Peggy Revell
Emo residents skipped curling and braved the cold Thursday night to show their support for Donald Young School during the second public meeting held by the pupil accommodation review committee.
“Although this review is to study the logical, statistical, and economic role of DYS, it is to us, the citizens of this community, an integral part of our lives,” Emo Coun. Anthony Leek told the review committee on behalf of the township and in front of the roughly 100 people who filled the seats in the DYS gym.
“Having a school here is a part of the intricate pieces that makes the Town of Emo such an amazing place to live,” Coun. Leek stressed.
DYS currently is classified as “prohibitive to repair,” meaning that replacing the building is more economical than renovating it.
But before anything can be done with the school, such as renovations, a new building, closure, or consolidation, the Rainy River District School Board is required to complete a pupil accommodation review—overseen by a committee made up of representatives from the board, school, and community.
A key component of this review is the compiling of a “school information profile” based around four areas: value to the student, value to the system, value to the community, and value to the local economy.
Once the review is completed, the committee’s report and recommendations will be forwarded to the director of education for review by senior board administration, with a final report to be presented to trustees at their June meeting.
Subsequent reviews also are planned for Sturgeon Creek School in Barwick and Crossroads School in Devlin.
“DYS has been, and is, the foundation of our community,” Tompkins Hardware owner Tom Mosbeck said in a presentation to the committee.
He encouraged the committee to recommend either one of two options: rebuild the school with a day care at the current location, using additional land that would be available with an agreement with the municipality.
Or, when funding is available, build a new school with a day care on donated property within the reach of municipal services.
Mosbeck said there are many reasons why the school benefits from being within the township.
The town’s various health-care facilities means greater convenience for families when it comes to appointments.
As well, the facilities and emergency services are “just minutes away”—offering students “a strong health and safety support in the community.”
Being situated in the village means DYS has access to both the sewer and water system, and low-cost natural gas, Mosbeck also noted.
A new DYS also could facilitate child care programs that expand beyond the regular school day—“a service that is greatly needed,” he added.
“We believe Emo is the hub of our area in the Rainy River District,” Mosbeck continued.
“Emo and its surrounding area is dominated by growing self-employed small business operations, including forestry, manufacturing, mining, tourism, talented tradespeople, and agriculture, all of which contribute to a stable, growing community,” he noted, citing the lots that are being developed and that the community continues to welcome new families.
The township has not seen, over the past 30 years, a decrease in population according to the municipal directory, Coun. Leek noted in his presentation.
As well, 2011 saw the approval of a 70-lot subdivision within the village while a 28-lot rural subdivision is in the design stage one mile north of Emo.
“Our families depend on the resources and support this school provides, and without it we would lose one of the major organs of our community,” Coun. Leek warned.
He listed a number of opportunities and resources the students have access to with the school being located in the village, such as the curling rink, tennis court, spray park, and the Women’s Institute museum, as well as close proximity to medical and dental services.
More services could be incorporated into a newly-rebuilt facility, he added.
“The Emo Toy Library and Resource Centre’s ‘Best Start Hub’ could be utilized as a part of the DYS if it were rebuilt,” Coun. Leek noted.
“The staff of this program could provide an after-school program and perhaps be incorporated into a day care setting.”
A new DYS could offer the community a gymnasium for public performances and a meeting facility for non-proft groups, and a joint use agreement between DYS and the township could increase the amount of green space for students.
Also speaking Thursday evening was Emo resident Katherine Williams who highlighted how DYS is an integral part to the community—especially when it comes to the performing arts—and why it’s important that the school stays within the township.
“DYS is essential to the continued success of [the Borderland Community Orchestra],” Williams cited as one example, noting the beneficial partnership that has developed between the two organizations.
The 65-member orchestra draws members from both sides of the border, and DYS has served as a centrally-located rehearsal space, concert venue, and storage space for larger instruments.
In return, orchestra members have given back to the school through such things as instrumental workshops with students and fundraising for the school.
The drama program also is an important part of the school, Williams noted. As the director, she explained they use the facilities for rehearsals throughout the week and as a performance space.
“This drama program has made DYS a very popular school for the arts,” said Williams, noting it’s a draw for families to the school and it’s a program that draws a large amount of support from parents and the community as a whole.
She added DYS also serves as a location for the Rainy River District Festival of the Performing Arts.
As well, the school’s location in the village gives students access to local music teachers, including Renee Martin-Brown and Williams herself, who often provides lessons at the school so it’s convenient and beneficial to students.
Williams said the “True Up North Summer Theatre,” which brought the district “Mamma Mia,” also has made use of DYS for its rehearsal space, and draws members from all corners of the district to participate.
These participants, in turn, also bring their expertise to work with DYS students.
Also making a presentation at Thursday’s meeting was Sylvia Parker, the board’s Effective Schools leader, who spoke about the introduction of the early learning program.
Already being implemented at North Star School in Atikokan and Robert Moore School in Fort Frances, the program sees full-day junior kindergarten with the possibility of before- and after-school child care provided.
The program is rolling out across schools in the province, and eventually will be implemented at DYS.
As part of the review process, the board’s website (www.rrdsb.com) will be kept up-to-date constantly with information on the review, including meeting minutes, schedules, and answers to questions the public has asked about the review.
Throughout the process, there are two ways in which the public can participate.
People or groups can make a presentation at one of the upcoming public meetings, with those interested asked to submit a request either by fax or e-mail to Kathy Zatulsky at the board offices two weeks in advance of a meeting.
Written submissions also are being accepted.
The final two public consultation meetings are slated for Feb. 9 and March 7 from 7-9 p.m. at DYS.
