One of my favorite parts of the Morinvillenews.com website is the comments that often follow the stories. Of particular interest to me recently were comments made by Melodie Steel with respects to the story Education matters to be resolved by new bill.
Thanks for the great insight on your family’s views of Vanier and the GSACRD school division Melodie. While reading your comments I couldn’t help but think how similar your thoughts and opinions are to my own with respect to our Son’s school which happens to be the Morinville Public Elementary School (MPES). As a parent I think we all want the same thing for our Children, a program where they can learn and grow into young adults ready to make a con tribution to society. I truly am happy to hear that you and countless other families in Morinville are happy with GSACRD and its programs. The GSACRD schools within our Community have been and always will be an important part of the Town of Morinville.
I’ve lived my entire life in Morinville (thirty years and counting). I grew up in family that was not Catholic yet I still went to The Yellow School, Vanier, Primeau, and Morinville Community High School and generally speaking I think I received a quality education from GSACRD. When the Sturgeon School Division (SSD) announced that they were going to operate a school in Morinville my wife and I attended the information sessions based more on curiosity than a desire to have our son “avoid” education in the Catholic system.
From day one we were sold on the SSD program. A different way of teaching the curriculum (Reggio Emilia philosophy), small class sizes, and a school board eager to prove that they have a place in our community were all factors which helped convince us we should try this program despite the lack of a proper facility.
From day one the staff have been amazing and the growth we have seen in our Son has been beyond our wildest expectations. A loving, caring staff with small class sizes and a passion for making a difference has convinced us that the MPES program is the one we want our Son in for years to come. My wife and I are committed to this new school and hope that others in the community can respect our desire to see this program grow and prosper for reasons other than the fact that it’s not Catholic based education.
The changes made to the act recently give our school, our kids, and our community a chance to grow. I truly do believe that given the chance to succeed SSD will make our community a better place. I also believe any re-allocation of facilities will be determined by attendance, not politics or greed. With the Board issue soon to be resolved and a promise of adequate facilities for 2012, it is now up to the residents of Morinville to “vote with their feet” and choose the program that they believe is best for their Children.
I suspect it will take a few years for the school systems in Morinville to stabilize in terms of growth and population however I think looking back at this decision years from now we will be glad that these changes were made within our Community.
Sincerely,
Adam Scharmann
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Thank you for writing, Adam! You have summed up many of my thoughts, and I hope that everyone in Morinville will look to the future with the idea of growth and community.
Great news about small class sizes. How does SSD do it?
In the case of MPES I’m pretty sure the small classes are mostly due to the smaller number of students they have attending. It’s my belief that eventually those class sizes will become bigger if in fact they attain a larger, or at least significantly larger, student base.
I’ve heard similar stories from most of MPES families, and I think there is more to it than just small class sizes, which one would expect to grow as enrolment increases. The challenges faced by the founding members of this little school has given it something that no other school can claim – a heart. Pride in their school will continue to grow, as each student graduates knowing that they have a special place in local history. Kudos to parents, teachers, administrators, and especially the students who make this school what it is.
I wholeheartedly disagree with you Mrs. Tough. I have seen first hand the heart; the large, caring, enthusiastic and compassionate heart that all four of the GSACRD schools in Morinville have. From the great administration to the kind teachers and right down to the parents and students who give so much to their schools. To dismiss their contributions and achievements isn’t fair in the least, and shows how much people have turned a blind eye to what has been done by these people.