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.
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