Early French immersion boundary review 2004 background.

Link to letter of January 11, 2004
To: The Vancouver School Board of Trustees
Subject: The proposal to replace the early French immersion boundary that is shared by Trafalgar, Quilchena and Kerrisdale with a separate boundary for each school.

For your information:

Today, January 13th, CPF Vancouver sent CPF Representatives a copy of
the draft version of the report the VSB will make to the Trustees
January 14th re the early FI boundary review.

The report is in .pdf format and I can forward you a copy if you would
like (you can let me know by replying to this e-mail).

In the report the VSB says at the January 8th early FI boundary review
information meeting they gave a handout with a survey.

I am sorry to report I was not aware there would be a survey/vote, was not
given a handout and did not notice handouts were available.

In the report the VSB says 35 people attended the meeting and 11 forms
were submitted to them. The VSB reports that:
63.6 % of respondents favour the recommendation to establish a separate
catchment.
54.6 % of respondents indicated support for the proposed catchment.

The VSB uses this information as a reason to recommend the Trustees
approve the proposed separate catchment.

The VSB proposes that West Boulevard, 49th Avenue, Granville Street,
70th Avenue and Oak Street serve as the boundary streets demarcating the
Kerrisdale and Quilchena early FI program catchments. These are listed
from north at 33rd to south.

If you feel it was not made clear to you that the Jan. 8 meeting
included a final vote, please let your PAC co-chairs know.

Also for your information, re the 11 forms submitted, there are:
42 Kerrisdale students
156 Quilchena students
201 Trafalgar students

re the early French immersion boundary review committee meeting today
Jan. 14

- seems the VSB has granted an extension to allow time for consultation
at the January Q PAC meeting. We have worked hard for this extension,
the meeting will be very important. Please plan to attend. More info
including the date will be coming soon from your PAC chairs.

IMPORTANT PAC MEETING

WEDNESDAY, JAN 21/04 from 7pm to 8pm

The whole PAC meeting will be devoted to discussing the proposed
boundary changes for the French Immersion Program.

Two VSB Planning Dept. Representatives will attend the Meeting to
discuss the proposed changes.

PLEASE COME, your input is essential.
This will be the only opportunity Quilchena parents will have to discuss
these proposed changes before a decision is finalized.

Childcare is provided.

An information package will be available in the office upon request.

Something noticed on a paper titled "FIAO Minutes Thursday, April
24th, 7:45" (the year is not given) handed out at one of the the 2 meetings
with VSB planners Jan. 20 and 21/04.

At the meeting I looked at the top half of the paper that gives waitlist
numbers at FI schools. Putting the paper away I noticed that  below it
says the ten families from Quilchena will be asked to accept a spot at
the other two schools by April 28th or remain on the Quilchena waitlist,
but parents may not do both.

This is contrary to the recommendation/suggestion Q PAC sent in their
letter to the VSB Feb. 1, 2002 (the same letter that asked the VSB to
consult with Q PAC if any further boundary changes were considered).

My thought was that:

In terms of the Q PAC exec boundary report recommending the review
be extended to allow for a better 'review' ( extending meaning having
Kerrisdale share the boundary one more year), if helps to try and
offer things or point out things that might make the sharing process better
this year, info from the following two areas might help

1. If this waitlist process were to follow the Q PAC recommendations,
for example, the ten waitlist at Quilchena last year would have been
free to take from the 16 spots then available at Kerrisdale and remain
on the Q waitlist.
- Instead of having to gamble with their five year old's chances at
Quilchena, sitting on the Q waitlist wondering if in the end they will
be stuck having to join a Kerrisdale class that at that point was 4
students (assuming class size of 20, this may have been lowered
recently, not sure) and worry that if the class size was too small
Kerrisdale might not run it:
- they could have been part of maybe then 14 students at Kerrisdale and
waiting if a spot or two came free at Quilchena. In the meantime
Kerrisdale looks more attractive to newcomers (and possibly the 10
waitlist) size wise. In the meantime Kerrisdale could invite those
parents to a meeting and perhaps convince them of the value of the
program at Kerrisdale to the point that if a spot came up at Q they
might not take it.
- Why the VSB may have done what they did MIGHT be they worried that if
the ten were allowed to go on Kerrisdale's list and a large number of
spaces came free at Q, the VSB would lose control of deciding which
class students could be in, which might matter to the VSB if the class
sizes were in danger of being too small to justify the cost of a
teacher.
(NOTE: this example assumes all 10 choosing Kerrisdale, when in fact
they can chose Trafalgar or Kerrisdale, but just trying to express an
idea of how things might work better)

2. At the first meeting this week with the VSB planners, Kerrisdale was
again asking how could Q parents not know the Jan. 8 meeting was
important. In the related discussion, it seemed that Kerrisdale was not
aware that:
-Last year at a CPF Vancouver meeting after the early French immersion
kindergarten process was complete, CPF Vancouver agreed to suggest to
the VSB:
that the early FI registration, usually starting the first school day in
January, be moved to after the prospective parent early FI information
evening, usually the third week of January. This was because it was
problematic to have an information evening for prospective parents where
you told them the application process is first come, first served and
the start date was 2 or 3 weeks ago. This suggestion was an improvement
for the schools sharing a boundary and for the schools with their own
boundaries.

Letter of Feb. 1, 2002 from Q PAC to VSB re waitlists and requesting to be consulted next time a boundary change is considered.
 
 
 

Subject:
        Q PAC Exec Boundary Report
   Date:
        Sat, 24 Jan 2004 08:43:41 -0800
   From:
        QPAC <[email protected]>
     To:
        J M, M T, J A, A M, C W

Hello Q PAC Exec:

M, J, J A, A and C,

Thank you so much for all your hard work on the recent boundary review
issue. The Q PAC Exec Boundary Report on behalf of parents is very good,
well done!

The report has been posted (as requested) to the PAC web site with initials rather than
names for privacy/security, see:

http://www.geocities.com/qpac1999/index.html

With much appreciation, L W
 

Subject:
             FI Task Force Recommendation
        Date:
             Tue, 27 Jan 2004
       From:
             A T, CPF Vancouver Co-chair
         To:

CPF Reps,
The proposal regarding the Kerrisdale boundary passed yesterday as
proposed by the Task Force at a special School Board Meeting.  I shall
prepare a summary for the Chapter for our Feb.2nd meeting.
 

The following instructions are from the VSB for finding their report,
" Kerrisdale-Quilchena French Immersion Catchment Proposal"
on their web site http://www.vsb.bc.ca

The report is on the vsb webpage - follow these steps:
1. Choose "Board Info" on the left sidebar of the homepage.
 2. Choose "Meetings" on the left sidebar
3. Choose "School Board Meeting Information" on the left sidebar.
Then scroll down to the Planning & Facilities.
You will see the report in blue text.

Direct link to VSB's " Kerrisdale-Quilchena French Immersion Catchment Proposal"

Notice from VSB to Quilchena parents re proposal to introduce a boundary between Kerrisdale and Quilchena. Consider that:
- many, if not most, French immersion parents at Quilchena of grades 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 could be unaware there was not a boundary between Quilchena and Kerrisdale,
therefore, they might think that this concerned a minor revision of a boundary
- this is the first communication from the VSB to Quilchena parents to let them know there is a proposal to change from a shared boundary with Kerrisdale and Trafalgar to separate boundaries, and that Quilchena's existing boundary will be moved from Dunbar to Granville and from 16th to 33rd
- that at the meeting January 8th they have an opportunity to review for the first and only time the boundary proposal, that there will a survey conducted and that the VSB plans to make a decision that evening and send their recommendation including the survey results to the Trustees on January 14th.
- the location is incorrect.

Reminder and location correction notice from VSB about the Jan. 8 meeting:

Notice from VSB to to Quilchena parents when the Trustees granted an extension for a special meeting of the three school PACs on the introduction of a boundary between Quilchena, Kerrisdale and Trafalgar that is a major change for Quilchena:

A Quilchena PAC co-chair was sent a copy of the notice of this special PAC meeting that went out at Trafalgar, by the new Trafalgar principal. The notice said Trafalgar was not affected and that the notice came from the Trafalgar CPF Rep. and the new Trafalgar principal. The Quilchena PAC co-chair asked the other Quilchena PAC co-chair and the Q CPF Rep. about this, but did not indicate she had a copy, so the other Q PAC co-chair asked the Q CPF rep. to see about getting a copy from the Traf. CPF Rep. The new Trafalgar principal phoned the Quilchena CPF Rep. to make amends for a disagreement at the Jan. 14 Trustee meeting, Phoning to do so was very kind of the new Trafalgar principal. The Quilchena CPF Rep. was aware the Quilchena PAC co-chairs were curious about the Trafalgar notice as the Trafalgar CPF Rep. had written to the VSB Boundary review committee following the Jan. 8 meeting to say Trafalgar was affected. As the Q CPF Rep. had not had time to contact the Traf. CPF Rep.,  and the Q CPF Rep. was on the phone with the new Trafalgar principal, the Q CPF Rep. asked the new Trafalgar principal (before winter break, the Quilchena principal) for a copy and the new Trafalgar principal said, there was no point in getting a copy as a new notice was going to have to go out because the notice that went out had the wrong date. In this same conversation the new Trafalgar principal said the members of the VSB boundary review committee were sworn to secrecy, this was why as principal at Quilchena she had to tell the PAC co-chair that it was too preliminary to give a report at the November PAC meeting, this was why the DPAC rep. had not contacted Q PAC and this was why the CPF Vancouver co-chair had not contacted the Q CPF Rep. The new Trafalgar principal also said that at the last VSB boundary review committee meeting there was a plan to have meetings with each of the Kerr. PAC, the Traf. PAC and the Q PAC in December. The VSB subsequently determined that there was not enough time for those meetings, so they were not held. The Q CPF Rep. checked with the Q PAC co-chair and the Q PAC co-chair said she had also just learned from the VSB of this secrecy. The Q PAC co-chair reported to Q PAC at the Jan. 21 Q PAC only meeting following the 3 schools PAC meeting that she had just been told of this secrecy. The minutes of the Jan. 21 Q PAC meeting include this. The Q PAC co-chair told the Q PAC meeting that she had told the VSB that she wanted an apology from the VSB for not informing Quilchena PAC until late in the process and making Quilchena appear obstructionist to the process.

Extracts from minutes for Jan. 21 meeting:

"Minutes of a Meeting to Discuss
Proposed French Immersion Catchment Boundary Changes

                                                Held at Quilchena Elementary School

                                                  Wednesday, January 21, 2004
 
 

Call to order 7:10 Marisa Tuzi
 
 

Val Overgaard, Associate Superintendent

Anne Trudel, Canadian Parents for French

@, Kerrisdale Elementary principal

Val Coopersmith, Quilchena Elementary principal

Lori Phillips, Trafalgar Elementary principal

Parents from Kerrisdale Elementary

Parents from Quilchena Elementary

Parents from Trafalgar Elementary

Craig Sidjak, VSB Planner

Henry Ahking, VSB Planner
 
 

The purpose of the meeting was to gather information about proposed changes to Kerrisdale and Quilchena school French Immersion boundaries in advance of a
report to the Task Force Committee on Quilchena PAC’s decision either in support or against the boundary changes.

*
*
*

Marisa suggested we split into separate groups at 8:20.

*
*
*
 
 
 

Task force representatives were told not to discuss this with anyone, which is concrete evidence that the consultation process is flawed. Consultation should be times
so that it does not occur during the Christmas period, when many people in this demographic are away from home.
 
 

CC – VSB

Board of Trustees

PACs of Kerrisdale and Trafalgar

Class parents
 
 

Meeting adjourned at 9:22."

Since Quilchena, Trafalgar and Kerrisdale have shared a boundary, the community south of 33rd, west of Granville and east of Dunbar (that has long been a major supporter of Quilchena FI Kindergarten) has had at least 3 FI kindergarten classes available.

Since Quilchena, Trafalgar and Kerrisdale have shared a boundary there has continued to be a waitlist at Quilchena. See notes above re disagreemnet between VSB and Q PAC re how that waitlist in the shared boundary situation was to be handled.

Prior to Trafalgar sharing a boundary with Quilchena and Kerrisdale, they usually had trouble filling one FI K class and had to wait each year as people on waitlists at other schools gave up waiting and switched to Trafalgar. The message the Trafalgar CPF Rep. wrote to the VSB Boundary review committee following the Jan. 8 meeting includes "our numbers have been maintained through picking up students off other waitlists later in the spring each year". If some years Trafalgar had 2 FI K classes it was likely a case of 'overflow' from other schools.

As of 03/04 the English stream numbers starting K at Quilchena have been low the last few years.

History

The Q PAC web pages for the implementation of early French immersion boundaries are at:

 http://www.geocities.com/qpac1999/PAC-BOUNDARY-INDEX

At the time there was a proposal by the VSB to have Quilchena be an annex to Trafalgar. This was opposed by Quilchena and not proceeded with by the VSB. At the time in the French immersion system, Quilchena and Trafalgar were the only schools with just 1 class, K to 7.

Quilchena wanted growth at Quilchena from 1 K class to 1.5 K class. An intake of 1.5 K class helped Quilchena intermediate student numbers in the past. Quilchena had had a large waitlist for some years.

The VSB said no and began a startup 1 K class at Kerrisdale for a 1 class FI K-7 program as they felt there was sufficient demand for a full K.

Prior to the decision to open at Kerrisdale, the VSB suggested a school east of Granville. Quilchena objected as a large majority of Quilchena families came from west of Granville.

When the VSB proposed that Quilchena be an annex to Trafalgar, there were many reasons for opposition from Quilchena, two were:
1. no intermediate grade reading buddies for primary grades
2. Trafalgar's location was too far for the significant number of Quilchena families that came from south of 49th and west of Granville.
3. the community south of 33rd and west of Granville (that had long been a major supporter of Quilchena FI Kindergarten) felt it was important to have FI K to 7 available south of 33rd and west of Granville, as it was, at Quilchena.

As there were a significant number of Quilchena families coming from south of 49th between Granville and East Boulevard, when the VSB proposed Kerrisdale as a 1 class FI K-7 program, there was a suggestion from some Quilchena families that instead the VSB open a 1 class FI K-3 annex program for Quilchena at the   McKechnie English stream elementary annex school located in their neighborhood that at the time looked like it would close due to not enough English stream students.

When the first PAC meeting about the proposal for FI at Kerrisdale was held at Kerrisdale, the Quilchena CPF Representative, at the invitation of the VSB, went to the Kerrisdale meeting and helped alleviate fears of some parents about how FI might change their school and helped some parents who were considering FI understand FI better.

Re single track (ie. a school with 2 FI K classes) versus dual track (ie. a school with 1 English K class and 1 FI K class),
extracts from minutes for Jan. 21 meeting:
 
 

"Minutes of a Meeting to Discuss
Proposed French Immersion Catchment Boundary Changes

                                                Held at Quilchena Elementary School

                                                  Wednesday, January 21, 2004
 
 

Call to order 7:10 Marisa Tuzi
 
 

Val Overgaard, Associate Superintendent

Anne Trudel, Canadian Parents for French

@, Kerrisdale Elementary principal

Val Coopersmith, Quilchena Elementary principal

Lori Phillips, Trafalgar Elementary principal

Parents from Kerrisdale Elementary

Parents from Quilchena Elementary

Parents from Trafalgar Elementary

Craig Sidjak, VSB Planner

Henry Ahking, VSB Planner
 
 

The purpose of the meeting was to gather information about proposed changes to Kerrisdale and Quilchena school French Immersion boundaries in advance of a
report to the Task Force Committee on Quilchena PAC’s decision either in support or against the boundary changes.

*
*
*

Henry supported that a two K intake might help the retention rate; he definitely knows that in a single track school * , the retention rate is higher.

*
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*
 

Marisa suggested we split into separate groups at 8:20.

*
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*

CC – VSB

Board of Trustees

PACs of Kerrisdale and Trafalgar

Class parents
 
 

Meeting adjourned at 9:22."

* a single track school is a French immersion stream only school. A dual track school is an English stream and a French immersion stream school. Quilchena is a dual track school.

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