1. January 16, 2012Arborfield School Review Committee members:
Mike Wassill
Corrina Kapeller
Erin Gray
Alois Bronner
Marilyn Johnson
Helen Soucy
Jo-Ann Edwards
Munden Coates
Dan Mielke
2. Preamble
Inception in 1931.
Current building constructed in 1947.
Further additions in ‘59, ‘65, ‘82, ‘88, ’91 increased the
size to 34 000 square feet.
Building has a 10 yr old roof, some new windows and
stucco, numerous electrical retrofits, new furnaces,
drainage control and meticulous janitorial services.
3. Our Facility
Our building offers...
A full size gymnasium.
Two state of the art computer rooms.
A fully equipped wood shop.
A home economic lab.
Science lab.
Well stocked library/resource center.
7 large, technology integrated, classrooms.
3 multiuse classrooms.
A sparsely furnished staff room.
Office space.
Fully wheelchair accessible.
4. Our facility (cont’d)
Our facility/community also offers...
A safe and well maintained playground.
2 ball diamonds.
A volleyball court and track facilities.
Bordering our property are...
Curling and Skating Rink.
Community Hall.
Public Library.
Town Office.
36 businesses offering a variety of goods and services.
We have turnkey
privileges to both rinks
and the hall.
5. Bussing
About ½ our students are bussed to our facility.
Currently, our longest bus route is 30 minutes.
Community survey indicated that there was a
concern about longer bus routes (67% of
respondents).
6. Our Proposal
Our review committee would like to present the
following proposal for your consideration. It is our
belief that this proposal presents the most viable,
effective and efficient solution to address the
problems faced by both our school and Ecole Zenon
Park School.
7. Background
Our proposal is the culmination of many hours of
meetings and research including...
Public meetings with the communities of Arborfield and the SCC
for Ecole Zenon Park School.
Public presentations in Arborfield and Zenon Park.
Meetings with MLA Fred Bradshaw, board member Ted
Kwiatkowski and North East School Division support staff.
A review committee was formed and they issued a
community/student survey to gather data on a draft
amalgamation plan.
Further meetings and analysis of the survey data have fed
into the proposal we present today.
8. Arborfield School Review Committee Proposal
The Arborfield School Review Committee would like to propose the
following:
1. An amalgamated school between Arborfield and Zenon Park
to be housed in Arborfield School, which would serve the
educational and cultural needs of both communities.
2. That the Board merge Arborfield School with Ecole Zenon
Park School with a new name, signage, logo, etc.
3. This proposal will allow for fewer multigrade classrooms,
more in house offerings of core subject areas.
4. It will also create opportunities for a more effective use of the
industrial arts and home economics facilities.
5. Complete extra curricular programming will be restored for
all students.
9. How do we address potential language issues?
With an Enhanced Core French program.
The following points will outline our vision of “Enhanced
Core French” in an amalgamated school.
1. The primary language of instruction be English and an
Enhanced Core French program be implemented at all
levels. From the outset there would be mandatory
French classes in primary classes, with optional classes in
grades 4-12. As primary students move into elementary
and high school classes, French instruction continues.
2. Any senior students would have the opportunity to take
distance learning classes or Advanced Placement to
complete their bilingual certification.
10. 3. Almost immediately, some courses like Phys-Ed,
Industrial Arts, Home Economics and Math could
incorporate a French component. The vision is that in 4-
5 years, students will have access to bilingual instruction
in most courses.
4. All students completing the Enhanced Core French
program will be strongly encouraged to write the DELF
(Diplome d’etudes en Francais) proficiency test to certify
their ability to function in the French language.
(DELF is an internationally recognized French language
certification).
11. 5. An educational support person be hired to help
teachers with French instruction.
6. A French Club be started for non-French speaking
parents and students to practice the language.
7. All signage, announcements, student lead
conferences and official publications would be in
both languages.
8. At its essence, Enhanced Core French is a bold
educational initiative that will develop an
environment where students learn to function in
both official languages.
12. Results of the Community/Student Survey
A draft of the aforementioned proposal was presented
to the stakeholders.
They were questioned on the merits of schooling in
Arborfield.
Predictably a huge majority preferred to have
students attend Arborfield School (94%).
The most telling piece of data from the survey was
the 80% support for an amalgamated school offering
Enhanced Core French.
13. Would you support an amalgamated
school with an enhanced or basic Core
French Program?
Community Survey
Student Survey
15. trengths
1. Our proposal addresses the full educational needs of
both communities.
2. There is no need for additional infrastructure.
3. Attainment of maximum use of Arborfield’s
facilities; Industrial Arts, Home Economics,
Accessibility Features, Labs.
4. An amalgamation would be based on a model that
has been working in our schools for years. We have
shared French Classes, Industrial Arts, Home
Economics, Drivers’ Education, Pre School and
Extracurricular opportunities and facilities.
16. 5. The bus routes that are in place now are sufficient, no
student will spend extended time on the bus.
6. Qualified teachers and support staff are already
present in the schools.
7. Student to teacher ratio will better reflect the
divisional mean.
8. Fewer online classes and fewer multi-grade
classrooms will be needed.
9. North East School Division maintains one school in
the geographic center of the division.
trengths
17. 1. Zenon Park will lose their school, but Ecole Notre-
Dame-Des-Vertus maintains a K-12 presence in the
community.
2. Our proposal cannot include French Immersion; but
Enhanced Core French plus locally developed
options, online elective credits, family involvement,
DELF provides full certification of one’s ability to
function in the French language.
3. A transition period will be required to upgrade
students’ French skills.
eaknesses
18. 4. Some senior teachers from both schools are not
bilingual. However, an Education Support Person
would play an important role in assisting these
teachers.
5. Arborfield School has no stage. However, our
community hall is at our disposal.
6. We have only anecdotal evidence that our proposal
would be supported in Zenon Park.
eaknesses
19. 1. We believe that our proposed amalgamation creates
a synergistic education experience to what is being
offered in the two separate schools.
2. Our proposal permits the two communities to work
together for the students. It also creates
opportunities to build and foster lasting
partnerships between the school, provincial,
national and international organizations.
3. This is an opportunity to return quality French
education to Arborfield School.
4. Our proposal provides and efficient and effective
use of staff, facilities and bussing.
pportunities
20. pportunities
5. Our proposal offers a model for cooperation
between 2 communities as opposed to wholesale
closure of 2 rural schools.
6. Our plan provides the North East School Division
with an economically viable option for maintaining
a school between the two communities.
21. 1. The transition will require the work of a sensitive
and competent staff.
2. Two groups of parents will have to unite to perform
the essential duties of a new School Community
Council.
3. We are creating a unique kind of school.
4. If the two communities do not act now, there may
not be another opportunity.
hallenges
22. Conclusion
We feel we have made a compelling argument for the
North East School Division to continue to maintain a
facility that serves Arborfield and Zenon Park.
We recognize that a change from the present
situation is necessary.
We offer our community’s commitment to make this
proposal work.
