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10 THE NEW TANNER East Wellington parents may ramp up boundary battle with school board Some parents of French Immersion (FI) students in Rockwood, Everton and Eden Mills may hire a lawyer to help with their opposition to a proposal by the Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) to send their children to schools in Erin this September. Because of overcrowding at their current school in Guelph, the Board is looking at redrawing the existing school boundaries so the 40 to 50 East Wellington Junior Kindergarten to Grade six students at Edward Johnson Public School, would be reassigned to Brisbane Public School, and then Erin District High School. Affected parents have delegated at Board committees, attended public meetings, e-mailed their concerns and contacted the Ministry of Education to object to uprooting their kids from Guelph where they have friends, afterschool activities and medical appointments. They propose an option D, which would move their kids to King George Public School, where there is room. On Friday, a group of parents, concerned they are not being heard decided they need legal advice. "We're going to source some contacts (and) we may get legal advice," said parent Jennifer Brisbin, adding they contacted the Ministry of Education to get advice, and will speak with the appropriate Board's Superintendent, as advised. Brisbin said parents are "disappointed" with the latest staff report r e l e a s e d o n F r i d a y, which was presented to trustees on Tuesday night. Brisbin said it offers East Wellington parents a "quasi" concession, which would grant the affected students an exemption to the Out of Area Policy to allow them to attend King George PS until June 2014. "But, they won't bus us," Brisbin said, adding the offer is an "insult" as the school bus would go by their house and pick up other kids going to King George, but not those with Out of Area exemptions. Brisbin said parents have concerns with the numbers being used by Board staff to support the preferred option to move the East Wellington students to Erin. "One report said Edward Johnson (PS) has capacity for 271 (students). In report two, it says that with full-day Kindergarten in place that there's room for 363 to 409 students. Report three says there's room for only 363. How are we supposed to have any kind of information?" Brisbin said on Saturday. She said parents also question why the Board went ahead with a boundary review to deal with the severe overcrowding in East Guelph schools, instead of an accommodation r e v i e w, w h i c h h a s more rules and more community input. Brisbin said parents are trying to be "reasonable and collaborative," but feel the Board is attempting to fill under capacity Erin schools, and build the French Immersion program with their children. She said if staff's preferred option is approved, some parents will pull their children from the FI program and send them to already crowded Rockwood Centennial School. Trustees will vote on the boundary review report on January 24. THURSDAY, JANUARY 19 1012 Stay off the ice at GRCA conservation areas Ice has started to form on the ponds and reservoirs at Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) conservation areas, but it's not thick enough yet to support winter activities. And, with some warmer weather in the forecast for the next few days, any ice in place now will only get weaker. The GRCA monitors ice thickness at only three of its conservation areas: Belwood Lake near Fergus, Shade's Mills in Cambridge and Pinehurst Lake near Paris. All three open for ice fishing when the ice thickness gets to about six or eight inches. None of them have opened yet this year. The GRCA does not measure ice at any of its other properties which can include conservation areas that are closed for the season or natural areas. In reservoirs, ice formation can be affected by changes in water levels, resulting in inconsistent thickness. In ponds, the ice thickness can vary if there are springs feeding the pond. Generally spring water is several degrees above freezing and can prevent thick ice from forming. In addition, many of the properties are isolated, visited infrequently by GRCA staff or difficult to access which could complicate rescue operations in the event of problem. Check out our upcoming FREE workshops: Pre-Diabetes: Your Chance to Change the Future Erin: Rockwood: Erin: Rockwood Thursday January 26, 2012- 6:30 to 8:00 pm Thursday Feb 23, 2012 ­ 6:30 to 8:00 Thursday Feb 2nd 9 to 11: 15 am Thursday March 1st 6:30 to 8:00 pm Tuesday Feb 7th 6:30 to 8 pm Wednesday March 7th 6:30 to 8 pm Living Well with Diabetes Carbohydrates and You Rockwood: Erin: East Wellington parents angry and frustrated Dear Editor, I am a Rockwood parent with two children currently enrolled in the French Immersion program at Edward Johnson PS in Guelph. I am part of a group of parents from the Rockwood, Eden Mills and Guelph/Eramosa township area that is devastated by the proposed boundary change that would send our children to Erin. As parents, it was tough to decide on the program in which to enrol our children. Deciding in favour of French Immersion was just part of the big picture. Our lives are oriented to Guelph and my children have grandparents living SW of Guelph, so Edward Johnson seemed to be the right choice for us. Although we now love the program, and the children seem to be thriving in it, it is not everything to us. It was French Immersion in Guelph that was our priority, not French Immersion (wherever it might take us). We know Rockwood parents that work in west Guelph and Kitchener. It is unimaginable that they should have to drive over an hour to pick up their children. Supposing you lived in Guelph and a boundary change was proposed that would send your children to Hamilton, would you, no matter how much you loved the French I mmer s io n p r o g r am, send your children that far? Eden Mills is 38 minutes (and 29 km) from Erin. It is 19 minutes (11.9 km) from Edward Johnson Public School. If we travelled south 38 minutes from Grange Road in Guelph, we would be in Waterdown, Hamilton. We are not raising commuter children, with them spending over two hours a day on the bus driving a route that is known to be hazardous in winter driving conditions. If this proposed change is made, it will be a real loss to the village of Rockwood and surrounding areas. We have parents in our group that WILL MOVE if this happens. Making FI available only in Erin makes the community less appealing to families shopping for homes in the area. It will put greater pressure on Rockwood Centennial PS, which is already at 126 percent capacity (even more overcapacity than Edward Johnson). On a personal level, if this proposal is approved on January 24th, my husband and I will have to make the heartbreaking decision to pull our children out of French Immersion. We love the program but will not put it above the social and psychological well- being of our children. Rachel McClelland Rockwood, ON Preventing Repetitive Strain at Computer Tasks Erin: Rockwood: Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012, 7:00-9:00pm Wednesday, February 15th, 2012, 7:00-9:00pm Healthy You- 6 week series - A group weight management approach that focuses on Lifestyle Changes- a non- diet approach to achieve a healthier weight. Session one is an orientation session to help you better understand what the Healthy You Program is and decide if it's the right time for you to take a look at what's affecting your health and start to use the strategies presented. Erin: 1. starts Thursday, February 23rd, 2012, 9:30-11:30am 2. starts Thursday, May 3rd, 2012, 3:00-5:00pm Rockwood: 1. starts Tuesday, February 21st, 2012, 3:00-5:00pm 2. starts Tuesday, May 1st, 2012, 9:30-11:30am Heart Health Nutrition Erin: Rockwood: Thursday, February 9th, 2012, 9:30-11:30am Thursday, April 12th, 2012, 9:30-11:30am Tuesday, February 7th, 2012, 3:00-5:00pm Tuesday, April 10th, 2012, 3:00-5:00pm Thursday, February 16th, 2012, 9:30-11:30am Tuesday, February 14th, 2012, 3:00-5:00pm Nutrition and High Blood Pressure- prevention and management Erin: Rockwood: You must pre-register by either calling 519-833-7576 ext. 341 or by going to www.ewfht.ca and clicking on "Workshops" All Erin sessions are held at the Erin Wellness Centre, 6 Thompson Cres. All Rockwood sessions are held at 175 Alma Street