January 23rd to February 5, 2013 In order to protect the identity of all individuals who have submitted correspondence with regard to the
New South Guelph Boundary Review 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.
January 16, 2013
When I look at enrolment projections and see all the schools predicted to be OVER capacity within the
next few years, these scenarios are NOT sustainable.
I am troubled by the contradictions involved – namely “Increased opportunity for some FI students to
walk to school”, “establishes a local FI school”.
This is happening AT THE EXPENSE of the Paisley Road community.
I will NOT allow my child to walk along Edinburgh, across Wellington – buses MUST be provided (if
the move goes ahead).
I would like to state, clearly, I DO NOT WANT MY CHILD/CHILDREN to be moved from Paisley Rd. I
DO NOT want my kids to attend a school outside my neighbourhood.
I WANT MY KIDS TO STAY AT PAISLEY ROAD.
I know you spoke of ‘domino effect’. But it seems LUDICROUS to me that in order to attain goal #3
– relieving enrolment pressure at McCrae PS – you are pursing goal #2 – moving student from Paisley
into McCrae. It is irrational.
Just how many students (& their parents, & their siblings) are being affected by this?
PLEASE leave Paisley Road out of this review.
And look at West of the Hanlon Parental involvement (referred to a number of times tonight) is
increased when parents are part of the school community – and I think geographical proximity to the
school increases that involvement.
January 27, 2013
I am a west side parent who has just come through the Accommodation Review that resulted in my
children being transferred from Victory PS to Paisley Road PS. Having lived through the sometimes
fractious ARC process, I must say this review is much more palatable.
I have reviewed the options presented for this Boundary Review and discussed other possibilities with a
number of parents. I can confidently give my support to the staff-preferred option. You will, no
doubt, receive comments from Paisley parents who will be upset about not being able to walk their
children to school but, while I understand their concerns, moving Paisley students en masse to John
McRae seems to be the best solution to the overcrowding soon to exist at Paisley.
1 January 23rd to February 5, 2013 I am pleased that you will be moving full grades. My daughter in particular has already had to
endure having a very tight knit group of friends being split up - to have to do this again with her new
Paisley friends would, no doubt, have been very difficult. Although both of my children would move to
McRae in 2014 under the proposed scenario, I wonder about the wisdom of having a JK-3 FI track
embedded with a JK-6 regular track when there is already some tension between the English and
French students. Perhaps it would be better, in the long run, to consider having a FI centre north I'd
the river. Frankly we already feel a bit like second class citizens when the south side is going to have
two FI centres. I also wonder about the long term viability of the regular track in both Victory and
Paisley schools when they are so out numbered by the FI students. But that is a discussion for another
day.
I am also pleased that Paisley will now feed the 7/8 program at McRae, eliminating yet another
school transfer. Had King George been the 7/8 school, I would have had a much greater difficulty
supporting any scenario that involved transferring the west side FI students in the middle of their
primary years. My one concern is that there will be another review in two years changing the 7/8
boundaries, necessitating yet another move. It would be nice to have some longer term stability for all
FI students, especially those on the west side who seem to be seen as more "portable" than those who
live east of the Hanlon.
I would like to address a concern that the parents of walking students will have - that of crossing
Wellington Road. This is a very busy and very wide street with few safe locations to cross. Sometimes
it is difficult even for adults to make it across in the time it takes for the lights to change. Furthermore,
I am concerned that children will try to cross between the lights because it shortens the walking
distance. Please consider providing bussing for all of the grades 4-6 students who will be coming
from Paisley.
Although my children will be in grades 4 and 6 in 2014, I do have a number of friends with younger
children. Please consider giving them the option of sending their younger children to McRae with their
older siblings to keep families together. One of my friends has a son who is not comfortable with the
school experience and derives much comfort from being able to go to school with his older sister and
see her during the day. It would be very distressing for him to be separated from her.
Thank you for the opportunity to attend the public information meeting and provide comments. The
meeting was well organized and I appreciated that you had representatives that could address a
wide variety of concerns, including transportation. If you have any questions or would like further
clarification regarding my comments, please do not hesitate to contact me.
January 28, 2013
Buses in Guelph are cancelled today. Under your proposed plan, my child would not be able to get
to school today. As it is we will walk, as usual. The walk may take us 25 minutes instead of the usual
15, but my daughter will go to school.
Yet another reason why we should keep our kids in local, walkable schools. Yet another reason why
you should remove Paisley Road from this plan.
2 January 23rd to February 5, 2013 January 29, 2013
Enrollment in the English stream at Paisley has remained relatively stable according to the UGDSB
data. Using this evidence, it is in the communities best interest to keep the English stream at Paisley
and look at shifting the FI boundaries (with increasing enrollment pressures largely resulting from
previously shifing FI boundaries). French Immersion is a trend in Guelph and enrollment is unlikely to
continue growing at its current rate. With this in mind, supporting Guelph's schools that have stable
English enrollment (like Paisley)- is less likely to result in major boundary shifts in future. It also allows
parents living a walkable distance to a school with an English stream to make an informed decision
about educating their children in an inclusive, community-based education system or opting for FI at a
greater distance from their home.
Thank you
January 29, 2013
To whom it may concern,
I have just read the proposed changes affecting my children at Paisley Rd. School. I have one child in
Grade 3 currently, that has already been moved once and another child starting school in 2014, as
well as an infant.
I would be willing to move AGAIN only if my younger children could go to John McCrae with their
older sister on the same bus, starting in kindergarten.
Surely you must realize how inconvenient it would be to have my children all going to multiple
schools, on different buses and possibly different bus stops.
As well as inconvenient, I have some safety concerns regarding my eldest daughter having to walk
home by herself, if I am to be picking up my younger children. She would have to cross some busy
streets at a time where crossing guards have already left and there are no other students around to
walk with her. I am just not comfortable with this.
Plus, on days where buses are canceled, it would be next to impossible taking my three children to
different schools.
My girls are very close. I feel it is important they stick together through their elementary years. The
eldest knows the system and culture at her school and can help the younger ones along.
School is difficult enough for these children. Why make it more difficult due to improper planning.
I put my child in french immersion to give her a head start in life, by having her be able to speak
multiple languages. Had I known all of this was going to take place I would have never even
considered the program.
This is definitely not in the best interest of the children. Please if you are going to move them again, let
all of my children at least go to the same school.
Sincerely,
January 29, 2013
I am generally happy with the scenarios presented. My older son will be in Grade 4 when it is
implemented and I appreciate that he will be able to stay with his friends and all move to John Mccrae
together. I think that being at a French Immersion Centre for the later grades will be beneficial to the
students. My only concern with the scenarios is whether the students who have to cross Wellington
3 January 23rd to February 5, 2013 would be bussed. Although there seems to be a group of parents at Paisley who are forming a group
against the scenarios, I know there are other parents who are happy with the scenarios and I hope
they will be heard as well.
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