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Outpouring of support for GPACA!

Huge thanks to the Petite Riviere volunteer fire department for hosting the meeting & the Ladies Auxilary and community volunteers for providing refreshments.

The Greater Petite Area Community Association (GPACA) held their founding meeting on May 4th, welcoming close to 75 community members, to share information & updates, build membership and provide an opportunity to learn more ways to get involved in the community.

GPACA Chair, Stacey Godsoe, sharing updates with the community.

There was a buzz of optimism and positivity as people signed up to becomes GPACA members, purchase lawn signs and write postcards to politicians all in support of the Petite for the Future campaign.

Supportive community members signing up for a GPACA membership!

If you would like to become a member of the GPACA, please just send an email to petiteforthefuture at gmail dot com or connect directly with a GPACA board member.

Members will receive advanced notice of fundraising concerts & other special events. GPACA requests only your contact information and your support of the mission to support educational, cultural and community development initiatives in the Greater Petite Area.

We are so grateful for all the volunteers who offered to help out – Folks were signing up for tasks left & right!

Thank you!

This community is filled to the brim with incredible volunteers!

 

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It isn’t just closing a building…

To the Honourable Minister Karen Casey, Minister of Education;

Minister Casey, I am writing to request that you look again into the intended closure of Petite Riviere Elementary School in Lunenburg County, and that you provide the guidance, leadership and authority of your office to reverse the decision.

I have lived in rural Lunenburg County since 2001 and am originally from the Kingston Peninsula, New Brunswick, a region not dissimilar to Petite Riviere. I did a Master of Environmental Design in planning and policy specifically because I wanted to work to protect the beauty, nature and way of life that is unique to the rural maritime provinces.

We are so lucky for what we have in rural Nova Scotia; for what has been built over time; for the incredible beauty and plentiful resources we share; for the structures and community hubs across the province that enable and sustain rural livelihoods and are the envy of tourists (some of whom come back to stay). But the exodus of young people from rural Nova Scotia, our declining population, and a lack of investment in or accurate assessment of necessary services for rural Nova Scotia make the future look a bit grim.

It certainly looks grim for Petite Riviere if the school, which is a focal point of the community and literal creator of community, is deemed unnecessary and allowed to close.

Churches were once the unifying structures and connectors essential for giving rural Nova Scotia communities a center and a heart. As church attendance has declined over the years, country churches have closed and will continue to close across the province – and church halls and the social coalescing that churches provided go with them. In 2017, closing a rural school that is a focal point of a community (as this one in Petite Riviere is) isn’t just closing a ‘school’. It isn’t just closing a building and (maybe) reducing County and Provincial education spending. In 2017, closing a school at the heart of a community is a lot more than that: it’s taking away the common thread and communal bond for being there.

Petite Riviere is a living and even exemplar rural community. I live across the river from Petite, I don’t have children and I am not personally invested in whether or not the school stays or goes, but I am writing this letter because I am tired of seeing decisions that diminish instead of encourage and support what people are trying hard to build. The community of Petite Riviere is like no community I have never seen. They welcome newcomers as if they have been there the whole time. When couples break up (as happens), they all seem to rally support for the family and help them get through it. They take care of each other’s kids after school. They organize and attend their own festivals, create their own entertainment opportunities, find grant money to build a community park where an old business had burned down, they support businesses that open up.

It honestly is like nothing I have ever witnessed or known of. They are in it together.

And the school. Because people live nearby and are invested in the school and community and their kids, the school garden gets taken care of, people are able to pick their kids up after school or they can get to someone else’s house until their parents get home from work. Many of the teachers live in the community and are directly invested in helping to sustain it. When a child is struggling or having behavioral problems, it is a community issue they take on. Again, it is honestly like nothing I have ever witnessed. It sounds like I am laying it on heavy here, but it’s honestly true. Petite Riviere is a community that keeps people from leaving, that people are drawn to and come back to and that people are working hard to build, and the school is one of the only public facilities the community has. They have a firehall, and a school.

I know that some rural schools must close. The diminishing population demands it. There just aren’t enough kids to keep them all open. When the Riverport School closed it was a loss, but the numbers were dwindling to none. It was unavoidable. But in this case, the assessment of necessity is off: demographics for Petite Riviere school are increasing and are projected to continue.

Why did the Board make the decision it made? It is hard to know, but I wonder if we are putting too much responsibility on School Boards? Having to decide school closures demands a wide range of skills and analysis and rural development expertise. I am not sure that decisions that are this far-reaching should be left on the shoulders of School Boards. I am not sure this one should have, which is the reason I am writing to you.

Closing this school will diminish and perhaps even destroy this growing community of young families, and that will be a loss for all of us. If you watched a movie of this story, you would be broken hearted at what this school means to people, and at the powers that be who have failed to weigh the importance of this small school to this particular rural community and the growth of the region.

Minister Casey, please require a review of the Board’s decision, or request directly that they reconsider. If not, the loss and the story will permeate this region and beyond. We need a hopeful story like what happened in PEI recently, instead.

Respectfully,

Wanda Baxter

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Petite Riviere Elementary has a spirit and energy like no other I have seen…

The United Church of Canada

The Petite Riviere Pastoral Charge

April 15th, 2017

To the Honorable Stephen MacNeil:

I am writing today on behalf of the Petite Riviere Pastoral Charge of The United Church of Canada with regards to the closing of the Petite Riviere Elementary School in Lunenburg County on the South Shore.

As a clergy I have been ministering in this area since September 2008 and am blessed to know many of the parents and families who have young children attending this wonderful school.

I understand that many difficult decisions have to be made in the Education System and that both rural and urban schools at all levels are continually being evaluated, however, it has been devastating news for so many in our area to hear your decision to close the Petite Riviere Elementary School in June 2018.

Unaware of all the variables that led to this decision – I am very aware of the high anxiety and stress that many are feeling at this time. Petite Riviere Elementary has a spirit and energy like no other I have seen through my years of ministry and I believe that with the loss of this school so much of the community energy, moral and spirit will be diminished BUT these are secondary to what is the primary focus – the children! Through all the planning and projecting – these children should come first! Sometimes in our “professional” and “adult” decisions, we forget the very people that we are “in a trusted position” to care and provide for.

Five of the communities I serve as minister have children attending school in Petite Riviere. They are presently bused in the bus times allowed within the policy but if the school closes (and they are bused to Hebbville), the travel time will be much more excessive. I have been told that there are 13 Grade Primary students enrolled for the Fall 2017 and that 5 new children are being transferred into the school. That is a 12% increase. Busing these young children for several hours each day, especially in their first year(s) is not taking their emotional and physical wellbeing into account.

I love the cliché, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”. Sometimes when finances are tight in our church people think they only have “one option” or “no option”. Many have been surprised to realize that when there IS “a heart and desire for the dream” the finances come!  I have also been in situations – when decisions were reversed – for the best of all concerned!

Please reconsider possibilities that will enable these young children to attend their rural school which not only has a reputation for a high achieving learning space but also provides a sense of security and personal care for them as well.   In a world that is continually “losing” its sense of small community – we can make a difference for these little children in Petite Riviere.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Rev. Vivian Moores

Petite Riviere, Nova Scotia

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…treated unfairly due to a two-tiered busing system

Busing children to schools has now turned into a two-tiered system. The SSRSB is offering caregivers the ‘opportunity’ to drive their children to a centralised location, in order to cut down on bus times and guarantee a 30-minute ride to school versus a possible 60-minute ride.

Sounds great, right? Maybe so, if you are afforded the luxury of being able to drive your child(ren) to said location.

What about the caregivers who do not have access to a vehicle? How is it fair for Suzy to have a shorter bus ride than Sally and the only difference is that Suzy’s caregiver has access to a reliable vehicle?
What about the parents who are shift workers or who work away? How is it fair for Johnny to have a shorter bus ride than Jimmy because his parents both have flexible jobs that allow him to be dropped off/picked up at a centralised location?
These are just two examples of children who may be treated unfairly due to a two-tiered busing system that allows the SSRSB to feel good about their ‘shorter’ bus times, as they pull children from their home communities and ship them out.
Surely the elected school board members are able to model the fairness that children demonstrate every day on the playgrounds?
Irene MacDonald, Cape Breton
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Sweets & Treats this Saturday!

Bake sale & auction, live music and fun.

Some very generous & hard working community members have organized a lovely event this Saturday, April 29th from 11AM-1PM at the Vogler’s Cove Community Hall (8544 Hwy 331, Vogler’s Cove).

All proceeds will go toward efforts to keep a school here!

Thank you to all the community volunteers who organized & contributed to this event!

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…Hebbville Academy cannot reasonably accommodate students…

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 (with regards to 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.

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…Petite Riviere Elem is a jewel in the system.

Dear Anna Maria,
Thank you for taking on the topic of small school closures. Across this country, small schools–often the backbone of their rural communities–are crushing under the gavel. I have a unique perspective of this issue. The impending school closure I draw your attention to is Petite Riviere Elementary, in Petite Riviere Lunenburg Co. NS. . My experience with this school may shed more light on the gravity of this situation and its affect on rural Canada at large.

In the early 70’s I taught my first year of teaching and then retired. I had found the educational system in NS not child-friendly. Just before heading off to art school in Mexico my mate, artist Gregg Tracey and I stayed in Petite Riviere where artists Don Pentz and John Cook were giving an intensive art course at—you guessed it–Petite Riviere elementary. People came from around the province to attend. Petite was already, at that time, a centre for the arts.

When we returned to NS we settled in the Petite school area. 15 years later, as my son was approaching school age I began to check out the school system to see if it might be a good place for Tim to attend. I was, in fact, so delighted in the innovation and high creativity alive in that school, I rejoined teaching and began my true teaching career. Tim attended Petite for 7 years over which time the rich arts curriculum along with innovations in all areas of learning helped him along his path of becoming an international award-winning independent filmmaker.

I loved teaching. I loved that school: its parents; its grandparents; its staff and most of all, its kids. As a term teacher, my position at Petite was not secure. A number of times I was sent to other schools to fill vacancies. I got a good look around the system and saw many good schools and dedicated teachers. I worked hard to settle in and do my best but my heart was always called back to Petite. During one year at Petite, I even turned down a permanent position so I could stay in this small community school where the community truly trusted me with their children. It was risky to turn down a permanent job, especially when teachers were being laid off, but it was the only thing my heart would allow. And, it turns out–it was a good decision. That next year was my best yet: I was going into my 4th year in a row of teaching Grade Primary/Kindergarten at Petite. I had reached the place where I had at least one parent in my classroom every morning––all morning––5 days a week. This was incredible! Extra hands and hearts available to the children; mothers, fathers–even grandparents really learning about how kids learn; and a new writing program thriving. I had for several years taken on writing in the Primary Classroom as my greatest challenge. I was convinced that kids who could speak from their hearts could write from their hearts. That special year allowed me to stretch my limits and study my kids and how they were approaching the task of writing. They began to teach me what they needed to be successful. By the end of that year, all children were expressing their hearts at their own developmental level, with help as needed–and they saw themselves as writers with a voice! Had I not been there, in that school with that dedication to innovation and community support I have no doubt I would have failed to reach that level of teaching.

And there was another gift from my experiences at Petite: my own creativity and my optimism soared. I realized that any learning problems were already well engrained by the time a child was 5. I knew I had to go back to the beginning and prevent these problems. The more I considered this the more exciting it got. The fact is Petite Riviere Elem planted the seeds in my heart for a book which would not only help parents along their challenging path but it could also prevent the learning, behavioural, relationship and/or health challenges that 25% of Primary students arrive with. In 2013 my book was published.
What my writer’s voice needs to say now, loud and clear is that Petite Riviere Elem is a jewel in the system. There are many good schools here in Lunenburg. Co. but there has, for decades, been a special flair for creativity, innovation and mind expansion at this school.

The Ivany Report, a report on what’s going wrong in NS and how to turn things around “emphasizes the need for more vibrant private sector growth to strengthen rural communities. It is important also to recognize the essential role of the public sector in providing good quality and widely available health, education, and other public services, so that depopulation of our rural areas can be stabilized”. (http://www.wechoosenow.ca/overview/)

Well, Petite Riviere Elementary is doing just that! For a number of years, young people are moving into the Petite school district from across Canada for the lifestyle––and the school. I have never seen so many new babies in a rural area!  Also, organic farmers are being supported by this community resulting in an excellent local food system.

Petite Parents highly support their school in ways a school board could only dream of. I believe Ray Ivany would consider this school a gem–proof of what is possible when a community and its school nurture the strengths and gifts of their children and create a world with a very positive future. Rather than closing this school and damaging its thriving community (did I sat thriving–in rural NS? YES! I did!) we should be doing two things: protecting it and learning from it.

[There is a fascinating political story behind this story revealing that the NS Dept. of Education is willing to provide $6 million for renovations but the school board refuses to ask for it. I have attached a link to recent articles on this situation to inform you:  http://petiteforthefuture.ca/in-the-news/]

Thanks for reading this.
Nancy Tracey
author of The First Five Years, Nurturing Your Child’s Ability to Learn http://brunswickbooks.ca/First-Five-Years/