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GPACA 2020 AGM

Thank you to all who were able to attend our first ever “virtual” AGM. For those who weren’t able to make it, below is a link to a video recording of the meeting in full, as well as links to the various reports presented in the meeting and the minutes.

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After School Care at PRES

Hello PRES school community,

There is currently an opportunity for PRES as a result of a provincial pilot of subsidized before and after school care. We have created a survey to help with an appeal for PRES to be considered for any expansion the pilot. 

Please complete online via below link or return a paper copy to the front office by end of day Wednesday April 17, 2019 or email petiteforthefuture@gmail.com

Online survey link: https://anna1715.typeform.com/to/p7kod7

Printed copies available in the front office at PRES.

This pilot occurred at 8 schools in 2019; it occurs on-site, costs between $15-18/day for after school care & has subsidy options (through the existing childcare subsidy program). Some sites do both before and after school care as well as embedded and PD day care for extra fees.      

This survey  will act as a *current* needs assessment for PRES.  
This is the work of a subgroup of Greater Petite Area Community Association (the group who led Save Petite). If you have any questions please contact Sadie, Anna or Tara @ petiteforthefuture@gmail.com. 

Thanks in advance for your time.

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2019 AGM – UPDATED!

UPDATED APRIL 2, 2019: Thanks to all who attended — your continued support is greatly appreciated! Here are the documents from the meeting:

GPACA 2019 AGM Directors ReportDownload
GPACA 2019 AGM MinutesDownload
Greater Petite Area Community Association Income Statement FY2018Download
Greater Petite Area Community Association Balance Sheet FY2018Download
GPACA AGM 2019 Director Report_VISUALDownload

Please join us on March 27th at 7pm for the Annual General Meeting of the Greater Petite Area Community Association at the Broad Cove Community Hall.

Special guest speaker and former principal of Petite Riviere Elementary, Leslie Jones, will be sharing the outdoor, play-based education program philosophy at PRES.

GPACA will implement a proposed annual membership fee of $5. Our reasoning is to have accurate representation, procedural clarity, and to ensure active participation.

We will also be starting up three new working groups of members, directors, and community at large to look more closely at afterschool childcare, green energy, and event planning. We hope you will consider joining one or more of these groups!

There will be a short business meeting following our presentation on the year that was. We plan to wrap up at 8:30pm. Refreshments provided.

Hope to see you there!

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MODL Hosting Community Consultations on Rural Schools

MODL is seeking input from community members and groups on how they can support rural schools in the area.

“On Wednesday, July 19 and Monday, July 24, the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg will host community consultations on the issue of rural school closures.”

The dates are:

Wednesday, July 19
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
LaHave Fire Hall
3358 Hwy 331

Monday, July 24
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Northfield District Fire Hall
223 Nova Scotia Trunk 10

For more info, see the full release here: MODL Hosting Community Consultations

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SSRSB in 2013: Hebbville move “not considered a viable option”

From 2013: “The South Shore Regional School Board has confirmed Hebbville Academy cannot reasonably accommodate students from both Pentz and Petite Riviere elementaries.”

What circumstances have changed such that the current SSRSB feels that closing both Pentz/Petite and sending the kids to Hebbville is now a viable solution?

From 2013, the previous Superintendent said (wrt closing both schools and sending them to Hebbville):

“I believe that’s not a configuration that we would ever bring forward to the board for consideration.”

She then followed up to clarify that the study committees never studied the scenario in which both schools close:

“So I do think it’s safe to say that option was not detailed in the reports because it was not considered a viable option.”

The board chair at that time was also Mr. Payzant. The article is worth reading in its entirety for further insight into the position of the board at the time of the motions.

Below is the full article reprinted with permission from LighthouseNOW. Thanks to https://lighthousenow.ca for generously allowing this article to be shared.

January 3rd, 2013

Schools under review for possible closure

by Stacey Colwell

COUNTY – The South Shore Regional School Board has confirmed Hebbville Academy cannot reasonably accommodate students from both Pentz and Petite Riviere elementaries.

“I think we can put that to rest,” said superintendent Nancy Pynch-Worthylake at a meeting in the Hebbville cafeteria last month.

Both Pentz and Petite are under review for possible closure through a formal school review process.

“It is numerically possible to close both schools and fit [their students] on this campus,” explained Ms Pynch-Worthylake.
However, she noted that would mean all Primary to Grade 2 students, and some of the Grade 3s, would attend classes in the annex, and all others up to Grade 9 would be in the main building.

“I believe that’s not a configuration that we would ever bring forward to the board for consideration.”

In addition, Ms Pynch-Worthylake said the committees which are studying the issues presented in previous impact assessment reports were under the impression one of the two schools could close and its students go to the Academy, but
not both.

“So I do think it’s safe to say that option was not detailed in the reports because it was not considered a viable option.”

Director of operations Steve Prest added moving students from both schools to the Academy would also result in the displacement of several programs there, which was another factor in the recommendation.

Impact assessment reports by Deloitte Inc. determined Hebbville’s Grade 6 to 9 building could accommodate an extra six classrooms, or approximately 150 students, if it sacrificed space being used for regional board services, an after-school program, a fitness centre and a games room.

Currently, there are 180 students in the Primary to Grade 5 annex, 98 at Pentz and 88 at Petite. By 2016, those numbers are expected to decrease to 167, 83 and 79, respectively.

According to Deloitte, by closing Pentz and moving its students to Hebbville, the board would save an estimated $159,000 annually. Doing the same with Petite Riviere would result in savings of about $102,000 per year. Closing the Hebbville annex would save approximately $105,000.

In addition, depending on what the board ultimately decides, Deloitte determined the following short-term capital requirements may be necessary:

• About $150,000 to renovate the Grade 6 to 9 building to accommodate younger students.

• Between $28,000 and $54,000 to maintain Petite.

• Between $23,000 and $49,000 to maintain Pentz.

Long-term capital costs to keep the schools open were estimated to be $790,000 for Pentz, $785,000 for Petite and $1.15 million for Hebbville elementary.

Closing Pentz and sending the students to Hebbville would reportedly add an additional 20 to 30 minutes of bus time for students, and some would be on the bus a maximum of 50 minutes. Travel time would also increase for Petite students, with a maximum time on the bus of up to an hour.

Deloitte said building a new Primary to Grade 5 facility for students from the three schools in question would cost the provincial government a minimum of $12.9 million.

The status quo is also an option for the board.

Study committees, essentially comprised of each school’s advisory council, are currently preparing formal reports in response to Deloitte’s impact assessments.

After those are complete, following at least one public hearing, the governing board must make decisions about the outcome of the entire review process by the end of March.