French Milieu Reconfiguration—Followup Information
February 17, 2022
On February 10, 2022, the board of trustees held a virtual parent information evening to share plans for the French milieu reconfiguration involving École Centrale (EC), École Margaret-Underhill (EMU), and École Regent Park (ERP). Below is some followup information.
PowerPoint Presentation
Click the image below to view the PowerPoint presentation that was shared at the virtual parent information evening.
Schools of Choice
Why are Schools of Choice not a consideration?
In order to stabilize the numbers in the new catchment areas, and plan accurately for staffing and other resources, we are not allowing Schools of Choice from EMU or EC during the transition.
Boundaries & Big Picture Plan
New School Update
- We are currently negotiating the land acquisition in the Peguis area.
- Once land is purchased, we can start a dialogue on what the school will look like in terms of programming and grade levels.
- Once the government approves the school division plans, the project would move to tender.
- The government would then need to make a decision/final approval on the tender.
- Once approved, then construction can start—this process can take a number of years, so no timeline is available.
Student Numbers Impact
The new boundaries will balance the students to be accommodated within the three French milieu schools for the foreseeable future. Growth and program choice cannot be 100 per cent predicted but given trends the new boundaries will provide space needed.
We appreciate the impact of change on every student; however, we need to balance and stabilize the numbers. Every student can have an effect on programs and staffing at each school. Once full transition takes place (after renovations and additions are completed at ERP), then families will attend their catchment area school together until they move to middle years and senior years.
Current trends also illustrate a drop off in enrolment in French milieu programs when students move to middle years and again into senior years. Collège Pierre-Elliot-Trudeau has space to accommodate the future movement of French milieu students into senior years.
Programming
ERP will have the same early years educational support programs, such as Reading Recovery, speech clinicians, etc., once the K–3 grades have transitioned into ERP.
Early years enrichment experiences, such as extracurricular, after school, and lunch time programs, will be offered as they are in all early years schools. ERP also has a recently renovated dance studio and Mac lab with a green screen for use by all classrooms, as well.
How is RETSD dealing with a shortage of French teachers? This is a national issue. RETSD is working with the universities to recruit quality French teachers to meet this need.
Transportation
All students residing greater than 1.6 km from their designated school in Grades K–6 are eligible for transportation grants as laid out in The Public Schools Act and Regulations (Policy EEA—Student Transportation).
There will be some adjustments depending on residence—those who may have been bused to EC or EMU but live within 1.6 km of ERP will not qualify.
For more information, contact the RETSD transportation department at 204.669.0202 or trans@retsd.mb.ca.
ERP Renovations & Additions
Tenders closed in the middle of February for the addition of four classrooms and a new gymnasium. Now the school division must wait to see what is in the final approval from the government. The final approval will determine the scope of the work that will be done.
As a result of the addition of these four classrooms and a new gymnasium—along with the renovations that have taken place over the past two years and continue to happen—the capacity of ERP will grow to over 700 which will accommodate our French milieu students.
Once the final plans for the addition are completed, a visual will be prepared and made accessible to the public at the school and/or online.
Bookmark this page—more info to come!
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