#5923 Wellington Road 7, R.R. # 5
Guelph, ON N1H 6J2
Phone: (519) 824-9447 FAX: (519) 824-9041
Ab Henshaw, Principal Anita Way, Office Co-Ordinator
SCHOOL WEBSITE: www.ugdsb.on.ca/Ponsonby/
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September 6, 2013
Dear Parents and Guardians:
On Tuesday, September 10 a report will be presented to the school board’s Business Operations
Committee recommending a boundary review for Ponsonby PS. Also subject to review will be the attendance area boundary for Elora PS.
Today an advance copy of the Ponsonby PS Boundary Review - Report #1 was published on the
Board website at: www.ugdsb.on.ca/pbr
Print copies of Report #1, or copies of other documents published on the Boundary Review web pages, are also available upon request from the school office.
Enrolment at Ponsonby PS has remained fairly stable in recent years, but that situation is changing. The introduction of Full Day Kindergarten (FDK) in September 2012 has contributed to increased enrolment at the school. Also contributing to enrolment pressure is residential development in the South Ridge development at Bridge Street and First Line, which is within the existing boundary for Ponsonby PS.
When we look at the 2015 enrolment projections for the two schools, Ponsonby PS anticipates an increase to 107% utilization, while Elora PS is looking at a decline to 92%. While these are not drastic changes, electrical and septic system constraints limit the number of portables that can be accommodated on the Ponsonby site, leaving little room for flexibility. Even at schools that are under capacity it is sometimes necessary to use portables because of variations in class sizes, and so staff feel it is prudent to evaluate longer term projections at both schools and address these issues now.
Goals and objectives of the boundary review include:
Create a viable boundary or grade structure for Ponsonby PS and Elora PS.
Alleviate the overcapacity pressure projected at Ponsonby PS.
Minimize the impact on students where transitions are proposed.

So what happens next with the boundary review? If trustees at the Business Operations
Committee vote to proceed, then:
The committee decision must be ratified at the regular board meeting on September 24.
Alternative boundary scenarios are to be developed by the Staff Boundary Review
Committee during September and October 2013.
A second Boundary Review report with shortlisted scenarios, an analysis and implementation details will be presented to Trustees at the Business Operations
Committee meeting on November 12, 2013 .
A public information session will take place on November 14, 2013 from 7 to 9 p.m.
Ponsonby PS. There will be a staff presentation, a question and answer session, and an opportunity to provide feedback (i.e. comments sheets).
The Final Boundary Review Report will be presented to Trustees at the Business
Operations Committee meeting on December 10, 2013. This report will contain the final staff boundary recommendation.
Trustees will vote on the Final Boundary Review Report at their regular Board Meeting on December 17, 2013.
A detailed list of dates is included in the report’s “Proposed Timeline”.
Your opinions, ideas or suggestions are an important consideration, and there are several ways you can provide input: at the public information session (November 14) through a feedback form on the Board website or by speaking as a delegation at meetings of the Board or its Standing Committees between September 24 and December 17
I will continue to keep you up-to-date through letters home or the school newsletter. You can also watch for updates on our school website. Or click the “SIGN UP” button at www.ugdsb.on.ca/pbr to receive alerts by email whenever significant new content is published online.
Yours truly,
Ab Henshaw, Principal – Ponsonby Public School