Presented at a town hall meeting on February 19, 2015

1. Why A New Public High School for
Stittsville is Needed NOW!

2. Jan 5, 2015 - An unpleasant reminder of why
NOT having a public high school in Stittsville
sucks! Great start to "back to school" this
morning..... after waiting out in the -24 temp
for an hour my sons bus didn't show up
(apparently there were mechanical
difficulties). So now I have to drive him to
school.... which is oh so conveniently located
30 minutes away... in the opposite direction
from work. Here's hoping 2015 brings us the
public high school we need in Stittsville!
- Julia

3. I can tell you that I'm a South Carleton grad ('94), and at least partly
because of this, I would prefer my kids not have to go to Richmond.
This will probably mean us switching boards when the time comes for
the kids to move on to high school. So much of my high school days
were spent busing back and forth to school, driving around Stittsville,
up Fernbank, down Flewellyn, and back up Fallowfield, that it's just
not something I would want my kids to do (I think we spent close to 2
hours daily on the bus). Also, at the time, kids at the school came
from Manotick, Greely, Kemptville, North Gower, Munster, Richmond
and Stittsville. As a result, my parents spent many hours driving us
around town to dances, friends houses, etc. Had there been another
option I would have chosen not to attend [South Carleton]. A few
years earlier, kids from Stittsville were bused to Kanata (as my older
brother was) for high school, but once those schools got too crowded
(I think in about 1987?) kids were moved out to Richmond. I don't
think that was ever meant to be the long term solution it seemed to
become. At the rate that new homes seem to be springing up all over
Stittsville, it's impossible for me to believe that a public high school in
Stittsville wouldn't be the most logical solution.
- Lorrie

4. My neighbour has a daughter at [Stittsville
Public School] but her high school daughter goes
to Sacred Heart because it is closer than South
Carleton.
- Cathy
We are sending our child to Sacred Heart after
grade six because of its location in Stittsville. We
feel Richmond is too far.
- Julie

5. My two sons are in grade 3 and 5 currently at Westwind Public School. We
already have issues with taking the school bus because of activities
starting so early that I must pick up the children at school. Recently, when
driving past Scared Heart High School, I asked if they would like to go to
school there. They thought they WOULD be, but I informed them that
they would have to go to school out by their Aunt's house in Richmond.
They were so surprised and the older one immediately said, “I want to go
to this school. How will I get home on time if I get a job after school!?” (he
is young but this is important to him) My younger son was more
concerned about how far away from home it was as he has some medical
issues and I frequently have had to go to the school to handle things that
occur. They also said, “we can walk to this school mom.” I am highly
leaning toward making the switch. It makes most sense in so many ways.
20 km away? Really? It already takes 45 mins for my children to get home
from school on a bus that is 3 min away; I can't imagine how many hours a
day they will spend on a bus.
- Sandra Luty

6. I attended a high school quite far from my home
community. As a result, I didn't participate in
any extra-curricular activities. If there's no public
high school in Stittsville by the time my oldest is
ready, we'll likely send her to Sacred Heart. And I
will fight for an exemption from religious
studies.
- Erin

7. My daughter is currently going to [Goulbourn Middle
School] and is pretty happy, [but] she wants to attend
Sacred Heart in grade 9 because of the friends attending.
She played softball this year with 5 other girls in the
public school board who have all chosen to switch over to
Sacred Heart. She struggled with the decision to go [to
GMS] but I did not. I am glad: from what I have heard it's
like being in high school at 12??? I don't want to send her
as the overcrowding [at Sacred Heart] is unbelievable. My
son is in grade 5 at [Stittsville Public School] and will also
stay in the Public system. I am a true believer in keeping
them [there] as I don't want to contribute to the problem
of not getting the funding because the enrollment is
down [at South Carleton].
- Lindsay

8. We would like to share our family's story about our decision to send our two daughters
to Sacred Heart. Our daughters are now in grades 4 and 6 at [Stittsville Public School].
For years, we had heard and hoped that a public high school would be built in
Stittsville. Surely, we thought, that by the time our girls would be ready to attend high
school, there would be one in our own town for them to attend. Nope. Driving to the
high school in Richmond takes us twenty minutes at least. Factoring in bus stops and
weather, a one way bus ride to school could take 30 to 40 minutes minimum. Our
daughters can walk or ride their bikes to school in 10 minutes to Sacred Heart on a
nature trail through woods vs. sitting on a bus for an hour a day. To us, this is a quality
of life concern. Wouldn't you rather walk to school through woods, over a creek, and
hear birds than sit on a bus for an hour a day, five days a week? Also, we're considering
after school activities, opportunities for part time work, and the times where we may
need to pick them up for appointments. It just doesn't make sense to us why, for six
years, we would commit to the inconvenience and inevitable stress the distance to the
high school in Richmond would create for our entire family. Sacred Heart has an
excellent reputation in our community for programming, technology, and school
environment/spirit. While we are disheartened about the politics and lack of
movement surrounding a public high school in Stittsville, we do not hesitate to send
our daughters to Sacred Heart.
We hope this offers some insight into our decision. We believe our position is not
unique. We are confident there are many other Stittsville families with similar stories.
- Monica

9. We will be doing [Goulbourn Middle School]
then [South Carleton] as well. I'm wondering
how data is captured to reflect the need for new
high schools. If enrollment gets high for Sacred
[Heart], a great deal of which is from Public
students, then does it just help make the case
for a new Catholic school? Are there stats that
capture those who enroll at Sacred [Heart], not
because they choose Catholic but because of
proximity only?
- Carrie

10. I [am] definitely for a public high school in Stittsville, as I too would change
boards to be able to keep my sons in Stittsville. The problem to me that I see
having already one child done high school and 2 in early elementary and one
on his way next year.... I see a problem for students that may have or need or
want after school jobs or co-ops with transportation. If kids want or need to
work after school or have these co-ops they won't be able to get to and from
the schools easily. The buses are not quick and regular in the Fernbank areas
nor to South [Carleton]... Myself I would have liked to see a High school in the
heart of Stittsville right at the Hazeldean/Stittsville Main St. area but on north
side of street where there is spacious 22 acres to build football fields and
soccer fields and such for the students and they can walk to all the jobs that
they may be working at or do their co-op. Also it would be on major routes for
buses and simple for parents that need to drop off etc... there is commercial
around this area and simple to get in and out for buses at a new school. Also
with new subdivisions all around that property and new one to start behind.
It would be wonderful to see a simpler route for parent/kids using this piece
in the heart of Stittsville instead of at the backside of Stittsville where there is
already South [Carleton] in that area.... I have been resident of this area since
I was a child and this is my opinion of meeting the needs and location for both
involved student/school staff.
- Tina

11. Hard to say [what we will do]. My kids are grade
1 & 2 now, so hopefully this is resolved by then. I
really do not want to send them to Richmond
for school, but I'm equally against sending them
to a religious school. So I guess we are kind of
stuck.
- Tracie

12. I don't have anything against [South Carleton] in
Richmond but would prefer not to have to drive
there. I know that 11 minutes doesn't sound like a
long drive, but keep in mind, it's there and back and
if the kids miss the bus (which occasionally
happens) or have appointments, it's a drive in the
wrong direction compared with dropping them off
down the road here in Stittsville on the way to
work. Maybe not everyone feels that way, but I'd
much rather have my kids in Stittsville than
Richmond. I have nothing against Richmond but our
community is Stittsville and I'd simply rather have
them stay here.
- Cathy

13. We are seriously considering all options for high
school including switching to the Catholic board,
even though we are not Catholic nor do I wish to
have my kids be educated in a Catholic school. FYI-
the kids in grade 3 in Stittsville Public are already
talking about where they will go to high school and
my daughter openly talks about her friends that will
be switching to the Catholic school board. My
daughter did day to me "mommy I don't want to go
to Catholic school" which tells me they have been
having conversations among friends (as I have never
talked to her about it before this weekend).
- Karrie

14. Most likely with having three kids who will all be at
different schools for at least one year... I'm seriously
considering Sacred Heart because I want them to
be able to participate in extra-curriculars and it's
just too far to be driving three kids all around this
end of the city.
- Natasha
My son currently in grade 5 at [Stittsville Public
School] and will go to Sacred Heart or Holy Trinity
by my parents' house. Richmond is way too far.
- Jen

15. We moved to Stittsville before my son started grade
one and we were sure this wouldn't be an issue. He
is now in grade 7 at [Goulbourn Middle School] and
loves it, but will be going to Sacred [Heart]. While it
bothers me on principle that by the time he is in
high school there will be both a Catholic and a
French Catholic high school but no public one, I
won't send him on a bus that leaves home at 7:20
with limited opportunities for extra-curriculars
when he can leave home at 8 and walk to school.
- Susan

16. Mine will go to Sacred [Heart] unfortunately
(not that Sacred us a bad school at all) because
with two working parents they need to be able
to get to and from school independently should
they want to join an after school activity or need
to stay late.
- Sonia

17. We moved to Stittsville when my daughter
started grade 2 at [Stittsville Public School]
thinking there will be a [High School] by the
time she starts. She is now in grade 9 at [South
Carleton] - very frustrating that she is on the bus
for so long before and after school. It's a pain for
any before and after school activities. We still
have children in grade 5 and grade 2. We also
looked into Sacred Heart but all her friends were
going to [South Carleton].
- Vanessa

18. I have three kids at A. Lorne [Cassidy elementary
school] - ages 6, 8 and 10 - and they will be
switched to Sacred [Heart] if [there’s] no public
high school. My kids involve themselves and are
in sports so there is no way I am driving to
Richmond for their before and after school
activities to drop off and pick up.
- Kim

19. I have lived in the area of Stittsville since 1999.
These discussions were going on then with city
counsellors and school boards. I really didn't pay
much attention because I really thought high
school was so far off for my newborn son that a
school would definitely be built.
Bahahahahahaha! He will be done high school in
2 years and no school. 16 years ago and still
nothing done. …I will believe it when I see it
built and ready for business.
- Kathy

20. In our case, it's not about our kids having to move for
religion class. They have to take it, which in itself is not
the real issue - it’s that they are not getting an important
option class that they would be getting at South
[Carleton]. It is one less class that our kids could be
selecting something meaningful to them. Going to South
means being on a bus when it's still dark in the morning
in winter, it means parents having to drive there often to
pick up, drop off, co-ordinate projects, study groups,
sports, etc. and it means great difficulty in our older teens
having after school jobs because they can't just hop on a
bus to get to Kanata for a 4:00 start. Also it means our
kids being in social circles with kids from Manotick and so
don't think you won’t be driving to Manotick to pick your
kid up at 11 at night because you will be.
- Wendy