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.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
How much space is there at Earl Grey School?
Earl Grey School has been portrayed as a building that is well under capacity. An astronomical figure of 600 students has been put forth as to what the school can hold. This, is in no way, accurate, stemming from a time long before class size caps, when dedicated rooms for a library or computer labs were not needed.
The fact is, Earl Grey is utilizing the space it has quite well. There is only one classroom that is not occupied, and that is still used when necessary.
There breakdown of how the school is filled is as follows:
8 full time elementary rooms (up til grade 3 legislated low enrolment of under 20 kids)
4 necessary Jr High classrooms
5 misc. rooms (music, art, band, French and resource)
2 computer Labs
1 Learning Assistance Center room ($25,000 spent on upgrades, legislated low enrolment)
1 Aboriginal parents/patrol room
1 volunteer coordinator room
1 Jr. High lunch room
1 empty room used approx. 15% of the time for various uses
4 Earl Grey Children's Center rooms
1 Montessori school
So, no, Earl Grey is far from under utilized. For the Earl Grey community, it is a comfortable fit. But will it be for LaVerendrye and it's 360 students? Will LaVerendrye be that much better off? How long will it be before LaVerendrye will need more space especially if enrolment in the school continues to climb? Wouldn't it be more effective to open a second French Milieu school? If the demand for this type of school is there, why wouldn't the Winnipeg School Division open up another school that would allow for long term growth?
It makes no sense to tear apart Earl Grey School if within, say 5 years, LaVerendrye will be needing more space. Stop the swap and give both schools a chance to grow. It's the right thing to do.
8 full time elementary rooms (up til grade 3 legislated low enrolment of under 20 kids)
4 necessary Jr High classrooms
5 misc. rooms (music, art, band, French and resource)
2 computer Labs
1 Learning Assistance Center room ($25,000 spent on upgrades, legislated low enrolment)
1 Aboriginal parents/patrol room
1 volunteer coordinator room
1 Jr. High lunch room
1 empty room used approx. 15% of the time for various uses
4 Earl Grey Children's Center rooms
1 Montessori school
So, no, Earl Grey is far from under utilized. For the Earl Grey community, it is a comfortable fit. But will it be for LaVerendrye and it's 360 students? Will LaVerendrye be that much better off? How long will it be before LaVerendrye will need more space especially if enrolment in the school continues to climb? Wouldn't it be more effective to open a second French Milieu school? If the demand for this type of school is there, why wouldn't the Winnipeg School Division open up another school that would allow for long term growth?
It makes no sense to tear apart Earl Grey School if within, say 5 years, LaVerendrye will be needing more space. Stop the swap and give both schools a chance to grow. It's the right thing to do.
Open letter regarding proposed swap
Dear Trustees, Winnipeg School Division administration and other interested parties,
It is my understanding that because of overcrowding issues at Laverendrye school (Lav), one solution that has been put forth is a “school swap”, where Earl Grey School would swap places with Lav. Based on media reports and social media interactions, it seems that some of the Lav parents are quite serious about this idea, and appear to be pushing Trustees and the Winnipeg School Division in this direction. As a parent of two children at Earl Grey School, I am deeply concerned by this proposal and frustrated that it is even being considered.
On the surface, this sounds simple. A school swap implies just that. It implies that two schools would just swap spaces and everyone would go along as if nothing happened. But what is being proposed is NOT a school swap. This is taking one group that has a space issue (LaVerendrye) and completely displacing and dismantling a tight knit community (Earl Grey) to solve their problem. It is taking a group that has no problem, is having success and building a top notch school and making them suffer to accommodate the needs of LaVerendrye. In fact, it baffles me that Earl Grey even ended up in the equation as a way to solve LaVerendrye’s issues.
The students of LaVerendrye have everything to gain from this proposal which is why it is attractive to that group. However, the students of Earl Grey basically lose everything. How is this advantageous to anyone? The Earl Grey school community will lose its connection to the Earl Grey Community Centre. It will lose its connection with Dante Day Care, and it may lose its in-school Early Childhood Education programs and Montessori school. These are valuable programs that, if Earl Grey moves, will create a wealth of problems and pain to students and their families. Again, LaVerendrye will gain these, and we will lose them. How is this fair? Once again, this is not a swap. This is one group pushing another group out and gaining everything the other group will lose.
Furthermore, the proposal for a school swap involves taking away grade 7 and 8 programs from Earl Grey. Essentially, the system we have in place will be decapitated. In a school designed to have children from all grades work together, learn from each other, guide each other and participate in activities together, two of the senior grades will be taken away. This destroys so much of what has been worked for at Earl Grey. Where will these kids go? Dispersed to other schools where they will be just a number?
To outsiders, on paper, a “school swap” may look like a simple, easy solution to alleviate a problem. It is not. It will come with severe consequences for all of the families and students of Earl Grey School. This is NOT merely a school swap. This is tearing apart a school community, ripping all the pieces that make it a successful, productive and satisfying whole to shreds in order to solve a problem that another school is facing.
What I ask is that this option be dropped from the table, for the sake of the Earl Grey Community. There are other options that will help LaVerendrye while not dismantling Earl Grey. These are what should be pursued for the sake of all. Earl Grey, with its small class sizes and tight knit community that works together with the community center, early childhood education and Montessori programs, is a system that should be emulated, not destroyed.
The option that, from my perspective, makes better sense is developing another French milieu school elsewhere, possibly at the William Osler site. If the demand for these types of schools is so high, it really won’t be long until the Earl Grey site will no longer meet the needs of LaVerendrye either, which means it won’t be that long before the school is facing the same issues all over again. There are numbers floating out there suggesting Earl Grey can hold 600 students, and this appears to have supporters of the swap feeling that Earl Grey is a half empty, dying school. Well, there is actually only 1 empty classroom. All others are being utilized. And, from my understanding, the 600 number comes from outdated estimates before class sizes were capped, before dedicated classes for computer labs and a library were needed. The idea that 600 students can fit into the current Earl Grey site is just not accurate.
If the School Board and Trustees believe we have too much space in the Earl Grey School, I think you would be hard pressed to find a parent that wouldn’t support the opening of the space to new programs or new students and welcome proposals to share the school with others. But, I don’t think you will find a single parent in the school comfortable with the idea of having Earl Grey as we know it completely dismantled.
I live across from Earl Grey School and am watching as our neighbourhood is drawing younger people who are buying up relatively affordable housing and renovating. It seems to me that it won’t be too long before the demand for a school like Earl Grey increases. Earl Grey, if stuck in the LaVerendrye School site, will be looking at space issues before long, as will Lav in the Earl Grey location. All that will have been achieved is some shuffling around and destroying of the Earl Grey School community that is showing success, where students are happy, where we have no issues. Temporary gain for Lav, but long term pain for all involved is not a solution. That is what a school swap delivers.
Earl Grey families and students face many losses if this proposed school swap goes through. Why do this to the Earl Grey kids? Why do it to the families of Earl Grey students? A better solution must exist. Many others have been put forth worth considering. For the sake of the Earl Grey community, please drop the school swap idea. Let Earl Grey continue with its successful formula. Allow Earl Grey families to continue to enjoy the programs they rely so much on that we will lose in the event of a swap. Let Earl Grey survive. Stop the swap.
Thank you,
It is my understanding that because of overcrowding issues at Laverendrye school (Lav), one solution that has been put forth is a “school swap”, where Earl Grey School would swap places with Lav. Based on media reports and social media interactions, it seems that some of the Lav parents are quite serious about this idea, and appear to be pushing Trustees and the Winnipeg School Division in this direction. As a parent of two children at Earl Grey School, I am deeply concerned by this proposal and frustrated that it is even being considered.
On the surface, this sounds simple. A school swap implies just that. It implies that two schools would just swap spaces and everyone would go along as if nothing happened. But what is being proposed is NOT a school swap. This is taking one group that has a space issue (LaVerendrye) and completely displacing and dismantling a tight knit community (Earl Grey) to solve their problem. It is taking a group that has no problem, is having success and building a top notch school and making them suffer to accommodate the needs of LaVerendrye. In fact, it baffles me that Earl Grey even ended up in the equation as a way to solve LaVerendrye’s issues.
The students of LaVerendrye have everything to gain from this proposal which is why it is attractive to that group. However, the students of Earl Grey basically lose everything. How is this advantageous to anyone? The Earl Grey school community will lose its connection to the Earl Grey Community Centre. It will lose its connection with Dante Day Care, and it may lose its in-school Early Childhood Education programs and Montessori school. These are valuable programs that, if Earl Grey moves, will create a wealth of problems and pain to students and their families. Again, LaVerendrye will gain these, and we will lose them. How is this fair? Once again, this is not a swap. This is one group pushing another group out and gaining everything the other group will lose.
Furthermore, the proposal for a school swap involves taking away grade 7 and 8 programs from Earl Grey. Essentially, the system we have in place will be decapitated. In a school designed to have children from all grades work together, learn from each other, guide each other and participate in activities together, two of the senior grades will be taken away. This destroys so much of what has been worked for at Earl Grey. Where will these kids go? Dispersed to other schools where they will be just a number?
To outsiders, on paper, a “school swap” may look like a simple, easy solution to alleviate a problem. It is not. It will come with severe consequences for all of the families and students of Earl Grey School. This is NOT merely a school swap. This is tearing apart a school community, ripping all the pieces that make it a successful, productive and satisfying whole to shreds in order to solve a problem that another school is facing.
What I ask is that this option be dropped from the table, for the sake of the Earl Grey Community. There are other options that will help LaVerendrye while not dismantling Earl Grey. These are what should be pursued for the sake of all. Earl Grey, with its small class sizes and tight knit community that works together with the community center, early childhood education and Montessori programs, is a system that should be emulated, not destroyed.
The option that, from my perspective, makes better sense is developing another French milieu school elsewhere, possibly at the William Osler site. If the demand for these types of schools is so high, it really won’t be long until the Earl Grey site will no longer meet the needs of LaVerendrye either, which means it won’t be that long before the school is facing the same issues all over again. There are numbers floating out there suggesting Earl Grey can hold 600 students, and this appears to have supporters of the swap feeling that Earl Grey is a half empty, dying school. Well, there is actually only 1 empty classroom. All others are being utilized. And, from my understanding, the 600 number comes from outdated estimates before class sizes were capped, before dedicated classes for computer labs and a library were needed. The idea that 600 students can fit into the current Earl Grey site is just not accurate.
If the School Board and Trustees believe we have too much space in the Earl Grey School, I think you would be hard pressed to find a parent that wouldn’t support the opening of the space to new programs or new students and welcome proposals to share the school with others. But, I don’t think you will find a single parent in the school comfortable with the idea of having Earl Grey as we know it completely dismantled.
I live across from Earl Grey School and am watching as our neighbourhood is drawing younger people who are buying up relatively affordable housing and renovating. It seems to me that it won’t be too long before the demand for a school like Earl Grey increases. Earl Grey, if stuck in the LaVerendrye School site, will be looking at space issues before long, as will Lav in the Earl Grey location. All that will have been achieved is some shuffling around and destroying of the Earl Grey School community that is showing success, where students are happy, where we have no issues. Temporary gain for Lav, but long term pain for all involved is not a solution. That is what a school swap delivers.
Earl Grey families and students face many losses if this proposed school swap goes through. Why do this to the Earl Grey kids? Why do it to the families of Earl Grey students? A better solution must exist. Many others have been put forth worth considering. For the sake of the Earl Grey community, please drop the school swap idea. Let Earl Grey continue with its successful formula. Allow Earl Grey families to continue to enjoy the programs they rely so much on that we will lose in the event of a swap. Let Earl Grey survive. Stop the swap.
Thank you,
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Our aim is not to hinder progress, but to preserve our future
This blog is being set up by and behalf of families and students of Earl Grey School who are concerned about a proposed school "swap" by the Winnipeg School Division between Earl Grey School and LaVerendrye School.
Our goal is to express our views on this proposal and to put out accurate information pertaining to what the Earl Grey School community has to lose in the event of a swap.
We are a reasonable group that is interested in taking the idea of a swap off of the table, but open to helping find a solution that will suit both LaVerendrye and Earl Grey. We want what is best for the community, but are frustrated that the needs and concerns of Earl Grey are not being considered as fully as they should be.
We are not a group that is against any other group. We are not at war with anyone. We merely wish to have our voice heard and to stand up and protect our school, it's programs, it's students and staff. We are not opposed to working with any party, and we are not opposed to helping create a viable solution. However, we are opposed to the idea of a school swap.
We understand that LaVerendrye school's main problem right now is overcrowding. There is a belief that Earl Grey has too much room, and this is making a swap look like an attractive option. A number has been tossed out of a 600 student capacity. This is false. In fact, at the size LaVerendrye is right now, with over 350 students, it would not be long before the Earl Grey School site is no longer adequate for their needs. Swapping schools will not be the solution that some would like it to be.
Along the way, if a swap goes through, Earl Grey School will LOSE programs like Jr. High. It will also create problems with day care, Montessori school programming, and Early Childhood Education programs that are vital to the Earl Grey community. For these reasons, and more, it is in our best interests to steer all parties away from the idea of a swap and look at solutions to LaVerendrye's problems that won't include dismantling Earl Grey School as we know it.
Please, for the sake of the Earl Grey community, support us in stopping this school swap.
Our goal is to express our views on this proposal and to put out accurate information pertaining to what the Earl Grey School community has to lose in the event of a swap.
We are a reasonable group that is interested in taking the idea of a swap off of the table, but open to helping find a solution that will suit both LaVerendrye and Earl Grey. We want what is best for the community, but are frustrated that the needs and concerns of Earl Grey are not being considered as fully as they should be.
We are not a group that is against any other group. We are not at war with anyone. We merely wish to have our voice heard and to stand up and protect our school, it's programs, it's students and staff. We are not opposed to working with any party, and we are not opposed to helping create a viable solution. However, we are opposed to the idea of a school swap.
We understand that LaVerendrye school's main problem right now is overcrowding. There is a belief that Earl Grey has too much room, and this is making a swap look like an attractive option. A number has been tossed out of a 600 student capacity. This is false. In fact, at the size LaVerendrye is right now, with over 350 students, it would not be long before the Earl Grey School site is no longer adequate for their needs. Swapping schools will not be the solution that some would like it to be.
Along the way, if a swap goes through, Earl Grey School will LOSE programs like Jr. High. It will also create problems with day care, Montessori school programming, and Early Childhood Education programs that are vital to the Earl Grey community. For these reasons, and more, it is in our best interests to steer all parties away from the idea of a swap and look at solutions to LaVerendrye's problems that won't include dismantling Earl Grey School as we know it.
Please, for the sake of the Earl Grey community, support us in stopping this school swap.
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