Our New School Trustee

George Rice has won the election for Ward G Trustee (http://www.georgerrice.ca/). Now let's make sure we voice our opinion to him about keeping our schools open, long before the issue comes up again and it's too late. Petition him to think of long-term strategies for sustainability, not just closing a school to save a few hundred thousand dollars over the next few years, only to have to spend millions in a few more years to build new schools and bus our children to far-off neighbourhoods.

-Jerry Aulenbach

REALTOR®, BEd
www.ZoomJer.com

We're safe...For now

We've been removed from the short list (all of the 4 schools), hooray! See this power point for proof (page 8) http://planning.epsb.ca/datafiles/Board%20Presentation%20Sept%2011.pdf Taken from http://planning.epsb.ca/Ten%20Year%20Facilities%20Plan.html

Wouldn't it be great if we could get on the modernization shortlist?

http://epsb.ca/mediareleases/070912.shtml

Take Action!

In the coming school year the Board of trustees for the Edmonton Public School Board will be conducting a “sustainability review” for Capilano, Fulton Place, Gold Bar and Hardisty schools. One of the outcomes could be to close or combine one or more of these schools. If the school board doesn't hear from parents and community members, then we'll likely see closures. Don’t let that happen One of their arguments is that it is all about the numbers. How many of you consider your children to be mere numbers?

Here's what you can do now!

Take Action

1. Send this link to as many people as you know in the Capilano, Gold Bar or Fulton neighbourhoods.

2. Contact existing trustees to let them know you support keeping Capilano, Gold Bar, Fulton Place, and Hardisty schools open and in their current form.

• Svend Hansen is our current trustee.

429-8087, Svend.Hansen@epsb.ca

He has supported school closures in the past.

• Update: Svend is no longer a trustee. George Rice is the new Ward G Trustee.
• For a full list of trustees click here.

3. Call the candidates for school board trustee and tell them that you support keeping our community schools open.

• George Rice

945-3074

George has said he supports keeping community schools open. Call him

to tell him you support his view.

4. Vote for the trustee that supports keeping our community schools open.

5. Contact the Minster of Education and tell him funding policies need to change to support keeping community schools open.

• Honourable Ron Liepert

427-5010, calgary.west@assembly.ab.ca

6. Attend the September 11, 2007, School Board Meeting starting at 6:00 p.m. where the sustainability review will be discussed. Board meetings are held in the McCauley Chambers at the Centre for Education, One Kingsway Avenue, Edmonton, just off 109 St. on Kingsawy Avenue.

The Infamous Letter

On May 22, 2007, the Board of trustees for the Edmonton Public School Board decided to include Capilano, Fulton Place, Gold Bar and Hardisty schools in a “sustainability review.” This board has closed central schools in the past, and that is certainly an option for our schools. We need to make our voices heard, that we support keeping these community schools open and operating in their current forms.

Do not fall into the trap of thinking that one school should stay open over another-we can't let them close any of our schools! Even if you don't have children attending, losing a school is detrimental to a neighbourhood. Families are less likely to settle down, real estate is less in demand and valuable, and so many events and activities that unite community members will be lost. The alternative is sending children on busses rather than having them walk safely down the street to their neighbourhood school. Which plan sounds better?

Here you can download the letter sent to parents from Edgar Schmidt, Superintendent of Schools (429.8000, info@epsb.ca) on 23 May 2007 alerting them that the school "has been included on a list of schools that may be participating in a sustainability review next year."

Get involved early on before it's too late!

Please show your support for Capilano, Fulton Place, Gold Bar, and Hardisty schools by staying informed as to EPSB school closure events and news. We all need to be involved to keep this great school open!

-Jerry