Hello Once Again Everyone! (Guest posting from QEA PAC Action Committee)
First of all, thank you to everyone who attended last night’s meeting. Again, many excellent points were raised and we are making ground. Two trustees who were not at the last meeting attended last night’s, Carol Gibson and Eleanor Gregory. Stephen Owen attended again and repeated his hope to work with the Province and the VSB to find an alternative solution. It was impressive to have so many passionate speakers from all generations and around the community. Some parents from UHill spoke about their frustrations and their desperate need for new schools at UBC. Speakers from our school and community assured them that we all want new schools at UBC, but NOT at the expense of Queen Elizabeth Annex. Some other issues raised last night include:
There is an urgent need for Seismic upgrading and this issue MUST be separated from the issue of school capacity. The Ministry’s refusal to release funds for seismic work is verging on criminal.
The EFR data is misleading regarding the costs of Annexes.
We share the catchment for French Immersion with Jules Quesnel, so why do we not share Queen Elizabeth’s English catchment as we are an Annex to that main school.
The VSB’s new slide, a scattergram showing in and out of catchment QEA students is misleading.
The inevitable densification of our neighbourhoods and the resulting increase in the school age population.
Selling prime property for a lease is a bad idea. Once the land is sold, it is unlikely that the VSB would ever be able to purchase in this neighbourhood again.
And many more, but we don’t want this email to be too long…..
Ongoing actions:
1. Please register to make a presentation to the trustees, please do this by close of business today although the official deadline to register is February 10 at midnight.
2. Complete the VSB feedback form and submit it before February 15. For ideas on how to do this please check out http://www.saveqea.org/letters/VSBFormHelp.htm
Now that we have the VSB’s and UBC’s attention, we need to get the attention of the Provincial Government. Here’s how you can help:
Please write a letter to our MLAs Colin Hansen and Gordon Campbell as well as Shirley Bond, the Minister of Education. Request that our MLAs hold an emergency meeting with the parents of this school and demand that they bring our concerns to the Ministry of Education. See our website for appropriate email addresses http://www.saveqea.org/actions.htm