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School Review Process – School Review Committee Final Report

Central Spryfield Elementary School

January 2012

Wordle created by all students at Central Spryfield Elementary School to

describe their school. The larger a word appears, the more times it was used

as a response.

Central Spryfield Elementary School Review Committee Response -2012 Page 1

INTRODUCTION

By closing Central Spryfield Elementary School (CSES) the elected board will be, in

essence, targeting a community which already feels marginalized. Central Spryfield

Elementary School is a collaborative and enthusiastic learning community in the heart of

Spryfield. It is the epitome of what a successful small school should be. The students are

engaged and demonstrate daily progress and achievements that inspire those who love

and work with them. The parents are supportive and proud of the school. In recent years,

the parental participation in assemblies, volunteer activities, curriculum evenings and

major events such as the spring fair has increased greatly. The teachers are professional,

caring and dynamic leaders who are role models for the students they serve. They

function as an elite team to analyze the needs of their student population and to provide

the necessary supports and programs that will enhance the learning of all the students in

their school. It is a special place and, in recognition of this, the School Review

Committee (SRC) cannot support the proposal that this school be closed. We respectfully

request that the elected board carefully consider the points and opinions expressed in this

report before making such a drastic decision as closing this wonderful school that is so

vital in the lives of the people of Central Spryfield.

ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY

The community serviced by Central Spryfield Elementary School has a significant

percentage of families who experience economic difficulties. Many of the families

encounter challenges with respect to childcare, transportation to and from school, as well

as with providing nutritional diets for their children. Research shows that the health and

future success of these students is at stake. According to Statistics Canada: “living in low-

income circumstances may impede the school readiness of preschool children, reduce the

likelihood of success in educational achievement

through the educational trajectory, reduce the

ability to afford post-secondary education, and

increase the likelihood of living in low-income

circumstances as an adult.” These challenges exist

among the students of Central Spryfield

Elementary School and the committee feels the

decision to close the school would add to the

tremendous burden already facing families

including the 46% of Central Spryfield Elementary

School who are single parents. Furthermore, we

feel strongly that, due to our small size, our school

is in a unique position to bridge the achievement

gap for these students. Indeed, the school is already seeing much success in this area.

“...they want to remove all the schools in the center of Spryfield and move it to the edges and let the people who have the least opportunities for transportation … find other ways of getting their children to school. It doesn’t make sense.” Nancy Wooden, Chair,

Spryfield Residents’ Association.


Nutritional and socialization needs:

Many of our students experience hardship with receiving an adequate nutritional diet. At

Central Spryfield Elementary School, there is an established sit-down breakfast program

that runs 5 days a week and there are snacks and lunches available for those who need it.

The breakfast program is open to the entire school population and currently 39% of the

students are taking part. We know that when students have a full stomach they usually

have increased concentration and that should result in increased achievement. At the

present time, a breakfast program such as this is not available at Elizabeth Sutherland

School.

Transportation needs:

The Central Spryfield Elementary School Review Committee and the community feel

strongly that the location of Central Spryfield Elementary School is an advantage for

their students. The school is located next to Aldergrove Drive where the Boys and Girls

Club is located. Twenty-one percent (21%) of

the Central Spryfield Elementary School

students access this after school child care

program. According to the Boys and Girls Club

Director, Darlene MacLean, 87% of the parents

are subsidized and receive free child care. This

is imperative when income is a worry. Due to

its close proximity to Central Spryfield

Elementary School, the employees started a

“walking school bus” where they walk the

students to the club each day after school. This

provides peace of mind for parents who have

concerns about their child’s safety and saves

these parents from having to find other

methods for the safe arrival of their child to the child care program. If the students are

sent to Elizabeth Sutherland School, these parents may experience difficulty finding

alternate child care as the students of Elizabeth Sutherland School have to find their own

transportation to the “Club” and the distance and time required is much greater.

Moving to Elizabeth Sutherland School not only poses a transportation problem for after

school child care, but also may be a major deterrent in the actual attendance of students.

Central Spryfield Elementary School has a large number of families that do not own, nor

have access to a vehicle and, therefore, they walk to and from school. On bad weather

days they may choose to keep their children home because of the longer and more

challenging walk.

“Taking away the school is going to hurt us. You might as well cut the legs out from underneath us, particularly Central Spryfield.”

Jim Hoskins, retired police officer and

President of the Boys and Girls Club


TRANSPORTATION

The Impact Assessment Report (section 3.3)

states that “some bussing occurs at Central

Spryfield and would continue”. It is

important to note, that the bussing currently

assigned to Central Spryfield Elementary is

for special needs students only. The report

also states that if Central Spryfield were to

close “some mandatory bussing would be

required to Elizabeth Sutherland based on

the current HRSB 2.4 km walking distance”.

To provide a bus for other students will

likely constitute additional costs to the board.

The majority of the students walk to school under the supervision of a parent or

caregiver. This would not change if the students were to go to Elizabeth Sutherland

School; many will not meet the bussing requirements. While we all agree that walking to

school is a benefit to the students and to the surrounding community, it is unreasonable to

expect these children to walk further distances. Committee members have walked these

routes and determined that, in most cases, the time it would take for them to get to school

each day would double. Our calculation is based on a child in the upper elementary

grades. It does not take into consideration the much younger children in primary to grade

two. We can foresee their travel time increasing greatly. Can you imagine the stress this

extra time would pose to the families’ daily lifestyle?

As a committee, we have concerns regarding safety. Depending on where the child lives,

there are three possible routes to travel to Elizabeth Sutherland School. Some of these

routes have areas of minimal or no sidewalks. One route has a very busy intersection with

high traffic flow that includes many large trucks. Regardless of the route chosen, the

majority of these young students must cross Herring Cove Road, a very busy, dangerous,

four-lane thoroughfare. The parents and this committee have grave concerns about the

safety of children travelling these routes. Again, this is one more stressor for the parents

and students.

BENEFITS OF OUR SMALL SCHOOL

The administration, teachers and staff of Central Spryfield Elementary School hold to the

beliefs held by our superintendent, Carole Olsen who states, “...a commitment to closing

the achievement gap challenges educators to know deeply every student who is not

meeting expectations, and to use what they know to ensure that no student is left

struggling.” (Good Schools to Great Schools. 2010-2011 Annual Report to the

Community HRSB). The school personnel at Central Spryfield Elementary School are

very committed to the community and support the school board’s goal to move our

“I’m a single parent and there are many other single parents in this community and why should we have to go any farther? I mean why should we have to buy a car and lose another, what, $400 a month, you know, just because of the logistics of it all?” Brian Sutton, parent CSES


school from “good to great”. The staff works diligently each day to address the

challenges both socially and academically of the students. Central Spryfield Elementary

School is a small school and “research finds consistent and substantial impact on student

achievement when classes are smaller, especially in the lower grades. The achievement

gains due to small size are greatest among disadvantaged and minority students”

(Jimerson, 2006). We contend that by keeping our small school open, the staff will more

successfully meet the educational needs of the students.

Moreover, in considering the economic hardships of the families served by Central

Spryfield Elementary School, we must point out how well our school is meeting the

needs of these at risk students. There is a body of research on the effects that school

environments have on helping at-risk students, despite their circumstances, be resilient,

and thereby, have successful academic careers. One such article, by Borman and

Rachuba, studies the school-effects approach. They list a number of factors important in

helping students be resilient:

“a need for caring and supportive teachers (e.g., Benard, 1991; Henderson &

Milstein, 1996);

a safe and orderly school environment (e.g., Freiberg, Stein, & Huang, 1995; Wang

et al., 1995);

positive expectations for all children (e.g., Benard, 1991; Henderson & Milstein,

1996; Rutter, 1979);

opportunities for students to become meaningfully and productively involved and

engaged within the school (e.g., Benard, 1991; Braddock, Royster, Winfield, &

Hawkins, 1991; Finn & Rock, 1997),

efforts to improve partnerships between the home and school (e.g., Comer, 1984;

Masten, 1994; Wang et al., 1994).”

Central Spryfield Elementary School is an

exemplary school that is responding to the

needs of their students. The innovative work of

the staff is recognized by many who have

visited the school to observe and learn from the

examples set here. The staff is helping these

students reach a high degree of resiliency

which will sustain them throughout their

academic career. Let us take the opportunity to

look at the many strategies being employed by

the staff and volunteers of the school to

address each of the issues listed above.

A need for caring and supportive teachers:

Our committee cannot say enough about the

caring and supportive teachers at Central Spryfield Elementary School. Indeed, you need

only review the parent submissions in Appendix B to see the high esteem the community

“To me, every teacher in the school is an angel who will fight for every student to make sure they get what they require and need. They also work with parents as a team and give us the support we need so we know there is a solution for every problem our children face.” Lori Lane, Parent

Lori Lane, Parent


has for the teachers. It is imperative that we recognize how small schools impact teacher

satisfaction. “Small schools have been identified as having strong staff morale, more

collaboration and a stronger sense of professional communities” (Jimerson, 2006).

The staff of Central Spryfield Elementary School is very committed to the community

and to ensuring all of their students learn and achieve. The personnel here are connected

to each other, the students, and the community. Many of the teachers have worked here as

term teachers and have strived to come back because of the positive professional

community. We maintain that it is the size of the school which allows for staff

collaboration which, in turn, contributes to the high staff morale and the effectiveness of

the teachers in meeting the needs of their students.

Central Spryfield Elementary School currently has a 50% Guidance counsellor position.

The role of this counsellor involves individual, group and family counselling for primary

to grade six. It is our understanding from our tour of Elizabeth Sutherland School that due

to the nature of the needs of junior high students, most individual guidance counselling

time is centered on the junior high students and not their elementary students. Central

Spryfield Elementary School students and their families need access to this service. What

will happen to our students and families without this service?

A safe and orderly school environment:

In her document, School Size, School Climate, and Student Performance, Kathleen

Cotton has noted that small schools tend to be safer environments than large schools.

Small schools exhibit less vandalism, violent incidents, theft and substance abuse

(Cotton, 1996.) Central Spryfield Elementary School has a welcoming and caring climate

which fosters close relationships among all members of the school community. The

students and staff feel connected to one another and, therefore, are more likely to develop

cooperative relationships.

Proof of the positive impact that school strategies are having with regard to feelings of

safety and belonging can be seen in a review of the incidence of school suspensions at

Central Spryfield Elementary School over the last few years.

Year # of suspensions School population

2006-2007 131 211 students

2007-2008 46 190 students

2008-2009 9 159 students

2009-2010 9 147 students

2010-2011 3 131 students

2011– present 0 126 students


One strategy employed by the staff to reduce inappropriate interactions is the breakfast

program referred to earlier. It is important to realize that the design of this program (a sit-

down meal) serves not only the nutritional needs but contributes to the socialization of

the students. By having the opportunity to come to the table and interact with the

volunteers, the students learn many skills which are necessary in their development as

citizens of our community. It also affords the staff an opportunity to positively impact the

students’ day. If a child arrives at the program and is experiencing negative issues, the

staff can quickly intercede and change the child’s negative focus. This then sets the child

up for success throughout the remainder of the day. During the tour of Elizabeth

Sutherland School, it came to our attention that a program of this nature is not currently

being provided. Will our students lose out if they are moved to that school?

Positive expectations for all children:

Central Spryfield operates with a philosophy of positive support for the students. The

staff incorporates practices such as Gotcha's and our R+ (Recognizing and Rewarding

Responsibility and Respect). These strategies were implemented in September 2008 and

have had a positive impact on the school climate. The daily practice of this philosophy

has helped students manage their behaviour. They

are less impulsive and more respectful of

themselves and others.

Opportunities for students to become

meaningfully and productively involved and

engaged within the school:

Central Spryfield Elementary School recognizes

that extracurricular participation positively affects

student attendance and has been linked to higher

test scores and higher grade point averages

(Mahoney & Cairns, 1997). Students who participate in extracurricular activities have

more positive connections to their school and learning and higher self esteem (Lipscomb,

2005). Therefore, the school prides itself on the number of extracurricular activities being

offered to their students. All students have access to these activities and one of our

concerns is that, with increased population at Elizabeth Sutherland School, the demands

on their programs would limit the number of spots available to our students. We also feel

transportation issues would limit our students’ chances to take part in extra-curricular

activities. Our students currently have numerous opportunities to take on and enjoy a

leadership role and we fear that will be compromised in a larger school.

At Central Spryfield Elementary, 97.6 % of our grades primary to six students participate

regularly in a wealth of extracurricular activities including: Drama, “It’s a Girl Thing”,

PALS (Playground Activity Leaders), Peer Helper, Floor Hockey, Physical Education

Intramurals, Craft Club, STARS (Students Taking an Active Role in School), Violin,

Choir, Chess Club, Eco-team, Friendship Circles, “Game On” and “Go Girls” (associated

My son is a Peer Helper and a PAL (playground activity leader) this year. This has really helped his self esteem which is a goal on his IPP. He may not get that benefit at another school.”

Kelly Dodge, parent


with Big Brothers and Big Sisters). We see this as a major strength of our small school

and a vital component in meeting the needs of the students and enhancing their chances

of academic success.

Efforts to improve partnerships between home

and school

At Central Spryfield Elementary School, there has

been a significant increase in parental involvement.

Assemblies, class field trips, in-school activities, and

curriculum night barbeques all have seen major

participation as parents become more and more

comfortable at the school and more and more

empowered as a partner in their child’s success. This

change has happened due to a concentrated effort on

the part of school personnel to create relationships

with the parents and caregivers.

MEETING THE ACADEMIC NEEDS

At the public meeting held on November 24th, 2011, we were charged to“...prove to us

why you guys are doing so well in the academics and what you have here…” It was a

challenge we were happy to take.

Many of the students come from homes where there are low levels of literacy skills and

few resources to support literacy development. There are also limited cost-effective

resources for families to access that would assist with preparing preschool children for

school. Studies have shown that, “Children need to become capable and confident readers

by the end of second grade” (Sloat, Beswick, and

Willms, 2007). The reading level of all students in

the school is assessed and tracked 2-3 times a year

using the Diagnostic Reading Assessment (DRA).

All primary students are assessed within the first 2

weeks of each school year. It was based on these

findings and other assessment results, that the need

for intensive early literacy intervention was

recognized and implemented. It became very clear

that supports needed to be put in place to develop

the students’ literacy as early as possible.

The staff and volunteers have focused their

energies on finding and accessing as much support

from the community as possible to aid in their

mission to enhance the learning of their students.

Grants from “Indigo Love of Reading” and

Tattletales Books have made the school rich in

They have helped and dealt with his needs and they have no hesitation to say if there’s a problem that must be addressed, or if I have a problem, they are willing to help and ... at any price, any cost. If there is a problem, then it is [dealt appropriately]” Honeylynn Spears-Mandeville, parent

“You need to be aware that raising funds annually to support community outreach is increasingly difficult and unfortunately the amount we are able to raise is decreasing. Should the school close, we would not be in a position to fund a new partnership in a larger school…The positive results achieved at Central Spryfield School would therefore be lost. Both the students and community will suffer”. Heather MacDonald, President, Rotary Club


resources. The Rotary Club has provided both financial and volunteer assistance. With

their involvement, the school has been able to purchase a wide range of high quality

literacy materials to use directly with the students. Although the grade 1 students had

access to Reading Recovery, this intensive literacy support was only available to a

limited number of students. With the support of the Rotary Club of Halifax, a Grade One

Rotary Reading Program began at no cost to the Halifax Regional School Board.

Above and beyond having the books to support the vision of the small group intervention,

we also have the people who believe in our school and our community at large and give

generously of their time to support the school’s vision of successful programming for the

students. A program such as this would not be a reality without the support of volunteers.

The school enjoys a solid and consistent base of volunteers every week to support the

students. Due to their involvement, the students are fortunate to be able to work one-on-

one with a volunteer who has been trained by the Resource teacher to support appropriate

early literacy development. All of the grade one students participate in the Rotary

Reading Program, either receiving intensive remedial support with a trained volunteer, or

receiving support in their classroom under the direction of the classroom teacher. Many

of the volunteers have been with the school for many years. This allows the students to

develop relationships with the volunteers and allows the volunteers to continue to build

on their skills as literacy tutors. Other volunteers include retired teachers, parents of

former students and, most recently, volunteers from Frontier College.

An examination of the statistics below will show how clearly the students are benefitting

from strategies such as these.

June DRA Levels By Year

Students Reading At or Above Grade Level

Dates Primary Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 School

June 04 0% 33.3% 44.8% 39.5% 33.7% 43.9% 34.4% 32.9%

June 05 53.3% 54.2% 56.7% 51.2% 81.8% 73.1% 46.7% 57.9%

June 06 55.2% 100% 76.2% 75% 71.1% 90.5% 81.1% 77.2%

June 07 70% 85.7% 81.4% 86.8% 88% 82.8% 95% 84.3%

June 08 58% 83% 84% 71% 91% 100% 81% 80.8%

June 09 35% 58% 77% 74% 100% 96% 100% 78%

June 10 42% 77% 43% 46% 87% 96% 96% 75%

June 11 76% 55% 53% 70% 85% 91% 95% 77%


In addition to the reading intervention groups, the school has recently initiated targeted

interventions for mathematics in grades one and three. Based on recent assessment

results, it became very clear that additional intensive support was required with basic

math operations. The grade one math intervention group is set up in much the same way

as the reading intervention groups but the three small groups are led by the classroom and

resource teachers. As a result of meetings between school administration and Central

Office Staff, it was determined that Central Spryfield Elementary School and a

neighbouring school would run a pilot program which allows the grade three teachers

from both schools to collaborate with Halifax Regional School Board (HRSB) support

staff, including the facilitator and math coach, to provided specific instruction and

assessment working towards closing the achievement gap.

COMMUNITY USE OF THE SCHOOL

The Impact Assessment Report states that out of 200 possible weekdays from September

to June, the school was used by the community 139 days. The times were always in the

evenings, outside of school hours, and use was limited to the gymnasium only. The

majority of time was used by HRSB leagues (basketball, volleyball and fitness).

The Impact Assessment Report indicated that there would be no impact if consolidation

was to take place. This committee would surmise that a number of schools and athletes

may be impacted by this change. If Central Spryfield Elementary School were to close,

approximately 288 hours of school use would have to be made up somewhere. Due to the

demand on limited facilities in the area, we can foresee that some programs may be

limited or cancelled. (Increase use of Elizabeth Sutherland School by that many hours

seems improbable.) The committee feels strongly that this will negatively impact athletic

programs in the area and thus the healthy lifestyle of our citizens. We see this as one

more issue that would negatively impact the community of Central Spryfield.

ENROLMENT AND CLASS SIZE

The Impact Assessment Report (Sections 2.6.3 and 4.4.1) states that, “if Central Spryfield

were to close, the entire population would be moved to Elizabeth Sutherland” and that

“Elizabeth Sutherland would be able to accommodate the students and continue to

effectively deliver the public school program.” Our review of the numbers shows a

discrepancy between the numbers used in the chart and the numbers used in the written

report. This causes us to question any conclusions drawn by the report with regard to

numbers.

However, if one can assume that seven classrooms are required, our tour of the school

raised questions as to where these classrooms can be found, without taking supports that

are currently available to the Elizabeth Sutherland students. We would put forth a strong

argument that the addition of more students would make it difficult to find space at

Elizabeth Sutherland School. Computer labs, special needs classrooms and time away

rooms are all essential in today’s education system. If the Halifax Regional School Board

is to excel in providing for the educational needs of all students, these spaces and services


should be considered vital and not expendable. The tour also raised concerns for the

committee with regard to the welfare of the Central Spryfield special needs students.

What spaces will be available to them?

OPERATIONAL AND CAPITAL

REQUIREMENTS

The Impact Assessment Report, under the Facility

Program Delivery Results, indicates that Central

Spryfield Elementary School scored average for “other

instructional spaces”; above average for site condition,

classrooms, and gymnasium; and excellent for the

library. It is interesting to note that the school scored

higher on these categories than other schools that were

removed from the school review list. At our public

meeting, speakers expressed dismay that there seemed

to be other schools in the HRM who had similar enrolments and were older than our

school but were not being closed or even reviewed. The Spryfield public viewed this

negatively, as these other schools are in affluent areas and they questioned why lower

income areas are being asked to bear the burden of economic cutbacks and these schools

are not.

According to the Impact Assessment Report, the playground structure for Central

Spryfield is, “Currently damaged by vandals and off limits” (p.20). Although the current

structure is old, it is currently in use by the students. The school recently received a

$30,000 grant to replace the existing structure. In discussions with Stephen Adams, HRM

Councillor for District 18, it was shared that a new playground structure for Central

Spryfield School is a priority for this year’s capital budget. Central Spryfield Elementary

is, in fact, at the top of the list for District 18.This structure will be a welcome and much

needed addition to this area of Spryfield. Children who live in the area surrounding the

school do not have access within walking distance to any other play structure.

PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT

In the Impact Assessment Report, the HRM Planning and Development Services provided

development numbers for the catchment areas of Central Spryfield and Elizabeth

Sutherland Schools. This information covered the period of July 2009-June 2011. As a

committee, we feel these numbers are questionable in light of recent developments in the

Halifax Regional Municipality. A drive through the community shows that a great deal of

construction is underway. According to an article in the Chronicle Herald on January 6th,

2012 entitled, City Riding Development Wave, Mayor Peter Kelly says the Halifax

Regional Municipality will issue $1 billion worth of development permits this year. This

means the city will give out $200 million more in construction permits than last year. The

municipality has already issued over $6 million worth of permits in the first week of this

year. If even a small portion of these permits are for homes in the Central Spryfield area,

“… that we have to understand that there’s pressure on schools that sometimes are considered expendable because maybe they’re not in the rich areas of town. I really do believe that.” Nancy Wooden, Chair, Spryfield

Residents’ Association


it will increase the number of families and thus

impact the school enrolment. This is a time of

growth and it seems unwise to think about

closing schools.

It is also important that the elected board

consider that building sites for new homes on

the peninsula are getting scarce and there is a

demand for housing just 15 to 20 minutes from

the downtown core. The developers have their

eyes on the Central Spryfield area. Spryfield

has the land. In addition to the proposed

development and development potential,

Halifax’s Irving Shipbuilding’s successful bid

for the $25 billion federal shipbuilding contract

plus the memorandum of understanding

between the Nova Scotia Provincial Government and the province of Newfoundland and

Labrador regarding the Lower Churchill Muskrat hydro-electric project will bring

thousands of jobs to our region. Premier Darrell Dexter says, “The sons and daughters

who are thinking of going west...can build a life in Nova Scotia. This development is a

game changer for Nova Scotia and the entire Atlantic region.”

Direct jobs and spin off employment from these two major projects will bring a lot of

people to the HRM, especially young workers with families wanting to take advantage of

the economic boost the city will be experiencing. They are going to need good, affordable

family housing. The proposed development in our area will meet this demand. This

committee feels that not only closing Central Spryfield Elementary School but, indeed,

plans to close any schools at this time might not prove prudent.

CONCLUSION

Just to reiterate, closing Central Spryfield School will negatively impact this community.

The economic impact is extensive and threatens the welfare of the students and their

families. Concerns for safety of students travelling to and from school cannot be ignored.

The major benefits of small schools for at-risk students are undeniable. The successful

and many partnerships should not be lost for these students and parents. To do so, would

further marginalize them.

The Nova Scotia Minister of Education, Ramona Jennex, states:

“We will strengthen the sense of community within our schools. Teachers will have more

opportunity to work in teams focused on the learning success of every student. Parents

and community members will be in the school often, at events, as volunteers, or to see

and work with students. And more services to help kids and families will be available

through more schools. With significant enrolment declines, we must pursue options, such

“...part of the reason that we bought a home where we did was because of the school. We have a son who we feel would benefit from being educated in his community. We feel very strongly that community is important and it benefits a child to be educated in a smaller school where everyone knows his name, where everyone is looking out for him and where we can communicate openly with the staff about any issues.” Catherine Ells, parent


as expanding our virtual school and

protecting small schools, so every student

has access to a high quality education

reasonably close to home.”

The SRC agrees with the Minister of

Education. Central Spryfield exemplifies

everything the Minister is striving for.

Central Spryfield Elementary works

exceptionally well for our community. It is

an intrinsic part of the fabric of our

community and enhances the lives of the

students and their families. The learning

needs of our students are being met and

exceeded. This is the strength of a small

school such as ours. We implore you to

keep Central Spryfield Elementary School

open.

“We have to tell them why now we need to remain. It’s because these kids are working ... they’re learning. These teachers are working hard for them. And when they move on, they’re going to do well and they’re going to survive. And as a lot of people have said tonight, small kids need small schools. They just learn better. They feel better. They’re more comfortable... more self- confident.” Sari Primeau, Chair SRC, volunteer, parent


DOCUMENTS USED IN PREPARATION OF THIS

SUBMISSION

Cotton, K. (1996). School Size, School Climate, and Student Performance. School

Improvement Research Series (SIRS), Close-up #20. Portland, OR: Northwest Regional

Educational Laboratory

Demarest, E.J., Reisner, E.R., Anderson, L.M., Humphrey, D.C., Farquhar, E., & Stein,

S.E. (1993). Review of Research on Achieving the Nation's Readiness Goal. Washington,

DC: U.S. Department of Education.

Jennex, Ramona (2011). Kids and Learning First. Back to School Newsletter for Parents

Jimerson, Lorna (2006). The Hobbit Effect: Why Small Works in Public Schools. Rural

Trust Policy Brief Series on Rural Education

Lipsomb, S.R. (2005). Secondary school extracurricular involvement and academic

achievement: A fixed approach.

Mahoney, J. & Cairns, R. (1997). Do extracurricular activities protect against early

school dropout? Developmental Psychology 33 (2), 241-253.

Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness

http://www.gov.ns.ca/hpp/publications/populationhealthapproach.pdf

Olson, Carole (2010). Good Schools to Great Schools. 2010-2011 Annual Report to the

Community HRSB.

Phi Delta Kappan, (2007) Using Early Literacy Monitoring To Prevent Reading Failure.

Statistics Canada http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/81-599-x/81-599-x2009004-eng.htm

Strike, Kenneth A. (2008) Small Schools; Size or Community? American Journal of

Education 114.

Wasley, P.A., Fine, M., Gladden, M., Holland, N. E., King, S. P. Mosak, E. & Powell,

L.C. (2000). Small Schools: Great Strides- A study of new small schools in Chicago, New

York, NY: Bank Street College of Education.

http://www.gov.ns.ca/hpp/publications/populationhealthapproach.pdf

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/81-599-x/81-599-x2009004-eng.htm

APPENDIX A

School Review Committee

Central Spryfield Elementary School

And Procedure Followed

Sari Primeau Chairperson and parent representative

Sara Walker Principal and staff representative

Cindy Astephen Vice Principal and staff representative

Tony Arsenault Parent representative

Joanne Feniyanos Parent representative

Joanne Gilbert EPA and staff representative

Bonnie Hickey Teacher and staff representative

Marilyn Maxner Secretary and staff representative

Nancy O’Brien Board-Appointed facilitator

At the Halifax Regional School Board meeting on March 30, 2011, the elected board

passed a motion to put Central Spryfield Elementary School up for review. In conjunction

with the process outlined for a school review, Nancy O’Brien, the facilitator appointed by

the board, called a meeting of the Central Spryfield Elementary School Advisory Council

(SAC) and formed a School Review Committee. This first meeting took place on October

19th, 2011. Thereafter, the members of the SRC met weekly and examined both the

Identification Report and the Impact Assessment Report supplied by the school board.

The reports prepared by board staff proposed that Central Spryfield Elementary School

be identified for possible consolidation with Elizabeth Sutherland School. This

consolidation would see the closure of Central Spryfield Elementary School and the

students would be sent to the Elizabeth Sutherland School facility. Therefore, on

November 16th, 2011, the committee toured Elizabeth Sutherland School with Chris

Northrop from Operations Services, Dr. Frank Covey, Principal of Elizabeth Sutherland

School and Robert Turner a representative from WHW Architects Inc, the firm that

prepared the building audits for Elizabeth Sutherland School and Central Spryfield

Elementary School.

On November 24th, 2011, the committee held a public meeting to hear from the

community regarding the review of Central Spryfield Elementary School. Approximately

50 members of the community plus the teachers and staff of Central Spryfield

Elementary School, as well as the School Review Committee and two members of the

elected board were in attendance. The Verbatim Report is attached as Appendix C. Many

viewpoints were expressed throughout the meeting and these opinions influenced the

discussion at the next SRC meeting and the final outcome of the response to the Board.

APPENDIX B

COMMUNITY SUBMISSIONS

Central Spryfield Elementry is a wonderful school. It is crucial in a communtiy as diverse

as Spryfield that you have small teacher:student ratios. Unfortunately, most of the

children in our community don't get the attention and discipline they need and deserve.

I'm sure the long term damage of placing high need children in a large school, with less

rescources to assist them, will far outweigh the pro's you'll see earlier on. That being said,

I realize it would be a much easier decision if the numbers were a bit higher than they sit

now. They will be, sooner than you think. This small community (district of Central) is

growing quickly. Just from September 2011-January 2012, Central Spryfields enrollment

numbers have increased. They will continue to do so in September of 2012. I don't just

speak as a concerned parent, more so I speak as a taxpayer. There are few ways, I know

to decrease our spending as a city, province and country but this isn't one of them.

This WILL lead to higher costs later on when the high number of dependant students are

collecting financial aid, unemployment or ill due to negligence in caring for themselves

properly, or dropping out and resorting to criminal activity to financially support

themselves. Up go our taxes to pay for the law enforcement, financial aid, or prisons to

house and feed them. Instead lets give a good portion of these kids a chance. I'm not just

speaking for CSES I'm speaking for the long term plan of combining all these small

schools. I realize this is a nasty view of my community but please do believe, because I

see it everyday, that these small schools MAKE A DIFFERENCE and Central Spryfield

is one of them! Jaimi Baker

To whom it may concern,

This is to address the current review taking place in regards to Central Spryfield Elementary School possibly closing as of June 2012. My family and I just recently moved to the Spryfield area, my daughter is a Gr 3 student at CSE and she loves her school, classmates and teachers. While at first we were concerned about the small number of children at this school as our daughters previous school in Clayton Park has approx 750 children, within the first week we came to understand that smaller sometimes is better. The school is centrally located for our family and many other families in the area, getting her to and from school on time right now is not an issue and its great not to have to worry about the high volume of traffic present at larger schools on a daily basis because the traffic is minimum which means our children are safer. Sending them to an already overcrowded school means that these children will go from getting a wonderful education with amazing teachers who are able to give them the required amount of one on one time due to small numbers in the classroom, to putting them in classrooms that are over capacity, teachers will be over worked and stressed and the amount of time able to be spent with each child individual will decrease tenfold. Its not possible for the childrens education to remain at the same level it presently is under those circumstances.

The community is growing more and more, the need for this school has grown and will continue to grow in the next 2-3yrs with all the recent residential development in the area. There is currently a brand new street being developed directly behind CSE which means any families that move into those homes would need their children to attend CSE. This is great for the school and

for the families. So many people rely on the school to be there, not everyone has a vehicle to get their child to school and therefore they have to walk. Not everyone has family to rely on to help with drop off and pick up. The school was opened at its current location for a reason, because it works!! Why change that now? Closing CSE means a minimum of 120 children's lives will be uprooted, thats over 70 families with more to come in the future.

I really hope that whoever makes the final decision thinks of the children first and the wonderful teachers who will be out of work, not the dollars that can be saved by closing this school. Its not about money its about education.

The Joyce Family

Halifax, NS

336 Her r in g Cov e R oad , H a l i f a x NS B3R 1V7 902 . 423 .6 162 f a x : 902 .423 . 776 1

www. ywc ah a l i f ax . c om

January 25, 2012

To: Halifax Regional School Board

Re: Central Spryfield School, School Review

This letter is to express the YWCA’s support to keep Central Spryfield open, and sustain this thriving and

important community school.

First, the area population for the Central Spryfield catchment area projected by the Halifax Regional

School Board are significantly underestimated.

The new Governer’s Brook subdivision, located just behind Central Spryfield School, is in the process of

developing 905 new homes, with 100 homes per year. The price point and location of this new

subdivision means that the primary purchasers of these new homes are young families, and young

professionals who are planning to start a family. When this subdivision is completed, if just 25% of

families have just one child in the home, this development alone would add 226 children to the

community – more than double the current enrollment at Central Spryfield School.

A second area of consideration is the proximity of existing schools to natural ‘neighbourhoods’ within the

community of Spryfield. The existing school catchment areas provide natural communities for the

schools to which they are linked. Busy roads, hills, distance, and disconnected walkways make the

reorganization of the catchment areas extremely difficult. In this respect, the organization of Spryfield

elementary schools (Elizabeth Sutherland, Rockingstone, Central Spryfield) share challenges with more

rural schools. To illustrate this point, I would be more than happy to personally provide a neighbourhood

tour to any interested School Board member to demonstrate how unreasonable it would be for an

elementary school student to walk from the Governor’s Brook subdivision to a school other than Central

Spryfield: it would be dangerous, and too far.

In sum, Central Spryfield is a vital and important school to be left open. Considering the growth in the

community, and the proximity of neighborhoods, there is just no other logical option but to keep this

important community school intact.

YWCA Halifax is proud to be building a new program and child care centre directly adjacent to Central

Spryfield school. We look forward to partnering with the school for the provision of programs that will

continue to enable children in our communities to thrive.

Sincerely,

Tanis Crosby

Executive Director

YWCA Halifax

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