Briar Hill school could close

North Toronto elementary school’s enrollment declining
Parents vow to defeat closure recommendation
By Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier April 22.)

Briar Hill parent Carmen Moscarello and son Matthew fighting to keep school open. Photo by Karolyn Coorsh/Town Crier.

Briar Hill parent Carmen Moscarello isn’t ready to say goodbye to her child’s elementary school.
But if a report on the future of three schools in the Dufferin and Eglinton area is adopted by the Toronto school board in June, she may have to.
An Accommodation Review Committee report is recommending closing Briar Hill, expanding nearby Fairbank Middle School from JK to grade 8, and keeping West Prep Junior School as JK to grade 6.
Briar Hill is facing closure because of declining enrollment at the JK to grade 5 school. The 1927-built facility has a capacity for 265 students but only about 147 kids are enrolled there.
An attached minority report by committee members and Briar Hill parents Julie McFayden and Paul Dover doesn’t support closing the school.
Board staff will make its own recommendations and the issue will go for a board vote at the end of June, but in the meantime, parents like Moscarello are fuming at the mere suggestion of closure.

Advertisement

Davisville school redevelopment process promise

By Kris Scheuer
(See Jan. 13 UPDATE.)
I wrote a detailed story on the possible redevelopment and Accommodation Review Committee process at Davisville Public School Dec. 23.
I am working on an update that will be printed in the Town Crier newspaper on Tues. Jan 13 including some new interviews and re-interviews with key players TDSB’s Sheila Penny, trustee Josh Matlow and councillor Michael Walker.
So I have removed my original story until I write my update and it is edited.
Want the update? Click here for the story.

St. Paul’s school trustee race

Current school board rep Josh Matlow to run for council in 2010
No incumbent so at least 4 contenders consider run for seat
By Kris Scheuer
(Originally written Nov. 6 for Town Crier.)

Adam Chaleff-Freudenthaler.

A former school trustee, a young community activist, a pet food mogul and a politically-minded parent are hoping to get a passing grade from the electorate in 2010.
The quartet is musing about running to replace Josh Matlow on the Toronto District School Board. Matlow recently announced he’d be running for city council next year.
Here’s a look at four potential candidates Shelley Laskin, Adam Chaleff-Freudenthaler, Jim Walker and Heather Johnston.

Fern school pool saved

Board votes to reopen the elementary school’s aquatic facility
Community, school, volunteers raise revenue to keep pool open
By Kris Scheuer
(Originally written Oct. 1 for Town Crier.)

Fern Elementary School’s pool is now saved and could reopen as soon as Oct. 12. 
It was on a probationary list of 13 facilities to be drained by the end of the year if sufficient permit revenue couldn’t be found. 
But the school and community rallied together to find enough money to convince the Toronto District School Board to keep Fern’s pool afloat. 
On Sept. 16, the school board voted to keep pools open at Fern, Jarvis, Downsview and Queen Alexandra and now just nine pools on the caution list. 
Fern principal Craig Tsuji said they had to cover about $30,000 in costs.
“People are passionate about keeping as much (resources) in their community as possible,” he said. “The Roncesvalles community really likes neighbourhood shopping, neighbourhood school, pool and market.”

East end Toronto pools on list to close

Community, politicians, schools aim to save pools by raising revenue
Monarch Park and Earl Grey among nine pools that could close by Dec. 31
By Kris Scheuer
(Originally written Oct. 8 for Town Crier.)

The Toronto District School Board voted Sept. 16 to save another four pools on the critical list because there was sufficient permit revenue to keep them afloat. This includes the pool at Queen Alexandra Senior Public School. 
Seven pools have closed permanently including at Danforth Tech.
There are nine other facilities left on a probationary list until the end of December. If money is fundraised, permits holders are found then the unlucky nine pools will stay open past this year. 
Pools at Monarch Park CI and Earl Grey PS still in danger of closing if revenues fall short. 
In the case of Monarch, the community has to find donors or permit holders to cover incremental operating costs close to $71,726. And for Earl Grey the amount is $55,940.
Public school trustee Cathy Dandy and city councillor Paula Fletcher held open houses at both schools Oct. 13 and 15 so groups could tour these pools. To find out more contact Dandy at 416-397-3083 or Fletcher at 416-392-4060.

Eco school status spreading in Toronto

Maurice Cody PS shows how it’s done
Leaside school achieves new platinum ecological rating
By Kris Scheuer
(Written Aug. 14 for Town Crier)

Maurice Cody Public School’s garden has become a haven for the neighbourhood. Photo by Kris Scheuer/Town Crier.

Environmental consciousness in schools is spreading like dandelions on a large pesticide-free lawn.
The Toronto District School Board boasted 259 eco-certified schools in the 2007–2008 academic year and that’s expanded to 310 in 2008–2009.
Being an eco school means not just teaching students about the environment but putting those lessons into practise. Schools in the program conduct waste audits and minimize garbage on site, conserve energy and create sustainable school grounds.
Not only is the number of eco-schools growing in the board, but so is the level of environmental stewardship.

Danforth Tech pool will be shut

Unlucky seven pools to be drained including Oakwood, Danforth
Another 13 swim facilities could also close by Dec 2009
By Kris Scheuer
(Originally written July 17 for Town Crier)

Danforth's pool will be closed ASAP. Photo by Kris Scheuer/Town Crier.

With 20 school pools saved and seven shut for good, swim advocates are focusing on doing CPR on 13 facilities in danger of drowning.
The fate of pools at Danforth CI, Oakwood CI, Parkdale CI, Bickford Centre, Central Commerce, Bloor CI and Western Tech’s Ursula Franklin aresealed. The Toronto District School Board voted to drain them, which will save $1.1 million in operating costs. The aquatic working group, headed by former mayor David Crombie, is now turning their efforts to 13 pools on a conditional list including Monarch Park, Queen Alexandra PS, Jarvis CI and Downsview SS.

Free lunch on the city

By Kris Scheuer

Almost 100,000 students will be getting free meals thanks to the city.
City hall already kicks in $2.79 million annually to feed over 90,000 students in 365 schools as part of a student nutrition program, said Toronto Public Health’s Jann Houston.
As part of the recently approved $8.7 billion operating budget, it approved an additional $400,000 to fund an additional 44 programs to help another 8,791 youth and children, Houston said.
From Budget Chief Shelley Carroll’s perspective the service is needed even more during current economic climes.