Editor,
It has just come to my attention that the school board has proposed to try and even out school admissions in Squamish by making Valleycliffe a Grades K to 3 and Stawamus a Grades 4 to 7 or enforcing the boundaries to even out attendance at both schools.
Valleycliffe Elementary is strongly opposed to either option and at an emergency PAC meeting, they decided to begin campaigning with the option they find most desirable - close Stawamus.
Now as a parent who came to this community with two small children two and half years ago and having looked at both schools, chose Stwamus over Valleycliffe for a variety of reasons: small class sizes, good in-school community feel, great drive by parents to better the school environment for their children such as raising $160,000 in just two years together with an inspiring principal who had my confidence from the moment I met her - not a thing I found at Valleycliffe.
I find this campaign most disturbing. What right have anybody to try and close a school they have not chosen to send their children to?
I've become aware a variety of misconceived prejudice in this community about Stawamus during my time here, and though I never understood how these ideas came about, I have found Stwamus to be a great little school and have never for one day regretted the choice to send out two boys there, and would make the same choice all over again.
I for one shall fight to save our school, and though we are few in comparison to the larger schools here, I hope our voices are not drowned out.
Jeremy Stubley
Squamish
