Earl Haig Public SchoolEarl Haig Public School

PROGRAM AREA PROGRAM AREA REVIEW TEAMREVIEW TEAM

Community MeetingCommunity Meeting

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Earl Haig P.S.

Central Feasibility Team Process Leading To a Program Area Review Team (PART)

or Accommodation Review Committee (ARC)

In response to Program Addition/Expansion/Enhancement/Removal/Relocation

E03(flowchrtlocalPART ARC)hy.39

Local Issue Identified by

Trustee, Staff, Schools, Communities

Issue referred to Superintendent of Education/

Central SO For Superintendent Local Review

Consideration by Central Feasibility Team for Local Feasibility Study

No further consideration

No Approval of Local Feasibility Study

Results of Local Feasibility Study Reviewed by Central Feasibility Team

No Recommendation for PART/ARC

No Board approval for PART/ARC Board Approval for a PART/ARC

SOE/SO or Facilitator

PART/ARC Process

Final Recommendations of PART/ARC to Board

Step 1 Form (Appendix A) to Central Feasibility Team SOE/SO SOE/SO to communicate results

Step 2 Form (Appendix B) SOE/SO To CFT

Board Report by CFT CFT with (Appendix E) SOE/SO

Board Report by Facilitator/SOE/SO (Appendix E)

PART/ARC to Board for approval through Committee process

CFT recommendations for PART/ARC to EP & P

Local Feasibility Study chaired by SOE/SO

No Recommendation for PART/ARC

Step 3 Form (Appendix C)

SOE/SO to communicate results

SOE/SO to communicate results

SOE/SO to communicate results

Step 4 Form (Appendix D)

SOE/SO or Facilitator SOE/SO to communicate results

From McMacken, Geof

Date    Wednesday, October 22, 2008 12:13:13 PM

To Cowan, Kathy

Cc Gowdy, Andrew

Subject RE: Local Feasibility

_________________________________________________________________________

Please find attached a Student Accommodation Review package for Earl Haig Junior Public School.  The package includes student enrolment and facility utilization for three time periods September 30th 2008, 2009 and 2013, for Earl Haig Jr, Earl Beatty PS and Gledhill Jr.  The data is presented in three scenarios, Orignial, Option 1 and Option 2. 

Original representing no grade changes.

Option 1 representing Earl Haig Jr converting to a JK to 8 public school with 50% of the Grade 6 students remaining for Grade 7.

Option 2 representing Earl Haig Jr converting to a JK to 8 public school with 95% of the Grade 6 students remaining for Grade 7.

Historically, only 50% of the Earl Haig Jr Grade 6 students attend Earl Beatty PS for Grades 7 & 8.  The other 50% attend Bowmore Road PS, Earl Grey Sr PS, Cosburn MS and other area senior schools.  This leads to the question of whether or not this trend will continue if Earl Haig Jr offers Grade 7 & 8, thus the need for two Options.

As you review the Summary of Student Accommodation Options you will note that I have prepared Utilization Rates based upon Full-time Equivalent Enrolment and Headcount Enrolment.  The Headcount calculation is to reflect the potential impact of full-time JK & SK.  

Based on the Original scenario, no grade changes, Earl Haig Jr is projected to have a student population of 277 fte and a utilization of 62% by 2013.

Option 1, assuming that Earl Haig Jr would only retained 50% of the Grade 6 students for Grade 7, the student population would increase to approximately 310 fte and a utilization of 70%.

Option 2, assuming that Earl Haig Jr would retained 95% of the Grade 6 students for Grade 7, the student population would increase to approximately 340 fte and a utilization of 77%.

Both of these models project an intermediate student population of 35 to 60 students by 2013.

Based upon this review of the student enrolment, it would appear that both options support the request for Earl Haig Jr PS converting from a JK to Grade 6 Junior School.  Therefore, I would like to suggest you share this information with the Principals of Earl Haig Jr and Earl Beatty PS as you discuss other issues involved in the conversion of Earl Haig Jr into a JK to Grade 8 Public School.

CENTRAL FEASIBILITY TEAM PROCESS STEP 1: SUPERINTENDENT LOCAL REVIEW

Program Addition/Expansion/Enhancement/Removal/Relocation

SOE/System Superintendent Kathy Cowan School/Program Name and Description: Building a Community School at Earl Haig Junior Public School: Application for Expansion to a Kindergarten to Grade 8 Model Contact Name: Lisa Moser, Principal Alisa Metcalfe-Haggert, Parent Liaison Submission Date: September 2008 Expected Outcome of Program change: We are proposing to expand from our current Kindergarten to Grade 6 model by adding Grades 7 and 8 for our own home school community. We are not looking to expand our programme for out of area students. The pathway that our school community has decided to pursue with respect to expanding to a Kindergarten to Grade 8 model fits both conceptually and practically with the philosophical cornerstones of both the Toronto District School Board and the Ministry of Education. In their mission statement, the TDSB refers to “the partnership of students, schools, family and community” in building “learning environments that are safe, nurturing, positive and respectful”. From our current reading of the research literature, there is certainly strong evidence to support these more positive kinds of outcomes touted as goals by the TDSB, in terms of achievement levels, behaviour, community integration, and overall adjustment, for students who attend Kindergarten to Grade 8 schools. The administration, staff, students and families at Earl Haig Junior Public School have, to date, overwhelmingly, supported preliminary proposals for moving to this K to 8 model, in large part because of the parallel with 21st century approaches to education and child development such as the global village. Earl Haig is definitely a school that over the last several years has made a commitment to moving towards a more community based approach to learning. There is a strong recognition that students of all ages who feel part of a learning community are afforded unique opportunities that empower them as learners, encourage a sense of ownership and foster a sense of belonging. At Earl Haig, there is a strong community link with the Earl Haig Community Daycare as staff work collaboratively with the school in promoting a seamless transition from daycare to school. As well, we have over the last two years housed The Haig Parenting Centre which provides parents of infants and preschoolers with a safe and nurturing community to come together to share and learn with other parents. In-house, we have introduced programmes such as Roots of Empathy as a step in our commitment to creating a true community school. A school community provides our students with an emotionally safe environment for learning and growing. The research not to mention today’s media is overwhelming in demonstrating that our pre-adolescents of today – those children who would be best served by a K to 8 school model – are vulnerable. Yet, we still expect these children to transition to an unfamiliar school for these formative years where they often times feel disconnected, isolated from their peer group – students who have attended the school since Kindergarten – and overwhelmed. A Kindergarten to Grade 8 school allows them to be more supported emotionally in an environment where they are a known entity; where they have already established ties within the community in terms of teachers, peers, families and the daycare connection. These elements of community learning are missing from the free standing middle school or feeder school. By expanding to a Kindergarten to Grade 8 model, we, here at Earl Haig, will be in a position to take away the emotional, social and academic stresses associated with transitioning to a new school and thereby afford our students greater opportunities to effectively engage in the learning process. We will be able to build a learning environment that is “safe, nurturing, positive and respectful”. This, in turn, will foster a more positive and successful outcome to high school in that our students will be equipped, at all levels, with the skills, resources and coping strategies necessary to make this next, natural educational transition. More practically, Earl Haig is primed to expand to a Kindergarten to Grade 8 system in that we have:

adequate facilities in terms of classrooms, resources and programmes are geographically well situated within a strong and growing family oriented community with the potential to draw in new

families to a more community based school

Appendix A

are within walking distance for the majority of our families which further lends itself to a strong sense of well being and safety within an integrated and close knit community neighbourhood

had an overwhelmingly positive response from the vast majority of our families when presented with the idea of expanding to a K to 8 model

Target Group: Ultimately, our goal is to reach out to the neighbouring and existing school communities although it will be out current Grade 6 students and their families who will, initially, be most impacted upon by this expansion. Affected Communities: Area Schools: Earl Beatty Bowmore Earl Haig Community Daycare Centre, which is currently housed in Earl Haig Junior Public School

The Haig Parenting Centre which currently operates from space provided for them in Earl Haig Junior Public School

Community Partner/Sponsors: Earl Haig Community Daycare Centre Program Considerations: With this expansion, we would require additional and appropriate resources to support the curriculums for Grades 7 and 8 (e.g., library resources, technological supports) Budget Considerations: There should be no additional considerations beyond a re-allocation or distribution of staff, equipment and classroom resources within the current budget allocation for our family of schools. Staff Considerations: This expansion would require additional staff for both the mainstream or regular classrooms as well as in providing special education supports. Facility Considerations: With respect to facility implications, there is more than sufficient space available to support an expanded programme without infringing on those resources that are currently made available to our community partners. With the start of the 2008/09 school year, which includes the introduction of a fifth Kindergarten classroom, there are still five classrooms available for classroom use. As well, we house:

two music rooms a large library which houses a comprehensive computer lab a large gymnasium with equipment appropriate for the Grade 7 and 8 curriculums a large lunchroom space with a variety of options available should we need to expand a large outside play area with a soccer field, baseball diamond and designated play area a separate play and garden area for our Kindergarten students a growing reputation in the local community as a progressive, community based school with a strong academic standing, good

parent and family involvement, and a dedicated and professional staff Consultation: Trustee(s) Sheila Cary-Meagher Principal(s) Lisa Moser

Other(s) Other parent communities through the recent My School Review process (e.g., Earl Beatty)

Earl Haig Parent Community Earl Haig Community Daycare Earl Haig staff

Submit to Chair, Central Feasibility Team: October 2008

QUESTIONSQUESTIONSPART Membership Committee MeetingPART Membership Committee Meeting

Jan 20, 2009 Jan 20, 2009

potential impact on staffing models and potential impact on staffing models and fundingfunding

clarification as to the Optional Attendance clarification as to the Optional Attendance PolicyPolicy

potential impact on the current Junior MID potential impact on the current Junior MID ProgrammeProgramme

Vice-Principal AllocationVice-Principal Allocation

Other QuestionsOther Questions