CAPITAL PLANNING UPDATES
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JK-12 BUILD - PARRY SOUND
On June 28, 2017, Parry Sound High School was chosen as the site on which to build a new Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 school and a new child care facility including three new child care rooms: one Infant, one Toddler and one Pre-School within the new facility. To further enhance services for families, capital funding has been committed by the Government of Ontario to build a new EarlyON Child and Family Centre at the new school. Working in partnership with the Parry Sound District Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB), the Board will be able to create a seamless day for children and families from an early age through to nearly adulthood which is aligned with the community and Ministry vision for a comprehensive, quality and integrated approach to child care and education for families in the Parry Sound area.
Along with child care spaces, the new JK-12 school will house separate elementary and separate secondary learning areas with some common facilities and learning spaces to accommodate Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8 students from McDougall and Nobel public schools, as well as Parry Sound High School and Intermediate School students including Grade 7 and 8 English stream, Extended French, secondary students and Alternative Learning students. Through thoughtful design and careful planning, the staff and students in the existing school will be safely accommodated during construction. The existing sports field will remain accessible to students while the new school is constructed.
Pre-construction investigations are underway at the site including a geotechnical investigation, a traffic study and a designated substance survey. The Board hopes to be in a position to select an architect in Spring of 2018.
E.T. CARMICHAEL, E.W. NORMAN, AND W.J. FRICKER CONSOLIDATION - NORTH BAY
Capital funding has been committed to build a new elementary school on the W.J. Fricker Public School site at 790 Norman Avenue in North Bay to accommodate Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6 students from E.T. Carmichael and E.W. Norman public schools, along with Extended French Grade 5 and 6 students from W.J. Fricker Public School. The construction of integrated child care facilities has also been approved with 1 Infant, 1 Toddler, 2 Pre-School rooms as well as the construction of a new EarlyON Child and Family Centre. Working in partnership with the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB) and third-party licensee, YMCA Northeastern Ontario, children and families can expect a seamless approach to quality childcare and school programs in one facility, which is anticipated to open in September of 2020.
W.J. Fricker Public School will close at the end of the 2018-2019 school year. In September 2019, Grade 5 and 6 Extended French students from W.J. Fricker will be accommodated at E.W. Norman while the new school is being constructed and the Grade 7 and 8 students from W.J. Fricker will attend the Chippewa site.
SECONDARY SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION - NORTH BAY
On September 26, 2017, Trustees approved the consolidation of three North Bay secondary schools (Chippewa, West Ferris and Widdifield) into two schools with the rebranding of the West Ferris (South) and Chippewa (North) sites. Since that time staff in all three schools have collaborated to discuss how best to use this opportunity to enhance student program options.
There is much transition planning ahead which will take some time to complete. In the interim, the Board is pleased to share its transition programming framework. The planning of transition activities will involve student, parent and staff voice.
To relieve current accommodation pressures at Chippewa and in order to prepare instructional space required for the 2019 transition, the following programs will transition in September 2018:
• Current Grade 6 Sunset Park French Immersion students
• Current Grade 6 W.J. Fricker Extended French students
• Current 7-11 Chippewa Extended French students
• Current 7-11 Chippewa French Immersion students (zoned for Sunset Park).
| The following programs will be fully implemented in September of 2019: | |
| SOUTH SITE (CURRENTLY WEST FERRIS):
Arts Nipissing Program / S.T.E.A.M. Program (Grades 9-12) |
NORTH SITE (CURRENTLY CHIPPEWA):
International Baccalaureate Program (Grades 9-12) |
*Widdifield Secondary School will close in September 2019.
Special Education Programs - As we look ahead now to transitions beginning in the 2019-2020 school year, we are committed to ensuring parents are kept apprised of decisions impacting their children and young adults attending school in one of our system special education programs. We hope that the information below will help to ease any possible concerns:
- There are no proposed changes to our current model for Special Education Programs in 2018- 2019 for Chippewa, Widdifield and West Ferris;
- There will be no reduction in the number of special education programs for the 2019-2020 school year coming through the transition;
- It is proposed that there will be 4 programs at the north site and 4 programs at the south site beginning in the 2019-2020 school year (this includes one Intermediate and 3 Senior classes at each site); and.
- There will be clear and comprehensive pathways established that support student need, and allow for enhanced opportunities for collaboration and flexibility within this model.
The Board remains committed to providing parents, students, staff and communities with relevant and timely communication. The Board thanks its stakeholders in advance for their patience to allow for the time required to develop a thoughtful and purposeful transition plan.
ONTARIO EARLY YEARS AND FAMILY SERVICES CENTRE AT LAND OF LAKES - BURK'S FALLS
Working in partnership with the Parry Sound District Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB), the Board looks forward to creating a new EarlyON Child and Family Centre for children and families in the Almaguin Highlands area.
The project is moving along well. Exterior design will be the final phase of the project and will involve the reconfiguration of the parking areas and a possible new bus loop/roadway with planned construction for early July 2018.
CHILD CARE ADDITION AT WOODLAND - NORTH BAY
Construction of an addition for a child care facility at the new Woodland Public School began on October 16, 2017. Working with the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board (DNSSAB) and the YMCA of Northeastern Ontario, the future Woodland Early Learning and Child Care Centre will provide high quality child care for the Woodland Public School community from infancy to 12 years.
In addition to the current Before and After School Program, four, full day, early learning child care classrooms will be built with 1 infant room, 1 toddler room and 2 preschool rooms. The new facility will include an enclosed entrance and exterior play space.
Exterior work has commenced with the creation of the additional parking lot at the bus loop entrance. Construction will continue throughout the school year with an anticipated completion date of Fall 2018.
*The Board graciously acknowledges the financial support the Government of Ontario has committed to the Board's capital projects.
