Letter from Michael Barnes, parent at Summit

 
                                                                                                                       November 10th, 2009
 
Dear Trustees and Senior OCDSB Staff:
 
Great minds don't think alike. And great minds don't learn alike. Summit Alternative School teachers know that. They have the expertise for using the learning style best suited to the individual student.
Summit is the only Intermediate Alternative School in Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB). There are five elementary alternative program schools.
 
Like its name, Summit stands out. It is an OCDSB educational success story and has a strong and rising enrolment; it is a shame that the OCDSB doesn’t offer more schools like it. Besides great programs Summit has a location second to none. The students walk to many of their fields trips like to-days Grade 7 trip to the GCTC to-day and to Natural Resources Canada in October for National Science and Technology Week which is my wife`s place of work and she volunteered for this full day visit. 
 
Summit has many students with exceptionalities and parents seek the school out because it can accept the student the way they are and let them progress in this accommodating educational approach. 

OCDSB Trustees and staff should harness the potential of alternative education as demonstrated by Summit. What is wrong with letting students learn in the manner that suits them best?  After all the OCDSB motto says, "Educating for Success — Inspiring Learning and Building Citizenship". If Alternative education lets students succeed, why turn the lights off on it?
 
In some ways, this review is mistimed as there is a pandemic underway and many people would say that the wheels aren`t falling off the program. Quite the opposite most grade 7 classes at Summit have 35 students. Hopefully, the OCDSB will have the foresight to build a stronger Alternative Program across the District so students who can flourish in this environment will have this wonderful opportunity to do so in the future.
 
An abbreviated version of this letter was sent to the Ottawa Citizen for their consideration. 
 
Thank you.
 
Yours sincerely,
 
Michael Barnes
Josée Berthiuame