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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, March 11, 2016 | 6 School closure -- never an easy topic There simply are no winners when school closures are being proposed in a community. The prospect of having to switch schools for young, impressionable students, the utter discombobulated daily schedules for hundreds of impacted families and the heart-wrenching loss of a public meeting place steeped in tradition for a particular neighbourhood, understandably breeds fear, resentment and anger among those affected. We certainly don't envy those in charge of deciding whether four aging south Halton Catholic schools in low enrolment areas will be closed -- and when. And others set for rebuilds. Three of the four elementary schools being considered for closure are in Burlington -- St. Patrick, St. Raphael and St. Paul -- while the fourth is Oakville's St. James. A fourth Burlington school, Ascension elementary, is proposed to undergo a complete rebuild on its site. In Oakville, St. James would be closed and converted to the Oakville Thomas Merton Adult Learning Centre. St. Joseph would be demolished to make way for a new school on its existing site, accommodating 504 students, including those from St. James. An opening is targeted for the 2017-18 school year. Board staff is also recommending constructing a new addition to St. Dominic's to accommodate 527 students -- replacing the original building section erected in 1969, but keeping the full-day Kindergarten add-on from 1995. It is expected to be ready for 2018-19. If approved, St. Joseph students would relocate to St. James until construction of the new south Oakville school is completed; it requires six portables. Students enrolled at St. Dominic school will be redirected to St. James until construction of its new addition is nished; eight portables needed. We understand that parents of students from the affected schools feel disrupted and want more information about the board's proposed plans. It was a packed house for a Monday information meeting at St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School where some parents admitted feeling less than satis ed. One mom said she felt the board didn't disclose enough details for its plan to move students to the new school and the transition process, and its impact on students, remains unclear. "It has not provided an opportunity for concerned parents to address their questions. You could write down a question, but there was no open discussion. It felt very one-sided," she said. Another parent admitted it could be worse as his children's school would get a new addition. Its future numbers, however, also remain unclear. Complicating matters at the school board is the need to act quickly in order to qualify for some ministry of education funding that school of cials say is available for only a limited time. A board meeting devoted to delegations will be held on April 5. Trustees will not vote until April 19. If approved, the Ministry of Education will make a decision on funding in May. Our hope is all of the parties involved place the learning and emotional needs of Oakville's children ahead of all else. Editorial "Connected to your Community" Letter to the Editor 5046 Mainway, Unit 2, Burlington ON L7L 5Z1 General Inquiries: (905) 845-3824 Classi ed Advertising: (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington (905) 631-6095 Volume 54 | Number 21 The Oakville Beaver is a division of Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Vice­President and Group Publisher of Metroland West Regional General Manager Advertising Director NEIL OLIVER KELLY MONTAGUE DANIEL BAIRD Managing Editor ANGELA BLACKBURN Lighthouse for Grieving Children has purchased its future home at 2522 Rebecca St. (Rebecca Street at Bronte Road). Pictured, from left, Lighthouse Executive Director Britta Martini-Miles; Sharon O'Donnell, co-ordinator of support services; and Candace Ray, M.Ed, CAGS program director, outside the new building. | photo by Justin Greaves ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Business Manager LORI ANN GZOVDANOVIC Director of Production Lighthouse looking to build legacy The Lighthouse Program is celebrating the acquisition of its permanent home, as well as achieving the halfway point of its Lighthouse Legacy fundraising campaign. The Lighthouse, currently based in a tiny home on Wilson Street, will move to its future home at 2522 Rebecca St. in late 2016 thanks to the generosity of many individual and corporate donors. It was founded 16 years ago by Jo Fallon and provides unique daily peer-support groups for children, teens and their families after a lifealtering death. It serves families from Halton, Peel and beyond. Plans are in place to shape the new Lighthouse into the cozy welcoming, home-like space for which it is known. With support from caring corporate donors, such as Great-West Life, PenEquity, and Avison Young, it is well on its way to funding the renovation and program expansion. Avison Young's annual charity golf tournament, Golf For A Cure, proudly supports local community initiatives and charities. The tournament committee was thrilled to participate in the Legacy Campaign, as it provided an opportunity to raise funds and awareness about Lighthouse with the commercial real estate industry, and directly assist with providing funding for the home's relocation. A second corporate sponsor, PenEquity echoed this approach. It looks forward to another successful golf tournament on Tuesday Sept. 13, at Greystone Golf Club in Milton. To take part, contact Stacey Lenathen at SLenathen@ penequity.com or 416-408-3080. Many generous individuals have also contributed to the Lighthouse Legacy Campaign, and through a matching campaign -- by Amarna -- gifts of $500 or more, have seen their donations doubled. The Legacy campaign will provide an enduring home for future generations of Lighthouse families, as well as establish the Lighthouse as a future grief-training and resource centre. The Lighthouse is run by an active board of directors, skilled staff, caring facilitators, and community volunteers. Together, they deliver open-ended peer-support programs -- completely free of charge -- to individual children, teens and their parents/guardians, following a death in the family, for as long as they need it. Everyone grieves differently, so participants attend their groups as long as needed, with no set deadlines or expectations. If you would like to be part of building the Lighthouse Legacy, please contact Britta Martini-Miles, executive director, at 905-337-2333 or info@grievingchildrenlighthouse.org. For more information about the Lighthouse, visit www.grievingchildrenlighthouse.org. Britta Martini-Miles, executive director Lighthouse for Grieving Children MARK DILLS MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager Director of Distribution CHARLENE HALL KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager Proud Official Media Sponsor For: Canadian Circulations Audit Board Member Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Proud Official Media Sponsor For: The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to: The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 5046 Mainway, Unit 2, Burlington ON L7L 5Z1 or via email to ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. 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