Education

Province provides support for two new community schools in District 16 (08/10/10)

NB 1485

Oct 10, 2008

MIRAMICHI (CNB) - More than 200 children at Harkins Elementary in Miramichi are learning to love reading, thanks to a community-based literacy program that brings volunteer mentors into their school.

(Multimedia)

The Department of Education is building on that support by designating the K-5 school as one of two new community schools in District 16, Education Minister Kelly Lamrock announced during a visit to the school today. Millerton Elementary and Junior High School, which teaches grades K-8 to about 130 students, is also being designated as a community school.

"It's my hope that these two schools will build on their successes in attracting into their classrooms the talent and generosity that exists in their community," Lamrock said. "The extra staff we are providing will help transform these schools into centres of opportunity for children, youth, families and communities before, during and after school hours."

The community schools designation earns each school a new, half-time staff position in charge of developing partnerships with public, private and volunteer groups in their respective communities.

To date, 41 schools from both the anglophone and francophone sectors have been designated as community schools. In the 2008-09 school year, the Department of Education will invest another $3.3 million in the community schools initiative.

During today's announcement, Lamrock visited children who came to school dressed as their favourite storybook characters, and read stories with their volunteer mentors. The children also presented food, collected from home, to the local food bank as part of their Thanksgiving-week school activities.

Lamrock also announced that District 16 will receive more than $130,000 to fund six more special classroom projects under the Innovative Learning Fund (ILF). The fund is a signature project of When Kids Come First, an ambitious plan to build the best education system in the country.

During 2008-09, the ILF will invest:

• $1.1 million on 149 projects across nine anglophone districts, plus $620,000 earmarked for projects yet to be approved; and
• $773, 829 on 123 projects across five francophone districts, plus $566,171 earmarked for projects yet to be approved.

Between its launch August 2007 and the end of the 2008-09 school year, the ILF will have invested $6.8 million in New Brunswick classrooms.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Following is a list of new District 16 ILF projects that received funding during Round 1 of the 2008-09 school year, and a list of community schools designated to date. MEDIA CONTACT: Jordan O'Brien, Education, 506-457-4999.

District 16 ILF recipients, Round 1, 2008-09

• Promoting Academic Resilience among Struggling Readers and Writers; Brandi Lennox, Bonar Law Memorial School ($39,998);
• On The Right Track!; Elizabeth McCarthy, Ian Baillie Primary School ($38,443);
• Miramichi Valley High School Experiential Green House; Scott Jamieson, Miramichi Valley High School ($10,276);
• Fishing for Literacy; Rodney Buggie, Blackville School ($19,468);
• Miramichi River Project - Man's Impact; Todd Fitzpatrick, Nelson Rural School ($19,828); and
• Cloze-ing the Gap Using Technology - Literacy Development for Students with ASD; Angela Hower, District 16 office ($2,500).

Community Schools announced through Oct. 10, 2008

District 1

École Champlain, Moncton
École Abbey-Landry, Memramcook
École Arc-en-ciel, Oromocto

District 2

Forest Glen School, Moncton
Beaverbrook School, Moncton

District 3

École Régionale-de-Saint-André, Saint-André
École Ernest-Lang, Saint-François
École Saint-Joseph, Saint-Joseph-de-Madawaska

District 5

École La Croisée de Robertville, Robertville
École Carrefour-Étudiant, Beresford
Polyvalente Roland-Pépin, Campbellton

District 6

Sussex Middle School, Sussex
Quispamsis Elementary School, Quispamsis

District 8

Hazen White/St. Francis School, Saint John
Centennial School, Saint John
St. Patrick's School, Saint John
Lorne Middle School, Saint John
Glen Falls School, Saint John
St. John the Baptist/King Edward School, Saint John

District 9

Centre scolaire communautaire La Fontaine, Neguac
École l'Escale-des-Jeunes, Bas-Caraquet
Polyvalente Louis-Mailloux, Caraquet
École Terre-des-Jeunes, Paquetville

District 10

Fundy High School, St. George
St. Stephen Elementary School, St. Stephen

District 11

École Régionale de Baie-Sainte-Anne, Baie Sainte-Anne
École Blanche-Bourgeois, Cocagne
École Soleil Levant, Richibucto

District 14

Andover Elementary School, Perth-Andover
Southern Carleton Elementary School, Bedell

District 15

Bathurst High School, Bathurst
Dalhousie Regional High School, Dalhousie

District 16

Bonar Law Memorial School, Rexton
Eleanor W. Graham Middle School, Richibucto
Harkins Elementary School, Miramichi
Millerton Elementary and Junior High School, Derby

District 17

Cambridge-Narrows School, Cambridge-Narrows
Geary Elementary School, Geary
Lower Lincoln Elementary School, Lincoln

District 18

Devon Middle School, Fredericton
Keswick Ridge School, Keswick Ridge

08/10/10