Working for alternatives to a school swap between Earl Grey School and LaVerendrye School
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
March 14: Earl Grey rally against a school swap
Please join us on Saturday, March 14th for a peaceful march where we can express our views and make it known that we oppose the proposed school swap between Earl Grey School and LaVerendrye.
Stop the swap and then what? Families of La Verendrye students are also part of your community and tax payers. You'll stay put and who cares what happens to other people in your community? Direct your frustration at the wedding not other families please
There is nothing on this poster against families? Within our one larger community there are two school communities with different opinions about what the solution should be. That is okay and perfectly normal. No one agrees all the time. We each have done, and will continue to do what we feel we need to do to support our views. Taking action in support of our cause does not imply ill will towards you/your school community/families just as all of the actions you have taken to support your view does imply ill will towards us. We all know that this isn't personal and we all know that we are, collectively in this position because of the WSD. The rally is one way we have chosen, driven very much by our children asking to get involved, to come together and show our support for Earl Grey. With what has been a very stressful time, we are all looking forward to this day, hopefully with some nice spring weather, to just be together, raise awareness and show support. We very much care what happens to 'the other people' in our community and we very sincerely want you to have a solution, just not at our expense. Ask your question back to yourself: A swap happens and then what? You get to move and you don't care what the other people in your community have lost in the process? This is not a matter of just trading buildings. If ALL OF US fit into the LAV building this likely wouldn't even be discussed. It is because we have to dismantle ourselves to fit that we are opposing the swap. You deserve to have everything you are demanding, in fact, I am personally appalled at the conditions your children are dealing with because of the inaction of the WSD. Our point is just that we do not support our losing it for you to have it. There has to be a way for everyone to have it. That is what the WSD is responsible to provide and that is our arguement. Oppossing the swap is not opposing a solution for you. It is just opposing this solution. I wish you and the members of my WHOLE community all the best.
Thank you for your response. I feelike more hopeful hearing your comments than before. I have asked myself these questions and ideally don't want to swap either but saw that as the most timely but certainly not perfect solution. I wonder over the years that the school division knew this day was coming, how did they picture it? They haven't been forthcoming until very recently with a lot of information but they have known all along. And done nothing. I appreciate your reply and feel more collaborative than previously.
I am glad. Especially because I have a typo that I could not edit after the fact - of course I meant "...actions you have taken to support your view does NOT imply ill will towards us." (phew):) I have had some interactions with LaV parents and I see a lot of frustrated parents who have been told misinformation about Earl Grey, the process, etc. Most I have talked to still do not want the swap as their first choice but feel like it is the only choice left due to the crisis timeline. I understand that. If my kids were at LaV I would want what Earl Grey has too. It's all very sad and the worst part is that the parents have to fight for thier school but yet it isn't even any of us that has the decision making power. I wonder how much sleep the WSD administration and trustees are losing over this? I haven't slept properly since our school found out about this at the end of January. Why didn't the WSD just come to us (Earl Grey, RH Smith, etc.) and ask for our help? I feel like if we all had the opportunity to work together as a community we would have come up with a solution and saved us all a lot of money and time and heartbreak. WE, the parents, know what is best for our kids and our schools. They should have trusted us to work together. Good Luck, I hope we all get what we want - somehow.
Stop the swap and then what? Families of La Verendrye students are also part of your community and tax payers. You'll stay put and who cares what happens to other people in your community? Direct your frustration at the wedding not other families please
ReplyDeleteWSD, not wedding
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing on this poster against families? Within our one larger community there are two school communities with different opinions about what the solution should be. That is okay and perfectly normal. No one agrees all the time. We each have done, and will continue to do what we feel we need to do to support our views. Taking action in support of our cause does not imply ill will towards you/your school community/families just as all of the actions you have taken to support your view does imply ill will towards us. We all know that this isn't personal and we all know that we are, collectively in this position because of the WSD. The rally is one way we have chosen, driven very much by our children asking to get involved, to come together and show our support for Earl Grey. With what has been a very stressful time, we are all looking forward to this day, hopefully with some nice spring weather, to just be together, raise awareness and show support. We very much care what happens to 'the other people' in our community and we very sincerely want you to have a solution, just not at our expense. Ask your question back to yourself: A swap happens and then what? You get to move and you don't care what the other people in your community have lost in the process? This is not a matter of just trading buildings. If ALL OF US fit into the LAV building this likely wouldn't even be discussed. It is because we have to dismantle ourselves to fit that we are opposing the swap. You deserve to have everything you are demanding, in fact, I am personally appalled at the conditions your children are dealing with because of the inaction of the WSD. Our point is just that we do not support our losing it for you to have it. There has to be a way for everyone to have it. That is what the WSD is responsible to provide and that is our arguement. Oppossing the swap is not opposing a solution for you. It is just opposing this solution. I wish you and the members of my WHOLE community all the best.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your response. I feelike more hopeful hearing your comments than before. I have asked myself these questions and ideally don't want to swap either but saw that as the most timely but certainly not perfect solution. I wonder over the years that the school division knew this day was coming, how did they picture it? They haven't been forthcoming until very recently with a lot of information but they have known all along. And done nothing. I appreciate your reply and feel more collaborative than previously.
DeleteI am glad. Especially because I have a typo that I could not edit after the fact - of course I meant "...actions you have taken to support your view does NOT imply ill will towards us." (phew):) I have had some interactions with LaV parents and I see a lot of frustrated parents who have been told misinformation about Earl Grey, the process, etc. Most I have talked to still do not want the swap as their first choice but feel like it is the only choice left due to the crisis timeline. I understand that. If my kids were at LaV I would want what Earl Grey has too. It's all very sad and the worst part is that the parents have to fight for thier school but yet it isn't even any of us that has the decision making power. I wonder how much sleep the WSD administration and trustees are losing over this? I haven't slept properly since our school found out about this at the end of January. Why didn't the WSD just come to us (Earl Grey, RH Smith, etc.) and ask for our help? I feel like if we all had the opportunity to work together as a community we would have come up with a solution and saved us all a lot of money and time and heartbreak. WE, the parents, know what is best for our kids and our schools. They should have trusted us to work together. Good Luck, I hope we all get what we want - somehow.
ReplyDelete