Goderich Public School

Over 17000 students will make their way into Avon Maitland Public Schools today in a year of firsts in a number of areas.

JK-6 students in Goderich will be attending the completely renovated former Robertson Public School, now site of the new Goderich Public School. The School will be hosting a special tree planting ceremony at 2:00 PM on Thursday, September 9, 2010. Last year every student brought a cup of soil from Victoria Public School for the new tree. Also on Thursday, GPS will hold an open house and barbecue from 5:00 pm – 8:00 PM.

The grade 7-8 students in Goderich began attending the high school, G.D.C.I. at the beginning of the last school year.

Grade 7 & 8 students in St. Marys will attend classes at D.C.V.I. making it a 7 -12 school. The JK-6 students will spend the first 5 weeks of class preparing to move to the first new school ever constructed by the Avon Maitland Board, Little Falls Public School which opens on October 12, 2010. JK-3 students will begin the year at St. Marys Central and the Grades 4-6 student will be at the Arthur Meighen site.

Upper Thames Elementary School

In Mitchell, today will be the first day for students to attend the “New” Upper Thames Elementary School. All JK-8 students will now be attending Upper Thames following the closure of Mitchell Public School. Upper Thames will now become the largest elementary school in Avon Maitland with over 750 students. The move follows a year of transition planning by a dedicated group of parents and community volunteers who joined with Board staff to ensure the amalgamation of the two schools goes off without a hitch. Greg Haber is the Principal at Upper Thames.

Full Day Early Learning Kindergarten kicks off in 11 classrooms at 5 schools across the district. The schools hosting the new program in Huron County will be Clinton and Howick Public Schools, while in Perth County Downie Central, Milverton and Romeo Public Schools will offer the program. Students will be transitioned into the Full Day Kindergarten over the next three days.

On Wednesday, September 8, 2010 Huron Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell will host a media event on Full Day Kindergarten at 11:30 am at St. Joseph School in Clinton to discuss the introduction of the program in Huron County Schools and a look to the future.

On Friday, Perth Wellington MPP John Wilkinson will host a media event on Full Day Learning at 10:00 am at Romeo Public School in Stratford.

Highlights of the full-day kindergarten program for 2010-11

• 35,000 four- and five-year-olds in full-day kindergarten in September 2010—about 15 per cent of total kindergarten population
• average class size: 26 students and 2 adults
• classes staffed by a teacher and an ECE, who work as a team
• integrated extended day program (for example before school from about 7 to 9 a.m. and after school from 3:30 to 6 p.m.), on a cost-recovery basis where there is sufficient demand/enrolment
• $200 million in support from Ministry of Education for the program in year one, $300 million in year two,with an additional $245 million for capital and equipping costs

Full-day kindergarten is expected to be fully implemented by the 2015-16 school year.
Research indicates that every $1 in early learning funding provides a seven-to-one return on investment.

Lineup Changes

There were some roster re-alignments for the 2010-2011 school year. Chuck Reid retired as Director of Education and Ted Doherty is serving as Interim Director while the Board of Trustees goes through the process of seeking applicants and then appointing a new Director.

At the school level, Janet Jamison moves into the Principal’s chair at Avon Public School in Stratford taking over from Fred Anderson who retired. Janet was the Principal of St. Marys Central. Helen Orr moves from Principal at Sprucedale Public School to Principal at Bedford Public School in Stratford. Bedford is a dual stream school with the Board’s French Immersion Program and the regular English stream. David MacLennan moves from Bedford to Principal at Sprucedale in Shakespeare.

Christina VanPoucke moves from Seaforth Public School to Colborne Central as Principal and Cheryl Peach returns to head up Seaforth after a year on secondment to the Ministry of Education. Angela Cowley, Principal last year at Colborne moves over the Listowel Central Public School for the retiring Sheree Fleischauer. Helen Brockman is Principal of the new Little Falls Public School in St. Marys with Janet Shivas in the Vice-Principal’s role. Shivas was Principal at Mitchell Public School. Donna Gregus is the elementary Vice-Principal for the grade 7 & 8 program at DCVI in St. Marys.

The Board of Trustees will hold its first regular Board Meeting of the new school year on Tuesday, September 14, 2010 at 8:00 PM at the Education Centre. The Special Education Advisory Committee has announced that this year's “Learning for All” Parent Workshop will be held on Saturday, October 23, 2010. The Parent Workshop will feature Keynote Speaker Dr. Philip Squires. Dr. Squires has been a general pediatrician for over 30 years in Canada, U.S. and Africa.

For more information please contact:
Steve Howe
Manager of Communications
Avon Maitland District School Board
1-800-592-5437 ext 132 or 519-527-0111 ext 132

Click on image to enlarge

As you are aware our school is well underway with the renovations that were started on June 29, 2010. With this project we will have some changes to our access and entry, until further notice.

All students and parents must enter and exit the school off of the East Wing, off of Cobalt St., the pathway that enters the school by the far end of the Intermediate Wing. All students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8 will be dismissed out of the back of the school yard and supervision for entering and exiting the school will be behind the school.

The entrance where the Primary student playground is, will be fenced off from Mill St. and is not accessible during this construction. You can access the playground by coming around from the back of the playground behind the school.

We are asking, for the safety of the students, to limit vehicle congestion by considering walking with students to and from school particularly during the peak pick up and drop off times.

We are producing a temporary bus loading zone, on Cobalt Street, and require it to remain free and clear of vehicles at all times. The bus loading zone is well marked.

We ask that the street in front of the school, and the semi-circular driveway, remain free and clear of all vehicles to allow for safety of all students, as this will be designated as construction site parking as required.

Students are to use the sidewalks to walk to and from school at all times. Those students who are riding bikes we would ask that the students walk their bikes on the sidewalk until they pass the construction site at the edge of the school property.

For those families accessing the Before and After Program we ask that you use the Junior Door entrance, closest to the office, after parking on Cobalt St. We do realize that this is a slightly further walk to drop off your child but we appreciate your patience with this as our parking lot is reserved for staff parking only and it is very tight as it is.

All bikes will be parked in the bike racks that will be under the trees to the left of the sidewalk when you walk by the front of the former front entrance.

New Crosswalk in Milverton!

We at Milverton Public School are very, very pleased to inform you about the new cross walk, with flashing lights, that have been erected on Mill St.

Students will have the opportunity, in their classrooms, to learn how to effectively use this new safety feature. Staff will spend time teaching students how to be safe while walking to and from school and how vital it is to ensure they use this designated area on the corner of Mill St. and St. Marys St. When using the cross walk students are asked to walk any wheeled equipment while using this cross walk.

We would be very grateful if you would spend some time speaking with your children about the need to cross at this designated area to support us in our efforts to help keep all children safe.

I would like to sincerely thank Milverton Public School Council for working on behalf of the students and parents of Milverton Public School to remain committed in their pursuit of this extremely vital safety feature on Mill Street for the benefit of the community.

Denise Drinkwalter
Principal
Milverton Public School

Guide for Candidates and Communities

When the Ontario Legislature approved changes to the Education Act in 2009, the education minister of the day, had this to say about the crucial role of school boards and those who serve on them: “Trustees are on the front lines and are the first point of contact in our publicly funded education system.

You bring local knowledge of the education issues in your communities and the interests of your constituents into broader school board discussions. And school boards have the capacity to respond to local priorities, and to develop local policies, programs and solutions to respond to local needs.” Talk to any trustee and he or she will tell you about the joys, and the challenges as well, that come with working on behalf of Ontario’s children, their families and their communities.

Visit any school board website – and prepare to be amazed by the breadth and depth of the programs and activities that Ontario school boards have developed to guide and shape Generation Next.

There are programs designed to promote achievement of First Nation, Métis and Inuit students, and to welcome the world of new immigrants to Canada. There are math Olympiads, literacy initiatives, sports programs, art exhibitions, science fairs, innovative programs for special-needs kids, EcoSchools, early learning centres, adult education, homework clubs and a strong safety net of support services – all designed to help students succeed to the best of their abilities.

Through their membership on local school boards and their involvement with provincial school board associations, trustees also have the opportunity to play a broader advocacy role and influence government policy. Despite Budget Constraints, Ontario’s school boards have demonstrated time and again that, through the collective efforts of creative and committed trustees, they are making a difference for kids.

The following guide offers the ABCs of running for office and outlines the roles and responsibilities of school boards and trustees.

Select this link to view the Guide for Candidates and Communities

Meg Westley

Veteran Trustee Meg Westley has decided she will not seek re-election in the fall after serving for the past 10 years. The following story, by Trustee Westley to provide some perspective to what being a school board trustee is all about.

By next December, there will be a new board of trustees for Avon Maitland. I am in my tenth year as trustee, and although I've enjoyed serving on the board immensely, I will not be running for re-election in the fall. While not all current trustees have yet declared their intentions, chances are good that there will be several new trustees, so it’s worth thinking about who will fill the positions.

I encourage anyone with a serious interest in education, and time to commit to the position, to think about running. Serving on the board has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Yes, it takes a lot of time, but it's time well-spent. Meetings run efficiently, the issues and challenges are complex and absorbing, and you learn an enormous amount about education, children's learning styles and new strategies for helping them achieve. The people who work in education at all levels are exceptional. Over the past ten years I have had the good fortune to work with intelligent, caring, focused people.

Ultimately, it's the cause that makes serving as trustee worthwhile. Public education is the cornerstone of our society. Children spend more time in school than anywhere else and teachers have a profound impact on their lives. Our public schools welcome children of every religion, culture, ethnicity and capability. Diversity is the norm. The Avon Maitland District School Board's mission, to cultivate potential, is not taken lightly. We believe every child can learn and the role of trustee is to ensure that teachers have the resources and supports they need to make certain every child does learn.

A board is only as strong as its members. I've been lucky to serve with ethical, committed individuals who care deeply about children and are not afraid to argue their points. Debate is often lively, always respectful. The work of the trustees has made a difference in the lives of children in our district.

Elsewhere, trustees have not always been so lucky. Due to lack of interest, some individuals who care little about education are acclaimed to the position. In other cases, an individual who only cares about his or her own school or a narrow issue is elected. Such a trustee may then bring the broader business of the board to a halt by insisting on endless debate about his or her own issues. Many boards become dysfunctional and the students suffer. It matters who your trustees are.

Come October, I encourage you all to vote, and to take the time to learn about the candidates. Those elected as trustees will influence not just your children but the future of our society. I will miss the people, the challenges and the contact I have had with so many of you in the community. It has been a pleasure and an honour to represent you at the board table.

Trustee Carol Bennewies

Carol Bennewies

For the last ten years I have represented the areas of West Perth, Perth South and the Town of St. Marys as your Trustee. I am writing this to inform you that I will not be running again for this position and encourage anyone who is interested to run for the position.

During my three terms as a Trustee I have learned a great deal about how education works at all levels, met and worked with many caring and dedicated people who spend long hours ensuring that our students receive the education they deserve, learned very early on to value the parent councils point of view, their dedication and their contributions through fund raising to their schools and been amazed at the number of caring volunteers who come to our schools on a regular basis to help in numerous ways to make things better for the students. With everyone working together we are collectively making a difference in the lives of our children and ensuring them a solid well rounded educational foundation.

It has also been my pleasure to work with some wonderful and dedicated fellow Trustees. Our Board has nine Trustees. We come to the position from different backgrounds and for different reasons however we all share a strong belief in the importance of Public Education in our society and believe in a children first approach to our decision making. Being a Trustee can be challenging, it requires a certain time commitment due to committee duties, regular board meetings , reading , conferences, school visits etc., but all of this has its benefits. All the time spent is justified when a group of students present at a board meeting after winning metals for their work in a science fair, you are invited to a school to participate in a team building experience and are accepted as part of a team, you read to some little people and see them grasp an illusive word for the first time, you take part in a Challenge Day and come away understanding yourself and others better, you see a child tie their shoes for the first time or you hear from a former student that a program helped keep them in school and thereby changed their lives.

You realize that in some small way you have helped make a big difference. It feels good.

If you care about children, have the time, are interested in public education or just want to learn more about how the system works then put your name forward for the position of Trustee and grow by giving back to a system that helped you reach your potential. Even if you cannot make the commitment right now come out to the all candidates nights and listen to the people who have put their names forward. These will be the people who will be helping to determine the educational future of our children. A very important role indeed.

Carol Bennewies
Trustee West Perth, Perth South & St. Marys

Watch the Video to find out more about the Avon Maitland District School Board

About AMDSB from Avon Maitland on Vimeo.

Trustees will now begin the process to find and appoint a new Director of Education and during this process Superintendent of Education Ted Doherty has been appointed interim Director.

AMDSB Chair Jenny Versteeg

Citing progress toward additional funding, the Avon Maitland District School Board has withdrawn its deadline for changing the site of the new North Huron School Project. In a special board meeting on Monday, August 30, 2010, the Board voted to rescind its earlier motion. This motion had set an August 31, 2010 deadline for certain conditions to be met or the project would be moved to an alternate site.

The Board's preferred location is a section of land next to F.E. Madill Secondary School in Wingham. Trustees were pleased to hear that there has been good progress toward addressing the challenges of keeping the project at the preferred site. As a result Trustees will now closely monitor the progress of the project at each subsequent Board meeting beginning September 14, 2010. The Board has indicated to the Ministry of Education that it needs a further $1.1 to $1.3 million to make the project a reality at the preferred site.

The Board's initial plan, consistent with Ministry expectations was to open the new school in September 2011. At this point in time, the Board's best case scenario for building the school on the proposed site would see completion late in 2011-2012. The project is also being delayed as a result of 4 appeals to the Ontario Municipal Board of decisions made by the Municipality of North Huron regarding the proposed site.

When the new school is built it will replace Wingham, Blyth, East Wawanosh and Turnberry Central Public Schools.

Board Chair Jenny Versteeg said following the special meeting, "We remain hopeful that we can clear the hurdles and proceed with this project at our preferred location. The fact is, there are still some significant challenges and the Board will keep this at the top of its agenda until it can be resolved. There may come a point in the not too distant future that we will have no other option than to move to an alternate location."

Related Posts:

Board Appreciative of North Huron Community Support

Board Sets August 31 Deadline for North Huron School Site

Major Hurdle Remains as North Huron & Board Resolve Site Issues – June 29, 2010

Board Facing Significant Challenges with North Huron School – June 23, 2010

For further information please contact:

Steve Howe
Manager of Communications
Avon Maitland District School Board
1-800-592-5437 ext 132 or 519-527-0111 ext 132
Cell: 519-851-6349
www.yourschools.ca

Huron Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell

Petition will be forwarded to Minister of Education

On August 20, 2010 Huron-Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell announced that she was pleased to see a groundswell of community support for the new North Huron Elementary School proposal in Wingham.

Earlier in the week, MPP Mitchell received a petition from constituents in favour of the Avon Maitland District School Board’s preferred site choice for the building of the new school site. The petition states “I agree that the new North Huron Elementary School is an asset to my community and I welcome it being built on the proposed Wingham site, adjoining the property of F.E. Madill Secondary School.”

The petition – signed by 219 family members, business representatives and taxpayers – highlights the proposed school as an essential community resource:  “A new school in our community would create a ripple effect through the entire township, affecting our quality of life, leading to economic growth and prosperity.”  It also requests that the Ministry of Education fund the additional costs of complying with municipal bylaws.

The Board has faced a number of delays in moving toward construction at the proposed site, including the funding of additional costs associated with site development of close to $1 million. The project has also been delayed as a result of the filing of four appeals to the Ontario Municipal Board against decisions made by the Municipality of North Huron.  On July 28, 2010 the Board held a special meeting and voted to set an August 31, 2010 deadline for additional funding, or change the new school plan to an alternate site.

AMDSB Chair Jenny Versteeg

Board Chair Jenny Versteeg said today, "As a Board we are quite pleased to hear about this tremendous community support to have the new school built on the site we feel is best suited for the new school. We remain hopeful that the hurdles currently slowing the progress of the project can be cleared allowing us to continue plans for the construction of what will be a state of the art education facility."

“I will forward this petition to Leona Dombrowsky, Minister of Education, and have asked that she seriously consider the request for additional funding,” said Carol Mitchell, MPP for Huron-Bruce. “I appreciate the concerns expressed by my constituents and am confident that the new North Huron Elementary School will benefit local students for generations to come and strengthen our rural community of Huron-Bruce.”

Just over a year ago, MPP Mitchell announced $8.8 million in funding for a school project in the North Huron area to be determined by the Avon Maitland District School Board. The funding was part of a $500 million province-wide government investment to address the accommodation needs of students.

with files from the office of MPP Carol Mitchell

For further information contact:
Steve Howe
Manager of Communications
Avon Maitland District School Board
519-527-0111 ext 132

The Special Education Advisory Committee of the Avon Maitland District School Board has announced that this year's Learning for All Parent Workshop will be held on Saturday, October 23, 2010. The event will take place at the Seaforth Public School Gymnasium running from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. The Parent Workshop will feature Keynote Speaker Dr. Philip Squires. Dr. Squires has been a general pediatrician for over 30 years in Canada, U.S. and Africa. He currently practices in Stratford and serves as a Professor Adjunct at University of Western Ontario. Dr. Squires has a special interest in bullying and gives talks to teachers and administrators, facilitates workshops for physicians on ‘Violence Against Women’ for the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP), and leads parenting classes for the general public.

Everyone is welcome and there is no registration fee! To register on-line select the link on this page. For more information and to register please call: 519-527-0111 or 1-800-592-5437 Ext 114. Babysitting services are available. Register early for a chance to win some great door prizes.  Select this link to register on-line.

Learning for All Program

8:30 am Coffee, view booth displays

Dr. Philip Squires

9:00 am Keynote Speaker – Dr. Philip Squires

10:00 am Break

10:15?11:00 Workshop Session 1

11:15 – 12:00 Workshop Session 2

Workshop Topics: (Your choice of two)
A – Dr. Squires
B – Use of iPods & Technology in the Classroom
C – Parent Advocacy, Pat Weir
D – Your Child’s Mental Health & You, Terri Sparling, Huron Perth Centre

Featuring Keynote speaker
Dr. Philip Squires

Select this link to register on-line.

Seaforth Public School is fully accessible and peanut free. “Please show consideration for those with environmental allergies and refrain from wearing scented products (i.e. perfume, after shave, hair care products). If any other considerations are required, please call 1-800-592-5437 Ext 114. This will help us create a barrier-free environment.”

In a special meeting held July 28, 2010, the Board decided that if additional funding from the Ministry of Education to cover the increased costs is not confirmed by the end of August, the Board will direct staff to move to the alternate site.

The Board has been working with the Municipality of North Huron to address a number of the issues concerning the location. On July 5, 2010 North Huron approved a rezoning by-law for the site which would have normally allowed the next step in the process to begin. The roadblocks that remain are three appeals to the Ontario Municipal Board.

The Board's initial plan, consistent with Ministry expectations was to open the new school in September 2011. At this point in time, the Board's best case scenario for building the school on the proposed site would see completion late in 2011-2012.

Either of the two sites selected would replace Wingham, Blyth, East Wawanosh and Turnberry Central Public Schools.

Board Chair Jenny Versteeg says the Board is appreciative of the efforts of North Huron and Huron County for working with the Board to make the new school a reality. She admits though; “It has been frustrating that we have been unable to put the shovels in the ground, and we need to keep moving forward. While the current site is our preferred choice, we must give serious consideration at this point to the alternate location.”

Related Posts:
Major Hurdle Remains as North Huron & Board Resolve Site Issues – June 29, 2010

Board Facing Significant Challenges with North Huron School – June 23, 2010

For further information please contact:

Steve Howe
Manager of Communications
Avon Maitland District School Board
1-800-592-5437 ext 132 or 519-527-0111 ext 132
Cell: 519-851-6349
www.yourschools.ca

WHERE: At all Avon Maitland Elementary schools across Perth and Huron Counties

FOR: Children eligible for school in September 2011 who are:

• 3 years old by December 31, 2010 (JK)
• 4 years old by December 31, 2010 (SK)

At the event:

• Have your child’s development checked.
• Sign up your child for J/S kindergarten for 2011.
• Get tips on how to prepare your child for school.

For the event date at your school or more information, contact your local school or the Education Centre AFTER OCTOBER 1st:
Avon Maitland District School Board
62 Chalk St. N., Seaforth, ON
519-527-0111 or toll free 1-800-592-5437

Or check back to this website for continuing updates.