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. m _ warmrooumulaa-Woaimda‘ytr‘miia‘ryzsl 2012 -3 Bo ard defers contrOversial bell times plan ‘ Br RYAN Puma align its start times for maximum efficiency between the v ‘ For the Chronicle two boards, saving $1 million per year. But parents upset with the idea of moving bell times ‘ ot knowing the specifics of what changes to bell expressed theirdispleasure with the proposal to trustees ; times would mean for schools, students and parents “The recommendation gives stat! cane bhnche to pro- were left in a state of confusion at a school board ceed with the changes when they think no one is looking.” 1 meeting Monday night as tnistees deferred the decision. said They Morency. j '1 would have liked to have had a more fulsome debate “The real world does not begin at 9:30. Teaching stu- : tonight. because that’s the way we get answers." said board dents that it does . . . would be an unconscionable disserv- . chair Catherine Fife after the meeting, which ended with ice to them and to the society to which they are expected to 1 the bell times issue deferred to Feb. 13 during the board's contribute.’ budget deliberations ‘ ' Abigail Mciellan. a student at Cameron Heights Colle- , School board staff had recommended tmstees approve giate Institute, presented trustees with a survey of 200 stu- further study of the issue. with an eye to making changes dents at her school. most of whom were in favour of later for the 2013- ll school year. but some trustees found that to bell times. be too vague of a solution. Parent Kathryn Aucoin questioned why ‘no survey had “This motion is nothing more than fence‘sitting. and it been-conducted at a Cambridge school. but instead at it leaves parents dangling about our true intentions.” said Kitchener magnet school with unique transportation pat- trustee Cindy Watson. terns and concerns. The board's proposal was to shift starting times so ele- Watson echoed parents' concerns. adding she believes memory schools begin their instructional day before high trustees had not heard most of the concerns schools The situation is currently reversed. with most high '1 don't believe that this motion benefits the students or schools beginning instruction between 8 and 8:30 a.m.. their well-being. l believeit‘sjtmt theopposite.'shesaid. while most elementary schools start between 8:30 and 9:15 Trustee Ted Martin said swapping bell times is, to him. a . am. matter ofcommon sense rather than dollars and cents. and Studies have shown teenagers perform better in schools asked for the matter to be considered separate from budget with later start times. acording to the board. but Fife said deliberations in order to focus on what makes die most this was only a secondary benefit discovered after the plan sense for students. was initially conceived as a cost-saving measure. ”it has never tirade sense to me that our oldest kids. who The board cunentiy contracts out 28] bosses each day. naturally wake up late. a) to school later than our younger but 32 ofthem sit idle in the mommy and are only used for the school board $1.3 million per year. More than $934,000 kids, who naturallywake up earlier,‘ he said. afternoondropofis ofthatwouldbeusedtolowerwalkingdistancesallmving 'lhadnoideathatthiscouldpossiblyleadtomsaying if the bell times were to be changed under the board's the public board to transport 2,600 more studentsvia bus. any money in our budget. but it‘s always made sense to me current proposal. 67 fewer busses would be needed. saving The Waterloo Catholic District School Board would also that it'swaybetter forourstudents." ‘ , a It s all about the money says parent concerned by changes to hell times 31mm a Grades 7. Sand ii. third-party daycare operators board oflchk. including superin- Chronldtfl He said the two massive «It; 8d - have been protesting since the tendent of education at WRDSB changes at the Waterloo Region 5 "at mmn' late fall about board plam to take Mary Lou Mackie said the extend- Changes to bell times and District School Board and the 0871M It’s money over before and after school care ed day decision was up to the before and afterschool careat Waterloo Catholic District School "all. I , he for students four to seven year administrationâ€"mm the region's schools all comes Board were interrelated. with the Gen t8 t oldsinalltheredonschools Catherine Fife. chair of the down to cash. according to one changes beingdoneirr concert. money that's The concerns centred around WRDSB board of trustees. said the parent. The Waterloo Region District - - he n higher costs for daycare service board approves costs for extended , Murray Zink said he isn‘t buy- School Board and Waterloo moanng t m- provided by the boards. stress on day. She said it was unlikely the , ing what the school boards are Catholic District School Board are -mm . kids already used to their care board would wade into the issue selling when it comes to the in the processofbdtirnestudies. “WCWM provider and the potential elimi- otherwhe. implementation of before and intended to increase student me‘h‘mmm nation of programming/fee "Currently trustees agree that after school care for four to seven learning and save cash on buses. ”1,“,me increasa by third parties for other this is a staffing‘decision.” Fife I year olds and changes to bell according totheboards. care age groups because the four said. “According to legislation | times for students ' Elementary schools would see million in eficiencies through hell to seven-year-dd age group is the we're not supposed to wade into 'lt's not educationtentred.” start times as early 8 8 am. while unieaiignment. most lucrative. occupational hares” ’ 7ink said. “it's money-centred. high school students could see Estimated savings for the Whileparents have appealed to in terms of the timing of "lt‘s the money that's motivat- startsas lateas9:45 a.rn. WRDSB are in the SL3 million to everyone including the board of extended day and bell times ing them? in a press release. the Catholic $1.9 million range. trustees and local politicians to together. Fife said it was a coinci- | link has three children in board said it expects to create $1 In the meantime. parents and help them with their fight. school dence. ~ W . . f 00595 --" 7 \..v".”ilt‘l‘llJC' l ll ' ‘ ' l ‘ ‘ ' - 519.746.2777 '-'- W Drive at lbs Expressway ‘ www.forboscuto.eom ‘ C roasts trauma - out! nu loan-roots war .1‘ v. 1‘ ‘ (TY? k. ‘. L U3 h : ' L AA ,7 7 l