Olympic School Closure Survey

Thank you for you participation.

Could you please pass this link on to any friends you have that will have children in elementry school in 2009/2010?

Cut and past this link: http://whistlerpac.wordpress.com Please check back here to see the results.

Here are some comments we have received: (If you did not comment on the survey, you can add one below)

I will be working during this time and am a single parent

If its the kids best interest at stake they should stay in school where they are safe and well cared for. The Olympics can be incorporated into the curriculum so every child can experience the excitement of the Olympics without creating undue hardship for working parents

Under the current proposal, my son will not have an opportunity to experience the Olympic Games. As working parents, it is the expectation of our employers that we be fully available to work during this time. Unless RMOW offers childcare during this time period, our son will need to be sent away to relatives residing outside the area, meaning that he will miss the experience altogether. As a supporter of the Olympics, it is my desire that school remain in session, but integrate Olympic activities into the curriculum. For example, day of activities with out-of-town children travelling with Olympic family representatives; an opportunity to greet arriving athletes in the Athlete’s Village; group outing to an event. Let’s truly make this a lifetime experience for our children.

If the schools close there needs to be an option for daycare or a daytime alternative for kids. If the parents now need to take care of their kids that means they cannot work and they cannot volunteer and everyone’s experience is affected.

Normal hours during the Olympics, spring break in March as usual.

I support moving the spring break to the Olympic week, but I do not support the 2nd week of closures. I feel there should be a way that teachers, along with any volunteer parents, should be able to create a meaningful Olympic experience IN the classroom, combined with some olympic ‘field trip’ experiences. If the teachers/school administration and parents are involve I feel ALL children are more likely to get a better experience, as opposed to just a few fortunate children, whose parents aren’t working 12 hours/day.

I understand that the schools would need to close, however i am concerned as to what options will be in place for those parents that have to work during this time. it will add to the stress of our workforce during this time if our children are not provided for. I think the school & the Olympic committee need to help with coming up with alternatives.

I think it’s a good decision

The kids need to stay in school!

schools could organises classes to be taken to field trips to see events in the community as parents will most likely be working harder than ever to ensure the success of the games. Parents with kids out of school will not be able to volunteer or work the normal job that sustains the valley.

Rather than close elementary schools completely, have a shortened day – emphasis on learning should be the Olympics/Paralympics

There “must” be community programs in place for those parents who require care for children during this time, provided free of charge (AT LEAST FOR THE WEEKS THAT SCHOOL WOULD NORMALLY BE IN SESSION, plus a “reasonable” charge / normal Muni. program costs for the rescheduled spring break week )by the School Board/Muni/VANOC/Whist/Black. We want our children to be able to attend some events, awards & ceremonies, meet the athletes with ease and minimal costs…especially if they are too young to volunteer. This is a very special “once in a lifetime” opportunity for them living in an Olympic Venue and we need to make sure they can participate, be inspired and remember it as a great experience.

There is no valid reason to close the elementary schools. Working parents will be busier than ever during the Olympics, and those not working, might be needed as volunteers. With the schools in session the children will still have a wonderful Olympic experience, studying Olympic curriculum in the classroom, cheering for teams and athletes in their classrooms. If my children are not in school, then I’ll have to take vacation to stay home with them, but we’ll still be unlikely to be able to afford tickets to the events, so my chidlren won’t have an Olympic experience at all, except for watching it at home on TV. This is not what I consider to be a good option for them. In addition it means they go to school for 6 weeks after Christmas, have 2 weeks off and then have 18 weeks with no time off, until June, they’ll be exhausted, that is too long for a term. It is too disruptive, and the elementary schools ABSOLUTELY SHOULD NOT CLOSE

Have elementary children remain in school and have teachers build the subject of the olympics into the curriculum at an appropriate age level to those they are teaching. Parents still have the weekends to take children to medal ceremonies and event sites. If schools are to be closed the community will have to offer some sort of daycare for children that need it at a subsidised rate for parents otherwise working parents are going to be working long hours and be out of pocket to boot, they will not have a good experience from the Olympic games.

I wish to know what sort of daycare will be provided either via the school board or VANOC for local children of two working parents who due to our industries will be unable to take time off during the Olympics

Start school 15 minutes earlier all year.

Allow discounted tickets for the families affected by the closure.

I think our community has the time and the leverage to create alternative programs for our children during what will be an incredibly exciting time in Whistler. VANOC and the Muni can be “coerced” into helping fund and create meaningful programs.

I have been told I can not take any vacation during that time. In fact I will be working extra. If my child is out of school i am not sure what to do with her. The expense will be too great!

I do agree that the schools should close down for the Olympics. It would be nice to still have some sort of a break later in the spring. Would it not be possible to put all of the Pro-d days, Collaborative days etc along side either the Easter break or Victoria day celebration. There are already way too many of these days which end up making a lot of 4 day weeks. I know they would be losing valuable lesson time but there is also the thought of extending the school day by 30 minutes each day for the whole year. I think the students shouldn’t wait until the end of June for a break from school. Would it be possible to have some school involvement where the students are actively helping or participating in some degree?

would like to see extended class times to make up for the loss of 1 week of school time

i completely support the school board’s decision. I do not think it’s practical to conceive that school will be able to be in session while the Olympics are on.
Do not close the schools for an extended time during the Olympics. Maintain a regular spring break closure. There should be no additional closure days.

This is a joke the school board wants to rent the schools during the olympics. since their first idea didn’t fly they’re coming at us another way. the teachers want the time off with pay and I want to work too. Unfortunately in this resort town they haven’t quite figured out that we don’t want our kids out of school when everyone else is, we are a resort and “need to make hay when the sun shines” for us the sun is when the tourists are here. When the masses out of school our kids should at school. How can we have a meaningful Olympic experience? Organize school trips to Olympic functions and have these functions be credit time for education. The teachers can take the kids, the Olympic organization can give the local kids free admission and we can work. That would be a lasting legacy. And instead of us having to take time off work and pay for these event tickets our kids get to go while we pay for this pompous Olympics. The only way this could work is if our kids get free Olympic event tickets, chaperoned by the teachers, and school credit hours for attending.

I feel this will be a once in a lifetime experience for my family. I hope the children, in the community, will be able to participate in some way during the two weeks of the Olympics.

Keep them in school and give them projects related to the Olympics.

Business as usual. Don’t close the schools for the Olympics. What about Whistler’s working class/poor? We need to make a living and SUSTAIN in this town. It’s going to be very difficult to find child care in this town during the games. Not only that, with Whistler’s “employee shortage”, we’ll need to have all available/hireable residents on deck.

Would like to see extended class times to make up for the loss of 1 week of school time

I completely support the school board’s decision. I do not think it’s practical to conceive that school will be able to be in session while the Olympics are on.
Do not close the schools for an extended time during the Olympics. Maintain a regular spring break closure. There should be no additional closure days.

Wish that School was open and the curiculum focused on the olympics. They had Olympians come into the school, bus trips to see the arts activities that will be presented, went as class groups to sports events, realy had a chance to take advantage of the games being here. Who exactly is going to be free to volunteer or work during the olympics if we are all going to be looking after our kids and trying to find ways to get them into view the games?My kids will be in high School and HOPEFULLY they will have some opportunities to partake in some way. I am however very upset for the parents of elementary kids because if my kids were that age and it had happened it would have been terrible, I work at the clinic and I’ll be lucky to see the light of day let alone have time off!! Good luck to all the parents, I don’t envy you at all.

Some people will have to work during the olympics and will have child care issues. Since the schools will not be available, there is no reason why Kids on the Go would not be available as it normally is during any other school closure. For those of us who will not have to work, it will be a great opportunity to share the olympic experience with our kids

So far there have been no guarantees of an educational alternative during this proposed closure nor any assurances of free child-minding, which does nothing to alleviate my concern that we as parents will be left “holding the bag” when it comes to finding things for our children to do during the Olympics. Most of us will not be able to take time off work – so what daily activities are the school board/muni prepared to guarantee for our children, who is going to supervise the children as they participate in these activities and who is going to pay for this? We as parents should certainly not have to.

keep them in school and give them projects related to the olympics.

Business as usual. Don’t close the schools for the Olympics. What about Whistler’s working class/poor? We need to make a living and SUSTAIN in this town. It’s going to be very difficult to find child care in this town during the games. Not only that, with Whistler’s “employee shortage”, we’ll need to have all available/hireable residents on deck.