A large group of parents are fighting to keep the B次元官网网址榯raditionalB次元官网网址� in the name of Cloverdale Traditional School.
Recently, the Greater Victoria School District announced both Cloverdale and South Park Family schools will no longer be schools of choice and will instead become regular stream elementary schools. ItB次元官网网址檚 part of a district-wide boundary catchment review.
However, Cloverdale and South Park are the most affected.
There are also questions about the student body at the high-needs Victor School in Fernwood, as it is also proposed to become a regular stream elementary with a catchment.
By giving Cloverdale and South Park a catchment, it will alleviate the pressures that George Jay and Quadra elementary schools are facing as both are at capacity, according to the district. The changes come as district expects an increase of 1,800 additional students in the next few years on top of the current 20,000 student population.
However, parents at Cloverdale believe the benefits their children receive from Cloverdale being a school of choice are too valuable to sacrifice.
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B次元官网网址淲e have some angry parents,B次元官网网址� said Starr Munro, a mom whose first child went through Cloverdale and whose daughter is in Grade 3. Munro is also representative of the schoolB次元官网网址檚 parent advisory council. B次元官网网址淭he model is working, itB次元官网网址檚 in demand, we donB次元官网网址檛 understand why it should go.B次元官网网址�
Munro said Cloverdale plans to unite at its Tuesday PAC meeting in launching a campaign to keep the schoolB次元官网网址檚 culture and themes exactly as they are. Past and future parents are all invited to share their concerns and to come together and suggest solutions, Munro said.
Schools of choice exist under slightly different rules as they use a district-wide catchment, and are not bound by a catchment. Cloverdale offers extra themes under the label of a B次元官网网址榯raditionalB次元官网网址� model which, as Munro points out, isnB次元官网网址檛 about traditional learning methods.
B次元官网网址淭raditional schools are defined by their greater emphasis on the traditional values of citizenship, responsibility, and respectB次元官网网址� as well as B次元官网网址渢he wearing of student uniforms, active parent involvement and educational structure,B次元官网网址� explained Munro.
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CloverdaleB次元官网网址檚 values system is updated in a handbook each year.
B次元官网网址淵ou have to see it to understand it but the respect is built in,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲e have parents who buy into our guiding principles and value system. Every school has a community and culture but we have a specific one that we buy into, and we believe that culture impacts learning in a positive way.B次元官网网址�
But now everything, starting with the uniforms, is on the table to make way for the districtB次元官网网址檚 growing student population.
Secretary-treasurer Mark Walsh clarified that the uniforms are bound to go but added elementary schools are afforded room to create their own culture.
The question is, how will becoming a catchment school affect the ability to retain the culture. Munro said families are attracted to Cloverdale because of the culture and demand is high. Not everyone gets in to Cloverdale. Until last year Cloverdale and South Park each had a years-long wait list for kindergarten entry. Those wait lists were scrapped last year when SD61 brought in a new student enrolment policy.
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B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 know, this is a question weB次元官网网址檒l be exploring, but itB次元官网网址檚 kind of the last choice for us,B次元官网网址� Munro said. B次元官网网址淲e want to approach this with solutions. Once we have a better idea of the solutions, we feel like there are creative solutions to be explored.
On Monday, South Park parents are holding a Save Our School B次元官网网址楽OSB次元官网网址� rally as parents past, present and future plan are planning to challenge the district proposal.
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