Honourable Chair and Members of the Committee, My name is Ron Sneltjes and I have the privilege to be the current Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Halton Hills Christian School. Thank you for this time to hear our request of a grant in rebate of the development fees paid by Halton Hills Christian School for our recently completed building project. I am accompanied by some parents and supporters, as well as our grade 5 and 6 classes, who do a unit of study on government. We respectfully make our request for the return of the monies paid to Halton Region for development fees. With thankfulness we acknowledge the commercial expansion exemption of $28,686.59 as per the DC By-law 48-12. Our request for the return of the remaining development charges of $29,329.90 is based on several grounds that I will share with you in this presentation. Halton Hills Christian School is a registered charity (#33 13488 3982 RR0001) and has been since 1965. We are distinctly different than most other private schools in that we are a not-for- profit organization. We currently serve 180 families with 280 students attending from preschool to grade 8. We work hard to provide an excellent education at an affordable price, for any HaIto: , family who so chooses our option. Our programs are open o all families from the greater Halton a � iho of based taught fulty choose the benefits our values education uy certified and qualified teachers. We serve a wide range of in the Halton region from single parent. families traditional and a blue blended and from to white collar socio-economic range. As mentioned, we have completed as of last autumn, our two phases of expansion and enhancement of our school facility. This building expansion was intended to meet the needs of the current student population, which p , � to this students project, had placed in portables. wish to assure you that our construction process is complete. We recognize the infrastructure demands that exist within the Halton region and we have no plans to expand further and we will not be a further burden on the demands of the region. The development fee rebate as now respectfully requested from the region, would greatly assist us, as public rate payers already contributing to the greater good of the Region, in our ability to offer programs that benefit Halton Region in a prudent financial way. 't is our goal to be different than other private schools in how we view our role in the community :n our long range strategic planning and in our day to day operations we try to help and support not just our immediate school community, but also the greater Halton community. We wish to be directly involved in the enhancement of Halton region not only through an excellent education but in our other specific brogram offerings. We learned of a need in Halton Hil's for day care space and went th - ough the necessary steps to become a licensed provider o' an extended preschoo. program The Ontario government is moving towards including day care facilities within elementary schools. We are an example to others in our community that this initiative can work This preschool is fully integrated 'n:o the schoo' — it does not rent space in our facility. !t is part of who we are.
We learned of a need in the Halton region for assistance for students with significant learning disabilities and so we became a provider of an inclusive and innovative program called Arrowsmith. We are in the sixth year of providing this program, offered only at cost, making it affordable to all families in Halton and surrounding area. We welcome any family who chooses to send their children to our school to be a part of this excellent program. Barbara Arrowsmith Young, the founder of this program, released her book — The Woman Who Changed Her Brain last May. You will find a copy of this book in your information package. It is a world renowned program, now offered right here in Halton region at our school! Please find in your information package an article from the Globe and Mail referencing Arrowsmith and a letter from Will Young, Barbara's brother, endorsing the success of Arrowsmith in our school. Arrowsmith is revolutionary and is based on neuroscientific research that involves intensive and graduated mental exercises designed to strengthen the underlying weak cognitive capacities that are the source of a learning disability. It is based on the knowledge that the brain is pliable and elastic. This means that the brains of children with learning disabilities can be strengthened to the point of average or even above average functionality through the development of new neural pathways. We are the only school in the Halton Region that offers this program, attracting families from throughout Halton and Peel. in fact, some of our have moved so as families specifically to Halton Hills from elsewhere in Ontario to have their children be a part of this program. We have 23 students per year in this program with waiting parents others on a list. We are providing a service that cannot get at any other public, Catholic or private school in Halton Region. It is incredibly heart-warming to see and of being to hear the success stories children helped. This program is open to all as we wish any help family in Halton Region who desires to see their children's lives improved. Our Arrowsmith students go on to be successfully integrated into regular curriculum programs private, public and Catholic secondary schools throughout the Halton region. This program very much serves the public good by reducing the demand on special education programs in elementary and secondary schools. Our organization has proven itself to be a contributing and significant community partner. We were approached six years ago by the town of Halton Hills with a need for additional parking at the Family Health Team site on Princess Anne Boulevard. From that request, we have built a relationship where the professionals of the Family Health Team now use reserved spots in our parking lot during the day, allowing clients and patients to park close to the offices. In fact we were told recently by a town official that if we had not agreed to this partnership, the Family Health Team would not exist in its current form in Halton Hills. This partnership is mutually beneficial and is a partnership that benefits the greater Halton community. This reflects who we are as a schoo', a strong community partner. P:ease find a letter of support from the Family Health Team in your 'nformation package, attesting to the success of this relationship. Over 20 community groups make use of our gymnasium facility durng the year. Our faci:ity is used as a polling station in municipal, provincial and federal election and is of great benefit to the town of Halton Hills as there is a shortage of gymnasium space. We continuo
to give consideration to how we can make more of our school space available to our community such as an evacuation site or public meeting space without charge. We have a high level of student integration in our community. Our students have volunteered in many local charities and organizations. We have a grade 7 and 8 Exploratories where our students work as interns for 1/2 d a y o n c e a w e e k f o r 6 w e e k s i n local businesses and organizations. Some of our students even were placed in the Town of class will participate in an ice-storm clean-up program as Halton Hills Offices. Our grade 7 organized by the town of Halton Hills. Please find a letter in your package, written in our local newspaper by a citizen, thanking our children for shovelling walks after a snow fall. In closing, with our primary purpose still being a school, as a registered not-for-profit charity, we are vitally interested in not only serving the needs of our students and families but in being a community partner, providing programs that are not offered anywhere else in the Halton region. We are incredibly grateful that families have been helped and children's lives improved. It is our deep wish to enhance the greater Halton community in which we are a part. We respectfully request your assistance in helping us fulfill that goal. I thank each of you for your time and attention to our request and would be happy to answer any questions you may have We look forward to hearing l your rerommendation to t h e R e g i o n a Council.
ri /W Halton Hills School Christian Charity # 33 13488 3982 Report to: Region of Halton Administration and Finance Committee Date: February 19, 2014
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