New School!

Kamryn and Sam go to an alternative school. It is a public Catholic Montessori school. It was started by parents in the area and is one of three such schools. While it was a grassroots initiative it is one of the ways their school board (French Catholic) is trying to lure students away from the other three school boards in the area (yes there are too many boards; all in competition with each other). The school has been a phenominal success and is ranked number 1 (it's tied with about 30 other schools) out of something like 1700 schools in the province. The building the school is in though is crap with a capital C.

The school campus consists of a temporary structure errected 25 years ago (designed to last 20) as an annex to a neighbouring school. Three portable classrooms one of which functions as the library. And about an acre of asphalt. The miniscule "gym" has no changerooms. The classrooms have no cloakrooms - which in a Canadian climate is a real challenge. The classrooms are also claustiphobically small. It's cold in the winter and hot in the summer. There is no grass in the school yard. There is no parking.

When we enrolled Kamryn in Jr. K in 2006 we were told that they planned to be in a new school by Fall 2008. Sam started Jr. K in the Fall of 2008 in the same pathetic building. Last spring the board turned down a proposal for the construction of a new school. Lord knows why?!? The whole - alternative - thing gets in the way. Because it's not a neighbourhood school it's hard to get standing for anything - we don't do charter schools here.

But Providence smiled. At the same time the Board was saying no to a new school two things happened. The Minister of Education came for a visit and was shocked at the conditions. At the same time the English Public School Board was being forced to shut a nearby neighbourhood school because of falling enrollment. Long story long - Wednesday night we had a parent meeting with school board reps where they announced that our little school would be moving into the "previously loved" (built in 1969) school in the Fall. There is a bunch of money for renovation AND this school was always intended to be a school. It's not a "portapak" which is what they are in now (one of the board members last night pointed out that they current school is rated for 0 occupancy since it wasn't a permanent structure. There are 284 students enrolled.)

The teachers are soooooooooo excited. The kids won't stop going on about the school yard (new school sits on aprox. 3 acres of land).

I had honestly given up on my kids ever having the chance of being in a decent school building. I think I'm still in a little bit of shock.