RJCS Students Soar Our Mission Our Vision To create a sustainable - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

RIVER JOHN SUPPORT OUR SCHOOL COMMITTEE: FEBRUARY 2015 HUB PROGRESS REPORT

RJCS

Students Soar

Our Mission Our Vision

To create a sustainable educational centre that enriches the lives of the students and community as a whole. A Vibrant Growing Community.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Meade “We are at a unique point in our history. As Nova Scotians, it is incumbent on us to take stock of our strengths and face our challenges directly.” Ray Ivany River John SOS is an excellent example of Ivany in Action. Our members are participating in the exciting work of Pictou County 2020 which Premier MacNeil referenced in an interview on ATV as a positive example of citizen action on the Ivany Report. RJSOS

REFRESHER: WHY WE ARE HERE: THE HUB BUB

RJCS was slated for closure June 2015 because of excess square footage, declining enrollment and costs UNLESS we could come up with a HUB proposal the Elected board might accept. Even the Minister of Education in our meeting with her admitted “At that time no one REALLY knew what a HUB was.” While waiting for a team of experts to establish Department of Education and Early Childhood parameters (no Elected Board members or community members were on this team) the community of River John met and asked hard questions.

WHAT TO DO? WHAT NOT TO DO? WHAT CAN WE DO?

“We will not be a strip mall for our children if that is what they mean by HUB.” “We don’t have enough businesses to be a commercial HUB, we could get business partnerships maybe.” “But how can they commit to rent before we know we are open?” “Besides, we pay our taxes for school. We are a school and a good one. Let’s make it even better for our students!” “How can we use the space and find a way? We need a place for families and children in all Pictou County and the North Shore.” “Something to attract international students? Tourists? Make it energy efficient? “WE ARE ALREADY A COMMUNITY HUB!” Let’s use our rich heritage, celebrate our present, and embrace 21st century learning and make RJCS even better!

NECESSITY IS THE MOTHERHOOD OF INVENTION

RJCS took ownership of what a HUB was for their community: H for Health and Wellness U for Unity of our community B for Building a Brighter Future We started with re-imagining our current library space as a learning hub for families and children: The North Shore Scholar Ship Discovery Centre and Maker Space Community was born! Now we have an even bigger picture.

NO ONE SAID IT WOULD BE EASY

FIRST, we need to thank our elected board members who voted to give us an opportunity to work hard and keep our school open for our children. To have a chance as a community to develop a community school hub. Ground breaking! It has been extremely stressful given the time frame but we are now a hard working volunteer team of 17 people, all with different skill sets and strengths. We have had great support from so many. An overwhelming groundswell of support from our municipality and beyond! BUT…Really? We were blindsided and discouraged by CCRSB staff’s interpretation of parameters, the impossible financial askance, the way this process of evaluation was set up. It looked -from the outside- like it was set up for failure. Is the Board staff really asking small communities to pay to keep their doors open for their students? Do they see that “show me the money first” criteria is impossible to meet and what is more, creates a two tier system of education? Do they really want operating costs and capital costs of $173,600 and $560,000 respectively? Do they want us to just give up?

In River John, we love our children and our community too much to do that ! “But with love, we are creative. With it, we march tirelessly. With it, with it alone, we are able to sacrifice for others.” Chief Dan George AND SO…… RJSOS has worked on, hoping that the elected board who gave us this opportunity will let their voices be heard and their undecided colleagues will see now that what we are doing for River John’s children is best. Instead of shutting our school down, they can be partners with us in creating something truly new and exciting. It is entirely do-able. It requires hard conversations, not confrontations. A willingness to try and to risk. But first… some other words to take seriously before some cost-saving details..

Minister’s Message

It is time. Time for action to build a better school system and a brighter future for Nova Scotia’s students, teachers, administrators, and parents.

We have read Minister Karen Casey’s response to the Freeman Report.

Although there is no direct mention of “HUB” schools; we continue to move forward with our vision of what a community HUB school will look like for the community of River John:

brighter future!

Community, we have plans for the Wide Awake Art Gallery, a community HUB garden, and outdoor recreation HUB. We met with the Minister before her response. We asked four specific questions. She has not answered those questions directly but she has answered: she has left the decision of community HUB School proposals in the Board’s hands- not wanting to interfere at this point in the process. BUT…. Here is why we still have hope in our Minister:

HER WORDS: If there is a good idea, we will consider it.

• At every step of the Action Plan, we have one guiding question: Is this decision in the best

interests of students?

• Provide students with hands-on learning activities for developing their technology skills
• Add more Discovering Opportunities 9 programs in schools across the province
• Parents need to continue to support their sons and daughters, to make sure the system is

working for them, to be their advocates as well as their parents, to continue to push for improvements where they are needed, and to be positive forces in the lives of our schools. We need students, parents and guardians, teachers and education leaders, and our communities to do their parts.

• Education cannot do it alone. Health, Justice, Community Services, and other departments and

agencies contribute to the provision of school-based services and programs. Students and families benefit from being able to access these many different government services at their local school. We will rebuild our education system by creating more efficient structures and inclusive schools that better serve all of our students.

• The structure will be reconstructed to become more student centered; efficient, flexible,

sustainable, and integrated with other government departments and agencies that serve children and youth. WE ARE DOING ALL OF THIS AND MORE!

• The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development will work with

school boards to increase community access to schools; design a new provincial policy for school boards for the delivery of programs and services to students by

• utside organizations and community groups.
• More than 2500 students have participated in the Nova Scotia International

Student Program in the Chignecto-Central Regional School Board. (If the River John School is kept open, there is capacity to accept international students thereby creating revenue for the Board.) “Transforming education isn’t about the ‘latest great idea.’ It is about imagining the best possible future for our students and putting our hearts into our work, so we can take the next steps on the path. It is about building on the research and finding ways to make the ‘seemingly impossible’ both possible and practical.” Davies, Herbst, & Reynolds, 2008 We want to do this and more!

• Literature clearly indicates the correlation between a lack of services in a community, and the well -

being of its members; the fewer the resources, the weaker the community may become (Brown & Hannis, 2012).

• The River John SOS committee has been working diligently to create a HUB school model which

reflects our community’s needs, wants and desires. As a grassroots community group, we have consulted our community members, and have heard loud and clear, that the health of our community is at risk with the closure of our school. Literature clearly notes the importance that community schools have on the health and wellbeing of today’s youth, and the community as a whole (Brown & Hannis, 2012)

• The River John SOS committee foresees our HUB school model encompassing a variety of health

the wellness related components, which adds tremendous value to our children and our community as a whole.

H: Health and Wellness Addressing the social determinants of health

• According to the World Health Organization (WHO) (2015) the social determinants “are the

conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at global, national and local levels.”

• There are 12 common determinants that are accepted by various disciplines. These

determinants include: income and social status, social supports, education and literacy, employment and working conditions, social environments, physical environments, personal health practices and coping skills, healthy childhood development, biological and genetic backgrounds, health service access, gender and culture (WHO, 2015 & Public Health Agency of Canada, 2011).

• Literature clearly indicated that schools are a “vital part of the community” and even more

important in rural communities (Kinash & Hoffman, 2009, p. 239). It is easy to see the HUB school concept reflects many ways to support and strengthen many of the areas identified as social determinants of health, most specifically social supports, social environments, physical environments, healthy childhood development and education.

The HUB school model: Health and Wellness Addressing the social determinants of health (cont.)

Social Supports and Social Environments

Mayberry, Pope, Hodgins, Hitchenor & Shepherd (2009) further note that “strong social networks and support will…enhance both resilience and wellbeing” in rural communities as a whole (p. 328). The HUB school model will offer our community as a whole opportunity to participant in a variety of activities, educational opportunities and healthy living programs, which all provide individuals and families an opportunity to create social support networks. Children, adults and families as a whole will be present with healthy programming when the HUB is up and running. Whether people are interacting through a weekly exercise class, or engaging in conversation at the community garden, these types of opportunities provide community members with opportunities to engage with others and form relationships that will contribute to a sense of belonging and social support.

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

The HUB school model proposed by the River John SOS committee reflects our government and school board’s commitment to providing our students, and community with a safe environment, not only to educate our children, but support healthy living and community development in River John through the creation of safe physical environment to house our HUB school. Such space indoors and outdoors is vital to upholding the social determinants of health, and the health of our population.

LATEST HUB NEWS

EXTERIOR

NORTH SHORE SCHOLAR SHIP DISCOVERY CENTRE

FIRST FLOOR

SECOND FLOOR

THE WIDE AWAKE ART GALLERY & CAFÉ

The Wide Awake was a schooner built in 1863 by Tom McDonald in River John. In keeping with our shipbuilding theme for The Scholar Ship Discovery Centre and Maker Space Community, we chose this name because it represents the current spirit in our community. River John is a community wide awake and on the rise. This would be absolutely the wrong time for our students and our community and we believe, the province

• f Nova Scotia for the elected Board of CCRSB to SHUT DOWN this community school.

“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s

• indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresay, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is

not death, it’s indifference.” Elie Wiesel

In River John, it is not just our innovative plans and dreams and will do’s but our actions and team work that show we are far from indifferent to the needs of our children! So.. what exactly is that Wide Awake idea ….?

Enter our community HUB entrance- before you turn left to the Scholar Ship Discovery Centre, in what is currently the foyer of the school-- see the Wide Awake ART Gallery and Café. This small gallery is for the artists and artisans of Pictou County and the North Shore to showcase their creations. There will also be a small counter where tea and coffee will be available and seating where people can sit, gather and enjoy the art. Maybe a cup of Wide Awake Blend tea? A Wide Awake Shake? Sunrise Trail Mix? Then sit, relax, enjoy the art displayed.

The sale of any art will be through direct contact with the artists themselves.The details will be worked out, but perhaps we would look for a small percentage. We have met and received support from Creative Pictou County, a new arts council in the

• making. We have already have letters of support and intent from professional artists who

would be happy to display their art in this space. We have reached out to Art Gallery of Nova Scotia who have expressed support. We will apply to be a part of the Artsmarts program so our students, working with a professional artist can be part of the creative process as we go forward. On the wall going into the Scholar Ship Centre, picture a mural that is a topographical map –from Amherst to New Glasgow on the Sunrise Trail and off trail, a community map that locates and celebrates our businesses, beaches, trails, artists and artisans. This is vital. Students are at the centre of the centre and our “community” extends beyond our village.

& SHHHH! Remember our pirate lobster mascot from a previous progress report? Captain ARGGH Jay welcoming you to our Scholar Ship Discovery Centre? Pirates and …mermaids? What about … The Whispering Mermaid? Eventually,we envision a small gift shop as part of our Hub –from sea glass treasures to child friendly toys or souvenirs that our students and community members might make. Recycled treasures. Pottery coffee mugs shaped like rubber boots?

• Hey. we are proud of our rubber boot roots and heritage!

We are a maker space community.We have a lot of skills, trades, talent and imagination. This shop could be outdoors as part of the outdoor component of our HUB. ….. Which leads us into environmental education …

COMMUNITY GARDEN

Gardens are extremely flexible teaching tools. Curriculum-based activities centered on a school garden can improve children’s environmental attitudes, interpersonal skills and appreciation for healthy foods. It has been shown that curricula derived from a garden can improve the understanding of life science concepts and science inquiry skills, as well as increase self-esteem and positive attitudes toward school. We have generous offers from experienced members in our community and beyond- graduates of Nova Scotia Agricultural College, business people who are willing to give of their time and expertise to develop this part of the hub. (Specific support material will be passed in with our proposal on March 31 2015).

COMMUNITY GARDEN

Objectives:

• Create an accessible community garden in partnership

with the school.

• Design the garden to ensure a natural habitat for birds

and butterflies.

• Promote seed saving, food security, and principles of
• rganic farming.
• Design activities in the garden based on current school

curriculum so that pupils can be directly involved.

• Follow any wisdom shared by teachers and facilitate

participation on their part.

• Encourage multigenerational exchange and synergy by

involving both children and adults in the planning and deployment

• f activities.
• Create an attractive and inviting venue for outdoor activities at the Hub.
• Design activities that work in conjunction with and not to the detriment of

current school, community, or private commercial endeavours.

DEEP BREATHS! Healthier Brains! Instead of hours on the bus, our students will soar the more they are outdoors! By creating and designing new uses for our exterior school property and space- from nature trails to exploring play forest ideas to volleyball and outdoor badminton we know students, visitors and community will benefit from the added outdoor experiences we will offer at our Hub. Some even dare to dream of an outdoor community pool/ a small waterslide park.Yes,we have beaches but who knows? We have such great outdoor under-utilized space! Environmental Education & Recreation at it’s best! Movements like No Child Left Inside, authors and educators like Richard Louv whose book Last Child in the Woods make it clear that nature deficit disorder among today’s children is real. We think our HUB could be extremely inviting to classes and exchange programs with students from urban areas.

MORE ON THE OUTDOORS

COMMON SENSE-HUMAN RIGHT

“…children, since they are an inalienable part of nature, not only have the right to a healthy environment, but also to a connection with nature and to the gifts of nature for their physical and psychological health and ability to learn and create, and that until they have these rights they will not bear responsibility for nature and the environment…” According to the IUCN World Congress resolution, the World Congress is also convinced “that growing up in a healthy environment and connecting children with nature is of such a fundamental importance for both children and the (future of) the conservation of nature and the protection of the environment, that it should be recognized and codified internationally as a human right for children.”

• The readiness of students to enter school and their readiness to graduate into a world of employment or

post-secondary education are critical.

• Our preschoolers lag below the national average on some indicators of developmental growth and

school readiness.

• We are committed to Expanded programs and services for preschoolers.
• We know from research that the first few years of a child’s development are the most critical. The brain

develops faster here than at any other point in life. The department recognizes the importance of a strong foundation in the early years.

Comments from Honorable Karen Casey’s Education Action Plan 2015:

The River John Consolidated School has housed a licensed preschool for over ten years. It provides much needed early childhood care and development opportunities for our communities’ families. The River John Consolidated School provides elementary, middle school and junior high school education to

• ur community’s youth. Access to these services, is directly related to overall health of our students and

community. Kinash & Hoffman (2009) noted in their study children who were educated in rural schools had academic achievements “equal to, or better than, their urban counterparts” (p. 229). Therefore, the educational value of closing rural schools is not to the advantage of the student’s educational outcomes or their overall health and well-being.

HEALTHY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION

EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTRE S.C.O.R.E PRESCHOOL

The River John S.C.O.R.E Preschool Society has been operating since 2002. S.C.O.R.E (School Community Outreach Readiness Endeavor) is a licensed preschool through the Department of Education and Early Learning that provides rural children ages 3-5 the same opportunities for early learning as those who live in urban communities. The philosophy is to provide the highest level of quality childcare, by creating a diverse learning environment that promotes learning through play, and giving children the skills and confidence needed when entering the public school system. This includes such things as social, emotional and cognitive skill development, and early identification of any detectable special needs, before reaching public school.

The S.C.O.R.E program has plans for its future in the HUB model, some of the programs in the works are:

• Expansion of the Preschool program to 5 days per week 9am-12pm.
• River John S.C.O.R.E Before and Afterschool program.
• River John S.C.O.R.E Early Intervention Program: Children who have

special needs or are at risk will have the opportunity to be referred to the proper agencies prior to entering the school system. As well have the

• pportunity to have one on one programming with the Director who is

ECE qualified as well as enrolled in the Intervention and Inclusion Diploma program at IHSE (Institute for Human Services Education)

• River John S.C.O.R.E Parent Support Group: This will be a once a week

program for parents of the North Shore Area to get together and and talk about current issues as well as have access to resources, and referral to agencies / courses etc when requested.

S.C.O.R.E AND RJCS

Having the S.C.O.R.E Preshool program in RJCS and in a school setting can only be seen as a benefit for our children entering the school system in Grade Primary. The children enrolled are already familiar with the school environment, routines, students and staff in the school because they have experienced it just by going to preschool within the school. When September and Grade Primary come around, the children are more confident, comfortable and ready for starting school The transition to school is therefore much easier for these young children!

NSCC

NSCC and River John SOS conducted a survey before Christmas. Number of surveys submitted: 27 Note: 7 out of 25 forms contained information for two persons. Therefore the total response number is assumed to be 32. Interest was expressed in: 1.Continuing Care and/or CCA link 2.High School Diploma for Adults 3.Office Administration Program 4.Basic Carpentry 5.Business Courses 6.Computer Skills Training 7.Safety Training The preferred number of days per week is varied The preferred time of day also varied with the most respondents preferring evenings. It is important to note that no decisions have been made regarding program or course offerings at River John Consolidated School, but with the information gathered from this tool, we can explore

• ptions available to our community.

(further breakdown of this survey will be included in our March 31 submission)

Our Saturday Winter Workshop Series have been extremely successful and we will continue as scheduled.We have plans for future workshops such as woodworking/workshop courses, increased recreation programs and more art and drama workshops. Programs for community and

• cottagers. Fall workshops. People are coming forward to suggest and offer.

THE PIONEER Community Newspaper (which we have handed out to board members in the last two progress reports) has been a great success in River John! Now going into its fourth issue – the paper has made money and has another year planned.That same team is looking at a creating a small publishing company dedicated to celebrating local heritage through oral storytelling and the written word. Housed inside the school within the makerspace space- students and visitors could have first hand experience in publishing, from old layout techniques to digital and desk top publishing. Imagine: Our students’ books written, published, read, shelved --in their own library! PLUS: we’ve got letters of support and intent. …and much more.

ONGOING INITIATIVES

RAISING THE ROOF

SO… to the elephant in the room. The biggest expense is our roof. And we know Staff wants us to bear that cost plus other repairs plus full operating costs. This has been hard because we cannot realistically expect businesses to partner and donate such a HUGE amount before we know if we are open. We cannot expect people to donate to save a school-- they all pay taxes after all and what about other schools -- but we are hopeful we can get partners for

• ur discovery centre, art gallery and out door hub once we get the green light!

BUT IT IS CHICKEN AND EGG. Board Staff wants money now. Again, we push on and…

NEWS FLASH

A member of our committee has met with Air Field Engineering Flight 144, Pictou NS. They will look into, and consider our request to repair our roof as a project. If they did that, we would leave no stone unturned to raise money for materials. And if we could do this, we have confidence our proposal to Bullfrog Power would have a good chance of being approved. That means they would provide resources to obtain and install photo voltaic panels which would significantly reduce operating costs. Moreover provide a living educational example of a clean, green way of the future. We are still trying to get Efficiency Nova Scotia for an audit, but in the meantime we have also contacted Ecology Action Nova Scotia who have expressed an eagerness to help.

MONEY MATTERS

• Projected Budget
• HUB Revenue and Expenses

The North Shore Scholar Ship Discovery Centre and Makerspace Community – 5 year projected budget

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Year 4

Year 5 REVENUE Annual increase over year one 30% 40% 50% 60% Discovery Note 1 $12,400 $16,120 $17,360 $18,600 $19,840 Discovery Note 2 $12,500 $16,250 $17,500 $18,750 $20,000 Summer camps Note 3 $6,000 $7,800 $8,400 $9,000 $9,600 Winter workshops - 28 weeks note 4 $8,400 $10,920 $11,760 $12,600 $13,440 Flea Markets - one per mo. fall & winte $1,500 $1,950 $2,100 $2,250 $2,400 Major fund raisers Note 5 $10,000 $15,000 $20,000 $25,000 $30,000 Office rent note 6 $5,000 $6,500 $7,000 $7,500 $8,000 TOTAL REVENUE from operations $55,800 $74,540 $84,120 $93,700 $103,280 Grants/Donations Corporate Gifts - to be determined Municipality - Note 8 $35,000 $35,000 $35,000 $35,000 $35,000 Municipality for staff/grants $12,500 $12,500 $12,500 $12,500 $12,500 Note 9 Total Revenue (not including Corporate $103,300 $122,040 $131,620 $141,200 $150,780

OPERATING EXPENSES Admin Note 7 $14,064 $18,283 $19,690 $21,096 $22,502 Phone, Insurance & office supplies $5,000 $6,500 $7,000 $7,500 $8,000 MarketingFlyers, print $5,000 $6,500 $7,000 $9,500 $12,500 Building expenses CCRSB $173,500 $173,500 $173,500 $173,500 $173,500 TOTAL EXPENSES $197,564 $204,783 $207,190 $211,596 $216,502

Operating surplus/Deficit

• $94,264
• $82,743
• $75,570
• $70,396
• $65,722

CAPITAL Expense Discovery Centre construction $10,000 Discovery Centre Exhibits (4) $12,000 Fire Shutters (as per CCRSB) $10,000 Roof replacement (as per CCRSB) $200,000 Heating system (as per CCRSB) $125,000 Parking lot re-paving (as per CCRSB) $125,000 Window replacement (as per CCRSB) 100000 Total Capital Expenditures $232,000 $0 $125,000 $125,000 $100,000

Discovery Centre Open to public July - August Other events throughout fall, winter and spring Capital and deficit to be raised by Corporate donations Note 1 Days open 62 20 families per day $10 each Note 2 School groups 30 @ $250. Note 3 3 weeks-20 children - conservative numbers $100 each **Staffed by Recreation plus Science camp, Super Nova Note 4 Fall and Winter Classes 28 weeks, October 1 - April 3 $300 net rev per week Note 5 Cape John Marathon; donation website; other fundraisers-increase exponentially Walking program; Soup dinners; Flea markets Note 6 Office rent charged to tenants-RCMP; Read by Sea; local Film groups; day care Note 7 Summer $12.00 hour-6 hour days 62 days $4,464 Winter $12.00 hour - 4 hours, 5 day week $9,600 Note 8 Municipal contribution - ongoing Note 9 Municipal contribution for staffing year 1/grants thereafter Grants applied for 2015 include but are not limited to: Pictou County Health Authoriety - Wellness fund $2,700 Positive Aging Fund $10,000 Donation website Question - website has been launched Savings from solar Question - Bull Frog Power may be sponsor Insurance for facility Question - one corporate sponsor is an insurance company Capital budget to be achieved by fundraising from corporations, including 8 commited corporate sponsors ACOA - submission made for funding, as off February, 15 awaiting response from them

HUB REVENUE AND EXPENSES

Our finance group has been busy sending out letters to over 70 potential sponsors for The North Shore Scholar Ship Discovery Centre and Makerspace Community. We have received positive feedback, and businesses are interested in providing donations and in-kind donations. We have letters of intent from the Municipality of Pictou County and Read by the Sea. We continue to be in contact with ACOA. We will be applying to the Art Smart Nova Scotia Program in August 2015. We have started conversations with Maritime Museum of Atlantic. We’ve launched a website and we are receiving donations in partnership with the United Way:

www.riverjohnsos.com

SPONSORSHIP, DONATIONS, GRANTS

FISCAL PLANS

• There will be a joint use agreement with CCRSB.
• The North Shore Scholar Ship Discovery Centre and Makerspace Community will create exhibits and

programs that reflect knowledge- driven economies and engage young people and other community members in learning.

• River John Community Action Society will partner with CCRSB to renovate and outfit sections of the

existing school for creating this Centre.

• The building requires capital work as noted in the impact assessment report. It is felt that these

could be completed over a 5 year period and funding would be by corporate sponsorship and fundraising within the community.

• The Municipality of Pictou County has confirmed that they will offer $35,000 annually towards
• perating costs. They also provided $12 500 for 2014-2015 staffing for the project.
• In addition to capital costs, at start up there will be approximately 4 exhibits plus a boat in the first

phase of the centre. An estimated cost per exhibit for set up is $3000.00. There are also renovations needed to ensure that the centre is “separate from the student population” at an estimated cost of $10 000.

• We will look to the community to build the boat for the centre and will seek funds from local

building supply companies for materials. There will also be a sidewalk that leads from the parking lot to the rear of the building where the entrance to the Discovery Centre will be. Our hope is that a local contractor will provide the work and concrete gratis for this part.

• Neighbouring property owners have agreed to provide a right of way over their property if needed

for sidewalks and parking.

• Major operating costs for the centre will be staffing and marketing, one person full time for June-

August and part time during the winter for the first year. The hope is that the Municipality will continue to fund the staff, and we will seek marketing support from local media, both print and radio air time.

• Our donation website has been launched. We are working with the United Way, who will accept

donations on our behalf, transfer them to the Municipality (who will write receipts for donations) and the Municipality will submit the funds to the River John Action Society in the name of our project.

• Our winter workshops have been very successful with approximately $300 net income each

weekend.

• We have also applied for grants through the Positive Aging Fund and the Pictou County Health

Authority for 2015 which would put $12 000 to our bottom line.

We anticipate at least a year will be required from the time of approval by the CCRSB to the opening of the North Shore Scholar Ship Discovery Centre and Makerspace

• Community. During the summer of 2015 (with the Board’s co-operation and timely

approvals) we anticipate the required roof replacement will be completed. As well, the fire separation blinds (as required by the Fire Marshall) will be undertaken. During the school year (2015-16) the various “exhibits/stations” will be constructed off-site for installation as soon as the school recesses in June 2016. The Centre would then open in July 2016 to take advantage of the summer tourist season.

TIMEFRAME

 We are the parents of our students.  We are concerned elders of our community.  We are retired teachers, working accountants, nurses, publicists, fishermen and women, farmers, police, business people, stay at home mothers, artists, and more.  We are the people of River John, hard working, innovative, resourceful, feisty.  We are fighting for our community school, one that never should have been on the list for review to begin with. It needs repairs that CCRSB did not want to help with.

WHO WE ARE

Our school has good bones. It needs some updates and renovations, which is not a reason to close it. It takes a village to raise a child. We are that village. We have a school that works and now has an amazing vision. You are the voice of the community that elected you. We do not think, we know that we can create a new way forward that will benefit all children in CCRSB.

We have reached out as best we can and have found many supporters: individuals like author Margaret Atwood, MLA Karla MacFarlane, local businesses like Lismore Sheep Farm, RCMP Pictou County,

• rganizations like Active Pictou County, in kind donations,, real

donations and pro-bono work by Harvey Architecture Ltd. We think there could be exciting entrepreneurial partnerships ahead. In our business case, you will receive a comprehensive list.

SUPPORTERS OF RJCS

 We want to be invited back into the CCRSB family.  We want to implement our HUB with CCRSB as partners, along with

• ther businesses and groups as partners.

WHAT WE WANT

WHAT WE DO NOT WANT

 Not another year in limbo, jumping through hoops.  Not another review.

The members of River John SOS are still hopeful our elected Board, in their collective wisdom, will help us keep our school open. We are excited and working hard. There is a lot of work ahead and there always will be. Our community accepts this challenge. We genuinely want to invite members of the CCRSB to partner with us and become co-creators as we move forward. Help us help River John Students Soar, our community thrive, and let us prove we can benefit all children and families in CCRSB and beyond. Stand up for small schools in communities where the school is the lifeblood of a community. A community who works hard and pledges to continue to work innovatively, creatively, and kindly for their children. Please review our previous progress reports. Watch the makerspace video, bullfrog energy video, and

• urs.

CONCLUSION

“Money isn’t the only thing that must flow and circulate in order to have good value: good turns and gifts must flow and circulate… for any social system to remain in balance.” Margaret Atwood, Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth

HELP US HELP RIVER JOHN STUDENTS SOAR!

“I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving: To reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it - but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor.” Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

IMPORTANT LINKS

RJSOS Video: http://youtu.be/qjN_-IlpZbc RJSOS Website: www.riverjohnsos.com Facebook: River John SOS Support our Community Makerspace video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOqTcQedDrw Bullfrog Power: www.bullfrogpower.com Bullfrog Power youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH4xwiWLOtI

Flag Day 2015