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Keep Fulton Place school open! Dear Friends of Fulton Place School As you likely know, a recommendation has been made to close our school. We have only a few short weeks before the final vote, to help our Trustees see how necessary it is to keep Fulton open. One of our strategies is to encourage as many people as possible to write “story letters” to show the School Board the immense benefit Fulton Place School brings to our community. Most of us lead pretty busy lives and some of us are not very comfortable writing letters to elected officials. So the School Council has worked to make it as simple as possible. Everything you need to know is outlined below and should you still have questions or need assistance, we are here to help. Each of us has a voice and a story. Even if you do not have a child attending the school, this decision could still impact you greatly because of the following:
Our research has indicated that a flood of respectfully-written letters can have a huge impact on decisions such as this. Anyone can help. The more letters the better. We hope that every family linked to Fulton will write their story and that the Trustees will also receive letters from grandparents, neighbors and community members. Please spread the word and together we may be able to save a vibrant, viable school. Who is the letter going to? We ask that you send the letter to Trustee Rice and copy (cc) the other important individuals on this list. Even though they do not directly represent our Ward, the other Trustees named are the ones who will have the final say on the issue so it is essential that they also hear our voices.
cc:
Though we live in a technology-driven society, there is power in paper. Our e-mailed letter is essential and it will be read. Please send it first. But an additional paper copy is a strong visual cue to remind Trustee Rice how much we care. It has been recommended to us that we both e-mail our letters as outlined above but that we ALSO send a hard copy to George Rice. If you can make the time to do this second step, it would help. Mail your letters to
What should you include in the letter? Many of us are feeling strong emotions over this issue. That can be very positive as long as we express our feelings respectfully. We want the School Board to see that we have grave concerns and that we want to work with them to find a good solution for all involved. They need our histories, our concerns and our ideas. If we attack them or slander other schools/neighborhoods, we lose much of our effectiveness and respectability. Here are some ideas to help you get started: -Feel free to begin your letter with “Dear Trustee Rice: ”. And do include your phone number somewhere in the letter. There’s a chance he may phone a few of his constituents to hear our concerns first hand, so be prepared with your key points just in case he calls. What an opportunity to represent our community and speak boldly about the vitality of our school! -Think about the impact a closure has on your family and neighbors. Make it personal and polite. -Jot down specifics that will help your family become real to the Trustees. “Introduce” yourself and if you have children include their names, ages and grades. Remember, Trustees have children and grandchildren, too. - If you moved to the neighborhood or stay here because of a great elementary school, let them know!
Feel free to quote accurate research pertaining to these issues. -
Accurately quote to respectfully remind them of their responsibilities.
Feel free to think outside the box. For example could we move Capilano’s students to Fulton to increase our student base and do something else with the extra space at Hardisty (perhaps graduated senior’s housing for those who live in Fulton but can’t stay in their homes much longer)? Sue Huff (Trustee for Ward C) had voted in favor of keeping Fulton open and had some great ideas on her blog at http://suefortrustee.blogspot.com. Put your thinking caps on! Try to keep your letter to one page if possible, or a maximum of two. We need to respect our Trustee’s time. And, again, please keep your message polite and try to emphasize that we are focused on solutions and want to work WITH the Board, not against them. It is essential to grow a partnership. What if I’m struggling to get my story written or if I have further questions? If English is not your first language, if you’re simply not sure what to write, or if you want some input before you send your story letter, please give us a call so we can help. Yours sincerely, Dena Boyle and Sally Merrill Please contact any one of us through drboyle@shaw.ca or at 468-1357 Sabina Knierim |