Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the school division has not been able to host in-person gatherings that honour the Indigenous traditions reflected in these three schools and bring school families together for a thorough discussion.
To provide equitable access to information about the project, principals of the three schools directly contacted each of their school families twice. The first time was in May 2020 following the announcement of the project. That was followed up with a letter from the Board of Education.
The second time was in February 2021, when each principal shared more details about the rationale for the school consolidation and provided an update on possible locations. Parents and caregivers were encouraged to ask questions, provide feedback or contact their school principal to follow-up. This feedback was collected for the division’s administration.
Staff of the three schools came together virtually in February 2021 to hear more details about the project from the division’s administration. Staff members were encouraged to ask questions and provide comments from their experience working with students and families in the school communities. This feedback was gathered for further consideration.
Also in February, members of the school division’s administration attended a virtual meeting at the invitation of the community associations for the neighbourhoods where the three schools are located. Following a presentation sharing the rationale for the new school project, school division officials answered questions from the residents in attendance. The questions and feedback raised during the meeting was also collected for future consideration.
