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Post by cwhitehead on Mar 27, 2013 23:35:20 GMT -5
As you probably know, JK students will be going to Connaught in September where they will have full day kindergarten and access to the Extended Day Program (for a fee) offered by the OCDSB. The board's motion guarantees that this year's JKs who have a spot at Connaught daycare will have a spot there for next year. It also gives flexibility to DSAP around who they offer their spots to.
I'm hopeful that everyone involved will make this a positive experience for our kids. I know that my youngest is delighted to have his own school.
Please post any ideas and questions you have about next year. I'm going to be working on the long-term solution, but I have a personal stake in making sure the interim solution works well. Please also reach out to anyone you know with a 2013 JK student and get them involved.
At this point the schools and the daycares don't have a lot of answers and they need to figure things out. It's frustrating to not know what's going to happen, but at least we know what school they'll be at.
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Post by Nicholas Olmstead on Mar 28, 2013 11:16:29 GMT -5
Thanks Chris.
I'm a victim of my own wishes I guess. I always thought the most logical scenario was to move the JKs for September and then put an EFI program at Connaught yet strangely, I'm worried about what the outcome will be. I guess it's my lack of trust that the Board will recognize the need for more EFI programming in the neighbourhood. Yes, this will put me in a position with two kids in two schools (Grade 5 at Dev and JK at Conn) next year but I know that's not a unique situation and it's not really a huge deal for me.
As far as care goes, like you, I'm completely confused as to what's happening come September. Will my 2013 JK kid be bused to DSAP from Connaught or will she get Board care at Connaught? (I've heard both scenarios.) I know none of this is clear right now and all we can do is wait for things to sort themselves out.
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Post by cwhitehead on Apr 10, 2013 12:22:54 GMT -5
Nicholas, I always thought that it was logical to move the grade 6s to the school they were going to be attending the following year anyway. An EFI stream at Connaught makes perfect sense for much of Devonshire, but the reality is we have to balance all the schools' needs and wants. Yes, there will be more EFI somewhere, but we don't yet know where.
The care situation still isn't worked out, but I understand there will be a meeting next Wednesday with our trustee, board planning staff and Connaught daycare and DSAP to try to get some clarity. Vicky Smallman, Trevor Grills and I were talking a bit about this last night, and we're resolved (at least the 3 of us) to leave everyone in peace until late next week, and then start demanding answers. There are 54 sets of parents with questions and the schools don't have answers yet.
DSAP's board is meeting tomorrow to discuss what they'll be doing for 2013 (or hoping to do, depending on next Wednesday's meeting). I'm not part of DSAP's board so I don't feel comfortable representing their position here.
The motions passed by the OCDSB:
1)guarantee care for 2013-14 at Connaught's daycare for the Devonshire students currently in JK (next year's SKs) who are cared for at Connaught now.
2)provides busing for 2013-14 JK students attending at Connaught to be taken to Devonshire for before and after-school care if they have a spot at DSAP. DSAP will probably be offering the 10 spots they will have available in their half-day kindergarten program to next year's SKs. A kindergarten after-school program would be a new program, needing access to another room, so it's up to DSAP if they want to explore that.
3)frees DSAP to offer their 10 spots to people who aren't on the centralized waiting list.
As for OCDSB care at Connaught, my understanding is that it will be available to all who want it, and will cover PD days, summer and March Break. Hopefully we won't have much longer to wait for answers.
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Post by tgrills on Apr 12, 2013 13:56:05 GMT -5
Hi Everyone,
I know that we agreed to not do anything until next week, but I had a phone call in to the Board earlier this week. So this is what I found out today from the Principal Amy Hannah.
I was told that the information changes daily, but a communication is in the process of being crafted to be sent out to families hopefully next week.
I asked the following questions:
1. We are under the assumption that our JK registrations will be transferred from Devonshire to Connaught, is this correct?
--They have been transferred and entered into the system at Connaught. They arrived this past Monday.
2. We were told that we would have access to Full Day Kindergarten and the Extended Day Program as part of this redirection. If we would like to register for the Extended Day Program, can we fill out the form available on the OCDSB website (http://www.ocdsb.ca/programs/ExtendedDayProgram/Extended%20Day%20Program%20Docs/Extended%20Day%20Registration.pdf) and bring it in to the office with a $50 deposit?
--- We are eligible for the Extended Day Program. Please complete the application online and forward them Ida here at Connaught.
3. Is there anything else that we need to do between now and the end of June?
--- We are putting together the date for our Welcome to Kindergarten afternoon / evening. You will be receiving a letter from the board and one from Connaught with this information once the district letter has been sent out.
So hopefully, that helps to answer some of the questions and at least shows that people are talking. I know that we have many more questions, but we can see what the letter from the OCDSB contains.
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Post by vickysmallman on Apr 15, 2013 10:06:07 GMT -5
that is very useful info. thanks, Trevor!
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Post by cwhitehead on Apr 26, 2013 22:36:10 GMT -5
Still no message from the board. In the meantime, DSAP will offer more spots to SKs at Devonshire in the fall (30 altogether), there will be no after school program for JKs at DSAP, and it seems that the OCDSB won't have to offer half-day care to Devonshire SK kids at Connaught.
The fact that the board has taken more than a month to write a letter to parents that have registered for JK bodes really well for 2014.
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