2011 would be premature until the boundaries of a planned new dual track South Guelph elementary school were known. As part of the Full Day Kindergarten (FDK) Capital Plan, it was determined that the new South Guelph elementary school would open in September 2014 as a JK‐8 French Immersion (FI) Centre. The boundary review for the new South Guelph elementary school did not contemplate changes to the Regular Track (RT) boundaries of Sir Isaac Brock PS or Rickson Ridge PS, nor a possible expansion to the Sir Isaac Brock PS program to include Grades 7 & 8. ISSUE To present Trustees with the results of the feasibility study for expanding the program at Sir Isaac Brock PS to include Grades 7 & 8. RECOMMENDATIONS 1. THAT memo PLN: 13‐17 entitled “Sir Isaac Brock PS Grade 7 & 8 Feasibility Study – Report #2“, dated June 11, 2013 be received. 2. THAT the program at Sir Isaac Brock PS be expanded from JK‐6 to JK‐8 effective September 2015. 3. THAT the JK‐8 attendance area boundary for Sir Isaac Brock PS, as outlined on Map 1 of Appendix B of PLN 13‐17, be approved with an implementation date of September 2015. 4. THAT the JK‐8 attendance area boundary for Rickson Ridge PS, as outline on Map 2 of Appendix B of PLN 13‐17, be approved with an implementation date of September 2015. 5. THAT for the 2015/16 school year, Grade 8 students who reside within the Sir Isaac Brock JK‐8 boundary, be grandparented at Rickson Ridge PS. RATIONALE See the attached report “Sir Isaac Brock PS Grades 7 & 8 Feasibility Study – Report #2” SIR ISAAC BROCK GRADES 7 & 8 FEASIBILITY STUDY REPORT #2 Presented to the Business Operations Committee Upper Grand District School Board June 11, 2013
Sir Isaac Brock PS Grades 7 & 8 Feasibility Study – Report #2 Contents 1. 2. 3. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 3 1.1 Background ...................................................................................................................................... 3 1.2 Purpose of this Report ..................................................................................................................... 3 Public Input .............................................................................................................................................. 4 2.1 Public Information Session ............................................................................................................... 4 2.2 Online Feedback ............................................................................................................................... 4 2.3 Delegations ...................................................................................................................................... 4 2.4 Summary of Concerns/Comments ................................................................................................... 4 Enrolment Forecasting ............................................................................................................................. 5 3.1 4. Factors Affecting Enrolment ............................................................................................................ 5 3.1.1 Student Housing ....................................................................................................................... 6 3.1.2 Public/Catholic Share ............................................................................................................... 6 3.1.3 FI Participation ......................................................................................................................... 6 3.1.4 New South Guelph FI Centre .................................................................................................... 7 Enrolment Background ............................................................................................................................ 7 4.1 Sir Isaac Brock PS .............................................................................................................................. 8 4.2 Rickson Ridge PS Ridge PS ................................................................................................................ 8 5. Facility Utilization ..................................................................................................................................... 9 6. School Operation and Performance ...................................................................................................... 11 7. 6.1 K‐8 School Model ........................................................................................................................... 11 6.2 Rotary Instruction .......................................................................................................................... 12 6.3 Intermediate Division Size ............................................................................................................. 13 6.4 Rickson Ridge PS Ridge PS and Sir Isaac Brock PS Intermediate Division Sizes ............................. 13 6.5 Indicators of Success ...................................................................................................................... 14 6.6 Vice‐Principal Support .................................................................................................................... 15 6.7 Staffing Implications ...................................................................................................................... 16 Facilities & Resources ............................................................................................................................ 16 7.1 Technology Space .......................................................................................................................... 16 7.2 Gymnasium and Change Rooms .................................................................................................... 16 7.3 Lockers ........................................................................................................................................... 16 7.4 Resources ....................................................................................................................................... 17 8. Transportation ....................................................................................................................................... 17 9. Conclusions ............................................................................................................................................ 17 Page | 1 Sir Isaac Brock PS Grades 7 & 8 Feasibility Study – Report #2 10. Recommendations ............................................................................................................................. 19 11. Vision Statement ................................................................................................................................ 20 12. Communication Plan .......................................................................................................................... 20 13. Final Step ............................................................................................................................................ 21 Page | 2 Sir Isaac Brock PS Grades 7 & 8 Feasibility Study – Report #2 1. INTRODUCTION On March 26, 2013 the Board approved the start of the Sir Isaac Brock Grade 7 & 8 Feasibility Study. A public information meeting was held on May 2, 2013 to solicit input from the Sir Isaac Brock PS and Rickson Ridge PS school communities about the potential expansion of the program at Sir Isaac Brock PS to include Grades 7 and 8. 1.1
Background Report #1 of the Sir Isaac Brock Grade 7 & 8 Feasibility Study provided an overview of the history of discussions about the expansion of the program at Sir Isaac Brock PS. In 2008, at the conclusion of the Westminster Woods PS Boundary Review, staff recommended the phase in of Grades 7 and 8 at Sir Isaac Brock starting in 2015, subject to a feasibility study to be conducted in April 2013. In response to concerns expressed by parents from Sir Isaac Brock PS about the timing of such a feasibility study, Trustees instead directed: “That staff prepare and present to Trustees in October 2010, a report outlining a plan for implementing the JK‐8 boundaries for Sir Isaac Brock PS and Rickson Ridge PS, as shown on Maps 5 and 6, and including the anticipated implications of the changes proposed.” In October 2010, staff brought an information report forward for Trustees as directed. The size of the intermediate classes at Sir Isaac Brock PS was projected at approximately 100 students and would remain relatively constant. It was concluded, however, that the projected intermediate class size at Rickson Ridge PS of approximately 60 students would be too small. It was anticipated that a new Dual Track (DT) school planned for the south end of Guelph might further impact intermediate enrolment at Rickson Ridge PS. Staff advised that it would be appropriate to wait until a subsequent boundary review process was undertaken for the planned DT school before making a decision about 7/8 boundaries between Sir Isaac Brock PS and Rickson Ridge PS. In June 2012 Trustees approved in principle the report entitled “UGDSB – Full Day Kindergarten, Capital Plan, June 2012 Revision”. The implementation of the plan required the establishment of a JK‐8 French Immersion (FI) boundary for a new school in South Guelph. On March 26, 2013, the Board approved the boundaries for several FI schools in South Guelph, including the establishment of a boundary for the new FI Centre on Zaduk Place. Because no change to Regular Track (RT) boundaries occurred as a result of the FI review, there was no other process to review Sir Isaac Brock PS or Rickson Ridge PS as originally contemplated. 1.2
Purpose of this Report To provide: a) A summary of the input received from the public. b) A review of all the factors contributing to the assessment of feasibility of expanding the program at Sir Isaac Brock PS to include Grades 7 and 8. c) Final Staff recommendation(s) and justification for any changes. d) An implementation plan for any recommended changes. e) A communication plan. Page | 3 Sir Isaac Brock PS Grades 7 & 8 Feasibility Study – Report #2 2. PUBLIC INPUT 2.1
Public Information Session Seventy‐nine (79) members of the public signed the attendance register at the May 2, 2013 public information session held at Rickson Ridge PS. Approximately 65% of those in attendance associated themselves with the Sir Isaac Brock PS school community and the remainder with Rickson Ridge PS. Many parents asked questions and offered comments at the public information meeting, and spoke to staff and Trustees following the meeting. 2.2
Online Feedback An online comment submission form was available at www.ugdsb.on.ca/sibfs between April 9, 2013 and May 24, 2013 for comments to be considered in this final report. During that time, 92 submissions were made by 72 individuals. 57% of submissions were from persons who are associated with Sir Isaac Brock PS, 39% from Rickson Ridge PS, 1% from neither school community, and 3% of respondents chose not to say how they were associated. Anonymized comments are contained in Appendix A. 2.3
Delegations Up to May 28, 2013 there had been eight (8) delegations appear before the Board of Trustees.  On May 7, 2013 a Rickson Ridge PS parent delegated at the Program Committee in favour of maintaining the status quo, undertaking a full review of south end schools or waiting until the effects on enrolment of the new South Guelph FI Centre are known.  On May 14, 2013 two (2) students spoke at the Business Operations Committee meeting about the benefits of keeping Sir Isaac Brock PS 7 & 8 students at Rickson Ridge PS.  On May 28, 2013 five (5) parents spoke in favour of expanding the program at Sir Isaac Brock PS and one (1) parent from the Rickson Ridge PS community spoke about parent involvement, process and communication. The students who delegated before Trustees on May 14, 2013 presented a petition signed by 186 students attending Rickson Ridge PS who supported the following statement: “As Intermediate Students we believe in having a full rotary system to prepare for High School – like the one offered at Rickson Ridge PS. We do not support Sir Isaac Brock PS moving to JK‐8 because we feel that it will interfere with High School preparation for students in grade 7 and 8.” 59% of the signatures were collected from students who attended Sir Isaac Brock PS JK‐6, and 41% from students who had attended Rickson Ridge PS JK‐6. The signatures represented 73% of the population of intermediate division students. 2.4
Summary of Concerns/Comments Table 1 summarizes the primary themes of feedback received. These questions and comments are addressed throughout this report. Page | 4 Sir Isaac Brock PS Grades 7 & 8 Feasibility Study – Report #2 Table 1 ‐ Feedback Themes PUBLIC FEEDBACK What is the motivation for initiating this study now? What are the financial implications of starting a 7/8 program at Sir Isaac Brock PS? Why is Westminster Woods PS not being looked at in this study? Concern about the loss of rotary, resources and specialized teachers if 7/8 program is split between Sir Isaac Brock PS and Rickson Ridge PS. What is the enrolment decline at Sir Isaac Brock PS attributed to? Isn’t it better to wait until the new Zaduk Place school is open to see how it impacts on Rickson Ridge PS before making this change? If the 7/8 students are split, what will the 7/8 instruction look like at each school? Why are we disrupting a 7/8 division that is working well? How can excess classroom space be filled at Rickson Ridge PS if the 7/8 program is split? If Sir Isaac Brock PS gets 7/8, when would these changes take effect? 3. ENROLMENT FORECASTING There are several components and assumptions that are included in enrolment projections. The following are some important notes about the enrolment forecasts provided:  The software used by Planning Staff rolls forward current enrolment and applies historical progression rates to calculate a forecast.  Enrolment resulting from new development is added into a school’s catchment area based on the amount and timing of development consistent with the City of Guelph’s annual Development Priorities Plan. Student yield calculations are applied to these residential unit counts to generate the number of new students per year generated by development.  FI participation rates are applied based on historical data.  Recognizing the implementation of Full Day Kindergarten (FDK) will be complete in September 2014, projections are provided as Nominal, which counts Junior and Senior Kindergarten students as 1 whole student versus the historical practices of counting Full Time Equivalent ( ½ time = ½ student).  The number of Special Education (i.e. Gifted, Developmentally Disabled, etc.) students in any school is assumed to remain stable over the forecast period.  The school’s capacity is based on the On the Ground capacity once FDK renovations are complete. 3.1
Factors Affecting Enrolment At the May 2, 2013 Public Information Session staff explained that several factors are contributing to declining RT enrolment in South Guelph, specifically in reference to the Sir Isaac Brock PS catchment. These include such factors as:  the proliferation of student housing  growing participation in FI  aging of dwellings Page | 5 Sir Isaac Brock PS Grades 7 & 8 Feasibility Study – Report #2  Wellington Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) enrolment 3.1.1 Student Housing The amount of housing in Guelph’s south end occupied by university students is significant. In the four (4) RT elementary school attendance areas south of Stone Road there are nearly 600 accessory apartments and lodging houses registered by the City of Guelph. Table 2 summarizes the number of these units within the attendance areas of Sir Isaac Brock PS and Rickson Ridge PS. These units make up 7% of the single family and semi‐detached units in the Rickson Ridge PS attendance area and 4% of the single family and semi‐detached units in the Sir Isaac Brock PS attendance area. Table 2 ‐ Registered Accessory Apartments and Lodging Houses School Attendance Area Accessory Apartments Lodging Houses Total Single Family & Semi‐Detached Accessory Apartments & Rental Units as Percent of Total
7% 4% Rickson Ridge PS Ridge PS 138 14 2073 Sir Isaac Brock PS 63 0 1488 3.1.2 Public/Catholic Share The Planning Department monitors enrolment in our co‐terminus Boards of Education. The UGDSB share of students varies across the jurisdiction depending on influences such as the presence or absence of WCDSB (Wellington) or Dufferin‐Peel Catholic District School Board (DPCDSB) schools and the religious composition of communities. Generally, in Guelph the UGDSB enrolment represents approximately 72% of elementary aged students. In South Guelph, this number is approximately 71%. When compared directly with WCDSB school boundaries, the UGDSB share drops to 67% within the St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic School boundary, and 65% in the St. Paul Catholic School boundary. The presence of two new Catholic schools in the Pine Ridge/Westminster Woods area contributes significantly to the lower share captured by the UGDSB. However, a review of records of students leaving Sir Isaac Brock PS determined that there is no strong evidence that a significant number of UGDSB students are leaving the system to enroll in these local Catholic schools. 3.1.3 FI Participation In May 2013, staff reported to the Board via the 2013/14 Elementary Identified Schools Report that: “District‐wide, enrolment in French Immersion has increased 10% between October 2011 and October 2012. The program has grown by 40% in the last five years. The City of Guelph has seen the most significant FI enrolment growth. FI in Guelph has grown from 1,964 students in 2011/12 to 2,157 students in 2012/13. As of 2012, 33% of JK students in Guelph were enrolled in FI, which is up 5% since 2011.” Increased participation in FI corresponds with decreased enrolment in RT schools. In the Sir Isaac Brock PS and Rickson Ridge PS boundaries the FI participation rate is 20% and 25% respectively. The participation Page | 6 Sir Isaac Brock PS Grades 7 & 8 Feasibility Study – Report #2 in Gifted instruction is 1%, and 2% of students attend UGDSB schools outside of their home school boundary for other reasons (i.e. historical babysitting). It should be noted that FI participation reported in Table 3 is reflective of the total participation rate from JK to Grade 8. Participation in FI has increased in recent years, with JK enrolment from within these attendance areas currently representing approximately 34% of JK students. This increase in participation in JK is expected to continue. The retention of FI students in the FI program has increased steadily in recent years. The JK‐6 retention rate modeled in the Board’s enrolment projections is 96%. Table 3 ‐ Participation Rates Attendance Area Home School FI Gifted Other Sir Isaac Brock PS 77% 20% 1% 2% Rickson Ridge PS Ridge PS 72% 25% 1% 2% 3.1.4 New South Guelph FI Centre The Rickson Ridge PS RT boundary and the new Zaduk Place FI Centre boundary are coincident. The FI participation rate is expected to be approximately 35% when the new school opens, growing to approximately 45% by 2022. This projected increase in FI participation is reflected in the enrolment projections for Rickson Ridge PS. The current FI participation rate associated with Sir Isaac Brock PS remains relatively consistent as there is no significant development proposed from within the school’s boundary which would generate new FI students. 4. ENROLMENT BACKGROUND Table 4, which was also presented in Report #1, shows the projected enrolment at both Sir Isaac Brock PS and Rickson Ridge PS under existing conditions. The FDK capacity of each school is reflective of the internal renovations planned prior to the start of FDK at Rickson Ridge PS in September 2013 and Sir Isaac Brock PS in September 2014. To illustrate the number of intermediate division students from Sir Isaac Brock PS attendance area who make up part of the Rickson Ridge PS enrolment, the numbers are shown below the table. Table 4 ‐ Status Quo Enrolment Projection FDK Capacity Rickson Ridge PS 455 Sir Isaac Brock PS 527 Grade JK‐6 7/8 Total JK‐6 7/8 Total Sir Isaac Brock PS 7/8 Enrolment Total Enrolment at Sir Isaac Brock with7/8 Current Enrol 2012 240 186 426 402 0 402 2014 291 196 486 432 0 432 Projected Enrolment 2015 2018 304 313 201 221 505 534 423 377 0 0 423 377 2022 322 187 509 336 0 336 111 114 124 91 543 537 501 427 Page | 7 Sir Isaac Brock PS Grades 7 & 8 Feasibility Study – Report #2 4.1
Sir Isaac Brock PS Table 5 shows the nominal enrolment recorded at Sir Isaac Brock PS between 2008 and 2012, as well as forecasted enrolments at the school from 2013 to 2022 assuming the status quo JK‐6 grade structure. Chart 1 illustrates the enrolments in Table 5 together with the current capacity (532) of the school and the resulting capacity following FDK renovations (527). Table 5 ‐ Sir Isaac Brock PS Historic and Forecasted Enrolment Year JK‐6 2008 741 2009 782 2010 446 2011 466 2012 411 2013 427 2014 432 2015 423 2018 377 2022 336 Note: Enrolment decline in 2010 as a result of boundary change due to opening of Westminster Woods PS. Chart 1 ‐ Sir Isaac Brock PS Historic and Forecasted Enrolment Sir Isaac Brock PS
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Rickson Ridge PS Ridge PS Table 6 shows the nominal enrolment recorded at Rickson Ridge PS between 2008 and 2012, as well as forecasted enrolments at the school from 2013 to 2022 assuming the status quo JK‐8 grade structure. Chart 2 illustrates the enrolments in Table 6 together with the current capacity (440) of the school and the resulting capacity following FDK renovations (455). The enrolment at Rickson Ridge PS including the proposed Harts Farm development is shown as a dotted line to illustrate the potential increase in enrolment with the proposed subdivision. The enrolment at Rickson Ridge PS is forecasted to climb steadily to 2018 and decline slightly between 2018 and 2022. With the inclusion of the Harts Farm development, the enrolment increase is even greater. Page | 8 Sir Isaac Brock PS Grades 7 & 8 Feasibility Study – Report #2 Table 6 – Rickson Ridge PS Ridge PS Historic and Forecasted Enrolment Year JK‐8 without Harts Farm JK‐8 with Harts Farm 2008 2009 404 506 2010 443 2011 410 2012 419 2013 472 2014 486 2015 505 2018 534 2022 509 404 443 410 419 472 490 521 570 550 506 Chart 2 – Rickson Ridge PS Ridge PS Historic and Forecasted Enrolment Rickson Ridge PS
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5. FACILITY UTILIZATION Boards must ensure that the schools within the jurisdiction are utilized as efficiently as possible. The Ministry of Education funds school boards based on enrolment. There are a number of factors that can impact on student accommodation and/or program. Changes in student enrolment, educational policies and curriculum, Ministry of Education initiatives and physical limitations of buildings and building infrastructure may affect the Board’s ability to deliver effective and efficient education across the jurisdiction. The Board uses two points of reference to compare facility utilization; Underutilized and Overcrowded. Current definitions of Underutilized and Overcrowded are presented below. As of September 2014 when Full Day Kindergarten is fully implemented all elementary enrolment will be calculated as nominal, as such Full Time Equivalent (FTE) has been replaced by nominal forecasts for all calculations herein. On the Ground (OTG) capacity has been calculated based on the capacity of the respective buildings once FDK renovations are complete and does not reflect any portable capacity on the properties. Page | 9 Sir Isaac Brock PS Grades 7 & 8 Feasibility Study – Report #2 Underutilized ‐ Any school where the Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Enrolment falls, or is projected to fall below its Minimum Facility Occupancy Level, as determined by the On the Ground (OTG) Capacity (80% utilization). Overcrowded ‐ Any school where the FTE exceeds, or is projected to exceed its Maximum Facility Occupancy Level, as determined by the On the Ground (OTG) Capacity (110% utilization). The capacity of Rickson Ridge PS is 455 pupil places. Without any changes between Sir Isaac Brock PS and Rickson Ridge PS, there will be a deficiency of 54 pupil places by 2022 even without the Harts Farm development, which equals 2 portables. The capacity of Sir Isaac Brock PS is 527 pupil places. Without any changes, there will be 191 surplus pupil places or 8 empty classrooms by 2022. Chart 3 illustrates the forecasted status quo facility utilization of both Sir Isaac Brock PS and Rickson Ridge PS. Even without any development the utilization of Rickson Ridge PS crosses the 110% overcapacity threshold by 2015 and remains above that level for the duration of the forecast period. While Sir Isaac Brock PS enrolment increases slightly with FDK, the enrolment is forecasted to decline in the longer term. The school is currently in the underutilized category (i.e. less than 80%), and by 2022 the facility utilization is forecasted to be approximately 64%. Chart 3 ‐ Status Quo Facility Utilization Status Quo Facility Utilization
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Should Grades 7 & 8 be accommodated at Sir Isaac Brock PS, Chart 4 shows the resulting impact on school utilization. The effect of potential development within the Rickson Ridge PS boundary is shown by the dotted line. The utilization of Sir Isaac Brock PS improves with the introduction of FDK in 2014, and remains above the 80% threshold to 2022. Page | 10 Sir Isaac Brock PS Grades 7 & 8 Feasibility Study – Report #2 Improving the utilization of Sir Isaac Brock PS reduces the need for portables at Rickson Ridge PS, while still allowing the school to accommodate projected growth from inside its boundary. Chart 4 ‐ Forecasted Facility Utilization with 7 & 8 Classes at Sir Isaac Brock PS Forecasted Facility Utilization with 7 & 8 Classes at Sir Isaac Brock PS
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6. SCHOOL OPERATION AND PERFORMANCE 6.1
K‐8 School Model Changes in the Ministry of Education curriculum in the late 1980’s towards a more theoretical focus meant less specialized facilities were necessary in elementary schools. Without the need for specialized facilities, it became practical for schools to provide full K‐8 programming. Changes to how Boards were funded also resulted in K‐8 schools being a more favourable model than K‐6. In 1998, the Wellington and Dufferin Boards of Education amalgamated. Within the former Wellington County Board of Education there were schools with different organizations (i.e. K‐6, K‐8, 7/8), but in the Dufferin County Board of Education there were strictly K‐8 schools. Since amalgamation the UGDSB has moved towards more JK‐8 schools. As of October 2012, the Board was operating 60 elementary schools.  37 schools, or 62% operate JK‐8  23 schools, or 38% operate JK‐6 In the City of Guelph, there are 28 schools, half are JK‐6 and half are JK‐8. As of September 2013 all new schools built since amalgamation will have been designed to accommodate JK‐8. The UGDSB no longer operates any senior elementary/middle schools. Page | 11 Sir Isaac Brock PS Grades 7 & 8 Feasibility Study – Report #2 6.2
Rotary Instruction Rotary instruction is often delivered by teachers who teach one subject area to a number of different classes at the same or different grade levels. The percentage of rotary offered in schools throughout the jurisdiction varies based on the size of the intermediate division and an individual school’s administrator/teaching staff/philosophy. In May 2013, some elementary Principals with intermediate divisions similar in size or smaller than the potential class sizes at Rickson Ridge PS and Sir Isaac Brock PS were surveyed by staff about the nature of the rotary offerings in their schools. Table 7 summarizes the results of that survey. The table highlights that most schools, regardless of size, operate on a partial rotary model, where students spend extended periods of time with one teacher. Table 7 ‐ Rotary Survey Response Summary School Location 2012/13 Intermediate Division Size JD Hogarth PS (response re/ RT only) Centre Wellington 131 John Black PS Centre Wellington 92 Credit Meadows ES Dufferin 84 Grand Valley PS Dufferin 51 Laurelwoods ES Dufferin 70 Mono‐Amaranth PS Dufferin 62 Aberfoyle PS Guelph 78 Gateway PS Guelph 41 Taylor Evans PS Guelph 99 Westwood PS Guelph 97 North Wellington 81 Minto‐Clifford PS Intermediate Instruction Model Partial rotary. Homeroom teachers teach core subjects plus either rotary science, rotary phys.ed. or rotary music. Core subjects include language, math, history & geography. Partial rotary (53% including French). Core language/math taught by homeroom. Homeroom teacher spends 56% of the day with their class. No rotary other than French instruction in French classroom. Partial rotary: history/geography, science/technology 22% rotary. History, geography and science on rotary. Partial rotary, 2 teachers instruct in multiple subjects. Math, history, science shared between 2 teachers Rotary math, language, science, art, music, phys.ed. Partial rotary: science/math/tech, language/history/geography, arts, phys.ed. Currently 80% rotary, moving to 25% in 2013/14 based on consultation with staff and school council. Partial rotary, 4 teachers instruct in multiple subjects. Language/Art, Music/Drama/Dance, phys. ed.,
Science/Math Rotary French and Music only. Page | 12 Sir Isaac Brock PS Grades 7 & 8 Feasibility Study – Report #2 2012/13 School Location Intermediate Division Size Palmerston PS North Wellington 55 Intermediate Instruction Model 6 X 50 min periods per cycle (300 of 1500 minutes of instruction per cycle) 6.3
Intermediate Division Size The size of intermediate divisions throughout the Board’s jurisdiction varies; just as the overall size of schools differ.  The smallest RT intermediate division in Guelph is 32 students  The largest RT intermediate division in Guelph is 225 students  The average intermediate division in Guelph is approximately 120 students Within the Dufferin County area of the Board’s jurisdiction, all schools operate JK‐8.  The smallest intermediate division in Dufferin is 51 students  The largest intermediate division in Dufferin 137 students  The average intermediate division in Dufferin is approximately 88 students In March 2013, the Board approved the split of Grades 7 and 8 into three French Immersion (FI) centres in Guelph each with an intermediate divisions forecasted to be approximately 100 students in size. Three to five classes (i.e. approximately 75‐90 students) in an intermediate division is not a mandated minimum or maximum size. However, this range offers opportunities for collaborative teacher planning and teacher specialization in one or more curricular areas. In general, Board staff has operated on the principle that intermediate division size ought not to exceed 35% of the total school population. 6.4
Rickson Ridge PS Ridge PS and Sir Isaac Brock PS Intermediate Division Sizes In 2008, recommendations were made about the phasing‐in of intermediate students at Sir Isaac Brock PS beginning in 2015. Assuming the same phasing as staff recommended in 2008, Tables 8 and 9 illustrate the size of the respective divisions at each of the schools should the program at Sir Isaac Brock PS be expanded to include Grades 7 and 8. The intermediate division size at Rickson Ridge PS in the status quo condition in 2014 will represent approximately 50% of the school’s enrolment only declining to 35% by 2022. Should the program at Sir Isaac Brock PS be expanded, the intermediate division at Rickson Ridge PS would be between 21% and 31% after 2015. The resulting intermediate division size at Sir Isaac Brock PS would be between 13% and 26% of its total enrolment after 2015. Page | 13 Sir Isaac Brock PS Grades 7 & 8 Feasibility Study – Report #2 Table 8 ‐ Sir Isaac Brock PS Intermediate Division Sir Isaac Brock PS 7/8 2014 0 2015 61 2018 120 2022 91 2014 197 197 2015 141 143 2018 97 104 2022 97 105 Table 9 ‐ Rickson Ridge PS Ridge PS Intermediate Division Rickson Ridge PS Ridge PS 7/8 No development With development 6.5
Indicators of Success Data comparing several factors of student success was compiled by staff for the same set of schools surveyed about their rotary system. Rickson Ridge PS was added to this analysis as a point of comparison. Five (5) indicators were compared for each of the fourteen (14) schools, namely:  Percentage of students achieving more than 70% in Grade 9 Academic English  Percentage of students achieving more than 70% in Grade 9 Applied English  Percentage of students achieving a 3 or higher in Grade 9 EQAO Math testing  Percentage of students achieving 8 or more credits by the end of Grade 9  Percentage of students achieving 16 credits in by the end of Grade 10 In each of the categories listed above, staff assigned schools a value of +1 or ‐1 depending on how the school compared to the combined average percentage of the 14 schools. This approach allowed schools to be scored to demonstrate their performance relative to the other schools being compared. The size of the Grade 9 English class is reflective of the cohort size of the Grade 9 class feeding from the respective schools. Because students from elementary may choose from more than one secondary school (i.e. Rickson Ridge PS students may attend Centennial CVI or College Heights SS), comparisons for the total cohort are not easily compiled. As such, just the majority of the cohort attending a single secondary school was used. Table 10 ‐ Indicators Elementary Schools Aberfoyle PS Grand Valley PS JD Hogarth PS John Black PS Gateway PS Taylor Evans PS Westwood PS Willow Road Size of 2010/11 Secondary Grade 9 School Eng Class CCVI 34 CDDHS 35 CWDHS 82 CWDHS 49 GCVI 30 GCVI 51 GCVI 38 GCVI 96 Grade 9 ENG Academic > 70% Grade 9 ENG Applied> 70% Gr. 9 EQAO Math >3 Grade 9 ‐ 8 + Credits Grade 10 ‐ 16 Credits Total 1 ‐1 1 ‐1 ‐1 1 ‐1 ‐1 1 1 ‐1 ‐1 1 1 1 1 1 ‐1 ‐1 ‐1 1 1 ‐1 1 ‐1 ‐1 1 ‐1 ‐1 1 1 ‐1 1 ‐1 ‐1 1 ‐1 1 1 ‐1 3 ‐3 ‐1 ‐3 ‐1 5 1 ‐1 Page | 14 Sir Isaac Brock PS Grades 7 & 8 Feasibility Study – Report #2 Size of Gr. 9 Grade 9 Grade 9 Grade 9 Grade 2010/11 EQAO ENG ENG Elementary Secondary ‐ 8 + 10 ‐ 16 Total Grade 9 Academic Applied> Math Schools School Credits Credits Eng >3 70% > 70% Class Minto‐Clifford NDSS 49 ‐1 ‐1 1 1 ‐1 ‐1 PS Palmerston PS NDSS 27 1 ‐1 ‐1 ‐1 1 ‐1 Credit Meadows ODSS 41 ‐1 1 1 1 1 3 ES Mono‐
ODSS 39 ‐1 ‐1 1 1 1 1 Amaranth PS Laurelwoods ES WWS 50 1 ‐1 ‐1 1 ‐1 ‐1 Rickson Ridge CCVI 108 1 ‐1 1 ‐1 1 1 PS Table 10 demonstrates that intermediate division size is not a major determinant of success in secondary school. Schools with cohorts of Grade 9 students smaller than the current and possible cohort size from Rickson Ridge PS do as well, or in some cases better than Rickson Ridge PS students in the five categories listed. 6.6
Vice‐Principal Support Concern was expressed about the possible loss of a Vice‐Principal at Rickson Ridge PS should the Sir Isaac Brock PS 7/8 students not attend. It should be noted that in 2011/12 there was no Vice‐Principal assigned to Rickson Ridge PS. Principals and Vice‐Principals are allocated by ratio with consideration of the special needs of schools. Special needs within the school may warrant Vice‐Principal allocation above the school’s enrolment qualification, but this is not guaranteed. Such special needs may include: nature of the student population, disproportionate number of Grade 7/8 students (i.e. greater than 50% of school population), a building project, transportation demands, or special programs. The following guidelines are used to determine Vice‐Principal allocations in JK‐8 schools: Table 11 ‐ Vice Principal Allocation Ratios Enrolment Allocation
400 or less
0 401‐449 .5 450‐524 .7 525‐549 .8 550+ 1.0 In 2012/13 there were 13 JK‐8 schools in the jurisdiction without a Vice‐Principal. Page | 15 Sir Isaac Brock PS Grades 7 & 8 Feasibility Study – Report #2 6.7
Staffing Implications In any given school year, staff at a school can change as a result of a number of factors such as retirements, resignations, leaves of absence, transfer requests, and layoffs. Should the program at Sir Isaac Brock PS be expanded to include Grades 7 and 8, thereby reducing enrolment at Rickson Ridge PS, the Board and the union would work collaboratively to develop a process in accordance with the language of the Collective Agreement for the placement of teachers. When a Principal is staffing a school the assignment of teachers is done taking into consideration a teacher’s preference, the strengths and interests of individual staff members, classes for which additional qualifications are mandatory (French and Special Education), and needs within the school. This can prove to be beneficial to all grade levels as specialty teachers may be assigned to provide planning time coverage and/or rotary instruction in their area of expertise. 7. FACILITIES & RESOURCES Both Rickson Ridge PS and Sir Isaac Brock PS were designed and constructed to accommodate JK‐8 programming. Sir Isaac Brock PS has operated since its opening as a JK‐6 school. However, there were considerations made in the building’s design and construction which would accommodate Grade 7/8 curriculum requirements. 7.1
Technology Space At Rickson Ridge PS a tech space exists adjacent to a regular classroom. This space is provided with windows to the classroom, electrical conduit run around the perimeter of the room, work surfaces and cabinets, and is equipped with tools suitable for the program that is offered. At Sir Isaac Brock PS a similar space exists which has been in use as a resource room. Retrofitting this room to accommodate technology instruction would be required. Such retrofitting has been done at other schools, such as at John McCrae PS when the 7/8 classes arrived from King George PS. The approximate costs to remove the cinderblock wall, install the required windows, doorway, electrical, counters and cabinets, painting and equipping the room with machinery would be approximately $16,000. 7.2
Gymnasium and Change Rooms The gymnasium at Sir Isaac Brock PS is suitably sized to accommodate older students. Change rooms exist for the use of intermediate students. A portable stage is available at Sir Isaac Brock PS. 7.3
Lockers It has become customary that intermediate students are provided with mini‐lockers where they can be accommodated in a JK‐8 school. Lockers of this nature are present at Rickson Ridge PS. Installation of lockers may cost between $9,000 to $16,000 depending on whether lockers are provided one for every two Grade 7 students plus one locker per Grade 8 student, or one locker per intermediate student regardless of grade. Other arrangements may also be considered. Page | 16 Sir Isaac Brock PS Grades 7 & 8 Feasibility Study – Report #2 7.4
Resources The distribution of resources is part of every transition process. The practice in our Board has been to leave library collections intact and not divide them. However, some resources may need to be divided between the two schools. Staff works collaboratively in the lead up to a transition to determine how resources can be equitably allocated. 8. TRANSPORTATION Generally, when the Board sets school attendance areas it attempts to maximize, where possible, the walk‐in population of the school. The Board, in cooperation with Service de Transport de Wellington‐
Dufferin Student Transportation Services (STWDSTS) identifies natural or man‐made features and hazards which may limit pedestrian access to schools. Together with the local Active & Safe Routes to School committee, Board staff is working to encourage active transportation to improve student health and fitness while reducing dependence on personal vehicles, congestion and vehicle emissions around schools. The following maximum walking distances are used to determine transportation eligibility: Table 12 ‐ Maximum Walking Distances Grade Level Maximum Walking Distance in Urban Areas Kindergarten to Grade 1 1.6 km Grade 2 to Grade 6 2.4 km Grade 7 to Grade 8 3.2 km Grade 9 to Grade 12 3.5 km There are currently four busses which transport students between Sir Isaac Brock PS and Rickson Ridge PS based on distance or other hazard criteria. These busses may also transport some bus‐eligible Rickson Ridge PS students, depending on the routing. As such, there is not an automatic elimination in the need for busses should the Sir Isaac Brock PS program be expanded and there is no corresponding reduction in the total number of busses operated. A formula exists which determines the costs of transportation based on the number of students requiring bussing and the distance bussed. STWDSTS has advised that based on the number of Sir Isaac Brock PS students bussed and the distance they are bussed, not transporting these students to Rickson Ridge PS would reduce transportation costs by approximately $70,000 per year. 9. CONCLUSIONS It was explained at the Public Information Session that no one criteria was to be weighted heavier than any other in the evaluation of the feasibility of expanding the program at Sir Isaac Brock PS to include an intermediate division. Based on the list contained in Report #1 and other factors which have been captured throughout this report, a matrix was developed by staff to assess the options. The following matrix has used a scale of “Least Preferred” to “Most Preferred” to evaluate the options against the criteria listed. Page | 17 Sir Isaac Brock PS Grades 7 & 8 Feasibility Study – Report #2 Table 13 ‐ Evaluation Matrix Consideration Expand Program at Sir Isaac Brock PS to JK‐8 “Status Quo” Continue to Feed Sir Isaac Brock PS Students to Rickson Ridge PS for Grades 7 & 8 School Enrolment M F Facility Utilization M F Rotary Instruction ◑ Intermediate Division Size M
◑ ◑ Student Success M M Staffing Implications M M Facilities ◑ ◑ M M F ◑
M Most Preferred Resources Transportation M Legend: F Least Preferred The expansion of the program at Sir Isaac Brock PS is revealed to hold more “Most Preferred” outcomes compared with the Status Quo option. Significant disadvantages of the Status Quo option relate to:  The enrolment at the respective schools, since Sir Isaac Brock PS enrolment would decline significantly and Rickson Ridge PS would continue to grow above the “Overcrowded” condition.  Facility utilization would be unequal as a result of the enrolment decline and pressures as noted in Section 5.  The ongoing costs of transportation would mean that the Board would be paying approximately $70,000/year to transport students who could otherwise be accommodated within walking distance to Sir Isaac Brock PS. The large intermediate division size at Rickson Ridge PS was noted as a problematic issue for the Status Quo situation. It was indicated in Section 6.4 that the intermediate division at Rickson Ridge PS would be approximately 50% of the school’s total enrolment by 2014. The matters of rotary instruction and student success were equally valued for both options. As Section 6.2 describes, all schools offer some variation of rotary instruction. There is no Board standard for the Page | 18 Sir Isaac Brock PS Grades 7 & 8 Feasibility Study – Report #2 amount of rotary instruction that students should receive. Section 6.5 further demonstrates that the size of the intermediate division and the amount of rotary instruction do not necessarily correlate to better outcomes in secondary. There are costs associated with accommodating an intermediate division at Sir Isaac Brock PS, however, these costs, as outlined in Sections 7.1 and 7.3 are relatively minor. Approximately $31,000 has been estimated to retrofit and equip the tech space and install lockers. While this work is appropriate to undertake to accommodate intermediate students, it is offset by the savings as a result of reducing the costs of transportation. Staffing implications were weighted evenly. There is no guarantee that current staff in either school will be accommodated in that location from year to year. As such the availability of certain teacher specialties is not a constant. Based on the results of the evaluation matrix, it has been demonstrated that expanding the Sir Isaac Brock PS program to include an intermediate division is not only feasible, but is prudent in addressing enrolment and facility utilization concerns, will result in an appropriately sized intermediate division at both schools, is not expected to negatively affect student outcomes at either school and can be supported as a being financially feasible. 10. RECOMMENDATIONS The original motion from June 2008 had directed that staff: “prepare and present to Trustees in October 2010, a report outlining a plan for implementing the JK‐8 boundaries for Sir Isaac Brock PS and Rickson Ridge PS Ridge PS, as shown on Maps 5 & 6 of Appendix B in Report PLN:08‐25, and including the anticipated implications of the changes proposed.” The subsequent report in 2010 was received for information only and no decision resulted from that report. It is staff’s recommendation that this feasibility study serves to respond to the original motion and has been conducted with an appropriate amount of public participation. A public information session was held to present the purpose of the feasibility study and the background leading to the need for the study. Further, there has been a significant amount of feedback received from both school communities, demonstrating the extent that parents have been engaged in this issue. It is recommended that the program at Sir Isaac Brock PS be expanded to include an intermediate division effective September 2015. Full Day Kindergarten is scheduled to commence at Sir Isaac Brock PS in September 2014. Interior renovations are planned to accommodate full day learning. There are a significant number of other capital projects required prior to September 2014 to implement the final year of FDK. As such, it would be prudent to delay the start of an intermediate division at Sir Isaac Brock PS until the 2015/16 school year thereby allowing renovations to occur through the summer of 2015. The traditional practice of the Board is to grandparent students in their last year of elementary where a change may otherwise direct them to another school for Grade 8. As such, Staff suggests it is appropriate to phase‐in the intermediate division at Sir Isaac Brock PS beginning in September 2015. Sir Isaac Brock PS would operate as JK‐7 in 2015/16 and JK‐8 in 2016/17. These timeframes are also consistent with the Page | 19 Sir Isaac Brock PS Grades 7 & 8 Feasibility Study – Report #2 recommendations resulting from the Westminster Woods Boundary Review in 2008. 11. VISION STATEMENT Staff was asked at the public information session to assess the recommendations against this Vision Statement. The Board’s Vision Statement reads: “Students will attain individual excellence through dynamic programming provided by an effective staff and supported by a committed community. We will meet our students' diverse needs through the provision of equitable and accessible resources. Our learning environment will be characterized by empowered administrators, effective communication and mutual compassionate respect.” It is staff’s opinion that whether the intermediate students who are resident within the Sir Isaac Brock PS attendance area attend Sir Isaac Brock PS or are accommodated at Rickson Ridge PS Ridge PS, the objectives of dynamic programming, access to equitable and accessible resources will continue to be met for both school communities. This process has demonstrated how committed these two school communities are to the education of their children. Further, we are confident that staff can and will be effective in educating these students in their respective schools. 12. COMMUNICATION PLAN Written comments received up to and including May 24, 2013 are available on the Sir Isaac Brock PS Grades 7 & 8 Feasibility Study webpage. Questions are addressed in the online FAQ and in Report #2. Community members are still able to subscribe to the webpage and receive email alerts for updates. Any written comments received after May 24, 2013 through communication to Board Staff or Trustees or presentations made by delegations are posted on web page, but are not reflected in Report #2. Further action:  June 6, 2013: Information on the final delegation opportunity (June 25, 2013 Board meeting) will be provided on the Sir Isaac Brock PS Grades 7 & 8 Feasibility Study Boundary Review web page.  June 6, 2013: A letter to parents and guardians of the Sir Isaac Brock PS and Rickson Ridge PS school communities will provide information on Report #2, the final delegation opportunity and the date for the final Board decision (both on June 25, 2013).  June 7, 2013: A media release regarding Report #2 will be sent to local newspapers, radio and TV outlets.  June 11, 2013: Board Planning staff will present Report #2 at the meeting of the Business Operations Committee.  June 25, 2013: Board Meeting where Trustees will consider the recommendations of the Business Operations Committee. Page | 20 Sir Isaac Brock PS Grades 7 & 8 Feasibility Study – Report #2  June 26, 2013: The Board’s final decision will be posted on the UGDSB web pages and included in the monthly Board Highlights and in a news release.  June 27, 2013: A letter will be sent to the Sir Isaac Brock PS and Rickson Ridge PS school communities to explain the decision. 13. FINAL STEP  Board Meeting June 25, 2013 Board Decision related to Report #2 Opportunity for delegations
Page | 21 APPENDIX A PUBLIC INPUT April 5 to April 23, 2013 In order to protect the identity of all individuals who have submitted correspondence with regard to the
Sir Isaac Brock PS Grade 7/8 Feasibility Study and in keeping with the Municipal Freedom of
Information and Protection of Privacy Act, all personal information and/or identifiers have been
severed from all recorded communication (i.e. e-mails and letters) prior to distribution. The intent or
message has not been changed.
April 5, 2013
I am very saddened to receive this letter today. The thriving intermediate program at Rickson
including fabulous music/science/phys.ed/art/drama components, taught by specialist teachers (who
are passionate about their subjects) would be lost to both our students and the Sir Isaac Brock
students if this change happened. I fear our students will not be properly prepared for high school
without it. Right now, our graduating students finish as well-rounded, enthusiastic citizens and this
won't be attainable without a full rotary program. The community feel of the group of intermediate
students is also extremely valuable. These students leave Rickson as a cohesive group to start high
school together. Sir Isaac Brock parents: make sure you know what you will be missing by removing
your students from our school!!
April 5, 2013
I have 2 kids currently going to SIB, 4 once they're all school age. Expanding the grades to include 7
& 8 would be a tremendous help. There are tons of families within the school boundary who would
benefit - the area is largely made up of families with young children. I hope they all speak up so that
this decision moves forward.
April 5, 2013
I fully support the inclusion of grades 7/8 at SIB. This makes sense for a number of reasons:
-the population of 'walkers' at SIB is enormous (it would be ideal to continue this healthy lifestyle)
-older children can assist younger students/siblings walking to and from school (fewer child care
costs/commitments for parents)
-the transition to grade 7 is stressful for SIB students because Rickson students are grounded/settled as
a cohort)
-grade 7/8 students at SIB would be able to participate in after school sports/activities without
worrying about transportation home
-SIB students are proud of their school and would love to graduate from their home school
-I believe it is the only JK-6 school recently built in Guelph (why is that? Why are all others JK-8?)
April 5, 2013
As a parent of 3 children who currently attend SIB, I would like to see them stay together until
their move to Centennial. It made sense for students to move on to Rickson Ridge for grades
7 and 8, before Westminster Woods opened and SIB was over capacity. This is not the case
any more. Westminster Woods is a K-8 school with a similar population.I know,I am a
1 April 5 to April 23, 2013 teacher there. They have only 2 grade 7 classes and 2 grade 8 classes and they are able to
provide a full, top quality program to their intermediate students. This would be the same
scenerio for students at Sir Isaac Brock. I feel the students from SIB entering Rickson Ridge in
Grade 7 are at a disadvantage when they start a school at the end of their elementary career
with classes of students who may possibly have been there since kindergarten. I saw this first
hand as a teacher at Waverley Drive Public School when students from Brant Ave came for
grade 7. The student body at SIB would benefit from having intermediate students included in
their population as they add to the school community through their leadership.
On a personal note, my oldest child has been assessed as Non-verbal LD and the transition
to a new school is already creeping into her thoughts (she is currently in grade 5) and it
would be beneficial for her to remain where adminstration, classroom teachers and SERTs
know her needs. This area has already had to wait for full-day kindergarten and then they are
disadvantaged yet again when they can not have their intermediate aged children look after
younger siblings for before and after school care because they are bused earlier and get
home later. When my husband and I bought a house in the SIB area, we were fully aware
that our children would attend Rickson for grades 7 and 8. However, SIB is now not at
capacity (minus the FDK). French, planning and resource teachers have full classrooms. This
is not the norm across our school board.
We would like to see families kept together, in their neighbourhood. I think that this should be
a priority. Thank-you for considering my family's comments on this issue.
April 5, 2013
I wish grade 7 & 8 starts this year 2013. My youngest daughter is in JK, oldest daughter is in Grade 6.
If Grade 7 starts here then it'll be better time management for us.
April 6, 2013
Please have Sir Isaac Brock grade 7/8 expansion completed as soon as possible.
April 6, 2013
more convenient,kids can be in the same school.don't need to go for 2 years to different school.
April 6, 2013
we should have a grade 7 and 8 at SIB because kids will get the opportunity to stay there for the full
primary and move to a secondary school. that makes it fair to rickson ridge and us!
April 6, 2013
I would like to have the school upgraded to whole primary level,to facilitate our children to continue
their studies
2 April 5 to April 23, 2013 April 7, 2013
thank you! For making the idea for gr.7/8 in S.I.B
April 8, 2013
As parents of two girls we would be thrilled if SIB added grades 7&8. In light of the change in
structure for the school on Zaduk Place, we hope that the Board will seriously consider adding the two
additional years at SIB.
Thank you,
April 6, 2013
Making Sir Isaac Brock a K-8 school is way to go. It has been delayed for too long.
April 8, 2013
I think that adding grade 7 and 8 would be very beneficial to the students. I am new to the
neighbourhood and my son is just starting in Grade 5 at Sir Isaac Brock and I was very
disappointed to hear he would have to be bussed for grade 7&8. I look forward to this option
being explored.
April 8, 2013
Our kids have developed a comfortable relationship with the staff and facilities in SIB-PS through
many years. They will do better in the same school for the extra 2 years (Grade 7/8). However,
changing the school at this sensitive age is very stressful and risky for them. The staff who knew the
kids from their early ages may better monitor and support them rather than the new school staff who
has to learn them from the beginning. I am very concerned especially because this is a tender age.
April 8, 2013
I support the idea of adding grades 7/8 to SIB-PS. It is my believe that kids change their behaviour
when they are changed from their stable environment especially at a tender age. I also feel like
loosing control as I would not know the new school staff. I prefer to have such changes, if at all, after
grade 8.
April 8, 2013
This expansion of grades makes sense for our family and many others as it:
-enables us (as parents) to be more active in our childrens' school as the school is RIGHT in our own
neighbourhood
-allows for greater parent participation in school events as we wouldn't need to divide our time among
two schools (one for each child)
-allows our older child to provide after school care for our younger child
-allows the opportunity for physical activity as our children can walk to/from school
3 April 5 to April 23, 2013 -provides a greener solution (no school bus!)
-creates a sense of community within our neighbourhood, keeping our children close to home for a
longer period of time.
April 8, 2013
After reading the report and realizing there is a Board meeting tomorrow on this matter I wanted to
make sure the Board is aware that there is a great amount of support for 7 and 8 at Sir Isaac Brock.
Since we have only received the letter home on Friday we are only in the process of establishing our
group to be able to have our say on this matter. We definitely want our children back in our
community where we feel as parents we can better support them through their education. We agree
with the fact that the more parents are involved in their childs education the greater success they will
have in school. Looking forward to communicating further with you. Thank you
April 8, 2013
Is there a reason that justifies the time and cost demanded of such a study?
The current arrangement between Rickson and SIB offers a wonderful rotary and specialist program,
appropriate use of space and resources, and excellent social and academic preparation for high
school for all of the intermediate students involved. Changing this arrangement does a disservice to
BOTH schools' intermediate students, because the two schools will not be able to offer separately
what one school can offer together. As a former grade 8 teacher (with a different board), I am well
aware that you cannot have a complete rotary program with specialist teachers if you only have two to
four intermediate classes. In addition, I know that students will be less prepared socially for high
school if they have stayed with the same small cohort of students for 10 consecutive years. Even extracurricular opportunities will be limited if the two populations of students are divided. As a parent of
two children at Rickson Ridge, I strongly support the current intermediate program at Rickson. My
children, like all children from both Rickson and SIB, deserve the best education that the Board can
offer them, and that is by having the opportunity to be intermediate students in the existing rotary
program at Rickson.
As a taxpayer, I am also very concerned about this possible new arrangement. When resources are
so limited, why
is the Board considering making costly changes to a relatively new school to accommodate 7s and 8s,
as well leaving classrooms empty in an even newer school?
April 9, 2013
My name is Theresa Barras and currently have 2 children attending Sir Isaac Brock. My daughter in
grade 3 and son in grade 1.
I also support our school having a 7/8 class. For reasons being that we have one of the best rated
schools along with some of the greatest staff. The way our teachers prepare our children for the
following grades is absolutely amazing. Their dedication and community is beyond words.
4 April 5 to April 23, 2013 Our current principal..Ms. Donaldson an staff member (unnamed) recently took the time to help me
with a personal tragedy that struck our family. My nephew was murdered...their support and and on
going commitment to me and family has been truly remarkable. This is the staff I want my children to
grow with through their elementary years. Not be be shuffled off to another school with no sense of
roots. This is by far the best community and school you have in your board system...I am very proud
to have my children attend.
Thank you for your time.
April 9, 2013
I and many others in my community feel very strongly that our children MUST remain in our
community. There sense of belonging is so critical in the grades of 7 and 8. To take this away from
them is unfair. It is also key to younger siblings to have their older siblings with them. In addition, part
of the choice I made to move across from a school was to have my childrenATTEND that school.
Please ensure this happens for our children. If there are other avenues to have my voice heard
please let me know..
April 11, 2013
My 13 yr old went to SIB from kindergarten to grade 6 and I still have one child there (9 yrs old). SIB
is a FABULOUS school and as a parent I was, and am, able to be quite involved with school activities.
I was happy that I could walk my kids to and from school. At first this year was strange having the two
kids at different schools. I missed relying on the older child to take care of the younger one after
school walking home. I feel Rickson could have done a better job at welcoming the SIB students and
their families. I don't feel the connection to Rickson as I do to SIB and know very little of what goes on
since my child is bused there. I feel that Rickson could do a better job of keeping us informed. All
that being said, I strongly recommend that SIB not have grades 7& 8 and that the students continue to
move to Rickson for these grades. I think that changing schools at this point is a great mini-transition
in preparation for the move to grade 9. I think if they remain at SIB until such time, the transition
would be that much harder. Rickson is better equipped with the second floor to segregate the grade 7
& 8's. Being on a bus and the rotary program have both fostered more independence in my child. I
think my lack of involvement at his/her school has also allowed for growth, maturity and responsibility.
I am not sure this would happen if he/she had stayed at SIB for these grades. I think as parents we
tend to keep them close and sheltered...delay them growing up. I think the parents have bigger issues
with this than the kids. At first, the unknown is scary and we want to protect them. Of course they
would choose to pick the more comfortable option, staying with what they know. After a brief period
of uncertainty my child has loved this transition, enjoys the new friendships formed as well as new
subjects taught. The transition has instilled a new confidence in taking on new challenges. A benefit
that I never anticipated was the one on one time I now have with my younger child as we walk home
from school together and those extra few minutes alone before and after school while the other one
travels on the bus. The loss of the rotary program would be a huge downfall. True not all schools
have this, but I truly believe it can only benefit them for when they get to grade nine when they will
have to juggle all their different courses, different teachers and homework schedules. The kids going
to Rickson does not mean we are supporting our children any less just because they are not in our
neighborhood anymore. Our form of support changes as we help them learn to cope with new
challenges. At no point are our children leaving friends, they are moving on together as a group. We
5 April 5 to April 23, 2013 are also still welcome to help out at Rickson if that is what we wish to do. The kids are not going
across town, they are five minutes away. Parents need to expand their definition of 'community' to
include a bigger area, not just a couple blocks. Our community area is both schools. Please allow
our children this important step in social development.
April 11, 2013
Dear UGDSB,
I support the study regarding adding grades 7/8 to SIB. Hopefully this time the decision will be
approved to accommodate the 7/8 grades.
Thanks,
April 13, 2013
Why it is important for SIB to includes grades 7/8:
SIB is a central part of my Boys academic and social development. Given that it is so close to our
home, it is ideal that our boys continue to go there through gr 7 and 8 as they transition to being
teenagers and the responsibilities of high school. Having the consistency and comfort of being at such
a great academic institution for JK through 8 can only help in there development.
If we want are children to respect and care for the communities they live in, then I think we should
keep them in the communities they live in and not bus them all over Guelph because their school
doesn't have room for them.
April 19, 2013
Sir Iasaac Brock Public School ABSOLUTELY requires the additon of grades 7 and 8! As a SIB parent I
know my child will benefit from being able to remain in the same elementary school. There are so
many reasons and validators I need alot more space to fully express how strongly I support this
initiative!
April 21, 2013
Thank you for the opportunity to provide input toward the boundary review for SIB/Rickson Ridge 7/8.
I can imagine it is a difficult process as you will be hearing many views. I am a parent of two children
who currently attend Sir Isaac Brock Public School and I would be very appreciative if the decision will
be made in favour to bring grades 7 & 8 grades to our school.
I would first like to start off by saying how impressed I am with this school. There is a very strong
sense of community amongst the students, staff, parent council and families. I truly believe children
do better at school when they feel a sense of belonging and have a good support network. By adding
grades 7 & 8, this will allow siblings to stay together at the same school for longer. It will also allow
for kids to walk to school within their own neighbourhood, rather than get bussed away.
I have recently heard some parents mention that if grades 7 & 8 does not come to SIB, they may
consider switching their kids to the new catholic school down the street because it does go up to
grade 8. I think this would be a shame to lose students for this reason. Thank you.
6 April 24th to April 28, 2013 In order to protect the identity of all individuals who have submitted correspondence with regard to the
Sir Isaac Brock PS Grade 7/8 Feasibility Study and in keeping with the Municipal Freedom of
Information and Protection of Privacy Act, all personal information and/or identifiers have been
severed from all recorded communication (i.e. e-mails and letters) prior to distribution. The intent or
message has not been changed.
April 24, 2013
The loss of a full rotary program (no specialist teachers, ie science or music) for intermediate students.
The loss of many extra-curricular programs due to the loss of staff.
The loss of a number of intermediate staff (including most likely Mr. Duncan, so his incredible music
program for the whole student body would be lost).
The loss of the time and money parents have spent on musical instruments, intermediate playground
equipment and library resources.
The loss of resource and library time as well as a vice-principal due to lower enrolment at the school.
April 24, 2013
Hi. I am a mother of 3 kids who as of September will all be attending SIB. I was always under the
assumption that we would eventually get grades 7 & 8 as it just seems logical. We have a great
community of parents and kids and teachers and keeping them together through grade 8 I believe
would add a lot of benefit. Selfishly it would help my family as my oldest child would be able to walk
their younger siblings to or from school when needed. Being able to walk to school is a great thing
for not only fitness but a nice way to start a day! Also attending one school fair, one holiday concert
and doing fundraising for one school makes our hectic lives a little easier. More importantly the sense
of belonging and identity to a strong school community will only help our kids be happier stronger
people. I have seen many families leave our school to transfer to the close by Catholic school as it
goes up to grade 8. I would hate for more families, who truly love SIB, to feel forced to make this
same decision. It seems unfortunate for our kids to have to pay for some prior poor planning by
having to leave their school and community. Thank you.
April 26, 2013
I understand that there is a rotary program presently at Ricksson Ridge for the Grade 7 and 8 level. I
feel very strongly that this program is the very best way to prepare these students for their high school
years. It is optimum from the teachers and the childs persepctive as the children are receiving
teaching from a teacher strong in that subject. Also from a social persepective, since they will be
attending the same high school it allows them to get to know a great number of peers which again
will assist their experience in high school. It's very scary attending high school as it is, but if they are
used to having various teachers and rotating classrooms already with familiar peers they can
concentrate on their school work instead of being stressed.
1 April 24th to April 28, 2013 April 26, 2013
I am father of 3 children studying in Sir Isaac Brock PS. I am requesting you please upgrade SIB to
grade 8 and this is the desire of every parent.
April 26, 2013
Please upgraade SIB PS to grade 8.
April 27, 2013
I'm wondering if the Board has looked into the financial implications of the expansion to SIB. Yes, the
Board would save on bussing, but Rickson Ridge would then have empty classrooms sitting unused.
Also, would there not be some expenses involved to equip SIB for intermediate grades? Rickson Ridge
school council has put a lot of money into lockers, playground equipment and library resources for
grade 7 and 8 students. The Board has also put in a great deal of money to equip the school with a
science and tech room and full music room. Wouldn't this money be wasted if SIB students no longer
attended Rickson Ridge and the rotary program was no longer functional?
April 28, 2013
The focus of parents and the Upper Grand District School Board should be education. We all want
the best educations for our children. RIght now, Rickson Ridge specializes and focuses the students of
grades 7 and 8. The teachers are excellent and they help to prepare our children for Centennial. Why
do we want to change this? For convenience? We need to think about providing the best for our
children, developing their learning through teachers who specialize in important subjects like music,
science. PLEASE PLEASE do not change this. If you do expand the Brock school, we will lose this.
April 28, 2013
WHY ? why are we thinking of changing RIckson Ridge. Please do not do this. I have 3 children and
current intermediate program is excellent. It focuses our children and prepares them for the big big
step of high school. We need to help our children, expand their minds by the help teachers who
specialize and have passion for subjects. Please do not change this. Please Please Please
April 28, 2013
I am opposed to a scenario that would see a decrease in the grade 7/8 student population at Rickson
Ridge PS.
I am concerned that my three children will not benefit from the high quality education offered by
specialized teachers in the rotary program. I fear that there will be less opportunity for them to benefit
from social opportunities and organized physical activities through the wide ranging sports teams.
Mostly, I do not want this change to result in the loss of staff. We are so lucky to have such wonderful
teachers at Rickson and as a parent of two boys, it is wonderful to see such a large number of male
staff.
2 April 24th to April 28, 2013 I truly believe that the loss of Sir Issac Brock students would be a huge loss for our school.
April 28, 2013
As a parent of Rickson Ridge Public School from the day it opened I do have a love for "my" school. I
get that, and I understand how an SIB parents loves their school, and doesn't want change in grade 6.
But this isn't about your school, my school and change this is about what is BEST for our children.
Our children deserve the best program we can give them to prepare them for the world ahead. A
much different world that what we had in school. To get them to face a much faster paced high
school system than we attended.
At Rickson we have built a top notch rotary system with the best teachers in each field. We have
dynamic extra cirruculars. We have a fully involved active School Council. We will prepare your young
adult for that first day when they walk into the halls of Centennial. They will know how use the rotary
system. I do not want a teacher who has a specialty in english teaching my child in grade 7/8 all
subjects. And if you talk to teachers who teach at this level, they don't want his either. This is what will
happen without the rotary system.
Neither school has enough of a population to run a rotary program on there own!
We need each other. And Rickson has always welcomed the parents of SIB. We are not out your
community, we are around the corner, we are all a communtiy in Guelph. We have shown how we
pull together in many public events, so why not show our chldren that we can pull together and give
them the very best they deserve!
April 28, 2013
Reducing the number of intermediate students at Rickson Ridge PS will profoundly impact the quality
of education offered at the school. Kids are currently enriched with a music program, opportunities to
join sporting teams and are supported by an energetic staff. Does it make sense to risk all of that?
April 28, 2013
I am sure that it is the Board's mission to provide the highest quality of education for their students as
possible. At Rickson Ridge there currently exists a rotary program that is staffed with specialized
teachers including science, math and music. Should SIB 7/8 students not come to RR there would not
be enough students to support this extremely valuable rotary system at either SIB or RR. Both sets of
students would be getting a lesser quality of education. I am sure that most SIB parents see the
benefits of having the 7/8s at SIB but most seem to see it as a convenience for daycare or walking as
opposed to focusing on the importance of quality of education. I would ask that the Board look at this
decision with the best interest of all the kids' quality of education in mind, not just convenience and
busing. In addition to the higher standard of education all 7/8s would receive if they all remained at
RR they would be better prepared socially for entering CCVI. CCVI is one of the largest populated
highschools in the Board and the more people you know before you get there the better off and more
comfortable the students are. I would support the SIB students staying at RR for both quality of
education, preparedness for rotary at highschool and socialization for highschool for all the 7/8s at
RR and SIB.
3 April 24th to April 28, 2013 April 28, 2013
Wanted to send my thoughts on this issue as I've heard arguments on both sides. As I have a son in
Grade 4 and a Daughter in Grade 2 and see what a great experience they are having I know what
value there is in community and working within a group. I have also ensured both have seen the world
(both on the ground and through my experiences seeing different cultures and ideas through my
travels) and would offer these views.
1. Community is not bounded by geography, it's bound in ideas and values
2. To point one, those value are only enhanced through interaction with as many people as possible,
ensuring experiences are not limited to insular thinking.
3. When people think insular, they lose sight of everything outside their vacuum...
Believe we should ensure our children have the chance to experience as many friendships and ideas
as possible, and to limit them based on geography and ease of access does them a disservice. We
should keep the current environment and the benefits of specific classes, expanded freindships, and
open views and eyes and not go forward to ensure we limit our kids to a vacuum... No to this
proposal to separate our kids...
Many thanks...
April 28, 2013
I am a parent of 2 students at Rickson Ridge in grades 6 and 8. I feel strongly that the grade 7/8
students from SIB should continue to come to Rickson Ridge. Reallocating students at this time will be
unnecessarily disruptive to both school populations. If there were sufficient students in 7/8 to fully
support both schools, we would not be having this debate. The fact is, there aren't enough students,
and splitting the group between 2 schools will simply result in the loss of rotary programming,
specialized teachers, friendships, sport teams and many things which we haven't even realized yet
because they simply can't run without enough students. All of these things are so important in the
overall development, socialization and education of our kids. I would like to think that SIB and RR are
a part of the same community. Maybe more can be done to connect the 2 schools, welcome students
to RR and make them feel that the schools are working together - perhaps a joint effort that involves
both schools. Growing up in Guelph, I switched to Willow Road PS for grades 7 & 8. It was just as far
away as SIB and RR if not further, but it prepared me for highschool. I made new friends, met new
teachers, learned under a rotary system, and experienced first hand that change is a part of life and
growing up and our kids need to be able to cope with that. I was one step further away from my
parents and a little more independent and self-reliant. I hope SIB parents do not undervalue the
benefit that their kids are getting by coming to RR for 2 years. By keeping the students together at RR,
the kids will see more familiar faces when they go off to highschool, and they will have had a 'richer'
elementary eductation than either school can provide on their own. Please, don't change for the sake
of changing or just fulfilling an old promise. We bounce kids from school to school moving
boundaries and making adjustments, only to make more adjustments a few years later. Let's give some
stability to the 7/8 kids in south end Guelph. Figure out what's in the best interests of the 7/8
students, and let's use that as our guide. Thank you.
4 April 24th to April 28, 2013 April 28, 2013
SIB students must stay at Rickson!
The pros totally outweigh the cons. CONS--COST, loss of valuable teachers, unusable space in a new
school, brand new lockers, brand new musical instruments, loss of peer group, loss of sports teams.
Why?...... all so SIB kids can walk to school???? It's a loose loose situation for everyone!
I will be totally shocked and saddened if the board gives this a green light. What a waste of time and
money!!!!
Signed a very concerned Rickson Parent.
April 28, 2013
As part of the feasibility study, will the Board not only consider whether 7 and 8's can remain at SIB,
but also how to fill what would be the resulting empty classrooms at Rickson Ridge? There is no
mention of this in the report, but I am hoping that there would be a plan in place to ensure continuity
of the incredible intermediate program that is currently offered at Rickson -- a program which depends
on the current number of students registered there.
April 28, 2013
We are very concerned about the proposed change for grades 7/8 and that the students from Sir
Isaac Brock may no longer attend Rickson Ridge starting in grade 7.
Having the students combined together in one school allows them a greater cohort of students with
which to interact, gives them the opportunity to experience full rotary (which will help prepare them for
high school), and means that there are enough students to allow for teacher specialists. Without this
larger cohort of students, each school would have a limited number of grade 7/8 students, and so
they wouldn't be able to experience the benefits of a rotary schedule and would miss out on having
teacher specialists for subjects like music and tech.
Please reconsider the decision, and leave the grade 7/8 students from Sir Isaac Brock and Rickson
Ridge PS combined at one school.
5 April 29 – 30, 2013 In order to protect the identity of all individuals who have submitted correspondence with regard to the
Sir Isaac Brock PS Grade 7/8 Feasibility Study and in keeping with the Municipal Freedom of
Information and Protection of Privacy Act, all personal information and/or identifiers have been
severed from all recorded communication (i.e. e-mails and letters) prior to distribution. The intent or
message has not been changed.
April 29, 2013
Hi,
I want to voice my concern about losing valuable resources at Rickson Ridge PS if we lose the
enrollment of the SIB grade 7 & 8 Children at our school. Specifically having a vice principal, extra
curricular activities, our music program and most of all the loss of library resources. My daughter is a
very strong reader (she is reading at a grade 6 level in grade 1) and she needs the advanced
resources as she will continue to be a strong reader. In the 3 years that my daughter has been
attending Rickson Ridge, we have been very impressed with the school, and a lot of that has to do
with the resources and staff available.
Please do not erode this for the current students
thank you for listening.
warm regards,
April 29, 2013
When I was purchasing a home in Guelph two things were important to me - to be close enough to
my work to ride my bike and to get a school that had everything to offer my children that I missed as a
child. I did my homework and found that school in Rickson Ridge. I knew Rickson Ridge was the right
school for my family because: (1) It would be a k-8 school (the reason I didn't purchase my home near
Sir Isaac Brock); (2) I knew it would have rotary intermediate classes - something that would greatly
benefit my children's education (I had the same teacher in rural Ontario for grade 7 and 8 and his
speciality was science...he know nothing about teaching math or english. This resulted in everyone in
my class getting far behind and struggling with these subjects for the rest of our school careers – I do
not want this for my children); (3) I knew the school would have a great library and dedicated teacher
to help them gain a love of reading; (4) I knew that due to the rotary intermediate program the school
had a dedicated (fantastic) music specialist and music program; and (5) students from Sir Isaac Brock
would be coming to join the school population for grades 7 and 8 allowing my children to expand
their groups of friends and to participate in any sporting or other extracurricular activity they wished. I
am saddened that others did not consider these items when they purchased their home in Guelph and
are now trying to take these things away from my children.
April 29, 2013
I strongly support SIB can provide Grade 7/8 program
1 April 29 – 30, 2013 April 29, 2013
I strongly support extending SIB to grade 7/8 as soon as possible (for the 2013/2014 school year) to
keep our kids walking to a school in our neighborhood (and avoiding buses and their associated
costs).
April 29, 2013
I feel strongly that SIB should be extended to include Gr 7&8. Currently we bus our children to Rickson
Ridge, which is in an area of declining school age population, when it would be far more cost
effective to keep them at SIB for these grades and bus declining numbers from Rickson Ridge. The cost
savings would be significant, and also it would help in maintaining SIB as a central hub of the
expanding community around it. If we do not get Gr 7&8 at SIB I fear the school will eventually close
due to falling enrollment, especially as there is a separate school board facility just a couple of
hundred metres away.
April 29, 2013
Thank you for the opportunity to express our concerns.
My child currently attends JK at Rickson Ridge PS. Like many others in the area before purchasing
our home we did our research and chose an area with a public school that was K to 8 with a rotary
system. It was very important to us.
I attended public school in a small rural community where the grade 7 and 8 teachers were strong in
the areas of science and math and lacked expertise in all other subject areas. This left me struggling
in grade 9 and 10 to catch up with my class mates. My public school was very small and the
transition into high school was terrifying. I went from going to school for the past 9 years with a small
group of 20 kids to a large high school where I didn’t know anyone in any of my classes.
My husband’s public school experience was completely different. He was in a rotary system and was
one of the kids that were bussed to a difference school for grades 7 and 8. All his class mates made
the transition into high school with ease and confidence and did not struggle in grades 9 and 10. He
met all of his life long friends in grade 7 and 8. They were from another school district and would not
have ever met if he was not bussed to their school.
I feel very strong that the grade 7 and 8 rotary system benefits kids from both Rickson Ridge and Sir
Issac Brock. Our children are the most important factor in this decision we all want what is best for
our kids - not what is easier or more convenient for us parents.
April 29, 2013
On the board website in report#1 there is a list of the factors the board will look at before making a
decision regarding expanding SIB to 7 and 8. None of these factors include looking at the change in
the QUALITY of education our children will be receiving. Yes, at SIB it is inconvenient to have your
child bussed and not be able to walk your younger children home. Yes, your children are at two
different schools, but isn't all this worth it if your child is getting the best education possible at Rickson
2 April 29 – 30, 2013 Ridge? We all want the best for our children. Make an informed decision and keep the SIB
population of students at Rickson Ridge to preserve the full rotary program which is the BEST way to
prepare them for their high school experience.
April 29, 2013
I would like to give my feedback regarding the proposed changes to SIB and Rickson Ridge. I have a
daughter currently enrolled in grade 7 at Rickson Ridge. While these changes will most likely not be
in place to affect myself or my children I would like to pass on my views. Firstly, the rotary program
that is currently being run at Rickson is amazing. Not only is this preparing our children for a smooth
transition into high school, the subjects are being taught by teachers whom specialize in each subject.
If the expansion of SIB goes ahead the rotary program at both schools would not be feasible.
Secondly, as I look at the peer groups that have developed over the course of the year at Rickson, I
am so delighted to see such a wonderful mesh of students from both schools. When our children
enter high school, the number of friends that they will have by that time will do nothing but completely
enhance their experience and most certainly make the transition all the easier.
Thirdly, Ricksons' extracurricular programs are amazing. I would hate to see the loss of sporting
events, arts and music at both schools due to the insufficient number of students. I urge you to think
long and hard regarding 'quality of education' over that of pure convenience.
April 29, 2013
I think it would be a great loss for both schools if they were to split. Especially if we lost the rotary
program (no specialist teachers, ie science or music) for intermediate students, and that would be for
both schools.
April 29, 2013
The loss of many extra-curricular programs due to the loss of staff, would be terrible for both schools.
April 29, 2013
I would like to see Grades 7/8 introduced to SIBPS. I think this will help students to complete grade 8
at one school and than move on to high school. I think students of this age group do not like to move
to different schools. I feel school in urban centre should be at walking distance, which is good for
students and environment.
April 29, 2013
I am thrilled to hear that this has come up again. As a parent in this community, I hate seeing what is
happening to our school in terms of declining numbers, and thus funding and head count in what is a
growing community. I believe this to be in large part b/c of the fact that SIB is not a K-8 school (it's the
only thing that makes sense?). When faced with the option to go to SIB or to the Catholic school
down the street (or k-8 French Immersion) those with a choice are choosing one of the other schools.
If families move to the Catholic school for 7/8 vs busing them to Rickson, they are taking the younger
siblings with them thus further reducing our numbers.
3 April 29 – 30, 2013 This is already a community that is divided in to 3rds (Catholic, Public, French Immersion). I hate to
see it divided further, especially when there is no need for it. We have the room at SIB and it was
always the plan to make it a K-8 school so why isn't it? Seems like we are robbing Peter to pay Paul
right now with everything I'm hearing about Rickson and the fact that they "need" our 7/8's? What
about what's best for our kids and our community?
I hear a lot about the importance of parent involvement with our kids, school and community. I feel
putting my kid on a bus for 7/8 makes that very difficult. At this point, I know my kids friends and their
families. I know what they are up to and who they are hanging out with. I feel we loose a
lot of that if our kids have to change schools for 7/8 and that leaves me with a very uneasy feeling as
they then head off to high school with a bunch of new friends/parents who we don't know. Part of our
job as parents is to steer them in the right direction, support them, and help them to make good
decisions. We have to know what's going on in order to do that and moving my child not once, but
twice, further removes me from their social circle.
It also means teachers I don't know, siblings that have to go to 2 different schools, 2 parent meetings,
fundraising *2, 2 different drop off/pick up schedules to manage etc. Life is too busy for that which
means involvement with in one of those 2 schools suffers and it's hard enough to get parent support.
I live across from the school right now so it's easy for me to be involved with the school. I like that my
kids can walk there. It promotes physical fitness, it's convenient, it's why we chose this community. It
just doesn't make sense to me why, when we have the room at our school and it's a GREAT school,
the board would put us in the position of having to bus our child out of that community for 2 years?
Don't make our school suffer any more. Do what's right for our kids and make the changes necessary
to make this happen. With the K-8 French Immersion school coming, we are going to loose even
more families if we don't make this happen.
We are not Catholic but if or when the time comes for 7/8, SIB is not a K/8 school, we will be sending
our child to that school vs. putting them on a bus to Rickson. I'd rather my child walk to school with
friends we know from our community, and have them closer to home. I know I'm not alone.
Thank you.
April 30, 2013
On April 29th, the Ontario Minister of Rural Affairs stood in the house and said “ Our government is
committed to making sure every student has access to a world class education no matter where they
live.” Today I believe Rickson Ridge intermediate programs are delivering a world class education.
Should the Board approve the removal of Sir Isaac Brock students from the school – students from
both schools will lose. Neither school will have the required number of intermediate teaching staff to
offer instruction of each subject by a subject matter expert (which is currently available at Rickson
Ridge). This will result in students from both schools having the same teacher instructing them in
Math, English, Science and Music. While teachers are trained to teach all subjects this is not the ideal
4 April 29 – 30, 2013 situation. Having two school populations leave the rotary system would be a huge step back in our
children’s education.
April 30, 2013
I am a parent of 3 children who go / will be going to SIB. I hope that the school is expanded to
accommodate grades 7 & 8. It will be nice for the children in the community to be able to continue
walking to school right up until the time they head to high school. It is such a wonderful school
community right now with excellent families and it would be nice to keep that right through grade 8.
April 30, 2013
Just wanted to leave some input/feedback regarding the 7/8 feasibility study for SIB... as a parent of 2
children who attend SIB, I feel very strongly that it is very important to try to make this happen. In a
school community I feel that the more investment we make as parents , the more invested our children
will be as well " in their own school". For the children, they have no "connection" to Rickson Ridge,
with the area, teachers or the other students. I would much prefer my children not to have to be
bussed to a new school for 2 yrs. Especially if we can make the room at SIB. I feel that at the ages of
12yr to 14yr, they would much prefer to take more ownership /pride in the school they have been
attending, learning in, developing community relationships in. I also think that they would be better
supported by teachers that have known them longer - for those pre- highschool years.
Thanks for taking the time to read our comments!! Hope we can make this happen
April 30, 2013
I am not in favour of adding a 7/8 to brock rd school. The enrolment at Rickson Ridge is already very
low so unless the school boundaries are expanded I do not agree with this proposal.
April 30, 2013
This proposed change would add a possible benefit to some Sir Isaac Brock families, but it would
TAKE AWAY many benefits from Rickson Ridge families, including those who came from SIB. It's much
easier to not receive an addition than it is to suffer a loss.
5 May 1st to May 7, 2013 In order to protect the identity of all individuals who have submitted correspondence with regard to the
Sir Isaac Brock PS Grade 7/8 Feasibility Study and in keeping with the Municipal Freedom of
Information and Protection of Privacy Act, all personal information and/or identifiers have been
severed from all recorded communication (i.e. e-mails and letters) prior to distribution. The intent or
message has not been changed.
May 2, 2013
I understand that as a Rickson Ridge parent I have the advantage of the 7/8 school being in my
neighbourhood and can appreciate how this can be a disadvantage for the SIB families. However if
the classes are split and neither school has enough students to support a rotary program with
specialized teachers and programs then we all lose in terms of the higher standard of education that
our children will receive. I would hope that standard of education is more important than bussing. I
believe there are other solutions for the concerns about daycare and exercise. All parents will have to
go between 2 schools once our children are at Centennial. If the roles were reversed I would certainly
put my child on a bus for a higher standard of education. If SIB moves to their area for 7/8 and there
are plans to still support Rickson with students from other areas where the total number would still
qualify RR for the teachers, programs and rotary then it would be great to hear about that.
May 2, 2013
As a parent before moving to Guelph in 2011, I did lots of research about Guelph public schools, the
programs they are offering and their rating. In result I choose Rickson Ridge PS and bought a house
in school boundaries. I did my job and I am not going to fight for what the school is already offering.
If any changes going to be happen, the goal should be having same rotary program and all other
equipment and resources for both Rickson Ridge and SIB schools. This is not about parent’s interests
or pleasing everyone, this is about making decision for our children’s future.
I think the discussion is how you (UGDSB) can provide all these programs, equipment and resources
for both RR and SIB schools and what is your time table for these changes?
May 2, 2013
Many parents at Rickson Ridge moved into this neighbourhood and/or chose Rickson over the local
French Immersion or Catholic schools because of Rickson's excellent reputation. Two main reasons
identified by families are that its intermediate program is known to be excellent preparation for high
school and that it has a K to 8 music program second to none. How can you justify removing both of
those benefits to all these families who will feel they have been misled?
May 3, 2013
The argument for moving 7/8 to SIB depends on 10 year enrolment projections, but it's unreasonable
to accept enrolment projections for 10 years as credible.
1) The report itself acknowledges the failure to foresee the creation of the JK-8 FI centre.
2) The board representatives at the May 2nd Q&A session that changes in educational requirements
imposed by Ministry (e.g. FDK) are difficult to predict and have a large impact on enrolment numbers.
1 May 1st to May 7, 2013 It's unreasonable to come to a decision regarding the SIBFS at this time because the goals of the
SIBFS "Communication Plan" have not been achieved. When asked at the May 2nd Q&A, the board
was unable to provide a clear picture of what the changes would be to programs, staffing, bussing,
and overall quality of education. How can parents be expected to provide useful feedback when the
only information that has been presented to them is "this is how many students our computer thinks
will be at the schools in 2022"?
As suggested by multiple parents of both SIB and RR at the May 2nd Q&A session:
- Why is the board so focused on this single possible solution to the problem?
- Why isn't the board considering other ways to address a continuing decline in enrolment?
The proposed move of 7/8 to SIB will not solve the problem of declining enrolment at SIB, it will only
band-aid a trend that shows every evidence of continuing. According to the enrolment projections, the
RR community population and attendance remains steady throughout 2022, while the SIB enrolment
projection shows a sharp trend of declining enrolment from 2014-2022.
Please scrap the SIBFS and:
1) do a root cause analysis to determine the real cause of the trend of declining enrolment at SIBFS,
2) do a proper consultation with the communities affected to come up with possible solutions to the
problems discovered by the RCA, and
3) when the solutions are proposed, present adequate information to parents so they have a clear
picture of the impact of the proposed changes.
May 2, 2013
It’s clear with your forcasted numbers that even by keeping 7s & 8s at SIB, by 2022 the school is still
underutilized. Why take away a fantastic program from a strong school and cause both to end up
being underutilized?
Your forcasted numbers do not seem to take into consideration the impact of a brand new K-8 FI
centre in Rickson’s very own catchment area. Surely this school will be taking new students away from
Rickson every year beginning in 2014.
Apparently SIB is going to have costly changes made to prepare for their new kindergarten program in
2014. Would these changes be necessary if 7s and 8s were not going to stay there?
If SIB keeps its 7s and 8s, who will feed Rickson Ridge? Jean Little has 5 portables and 5 intermediate
classes and was never designed to be an intermediate school.
May 2, 2013
Unfortunately, the SIB parent who spoke did not understand that numbers. The numbers actually show
that it only makes sense to have 7 & 8 stay at SIB – otherwise, our children will be taking the bus to
school to potentially be in portable classrooms at an overcrowded school.
2 May 1st to May 7, 2013 Seriously need to consider the number of kids who are planning to leave the public system to the
Catholic system in order to stay in the neighbourhood. My concern is that the public system will
continue to lose kids to the Catholic system.
Can the Board find the # of students who left SIB & gone to St Ignatius in previous years?
The “softer” data is most important!
I feel this meeting had a strong teacher presence & their animosity toward the Board should not affect
the decisions about our kids education.
Heather Staines made the comment that with fewer 7/8 classes, there will be fewer 7/8 extra
curriculars, BUT if SIB goes down to 63%, there will be fewer extra curricular activities. So, we lose
either way.
May 2, 2013
The fundamental issue despite all of the emotional comments put forth is the quality of the education
for gr. 7 & 8 students.
If this intermediate program is a model for others, then it should continue – and the challenge then is
to find the critical base of students for that strong intermediate program continues.
May need to take a broader scope in your analysis & include other K-8/K-6 schools in S Guelph
model – worth the extra analysis to make the right decision.
May 2, 2013
SIB deserves it’s turn at a Grade 7-8 program.
May 3, 2013
I completely support and excitedly applaud the idea of SIB providing education up to grade 8.
May 3, 2013
A key question when making "educational" decisions is how/why is this good for kids? Ontario has
one of the best education systems in the world. In the business world we rely on specialists to do their
job so why not in education? Considering the total student populations, why is it not feasible for both
SIB and RR to have grade 7 and 8 programs with rotary?, With some creativity and dialogue on the
part of the principals and teaching staff, along with support from the superintendents, I would expect
that a rotary program could be offered at both schools. The specialists could teach in their areas of
expertise for the majority of the time.
May 4, 2013
3 May 1st to May 7, 2013 I have had 2 children graduate from Rickson and have seen first hand the benefits of the rotary system
for the grade 7 & 8s. My kids both were heavily involved on all the sports teams and if this was taken
away it would be devastating to the kids. I do not want to see this system changed, taking away the 7
& 8s from Sir Isaac Brock is not in the best interest of the kids.
May 6, 2013
It was evident at the Information Session last Thursday that parents from both SIB and Rickson Ridge
have many questions about the overall effectiveness of the feasibility study. It appears that it only
addresses the singular question of whether or not grade 7 and 8 can be added to SIB, without looking
at the wider enrolment and programming concerns of both schools. The Board’s own projections
show that even if SIB begins to keep its intermediate students there, the school will still be underenrolled in 6 years, and very significantly under-enrolled in 10 years. How is that fair to SIB families,
who are devoted to their local school? In addition, if the board determines that SIB students will stay
at SIB for their intermediate years, Rickson Ridge, which is already below capacity currently, will be
under-enrolled as soon as this change takes effect. How is that fair to Rickson Ridge families, who are
equally devoted to their local school?
Only addressing this one question can lead to a “band-aid” solution at best. The Board is obligated
to all of its constituents to look at the wider picture, and to work harder to find a solution that ensures
an excellent education for all students from both SIB and Rickson Ridge. The only way to do this is to
conduct a full accommodation review of the south end. This is only reasonable, given the number of
changes that have occurred and will be occurring in the south end, including Fred A. Hamilton’s
change into an FI centre, the upcoming building of a new FI school on Zaduk, the recent opening of
St. Ignatius and Westminister Woods, the forthcoming FDK programs at Rickson (2013) and SIB
(2014), and the potential development of the Hart Farm. Enrolment trends and projections for
Rickson, SIB, Priory Park, Jean Little, and Westminister Woods should all be examined carefully, with
the goal of creating stable communities at all of them, and the best possible arrangements to enable
top academic programming.
May 6, 2013
This week is mental health awareness week across Canada. Stats tell us 1:5 Canadians will be
affected with a mental issue (and then there are the families that these individulas belong too so more
are affected). As the members of the Board make this decision, please consider how your choices will
affect these vulnerable children. Is it better that they have a number of adults that they are in contact
with during the school day, or are they better off with fewer adults? Is a smaller school population
better or a bigger one? Of course there is no one right answer, but please consult the specialists in
the field before making your decision. The teacher is not suggesting that they can treat a mental
health issue but they are often the first adult children talk to.
4 May 8 to May 15, 2013 In order to protect the identity of all individuals who have submitted correspondence with regard to the
Sir Isaac Brock PS Grade 7/8 Feasibility Study and in keeping with the Municipal Freedom of
Information and Protection of Privacy Act, all personal information and/or identifiers have been
severed from all recorded communication (i.e. e-mails and letters) prior to distribution. The intent or
message has not been changed.
May 8, 2013
I want my boys to stay in our community. I do not wish to place my son on a school bus everyday or
have my children seperated prior to grade 8. With the new subdivision being built on Arkell Road in
fall 2013, we can surely fill a school appropriately. SIB is a closely connected school and I want my
children to continue with that sense of culture within our own "backyard". I moved my family to this sub
division for a reason, I have no desire for my kids to be in the Rickson Ridge area.
May 8, 2013
I heard that many of the lunch programs at SIB were suspended this year. Food is a big part of
fundraising at RR and our programs have continued without interruption all year long to the relief of
many parents and kids. We have raised thousands for the school, money that goes directly to
supporting school activities, library and classrooms. Students thrive in well-funded schools. Let future
SIB 7/8's enjoy the rewards and efforts of their predecessors by keeping them at RR.
May 9, 2013
I take exception to the view that I have heard expressed by some, that parents of Sir Isaac Brock PS
students are motivated only by our own convenience and not by the best interests of our children. I
would appeal to everyone to please recognise that we care deeply about our children and are
motivated first and foremost by what we believe to be in their best interests.
It strikes me that the question of what is in our children’s best interests is a question that has an
answer. It is not simply a matter of opinion, regardless of how much we believe our opinion to be true
or how passionately we express it, but rather it is a matter of evidence.
The only argument I have heard put forward against the introduction of grades 7 and 8 at Sir Isaac
Brock PS is that the rotary program currently offered by Rickson Ridge PS would be at risk since it relies
on the resources from the Sir Isaac Brock grades 7 and 8 intakes. This is not a new debate.
Communities and school boards across the country have been debating the pros and cons of a rotary
program versus a traditional program versus a partial rotary program for some time, and the fact is
that there is no evidence to support the view that children who graduate from one of those programs
outperform children from another. It is simply not the case that a rotary program provides better or
worse outcomes for our children.
And even if our two communities (Rickson Ridge PS and Sir Isaac Brock PS) felt strongly enough about
a combined rotary program that we wanted to preserve it, it would make more sense to host it at Sir
Isaac Brock PS where there is both a greater capacity and a higher grade 7 and 8 enrollment. I
1 May 8 to May 15, 2013 would be interested to hear the views of the Rickson Ridge PS community on whether they would be
willing to bus their children to Sir Isaac Brock PS to continue participating in a combined program.
The fact is that there exists no good reason for the Trustees not to implement the recommendations of
the Westminster Woods PS Boundary Review 2008 and make provisions for Sir Isaac Brock PS to
implement grades 7 and 8 in accordance with the overwhelming wishes of our community.
As it stands, Sir Isaac Brock PS is a community divided. We are expected to divide our school, our
families, and our community by sending our grades 7 and 8 children to another school in another
community without any evidence that it is in their interests to do so. We feel strongly that our children
will be better served by a united community, proud in its school and supported by its school board.
All of the evidence suggests that Sir Isaac Brock PS and Rickson Ridge PS are more than capable of
effectively delivering the grades 7 and 8 curriculum to our respective communities and I urge the
Trustees to support our case.
May 9, 2013
I am a parent looking to move in the area and I would consider moving into the Sir Isaac Brock if
would have a grade 7 and 8 if not I have to choose Westminster as I have 4 children and I do not
want them in 3 schools! It would be fantastic if it gets approved!
May 10, 2013
First I would like to thank you for the opportunity to provide commentary. I am a parent of two
children at Rickson Ridge P.S. One is graduating from grade 8 this year and the other in grade 4.
There was typically one class or 2 split classes of each grade until grade 7 when there was the
addition of children from Sir Issac Brock. There was then 3 classes of each grade 7 and 8. This
increase in student population was very welcome for social diversity and development but also for an
opportunity to participate in the rotary program with specialized teachers. When my son entered
grade 7 there was a transition to adjust to the new schedule but by the end of grade 8 it has become
second nature as well as handling an increased workload. I feel that his participation in a rotary
program has made him very prepared for high school and he has been enriched by the educational
and extracurricular experiences over the last 2 years. Should SIB offer grades 7 and 8 it will be very
difficult to run a rotary program at either school, effectively diluting resources at both schools. I feel
concerned for my daughter's preparedness for high school should this be the case.
Intermediate students from both schools deserve the experience of a rotary program and social
diversity in order to prepare them for high school. The current structure is established and works well.
It is my hope that it will remain this way for the benefit of all the involved intermediate students.
May 12, 2013
With this proposed change, the possibility strongly exists of losing vital programs such as music to
both sets of students (SIB and RR), as well as introducing the rotary system which will prepare these
students for a similar system in high school simply for the trade off of not bussing for two years. This is
not a sound justification for limiting the quality of education for our children so that we can (perhaps)
2 May 8 to May 15, 2013 make transportation more convenient for some. If this is the main justification, it seems ridiculous as
the students will have to be bussed to Centennial in grade 9 regardless.
May 13, 2013
As a Rickson Ridge parent,I chose to move to this area for the reputation that Rickson Ridge has. I
feel that a 7/8 program for SIB would not benefit either group of students. Both schools will lose a
critical part of the 7/8 experience, not to mention the money that will be spent on an addition to SIB.
There is enough capacity at Rickson, the 7/8 rotation program is an excellent tool to prepare our
students for high school. The 7/8 program provides the students with a great music program and
teachers that are specialized in the specific courses they were hired to teach.
Neither group of students will win if the board moves forward with 7/8 at SIB. As a graduate of Bishop
McDonell. I was the student that had to run to Silvercreek park for Gym class, get bused to Lourdes
for home economics and shop. I had to run to the Annex up a steep flight of stairs in the winter to a
geography class or history class. I wish I had the luxury to have all the amenities that the other high
schools had, rather then all the hassle I had to endure to have access to regular curriculum. Taking
away the rights of our 7/8 students to have access to specialized teachers, a simulated high school
rotation, access to the extra curricular and be prepped for high school should not be up for
discussion. Why are we even wasting our time discussing this. keeping the program status quo is the
right thing to do.
May 14, 2013
Why does the SIB community continue to have to make sacrifices?
I chose to live in the Pineridge neighborhood close to the old Brock Road school (there was no school
on the books for Rickson) however suddenly kids were bussed to Kortright while proposed renovations
to the old school were ultimately canned and the new SIB location was chosen. School population
grows to 800+ students with both an extension and 9 portables. Great principals and staff create an
awesome environment despite the size and crowding!! To accommodate south end population
boom, the Westminster woods school is built (K-8!!). Has RR ever been at or near to capacity? Why
was the school built and what were the enrollment projections?
So to accommodate growth the WW school is built, SIB loses great teachers, portables pulled from
yard (and never landscaped - come see the mud that is still there) and no more VP at the school. 7/8
boundary review delayed. SIB readjusts to its smaller size but no 7/8 sees SIB lose kids to brand new
local catholic K-8 school. SIB has empty classrooms and still does. Despite the challenges SIB
continues to be a great school.
I recently attended an incoming grade 7 parent’s night at Rickson where teachers extolled their great
program (which I don't doubt)– mentioning the enrichment the younger grades get from having a 7-8
program in the school. As well RR 7-8 teachers say they
communicate with the lower grade teachers for continuity of their curriculum. SIB kids come into a
school with that disadvantage – I have already seen that with a previous child. Communication to
incoming grade 7’s and families has been limited historically. Parent teacher interviews at RR are
hard when you don’t know the school, or the teachers and you only get 15 minutes to speak to 3
3 May 8 to May 15, 2013 teachers or some of the teachers don’t show up. Unless a parent is diligent then its easy for teachers
and principals to be faceless to the 7/8 parents. Parents can’t volunteer to 2 school councils. Twice
the fundraising is expensive for families.
The benefits to expanding the K-6 to a K-8 program - more music in the school, leadership
opportunities, sports program opportunities will come with a 7/8 program at SIB. There are definite
issues with the changes that will impact RR. But why do SIB kids (2/3 of the RR 7/8 population) have
to pay with bussing (frequently late busses), no extracurricular outside school hours (unless you commit
to picking up your child – not easy for parents), making the transition twice, not getting the enrichment
the RR K-6's get? Both schools could be run with partial rotary and shared resource teachers?
Westminster woods 7/8 program is doing well and it would be a similar size.
If the RR catchment area is too small to support the school then let’s get that included in this
discussion. How many empty classes are there at RR? Can the loss of students to the catholic system
be quantified – I know it is happening. What are the enrollment number projections for Westminster
Woods? I don’t know it’s fair to say that SIB has declining enrollment when 2 public and 2 catholic
schools have been built in the south end since SIB was built and SIBs catchment area has be redrawn.
These new schools are K-8 so why is SIB the exception?
May 15, 2013
First of all, on the form there should be an option for a parent of both schools, which I am. Obviously
both Rickson and SIB parents are very passionate about their side of the issue. We all want what is
best for our children. Unfortunately, it feels as though this issue has become a battle between
schools; about which one is better. I have kids at both schools and they are both great schools with
great teachers. Whatever the outcome is, that will not change.
I am 100% in favor of the rotary system at Rickson, however I have other concerns. The first being,
the benefit of the transition both emotionally and socially. They would miss out on a great opportunity
by not transitioning over to Rickson at this crucial point in their development.
I don’t think kids who have gone through this transition have had problems with it, as much as SIB
parents anticipate. I feel the majority of SIB parents are concerned about it for their own personal
reasons of convenience and fear of change, and are not thinking of it from their child’s perspective.
Instead of focusing on the ‘fear of the unknown’ of SIB parents, why not focus on children who have
been through the transition and their positive experience. This is about the kids, not about the
parents. True, the transition may be scary at first. Before my child was at Rickson, I myself was unsure
of the transition. After having now been through it, I am 100% in favor of it. Not only for academic
reasons and the rotary system, but my child’s emotional and social development is what I am most
impressed with. He has a new self-confidence and independence as a result of this transition. It is a
similar transition to the one they have to make going to high school; but only on a smaller scale. It is
nothing but a positive experience to help in their growth and maturity.
Some of the SIB parents are concerned with not being able to walk with their kids; parents will not
necessarily be hanging out on the playground with their kids after school anymore by the time they
reach these intermediate ages. SIB parents may also be concerned that they do not know families in
the Rickson area; there is nothing stopping them from getting involved at Rickson and getting to know
the teachers and parents. Not everyone at SIB walks; for SIB students already being bused to SIB;
how is the transition to busing to Rickson any different? These are all concerns affecting the parents;
let’s remember this issue is about the kids.
The majority of grade 6 kids, if asked what they wanted, would mostly be concerned that they would
be with their friends. When they all go to Rickson for grade 7, they are going together with their SIB
4 May 8 to May 15, 2013 friends and will have the opportunity to meet new people, to have a greater source of companionship
when entering high school. Of course, fears and concerns of the grade 6’s can be made worse by
parent opinion. Let’s focus on what the children can learn through the experience of facing the
challenge and overcoming it. Their sense of community is expanded to include more peers a few
years earlier so that high school may be less intimidating; how can that be a bad thing.
Unfortunately, the majority of parents that no longer have kids at SIB but have gone through Rickson
are not speaking up about this issue since it does not affect them. It is truly an issue about the
experience of going through this transition, they should be the ones to ask; not the SIB parents w
ho have young children at SIB and who cannot imagine how this transition could actually be
beneficial to their children.
Not only is the transition positive for the 7 & 8’s, but the grade 6’s at SIB also benefit by allowing
them to take on leadership roles earlier on, instead of waiting until they reach grade 8.
My second concern is about numbers; both enrollment and financial. As much as SIB parents would
like to have the school be K-8, it doesn’t make sense to take kids out of Rickson if that means that the
school will be left underutilized. The school was built specifically to accommodate grade 7 & 8’s with
lockers, change rooms and specialized class rooms (ie. science lab and wood working shop). With so
many variables in question (ie. new schools and new residential development), it is very difficult to
predict what student numbers will be in a few years. It seems, a decision based on student enrollment,
may not be wise at this time.
As well, the costs of renovations at SIB to accommodate 7 & 8’s would surely outweigh the savings of
only 2 buses not being needed anymore.
Lastly, SIB parents threaten to send their kids to the local Catholic school for 7 & 8 to keep them
closer to home. This is a choice of convenience over education. I myself am Catholic, went to
Catholic school all my life, and my kids are baptized Catholic. Yet I still choose the public school
system since through my own experience I realized how much time is spent on religious studies and
services during school time. That time would be better used for other subjects since it is hard enough
to fit in, all the curriculum, in a school year as it is. It is not a debate over which school system is
better. Of course it is a preference. However, if religion was that important to an SIB family, they
would have gone to the Catholic school in the first place. Switching to it now, is a choice made for
the wrong reasons.
5 May 16 to May 24, 2013 In order to protect the identity of all individuals who have submitted correspondence with regard to the
Sir Isaac Brock PS Grade 7/8 Feasibility Study and in keeping with the Municipal Freedom of
Information and Protection of Privacy Act, all personal information and/or identifiers have been
severed from all recorded communication (i.e. e-mails and letters) prior to distribution. The intent or
message has not been changed.
May 16, 2013
I keep reading how the rotary system at Rickson "prepares" students for high school. My daughter who
graduated from Rickson last year has had the best view on this yet. She has been reading the
comments and actually laughs when reading the rotary system at Rickson prepares them for high
school. I asked her why she disagrees. She stated that the rotary at Rickson is the same rotary she
received at SIB for her junior grades and is completely different than she has at Centennial. In junior
and intermediate grades you travel with a full class of children to all your subjects receiving the same
work as everyone else however in high school you are given an individual time table and travel alone
to your classes. She is right the rotary she received at Rickson did not prepare her any more than the
rotary she received at SIB in her junior grades. Can't argue with her point since she is the one who has
actually experienced it!
May 16, 2013
I wish to express my opinions as the parent of two students who attend Sir Isaac Brock P.S. Specifically,
I wish to address the recent comments and concerns that parents and students have expressed with
regards to the reduction of students at Rickson Ridge.
As I teacher, I have worked at Sir Isaac Brock, and have sent Grade 6 students to Rickson Ridge. I
also currently work in an Intermediate Division – as one of the “specialist teachers” that many Rickson
Ridge parents are concerned of losing in a rotary program. Thus, I feel I have a good perspective of
the issues facing parents and teachers at both schools.
First let me address the argument of losing “specialist teachers” in a rotary program. There is little
research that suggests that an Intermediate Rotary program is educationally better for students. In fact,
most research suggests quite the opposite. We know that the more students are in ‘rotary’, the more
teaching time they lose. We also know that the more students a teacher has, the less they will know
how to address the needs of each student. This is particularly significant for students with special
needs. Having one class all day, allows teachers to adopt more cross-curricular activities, and allows
them to form much richer relationships with their students. As a teacher who now teaches 122 Grade
7/8 Math students, I can confidently say that I knew my students much better
when I had a homeroom of 30 students. I also had the opportunity to create more co-teaching
opportunities with my peers – as there were others teaching the same thing (whereas in an
Intermediate Rotary program there is usually only 1 teacher per subject – so they are teaching on ‘an
island’ to some extent). I enjoy teaching in a rotary program, but cannot honestly argue that it is better
than a homeroom program.
I understand there are many factors that come into play in a decision such as this, so I understand if
SIB is not given a 7/8 program. It is my opinion though, that the downfalls of moving students for 7 &
8 to another school outweighs any negligible benefits that may arise from a rotary program.
1 May 16 to May 24, 2013 Thank you for considering my opinion on this issue. I truly hope that my children can remain at SIB
from Kindergarten to Grade 8.
May 18, 2013
I will not be sending my child by bus to Rickson Ridge.
I would prefer that they could stay at SIB for grades 7/8 but if that does not become available as an
option then I will send the to St Ignacious where they will still be able to walk to school.
If it is feasible to add grades 7 & 8 to SIB then I think it is only fair to the local population to do so.
May 21, 2013
I question the argument that those in the SIB community are "entitled" to have a K to 8 school in their
neighbourhood. It has not been the practice of this board to put K to 8 schools in every
neighbourhood, and this continues to be the case even with new schools. For example, according to
the article in this week's Tribune, the brand new John Galt school will be a K to 8 school, and both
June Ave. and Ottawa Cres. will feed its 7's to the new school. Priory Park continues to feed it's 7's to
Jean Little; Brant's 7's go off to Waverly; Paisley's English 7's go to Willow; Ponsonby, Salem, and
Alma send their 7's to Elora, and so on and so forth. The model of a K to 8 school with one or more
K to 6 feeder schools is prevalent in our board because it works; it preserves the benefits of keeping
multiple divisions together while still encouraging healthy intermediate enrolment for academic, extracurricular, and social purposes. If the Board decides to grant the request of the SIB community to
have a K to 8 school, then what does that say to other K to 6 schools? Will they all have a right to
demand an intermediate program at their own school? And if so, how many thriving intermediate
programs at existing K to 8 schools will be ruined?
May 22, 2013
We are parents of a young student at RR and have another to send to school next year. Our child
currently takes the bus to school because we live on the other side of Gordon from RR.
We are in favour of the rotary system for grades 7 and 8. It may only be because that is what our own
experience was as students growing up in Guelph when we changed schools at grade 6 and moved
to a 7/8 school prior to moving again to a secondary school. We found this beneficial, especially
coming from a very small elementary school with only one grade 6 class. Having specialist teachers
for all subjects can really hone a student's skills and meeting new peers is great preparation for the Big
Jump to secondary school.
We believe there to be many benefits to the rotary system, with specialist educators, particularly with
secondary school being 4 years and children deciding on post-secondary education as early as
16/7yrs.
The social benefits are immense and a rotary system is an excellent transition for secondary school
and beyond.
2 May 16 to May 24, 2013 We feel it makes sense for our childrens' development both socially and in education for these two
communities to CONTINUE to come together for grades 7 and 8 - whether it is at RR or SIB.
It would be unfortunate for the RR community to lose their specialist teachers that the children have
come to know and love however it would be for a greater benefit to them later on
if the rotary system were to continue at SIB. We also understand that through fundraising efforts at RR,
education tools have been purchased for use by some of the specialist teachers.
Regarding the busing issue - it would be nice for everyone to be able to walk to school however,
unfortunately, that just isn't the case. Currently, there is no secondary school in either of our
communities right now so children would be bused to secondary school regardless. And, many
siblings are going to be split up anyway when older siblings move to secondary school.
When we think about the size of other elementary schools that will feed into the same secondary
school and how much larger they are, we feel that to give our children a similar experience and
preparation for secondary school, the rotary system is the way to go - at RR or SIB.
May 22, 2013
Dear Trustees
I am writing this letter in regards to the Sir Isaac Brock Feasibility study.
I am asking for your help in this matter. The future of Sir Isaac Brock Public School is in need of
grades 7/8 to be implemented! I understand there are formulas that are used to determine projected
enrollment for schools.
After seeing our projected numbers at the recent meeting these numbers themselves pointed to the
fact that 7/8 needs to be implemented if Sir Isaac Brock wants to even attempt to fill the classrooms
they currently have.
However these formulated numbers do not have the ability to determine how the people in the
community are feeling and the decisions they are making regarding their childrens education. I would
like to provide you with some insight and factors that are contributing to the decrease in enrollment at
SIB. Three years ago Westminster Woods Public School was completed and approximately half our
students and staff relocated to this new school. At this same time St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic
School – a k-8 - was also completed. This school is located just down the street from Sir Isaac Brock.
Over the past couple years we have started losing great families to this school. If you are moving into
our neighbourhood and you have no connection to a specific school and you can see both schools
less than a minute of each other where are you going to send your children? The curriculum is the
same and St. Ignatius has extended a warm welcome to anyone that wishes to attend.
Not only are we losing the new families that are moving in but have begun to lose some of our own
SIB families. Some of the families are choosing to switch when their oldest child reaches grade 7 and
others are switching now in anticipation of having to change schools at a later point anyway. Might
3 May 16 to May 24, 2013 as well build up the bonds in a school now while the children are younger. In my own family we have
three children. Our oldest is in grade 9 (she did her k-6 at SIB and 7/8 at Rickson), our second child
is currently in grade 6 (with a BIG decision to make where he wants to attend grade 7 next year) and
our youngest is in grade 2. Having had to do the bussing to Rickson already with one child we are in
support of our sons desire to want to choose St.Ignatius over Rickson next year. How could we not be?
I want to explain to you the reasons why an SIB family would choose a community school over a
school to bus to. Our son has to change schools anyway next year so why not choose a school he is
more familiar with and can walk to. He has several friends already at the school – it is right in our
community and is attended by neighbours and some of his own SIB classmates. Several staff
members live in the community which means he already has trusted adults at the school instead of
needing to create that bond which can take a lot of time for some children in unfamiliar surroundings.
Our son has also been offered jobs by parents on our street to walk their younger children to and
from school next year if he goes to St. Ignatius. This is HUGE to a twelve year old! He is just at the
age of being given responsibility and to have a parent express that they trust him enough to walk their
children is a major thing – and of course there is the money aspect too! Being bussed to Rickson takes
this opportunity of responsibility away from our children right at the age when we want to be showing
our kids we trust them. Do I want to have to switch my children to a different Board and change our
monetary support after all the great years of education our children have received with the Upper
Grand District Board? No we certainly do not but I feel our Board is really giving us no choice. We
are being told we have to switch schools, so as a parent how could I not look at all the options and
choose the option that is BEST for my child? I am certainly not alone in looking at St. Ignatius as a
better option for our children. Unfortunately this is hurting both SIB and Rickson. Both schools will lose
students which will result in the loss of staff which affects the school as a whole. SIB enrollment has
been decreasing in a rapidly growing area. Bottom line is SIB as a K-6 cannot compete with a school
just meters away that is a K-8. Please help us become a school that can offer the same as the other
schools in our community and our Board.
Other points to consider in this study:
-SIB currently has 4 empty classrooms and at this point there will be at least 5 empty classrooms next
year as our kindergarten enrollment is down and we will be at a loss of a kindergarten class. Seems
strange to be spending money to bus children out when there are empty classrooms asking them to
stay!
-SIB was built as a K-8 and opened as a k-6 with the promise to add 7/8 when numbers were
pointing to the right timing. The numbers are certainly saying that now! With it being built as a k-8
and currently empty classrooms there should not be much cost to renovate. Especially when you
consider the bussing cost that will be saved – not to mention the renovations are a one-time
cost where bussing is an annual cost.
-The talk of the rotary system should not be a major consideration in this debate. My own grade 9
daughter said it best. She said the rotary system at Rickson was no different than the one she had at
SIB for her junior grades (also her primary grades to an extent). At SIB our students “rotate” for
French, library and the subjects that their planning time teachers teach (math, science or the arts). At
Rickson and SIB they “rotate” to their next subject as a class not individual as in high school. My
daughter said high school rotation is completely different than her 7/8 rotation and the
4 May 16 to May 24, 2013 rotation she received at Rickson did not prepare her any more than the rotation she received at SIB.
-If SIB and Rickson were to divide their programs and have two smaller programs I certainly disagree
that they would be “mediocre” as has been said.
I have full faith that the staff at SIB (and Rickson) can deliver the 7/8 program and prepare our
children for high school. I have spoken with parents and teachers from schools that have small
intermediate programs (which seems to be the Board norm) and they are more than happy and
satisfied! They DO receive intramurals even if they have smaller programs and are just as
prepared for high school!!
-Having our children remain at their home school for k-8 allows for consistency and comfort for them.
Children need to have a trusted familiar adult to go to!! Some children take time to obtain a comfort
level in a new environment. When they don’t have a comfort level they will tend to be more anxious
and this can lead to less learning potential because the mind is focused on their anxiety. Changing
schools is hard on anxious children. Remaining at their home school allows them to continue to build
their confidence. It also allows for teachers to talk to previous teachers about students if issues arise.
We don’t have this at Rickson where teachers do not know our children and cannot talk to previous
teachers. It puts our children at a disadvantage to the 7/8 children who started their schools years
earlier at Rickson.
-The talk of “specialized” teachers is also highly debated. It has been explained a specialized teacher
teaches one subject and focuses on that. A view point I learned on this from a current 7/8 teacher is
the fact that when you only teach one subject you have approximately 150-180 students to deal
with. It is very difficult to get to know ALL the students and their learning styles. It is harder to see if a
child is struggling when in a bigger setting as opposed to a smaller one especially if it is a quieter
child who is not one to ask for help.
All we are asking at SIB is to be on an equal ground with all the other k-8 schools in this Board. The
Board has shown for many years now that they are going away from k-6 schools and designing k-8.
All the new schools to be built are also being built as k-8. We are asking the Board to fulfill a
promise they made to us 11 years ago and implement 7/8. It is in the best interests of all involved.
Even if the Board decides to not implement 7/8 at SIB and continue to bus our children to Rickson the
7/8 population at Rickson is going to decrease anyway. The more and more parents of SIB are
deciding the walking K-8 St. Ignatius school in our own community is the best choice for our children.
It has become the only way for this to become a win-win and to stop the SIB decrease in population
(and increase in empty classrooms) is to let SIB become a k-8 and on the same level as St. Ignatius.
Rickson and SIB will both produce excellent 7/8 programs on their own! The last point
I want to make is the fact that this is not to be implemented until 2015 which by then all the
construction in our boundary will more than likely be complete and new families will have made their
choice as well more families will have left SIB for the school down the street. Families will not
switch back and make another change for their children. So we will be losing all these families if the
Board chooses to wait that long. Is there any chance if the program is implemented at SIB it could
start earlier?
I thank you for your time and consideration of the above.
May 23, 2013
5 May 16 to May 24, 2013 Thank you for the opportunity to provide input. I believe strongly that, despite what some parents may
believe, this issue is not simply about bussing. For me, it is not about convenience; I have no other
children who need to be walked to school. However, I do believe this issue is about providing a good
education to our children, and I have had nothing but positive experiences with the staff and teachers
at Sir Isaac Brock. My child has been there since Senior Kindergarten and I would like her to stay there
through grade eight because I believe it is an excellent place to learn both about the subjects that are
taught, and about life. Knowing the younger children in the school, I believe there will be excellent
opportunities for her to learn leadership and commitment, unlike in a school where she is uncertain,
unfamiliar with the students, staff, teachers and surroundings. I believe SIB will give her the opportunity
to blossom as an individual at a time in her life when she is coming into her own, a time when people
outside the family have a greater influence.
I also believe that the team at SIB will provide a top-notch education. To suggest that both Rickson
Ridge and SIB will have mediocre educations if the two are split for 7/8 is insulting to not only the
teaching teams at both schools, but to the other smaller schools in the district. What school board is
going to allow a substandard programme to be implemented? I believe both Rickson Ridge and SIB
have the ability to provide excellent programmes under whatever circumstances they find themselves.
As a parent, I have not only my child's education to worry about, but her development into teendom
and then adulthood. I believe that at this stage of life, keeping her at the same school will afford her
opportunities for development that would not be available should she switch schools, particularly to a
school where there is an already established community into which she must try to fit.
I sincerely hope Sir Isaac Brock PS will finally be made into a K-8 school as was originally intended as
I believe it is the best development option for the children in this area.
May 23, 2013
Dear Trustees and Members of The Upper Grand District School Board
I would like to take this opportunity to speak to you and address concerns about the Grade 7/8 SIB
Feasibility Study.
As we chose to move into this community with two young boys 6 years ago, we did so with the idea
that we were choosing a close knit neighbourhood with a community based school within walking
distance of the house we chose to buy. We also understood that while SIB was not currently a K-8
school it soon would be as part of the school boards greater mandate to have all its schools as K-8.
We were also informed of its current status was temporary, as the school was needed quickly for the
south ends quickly growing population, and that there was a standing promise to soon make SIB a K8 as intended and built.
As my boys have entered the SIB program we have had nothing but positive experiences. From the
amazing teachers, who know my children, even before they have had them as students in their
classrooms, to the positive learning environment created by all staff and our principle. We have been
amazed at how our youngest son, in SK this year, knows the Grade 6 students and how they are all
encouraged to play together on the play ground, speak kindly to one another, and know each other
by name. They are his reading buddies, lunch helpers, recess helpers and mentors. This is all thanks
to the strong sense of community, level of trust, and peer partnerships that have been created within
the walls of SIB.
6 May 16 to May 24, 2013 In the past weeks the concerns and issues of the Rickson Ridge parents have been addressed in the
media with several articles in the Guelph Mercury. It has been strongly suggested that the concerns of
SIB parents is one of convenience. I take great offense to this notion! Is it being suggested that I am
putting my convenience and easy of daily life before my children’s education? I certainly hope not!
And if this is the case, how dare they, and the reporter who wrote the article.
We at SIB are very proud and loyal of our school and the community around it that we have all
created. We know our children friends families; many are our friends as well, are involved in our
school and can see the affects of a positive learning environment on our children. This is not to say
that Rickson Ridge does not have these same characteristics, it just does have them for our SIB
children. The teachers at SIB, as I stated earlier, know our children before they ever have them as
students in their classroom. Many studies have shown that when parents are actively involved in the
school environment, students perform better. It is also suggested that students meet, and many times
exceed, educational expectation when learning in a safe comfortable environment. I question with
these two ideas in mind whether Rickson Ridge is the most positive place for my children for Grade 7
and 8. Will my children feel as comfortable at Rickson Ridge as SIB, no. Will my children know the
faculty and in turn will the faculty know them and their learning styles, no. Will my children feel as
sense of community pride when attending Rickson Ridge as they do now at SIB, which has been
nurtured over the past 6 years, no. Will my boys know the other students of the Rickson Ridge, feel
comfortable and secure around them and therefore more eager to participate in class, no.
Another strong point being presented by the Rickson Ridge parents is the concern of losing the rotary
program and therefore somehow hindering the student’s development towards high school. I cannot
speak to Rickson Ridge’s elementary program but I can speak to the one at SIB. As early as JK our
students HAVE rotary. If it is true and I’m not convinced of its merit, that this increases the success of
the transition into high school then our students are prepared! They’re rotary program will only
increase as they get older with the introduction of French, music and other additional subjects.
However, I feel, and strongly suggest that it’s not the rotary program that prepares our students for
high school but rather the quality of the education being received. Success is based on a proven
positive curriculum, being presented by caring and genuine teacher’s in a safe and comfortable
learning environment, SIB has all of this in spades! This is always proven by SIB’s strong test scores!
In closing I’d like to draw the school board a new picture. If the tables were turned how would Rickson
Ridge parents feel. In this scenario I’d like to suggest that Rickson Ridge should never have been build
when it was but rather 20 years earlier when the community around the school and inside its
catchment were growing, not in decline as they are now. Now let’s look at the other schools in the
south end surrounding Rickson Ridge; SIB, Jean Little, Kortright Hills, Westminster Woods, etc. Are any
of these schools under capacity and if so can they, house the population of Rickson Ridge? Let’s take
this one step further, let’s not build the new school on Zaduk Place costing millions of dollars, but
rather utilize the now empty Rickson Ridge property for the purpose of a dedicated south end French
emersion program, long term. Interesting scenario – I think so. Interesting cost savings – I think so.
But is it feasible? Likely not. However, I challenge the parents of students at Rickson Ridge to not feel
shunted and excluded when this initiative is put into motion. When they are having their children
bussed around the city, away from home, away from their friends in some cases, away from f
amily involvement, away from the teachers they know, and the safe and comfortable learning
environment that has been created for their children.
It has been a long standing mandate of the UGDSB to make all its schools K-8, let’s move forward
with that promise. Let’s create two equally amazing programs within the two schools! Lets win back
some of the tax dollars that are being lost to the catholic school board in the south end by parents
choosing to send their children to St. Ignatius, a K-8 school, just a few short steps from the doors of
SIB. Let’s utilize SIB to its full capacity and its intended use at the time of build.
7 May 16 to May 24, 2013 Thank you for your time in reading this letter and I look forward to further discussion and your final
report in June.
May 24, 2013
I’m completely dumbfounded that the board can look at the feasibility of Sir Isaac Brock having a
grade 7/8 while only looking at SIB and Rickson Ridge. Both Westminster Woods and Sir Isaac Brock
public schools are in an area that is still rapidly growing. With Westminster Woods being the only
nearby school with grades 7/8 there will be increasing pressure as the number of students at this
school increases. There must surely be enough students to have 7/8 at both Westminster Woods and
SIB.
The Upper Grand District School board has their collective head in the sand if they don’t realize they
are losing students to the Catholic School Board because of this issue. I know several families that
have transferred their children to St. Ignatius School because of the lack of grade 7/8 at SIB. This will
be an option that I will explore if the board continues to stall on implementing grade 7/8 at SIB.
Many families have more than one child and may rely on the older children walking the younger
children home after school. Obviously if the older siblings are being bussed to Rickson Ridge then
this will be impossible to do and will create hardships for some families.
Rickson Ridge is in an area with very limited future growth and will always rely on bussing to be
viable. Why not bus students from other areas of Guelph that do not have a beautiful school that is
within walking distance for many students.
May 24, 2013
According to graphs and figures presented by the board, if UGDSB implements grade 7 & 8 at SIB,
the following are true:
Both Sir Isaac Brock and Rickson Ridge will have population within the 80% - 100% capacity,
indicated as ideal. This means that neither school would be deemed under-utilized or over-crowded
for the entire time period displayed on the graph ( I believe through the year 2022).
Both schools would have approximately 100 Intermediate students. This figure emulates both the
board average for intermediate students in JK-8 schools, and the recent board decision regarding the
distribution of intermediate students in the French Immersion progam.
There is a financial cost to the board to continue to bus 100+ students from SIB to Rickson Ridge. The
cost is currently approximately $60,000/year ($40,000/bus/year x 1.5 buses) to bus these students
out of their community, and away from their school that has the capacity to house them. This
$60,000/year cost is also likely to rise on an annual or contract renewal basis. I understand that there
would be costs involved to retrofit SIB for an Intermediate program, but a quick estimate would
indicate that the break-even point of the retrofit vs. busing costs would likely be in the two-year range.
8 May 16 to May 24, 2013 I do not have the specific dates at my disposal, but UGDSB made the decision some 20 years ago to
move away from Intermediate schools (ie. Willow Road, College Avenue) and move towards K-8
schools (now JK-8). With the exception of Sir Isaac Brock (which WAS built to accommodate grade 7
& 8), I don't believe UGDSB has opened any other K-6 schools in the City of Guelph in this
timeframe. The board even converted, sold, and demolished older intermediate schools in support of
this direction. If there was a great measurable justification for transferring grade 6 students to another
school for an Intermediate program, this would be the norm and would be true for all students in
UGDSB and the City of Guelph.
The information presented by UGDSB at the May 2nd information meeting already indicates that the
inclusion of an Intermediate program at SIB is feasible, and I was encouraged by the numbers
presented. According to graphs and figures presented by the board, if UGDSB implements grade 7 &
8 at SIB, the following are true:
Both Sir Isaac Brock and Rickson Ridge will have population within the 80% - 100% capacity,
indicated as ideal. This means that neither school would be deemed under-utilized or over-crowded
for the entire time period displayed on the graph ( I believe through the year 2022).
Both schools would have approximately 100 Intermediate students. This figure emulates both the
board average for intermediate students in JK-8 schools, and the recent board decision regarding the
distribution of intermediate students in the French Immersion progam.
It is a shame that the Sir Isaac Brock Grades 7/8 Feasibility Study has turned into a fight between two
school communities. The desire of SIB parents to have a grade 7 & 8 program is reasonable based on
the fact that this is the situation in almost all of the elementary schools in the City of Guelph.
The SIB students and families have everything to gain with the inclusion of grade 7 & 8. Not to
mention the loss of the inconvenience and impact of busing.
The Rickson Ridge community truly has nothing to lose. Rickson Ridge will still be a JK-8 school with
an intermediate population comparable to most other JK-8 schools in the city. These schools function
well and many offer rotary and instrumental music programs.
I am insulted by the attitude of the Rickson Ridge community, that students from our community should
be bused elsewhere, so that their children can have what they perceive to be a superior program then
all other JK-8 schools in the city.
May 24, 2013
Through a lot of these discussions, it seems that a lot of parents have lost sight of what is important,
which is their child's education. They seem to be putting a higher weight on convenience. The bottom
line is that these kids will have a much higher level of education together, regardless of where it is.
Keep them together, and provide these kids the education they deserve.
9 APPENDIX B MAPS Sir Isaac Brock PS JK-8 Attendance Area - Effective Sept 2015
COLLEGE AVE W
Students in this attendance area
who attend Rickson Ridge PS for
Grade 7 in the 2014/15 school year
will also attend Rickson Ridge for
Grade 8.
STONE RD W
GUELPH-ERAMOSA
JONES BASELINE
COLLEGE AVE E
JANEFIELD AVE
STONE RD E
STONE RD E
X
IX
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SC
COOKS MILL R D
CARTER RD
VIC TORIA RD S
FARNHAM RD
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WATSON RD S
CLAIR RD W
Legend
HUME RD
NASSAGAWEYA-PUSLINCH TL
Note:
Map 1
School
Railway Line
CONC 11
Municipal Boundary
SR
20 N
School Boundary
Sir Isaac Brock PS
NOTE: This map is for reference purposes only.
It is subject to change.
UGDSB Planning Dept., June 2013
0
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1
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Map 2
STONE RD E
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Students outside of this attendance
area who attend Rickson Ridge PS
for Grade 7 in the 2014/15 school
THORNBERRY CT
year will also
attendWILFRID
Rickson
Ridge
LAURIER CT
for Grade 8.
EVERGREEN DR
STONE RD W
COLLEGE CRES
Note:
WESTRING RD
CHANCELLORS WAY
Rickson Ridge PS JK-8 Attendance Area - Effective Sept 2015
VALLEY RD
CT
CARRINGTON
Legend
School
UGDSB Planning Dept., June 2013
COLONIAL DR
HASLER CRE S
HOWDEN CRES
ZECCA DR
COUTTS CT
SUMMERFIELD DR
AMS
VAUG HAN ST
RIDGEWAY AVE
NOTE: This map is for reference purposes only.
It is subject to change.
MALVERN CRES
ATE DR
SO UTHG
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M CRES
TERDA
FARNHAM RD
SILVERSMITH
PL
CRES
School Boundary
CLOUGH CRES
VD
BARD BL
Sir
0
Rickson Ridge PS
0.25
0.5 km