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

Parent of Barrowtown Elementary Opposing the Grade K-7 Reconfiguration

1/11/2016

2 Comments

 
By Nicole Fadden, Barrowtown Elementary School Parent

I am a parent of 3 children that attend Barrowtown Elementary. Currently they are in grade 3, 2 and 1.

For the 2015-2016 school year, there are 88 registered students at Barrotown. The year prior was approximately 92. 

I have several concerns for our rural schools turning into K-5 schools for various reason. Not just with the school that affects our household, but many other farming families who currently use rural schools like Mt. Lehman, Bradner, Aberdeen, Ross and Upper Sumas Elementary.
With the exception of Upper Sumas, our schools run a student population of approximately 200 or less, from grades K to 7.

What guarantee do we as parents have, that the Abbotsford School District will not permanently shut our rural schools down if the K-5 Proposal goes through? Removing our senior students will reduce our school enrolment. At what point will the School District say “shut it down.”

Our rural schools are being phased out in a world that we push to work faster than what many are ready for. Our children are being pushed into mature situations that they are not prepared for. We as parents understand our children's comfort level. 

I'm proud to say that my two oldest are quite independent. However the idea of my oldest being put on a bus, taken 20 km away from home (his catchement school would be Abbotsford Middle) at the age of 11 is more than enough to say – this is not right.

Taking an 11 year old child from a rural elementary environment, putting him on a bus at 7:15am, to go to the city centre of Abbotsford for school and expecting him to find his way through the maze of 560+ students of Abbotsford Middle is nothing short of a psychological nightmare waiting to happen. 

How is that the best interest of a child?

I feel as if the entire school district itsself needs to be re-evaluated with respect to grade and school separation and catchement area locations.

This cannot be done in a short time frame, much like the life changing decision of altering our rural schools, and our childrens way of life, by the end of February 2016.

I am asking the Abbotsford School District to take a step back, re-evalate our students situations and do research in the best learning environment for our children throughout the entire district. I'm sure any changes forthcoming will be more widely agreeable and accepted among parents who can see the information reviewed and the basis of the School Boards decisions. As for what I have personally found doing my own research – I have yet to learn of any benefits that would greatly outweigh the disadvantages of the proposed K-5 reconfiguration.

Sincerely,
Nicole Fadden
2 Comments
Colleen
1/13/2016 07:37:22 am

Not to mention the ajoined Leap for Joy preschool! Because all the families are going elsewhere, she has no choice but to close.
This year is her last next to Barrowtown elementary :( Which really is bad news for my other two sons; she's such an amazing preschool teacher!

Reply
Ruth
1/13/2016 05:08:28 pm

leap of joy preschool is the best thing that has happened for my little girl and know what???

There is no good reason to shut the school down! I feel

Reply

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