Dear Whole Child School Supporter:
We apologize for the delay between our supporter updates. A lot has happened since our last update at the community meeting held in October 2007, and we are very grateful for your continued patience and support.
We can now provide you with some long awaited answers. While they may not be what some of you were hoping for, there are many positives to share with you all.
The Local Feasibility Team meeting in mid-November was, in summary, very positive. Superintendent Jill Worthy confirmed she sees merit in the Whole Child School proposal and is intending to take it forward to the Central Feasibility Team for their consideration. Jill’s support of our proposal is critical and we are glad to have it.
One disappointing note from the LFT meeting was the School Board’s inability to accommodate our goal of opening the school in September 2008. The new process for approving alternative schools will take longer to complete than originally expected and cannot be completed in time for opening this year. Although many members of the organizing committee found this disappointing, we are heartened by TDSB’s assurances that we are tracking well for a September 2009 opening. This delay in opening the school will actually allow us more time to work through all the details prior to opening, thereby making our first year as smooth and successful as possible.
We will be working over the next couple of months to move ahead with the detailed planning for Whole Child School. Some of the things we are currently working on include:
a.. A written description of a “Day in the Life” of Whole Child School
b.. Our holistic approach to assessment
c.. Our plans to address diversity
d.. Our plans to confirm supporter community interest and commitment
With respect to last point, we are currently in the process of redesigning our supporter survey to determine specific levels of interest in sending your children to WCS, given the delayed opening date. Please stay tuned for another update letting you know when the survey is ready for completion.
Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to sending you more regular progress updates in the future.
Warmly,
The Whole Child School Organizing Committee