During the public consultation process of the Pupil Accommodation Review for Ward 14, the community clearly expressed its wish to maintain Junior Kindergarten at Winchester PS. Community representatives include many of the families who chose to keep their children at Winchester when others did not have faith in the school, and who have invested time and other resources in supporting the French Immersion and English programs at Winchester. That investment and support is for our “community school”.
We believe the JK program at Winchester has tremendous value and that it significantly enhances the positive school experience for the students of our community. In response to the claim that space issues were the reason for eliminating Winchester's JK program, community members researched and presented several possible solutions to the PARC, including re-directing English 7-8 students to Lord Dufferin, a nearby under-utilized school, to free up needed space. The Pupil Accommodation Review Committee did not fully acknowledge the community's concerns nor consider our input. As a result, their recommendations and staff report do not represent the needs and wants of our community.
We ask you, The Planning and Priorities Committee, to listen to our community. Please recommend keeping the Junior Kindergarten program at Winchester P.S. and allow us to maintain our community school.