The Bradner Barker
  • News
  • Local Businesses
  • Advertising
  • Contact
Picture

Bradner School, Damned if we do... Damned if we don't!

1/8/2016

0 Comments

 
Bradner elementary students Bradner Daffodils
Bradner elementary students learn to grow famous Bradner Daffodils

Bradner is a school steeped in tradition, with roots reaching into the late 1800's. Bradner is a community school and many of past students still live and work in the area, sharing a common bond and continue the generations of Bradner pupils by having their children attend Bradner.  

Bradner follows many traditions - preparing our locals children for the future with grass-roots
upbringing in a community that supports each other, where everyone knows each other, families help one another, lifetime friendships are nurtured and maintained, rural life is the way of life and has been for generations. It takes a village to raise a child - author unknown which focuses on the core fact that there is a measurable impact on children when individuals and groups outside the family, for better or worse, affect a child's well-being.

With the proposed rural school grade re-configuration plan the school board is in a win win situation - The Bradner Barker has received inside information that the Abbotsford School District's long term goal is to close rural schools, so they have brought a short notice re-configuration plan and parents are reacting by withdrawing their children, surveys are being completed now at all schools to show the loss of major student numbers of current grade 5's AND their younger siblings... This news was sprung on parents on November 24th, 2015 and if it goes through will take effect September 2016 - leaving parents with Grade 5 children, scrambling to make a decision. 

"As a parent, I'm damned if we go along with this plan - sending our children to 'layovers' at Middle Schools that studies show negatively impact children's academic achievements and emotional well being, AND damned if I don't go along with it - by leaving our rural K-7's and severely impacting student numbers! I am being forced into a choice between my COMMUNITY and my Kids"! Heather Walsh


Bradner is not alone. The schools slated are: Aberdeen, Bradner, Mt. Lehman, Ross, Barrowtown and Upper Sumas elementary schools. Our rural schools need community support. Please help in any way you can and join the Facebook group Save our K-7 Schools.

The Abbotsford School Board posted this note on their website about the plan - The Board of Education is considering the reconfiguration of remaining grade K-7 elementary schools in the district to K-5. The six elementary schools are: Barrowtown and Upper Sumas on the east side of the district; Aberdeen, Bradner, Mt. Lehman, and Ross on the west side. In addition, the Board will consider realigning the catchment area for Barrowtown and Upper Sumas to be part of the Abbotsford Middle and Secondary school catchments. If approved, this would take effect in the 2016-17 school year. The Board will conduct a consultation process including January public information meetings as well as establish other channels for providing feedback. The Board has tentatively scheduled consideration of the reconfiguration at their regular meeting on February 23, 2016.

​The district is currently completing revisions to its Long Term Facility Plan which includes a comprehensive review of school catchment and demographic trends. Secretary-Treasurer Ray Velestuk reported to the Board at the November 24th, 2015 regular meeting that throughout the review, the inconsistency of elementary school grade configurations (i.e. most elementary schools are grades K-5; some are grades K-7; middle schools are grades 6-8) has been identified as contributing to ongoing capacity and utilization challenges at some elementary and middle schools...

Letter to parents/guardians of Barrowtown & Upper Sumas elementary schools
Letter to parents/guardians of Aberdeen, Bradner, Mt. Lehman and Ross elementary schools

Parent Opinions

Rhonda Jantz-Krahn, "The city of Abbotsford prides itself in naming our community "The City in the Country".
The notion of country being agriculture and open space. Along with that, "country" implies a way of living. A way of living in a community that is different from urban, inner city life. Many residents in Abbotsford have moved here because they want to raise their families in an environment that has that "country" feel. What brings communities together? Schools! What allows Abbotsford to pride itself in having country values? Schools! It is our country schools, Mt. Lehman, Bradner, Ross, Aberdene, Upper Sumas and Barrowtown that allow Abbotsford to maintain country values within a city. The K - 7 family settings allow for families to remain together for longer, have their children learn and practise "country" values and not be forced to grow up as quickly. These K - 7 schools help define Abbotsford and add to its unique "City within the Country" feel! They are treasures to keep. Treasures that help Abbotsford be the place people want to be".

Heather Walsh,  "The sad thing about this move by the school board is that they are doing it on such a short timeline! Parents are needing to make decisions now for September and many are already jumping ship… They are enrolling their kids in MEI or traditional schools, cross-bounding to Langley, or homeschooling. If they wait their grade 5’s will end up in Eugene Reimer! I have a daughter in Grade 5 at Bradner… do I wait or register somewhere else?? At the Bradner PAC meeting last night we were told of the whispered master plan to centralize schools towards the city and increase capacity at these more city oriented schools… 
​

Right now the school board is in a win win situation - their goal is to close rural schools, so bring on short notice re-configuration and parents react as they should for their children, schools loose major numbers of 6/7’s but also their younger siblings when parents withdraw them together…. our rural schools are at risk, more so than they ever have been before… Should I also move my boys, grade 1 and 4 along with their sister, my daughter, yes - for so many reasons…! I wonder where initiatives of "Abbots-forward” and "City in the Country” fit into this??
The middle school idea was a complete failure in Ontario, the stats are staggering. We don’t want it, they know it, but they are in essence making us choose between our kids and their wonderful elementary schools. Our choice to support our rural schools is being robbed from us"!

Please Help Us!

Please send letters from yourselves, businesses or whomever from all of the communities affected! (the more letters the better) contact info below and spread the word about the meetings, POST SIGNS, lets get all demographics there from the all communities attending - the meetings are:

Tuesday, January 19th, 7pm at Upper Sumas Elementary 
Thursday, January 21st, 7pm at Mt. Lehman Elementary

Tuesday, January 26th, 7pm at Aberdeen Elementary

Tentative - Tuesday, February 23rd, 2016, consideration (decision) of the reconfiguration at their regular meeting at the DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION/SCHOOL BOARD OFFICE - 2790 Tims St, Abbotsford, BC V2T 4M7

Make Noise!

Please send letters to: 
Trustee, Kevin Godden, Superintendent’s assistant: [email protected]
Abbotsford School District Contacts can be found here.
Bradner BC we love Rural Living
Happy rural Bradner pre-teens, let them grow up here!
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Bradner Community News

    News at your fingertips!

    Categories

    All
    4 H
    Abbotsford Airport
    Abbotsford School District
    Aberdeen
    Agriculture Land Commission
    Aldergrove
    ALR
    Annual Celebrations
    Baby Announcements
    Bertrand Creek
    Birthdays
    Bradner Agriculture
    Bradner Artisans
    Bradner Childcare
    Bradner Community Club
    Bradner Elementary School
    Bradner Hall
    Bradner History Committee
    Bradner Memorials
    Bradner PAC
    Bradner Presbyterian Church
    Bradner Store
    Bus Service
    CGLAP
    City Of Abbotsford
    Community Alerts
    Community Profiles
    Community Warning
    Contests
    Crime
    Crown Land In BC
    Delfresh
    Dunach Elementary
    Elections
    Endbridge Gas Line
    Entertainment
    Environment
    Events
    Fire & Ambulance
    First Nations
    Flower Show
    For Sale
    Fraser River
    Fundraising
    FVRD
    Garden Club
    Glen Valley Watersheds Society
    Guest Posts
    History
    Interurban
    ISO
    Jubilee Hall
    Kickstarter
    Kinder Morgan
    Legion
    LEPS
    Letters To The Editor
    Local Produce
    Lost & Found
    Matthew's House
    May Day
    Missing Persons
    MLA Media Releases
    Mount Lehman History
    MP Media Releases
    Mt Lehman
    Nathan Creek
    OBITUARIES
    Opinion
    Police
    Press Releases
    Programs
    Protest-rallies
    Protest-rallies
    Save Our K 7s
    Sports
    Thunder Kings
    Traffic
    Trains
    Transit
    Trans Mountain Pipeline
    Wedding Announcements
    Wildlife


    Chitter Chatter Fabrics

    Bradner Farms
    Certified Organic - Dairy, Poultry, Feedmill & Beef

    LAVU Design

    Brought to you by...
    Bradner Hall


    Dishlink Surrey BC

    Tweets by @BradnerBarker

    Bradner BC

    The Barker Belongs to Bradner...

    Submit an Article

    Red Dog Mobile Welding Abbotsford BC

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    July 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    August 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    April 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015

    Welder Abbotsford


    Land Based Fish farms Canada

    Bradner News Abbotsford BC

    Bradner Bulldogs Abbotsford BC

    The Barker Belongs to Bradner...

    Submit an Article
    Bradner Hall
    A Mark HVAC Vancouver BC

    Spring Health Centre
    Reisinger Electric
    Prodigy Orthotics

    The Bradner Barker Abbotsford BC

    The Barker Belongs to Bradner...

    Submit an Article


    Harris Road Farm Organic Blueberries Abbotsford BC Upick

    Heritage Mountain Heating and Cooling AC Repair Furnace repair and installation BC
Bradner Barker Abbotsford BC

© 1994 - 2025 - The Bradner Barker - All Rights Reserved
The Barker Belongs to Bradner!
  • News
  • Local Businesses
  • Advertising
  • Contact