Current newsNext step is for the VSB to approve the recommendations made by the consultants
Copy of the report and recommendations sent from the consultants to the VSB. This document includes an Appendix of the transcripts of our open house comment forms. (The pages conatining the Open House boards were deleted to reduce the file size - separate link for them below). Recommendation by the NCLD Steering Committee for the VSB to accept the recommendations in the consultant's report. Committee II will vote to move forward based on this report at their meeting on Tues Jan 19th, 5:30pm, at the VSB (1580 West Broadway, room 120). Comments on the report from the Gordon PAC School Renewal Committee: The School Renewal Committee does not support the recommendations in the report in their current form and urge you to contact the trustees and voice your disappointment. VSB Committee II will vote on the recommendations Tuesday, Jan. 15 at 5:30 so please send your comments to the trustees as soon as possible. Letter written in response to the consultants report The recommendations appear to ignore the very clear feedback from parents and the community provided through the Open House and Visioning sessions. The space allocated for General Gordon remains inadequate to the needs of the school, especially for childcare. In addition, the recommendations for General Gordon are notably different than for Lord Strathcona and the space allocation for Gordon and Queen Mary are the same despite differences in population and programming. Examples of these issues include: both of the other pilot schools additional childcare space is being made available and Queen Mary is receiving the same library top-up despite not having a French immersion program and needing a two language library collection. Other documents for reference:
Background summaryDue to the current area standards for schools, and the availability of funds only for seismic upgrades but not for other, much needed school building upgrades, the seismic upgrading of our schools is resulting in a downgrading of our facilities. Schools across the city are losing lunchrooms, space for after school care, auditoriums, covered outdoor play areas, music rooms, stages, and basement areas used on rainy days and for after school care. Many people are also concerned about the loss of our community heritage buildings. After meetings with the VSB and Gordon Campbell, Gordon Elementary is part of the Neighbourhoods of Learning project. A consulting group is working with Gordon staff, parents and community members to plan how during the seismic upgrade of Gordon the building can maintain it's status as a community resource as well as a school. Strathcona Elementary and Queen Mary Elementary are going through a similar process.
Seismic mailing list - updates and discussions by e-mail |
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General Gordon Elementary School |
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