Presentation January 20, 2016 LDSS Accommodation Review Meeting My name is Linda Vardy and I'm a retired Head of Mathematics at LDSS. I live in Peterborough and my children attended Peterborough schools; so, the decision on LDISS does not affect my family directly. However, I taught at LDSS for 19 years and I have a passion for the school, a passion that has not diminished since I retired over 8 years ago. The decline in enrollment in numbers at LDSS since 2001 is only partly due to a change in demographics. It is partly due to the elimination of OAC. I also believe that the KPR District School Board is in many ways responsible for the situation at LDISS. French Immersion was introduced into Ridpath without its continuing into LDISS. Instead, the students in French Immersion are bussed out of the community to Adam Scott. When PCVS was closed as a regular High School, the school boundaries were not redrawn to enhance the enrolment at all schools. As the number of students declined for these reasons, parents saw the problem that the school was having with being able to offer a complete range of grade 12 programs. As a result some parents of children chose not to enrol their grade 9 students at LDSS. To exacerbate the situation, last Spring, the KPR Board recommended the closing of LDSS after this academic year, with students moving to TASSS. That was offered as the only alternative! This announcement started the rumour that the decision had already been made and LDISS would be closing. As a result, some parents, who were able to drive their children to Peterborough, chose to put their grade 9 students in a Peterborough school so they would not have their high school years disrupted. The Board allowed those students from the LDSS catchment area to enroll in those Peterborough schools. I see it as being irresponsible of the board to make the sole recommendation to close LDISS and not to offer an alternative and subsequently to allow students from the LDSS catchment area, who are not enrolled in Regional Programs, to enrol in a school other than LDSS. This accounts in large part for the smaller number of grade 9 students enrolled at LDSS this year than was expected. While all this was happening, the Board continued to assure the staff and parents at LDSS that LDSS would never close because of the long bus ride that the students from Apsley and Coe Hill already endure. As a result the staff and parents of LDISS remained quiet. Well, we're not quiet any longer! I understand that the number of students currently at LDSS do not support all the programs needed; so, we need to find a way of fixing the enrolment problem. One way that has been presented is to put in place a Regional Program that will attract students from across the board and who would be bussed to LDSS. You've heard that there are 920 public high school age students in the 4 townships who could or should be feeding into LDSS. According to the guidelines, changing boundaries is supposed to be the first consideration. It's possible for the board to undo the wrongs of the past. Don't just take the easy way out. Remember that what's in the best interest of the students isn't just about programming. It's also about the opportunities available in a small school, opportunities to make the various sports teams and to take leadership roles. Those opportunities would be significantly reduced if LDSS was closed and our students moved to TASSS. It's also about co-op placements within walking distance of the school, about the special relationship with and support from the townships and especially the village of Lakefield. It's also about the opportunity for rural students to attend a rural school.
Presentation January 20, 2016 LDSS Accommodation Review Meeting As I said before, I have a passion for LDSS and I still refer to LDSS as “my school”. I have often said that LDSS is the “best kept secret in the county”! LDSS is a very special school. You've heard in previous presentations about the outstanding success of our students at the Canadian Science fairs and beyond. Being a coach, I've also witnessed the athletic success of our students. Whenever I took a group of students away for a track meet, our students made me proud, not only with their athletic talent; but, also with their behaviour, behaviour that we've been complemented on. LDSS is a rural school serving the needs of rural students. Many rural students living on farms are hands-on learners, which is why Toromont CAT wants to partner with LDISS and only LDISS. Being a small school, the staff and students have always felt like a family. The staff has always been a close-knit group who are very supportive of each other. A small school allows the teachers to know almost all the students in the school thus developing a close relationship. For me, this paid dividends in the classroom and also allowed me to identify a stranger in the school. The document "Rural Schools and Educational Reform: Should We Keep Rural Schools Open? A review of the Literature", which is available on line, discusses the benefits of a small school where students behave better and there is a higher retention rate. It says that, and I quote, "Education is about more than simply class room learning, but much of the education of students occurs as a result of being an active and participating member of a community. It is here where students learn their first lessons in civic and social responsibility. It is here where students learn lessons in compassion, empathy, and leadership. Not through textbooks and classrooms but through their active participation and involvement in their school community. Consolidation often negates this opportunity for many students to participate in these activities as a result of long rides to and from school, or as a function of school size." The other way in which LDSS is special is due to the close relationship we have with Curve Lake. My life has been enriched by that relationship. Over the years I've had an opportunity to attend workshops and other events where I was able to learn about the rich history and culture of our First Nations people. I also learned about the Residential School Issues and how they have had a generational impact. As a result, I've been passionate about educating people about Residential Schools and their lingering effect. During my time at LDSS, we've held assemblies to educate our students about this issue and have held Native Socials where the students were able to wear their regalia and dance at the school. We've also supported the Sacred Walk for Healing which took place in Northern Ontario and Manitoba raising awareness of the pain and damage of the Residential Schools. This was done beginning in 1998 before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission existed. More recently, last Spring there was a display from the Truth and Reconcilliation Commission set up in this very gym. This was organized, in part, by our students from Curve Lake and various workshops were held for students not only from LDISS; but, also from other schools.
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