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Sample letter to the Minister of Education

Feel free to draw on this letter for facts / inspiration. Include your own personal story (a great place would be after the 1st paragraph) for why the school is important to you, your children, your community, your business, etc.

THANK YOU to Margaret from Petite, who volunteered to write this template letter!

Dear Minister Casey (CC. MLA Mark Furey),

I am a proud supporter of the vibrant community of Petite Riviere. I am writing to express my concern over the South Shore Regional School Board’s decision to close Petite Riviere and Pentz Elementary Schools. I am extremely dissatisfied with the way this decision has been handled by the Board, especially in recent months, and in particular with the events that unfolded at the meeting on February 22nd, 2017.

Schools are the heart of our communities. They influence where families choose to live and serve as vital community hubs. Petite Riviere is a growing community that is drawing countless young families and entrepreneurs from as far as Western Canada and outside the country. Petite is a model community for the revitalization of rural Nova Scotia. Closing our schools would represent a giant step backwards in a movement that is gaining momentum.

The board did not intend to leave these communities without a school. Their intention was to close Petite Riviere and Pentz Elementary Schools only when a new school was built for this thriving population. A new build has been rejected three times. Now the board is cobbling together an inadequate plan to bus 150 very young children up to two hours a day to an already overcrowded school.

A much better solution is already on the table. You have informed the board that there could be funds for an A&A if they request them. A recent report has shown that this is the best value for this community. Yet the board is failing to act in the best interests of the communities and the children.

I want to extend my appreciation to Mark Furey, our local MLA, for his dedicated support to our communities and to you, Minister Karen Casey, for providing leadership on this issue. We are working hard with the help of countless volunteers. I ask you to work with us to fix this mess and take every possible action to ensure our success.

The fact that the fate of 150+ students (and growing), their families and communities should hinge on a single legal opinion is unacceptable. The idea that this decision is beyond anyone’s control is unconvincing. This school board is paralyzed by poor leadership and poor advice. I ask that you either: repeal Regulation 20 retroactive to March 2013 so that the board feels they can rescind the original motion or direct the board to apply for an A&A and complete a new school review as required by the Act.

Countless people have invested in the community of Petite Riviere – we are only asking to keep what we have built. Please use all of your abilities to resolve this unacceptable situation.

Sincerely,

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Sample letter to SSRSB

Feel free to draw on this letter for facts / inspiration. Include your own personal story (a great place would be after the 1st paragraph) for why the school is important to you, your children, your community, your business, etc.

THANK YOU to Margaret from Petite, who volunteered to write this template letter!

Dear Chair Payzant and elected members of the South Shore Regional School Board,

I am a proud supporter of the vibrant community of Petite Riviere. I write to express my concern over the South Shore Regional School Board’s decision to close Petite Riviere and Pentz Elementary Schools. I am extremely dissatisfied with the way this decision has been handled by the Board, especially in recent months, and in particular with the events that unfolded on February 22nd, 2017.

Schools are the heart of our communities. They influence where families choose to live and serve as vital community hubs. Petite Riviere is a growing community that is drawing countless young families and entrepreneurs from as far as Western Canada and outside the country. This is a model community for the revitalization of rural Nova Scotia, and closing our schools would be a giant step backwards in a movement that is gaining momentum.

We don’t believe the board intended to leave these communities without a school or have four-year-olds commute two hours on a bus every day to a large, overcrowded school. The intention was to close Petite Riviere and Pentz Elementary Schools only when a new school was secured for this thriving community. A new build was rejected by the Minister three times.

Fortunately, we already have a wonderful school with incredible people behind it. The Minister has offered money for an A&A. A recent report has shown that this is the best value for this community. The solution is on the table. Request funds for an A&A. It is up to you to take action and do the right thing for the community and the children.

That the fate of 150+ students (and growing) and an entire community should hinge on a single legal opinion is unacceptable. The idea that this decision is beyond anyone’s control is unconvincing. You can rescind the original motion. Our community has secured a different legal opinion. It allows you to rescind the flawed motions and it directs you to fulfill a new school review to explore options. This is fair, transparent and responsible.

Sincerely,

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On the radio today!

Be sure to tune into News 95.7 today at 2pm with Sheldon MacLeod (former SAC Chair of Hebville when flawed motion was made to close schools) and current PRES SAC Chair, Leif Helmer.

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What a week!

4 prime time radio spots on CBC 1, 3 letters to Lighthouse, 2 stories on CKBW and 1 video with over 15,000 views in less than 24 hours! Our blog and petition went live. Lots of impassioned letters from community to officials. Third action team meeting.

AND the staff at PRES went above and beyond and hosted amazing Winter Carnival activities all week to make every day special despite some upsetting headlines kids may have been privy to.

This one goes out to you – Freedom Fighters. Happy Weekend!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eGbflROpDE&app=desktop

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…overburdening that school with 150 new students.

Dear Ms. Casey,

I am writing to you to express my concern over the SSRSB meeting on February 22, 2017 that I attended in which the motion to close Petite Riviere Elementary School was discussed.

I was very hopeful going into the meeting that the board would have a chance to review new information regarding projected enrollment numbers, and new circumstances surrounding the availability of money for an Addition & Alteration to either Petite or Pentz. This was not the case. Instead the board emphasized old information, discussed the finality of the motion to close the schools, and the legal opinion of their lawyer, which is only an opinion and does not mean that the motion cannot be rescinded.

With new information, and new circumstances the motion to close the schools may be rescinded and considering how many errors were made in the passing of the motion that the board admitted to (the contingency to open a new school in the area, the lack of legal council in place during the vote on the motion, and not letting the public know about the appeal process), I find it unconscionable that the board would call a motion to rescind “out of order” which Elliot Payzant did.

I do not feel that this board is working in the best interests of the community or it’s children nor do I think it is responsible to burden the municipality with 2 more empty schools. I do not feel comfortable paying for a sub-par education for my children while at the same time watching a perfectly good building (according to the Stantec report that was just done on it) rot away.

In addition, I think it is a disservice to the education of the children at Hebbville Academy where the SSRSB projected most students from Petite and Pentz to relocate to, potentially overburdening that school with 150 new students.

I don’t know what to say other than that I do not feel that the board is motivated by an earnest desire to serve all students of the SSRSB nor do I feel they are representing me or the region, and they are not acting in the best interests of all schools involved; Pentz, Petite or Hebbville. I feel there is a definite lack of due diligence in this matter.

Thank you,

Johanna Hayes

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My children are thriving at this school…

As a parent of 2 children attending Petite Riviere Elementary School, I wanted to express my displeasure and disagreement with the decision to close the school.

I wanted to let you know how special PRES is to me and my children, and how lucky we feel to have such a wonderful school in our community. My children are thriving at this school and it was one of the reasons we chose to buy a house in this community 6 years ago.

The impending closure has brought a lot of stress and strain into our lives as we are concerned about the transportation issue brought about by relocating our children to a new school. We are also concerned about the value of our home declining without a school in the community to attract future residents. It is the biggest investment our humble family has ever made, and now it looks like a bad one even though our community seems to be thriving.

It seems that bad decisions are being made for this community because of an ill-fitting business model. Not all communities fit the fiscal mold, and this one of those. The model needs to be changed, not the school.

We are still hoping that our exemplary school will be saved.

Sincerely

Johanna Hayes

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Petition Time!

sign-the-petition

Sign the online petition and share with your family, friends & community…near and far!

NOTE: It will direct you to sign in to change.org to complete your signature, which means you need to go to your inbox (within an hour of signing the petition) and click on the link provided. This important step will ensure your signature is added. You have the option to receive change.org emails or opt out of any further notifications from them. Thanks!

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[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3GRXJiNoqo?rel=0]

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…this little school was at the heart of everything I love about the area.

I’m a parent of two children at Petite Riviere Elementary School and am writing in support of our school.  I  want to extend appreciation to Mark Furey, our local MLA for supporting the move to keep Petite open and to Minister Karen Casey for providing leadership on this issue and offering $6 million for a renovation.

I have travelled throughout the world and moved here from Australia 14 years ago because of this vibrant little community, knowing this little school was at the heart of everything I loved about the area.  Let me tell you – when you walk through the door at Petite Elementary, you don’t just walk into a school, you walk into an extended family of sorts and a committed community made up of teachers, parents and others that support not only our children and their learning, but each other…&  the cumulative benefits of which can’t be factored into any spreadsheet.

But if I was to focus on spreadsheets and numbers for a moment, I would add that there has not been sufficient explanation of the calculations regarding bus times, for example and what the “direct bussing model” even means.  It already takes nearly an hour for kids in Vogler’s Cove to get to Petite, so you can’t tell me that it’s going to take about the same time to travel substantially further away, even with the one extra bus staff suggest.

I would also add that during his recent interview with CBC, school board chair Elliott Payzant cherry-picked his facts referencing the cost for A&A renovations for example, but failed to mention the consultants report also determined the A&A option was the “best educational value” for students and that’s this is half the price of a new build.

Time is ticking South Shore Regional School Board and you would do well to listen to what your provincial representatives and what the collective community around you is saying. Pull up your socks and figure out a solution to this mess you have put yourselves in.. and do it now.

Regards
Sally Steele