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.
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