More requests for a parent meeting

Published with author's permission-- a letter written to Mrs. Brine with a small string attached below.

Thanks Janet, I really appreciate your reply and your due thoughtfulness and consideration concerning a meeting. The request for a meeting would include that a school board representative and someone from Pacific Environmental  be present  as I believe the types of questions are within their scope of expertise to answer. I don’t believe that it is anyone’s best interests at this point in time to not have these professionals present.

The questions that I had to date are: ( and I know that other parents have other questions of a more technical nature regarding the remediation work)

1.     Have all the recommendations in the consultant’s report been carried out?

2.       If so what is the status and who investigated the crawlspaces and where can I read that report?

3.       Were our kids ever in harm’s way of the mould and vermiculite found in certain locations throughout the school?

4.       Is there a potential that our kids will be subjected to these substances in the future? Has everything been done to prevent that?

5.       Has the water ingress issues both from above (ceiling) and below (crawl space) been fully investigated and remediated?

6.       Does the district plan to hold a meeting with the Environmental consultants present to answer parent questions and concerns?

I don’t think that taking more time to address this issue will be well received within the parent community. I think if the issue was addressed at a different level other than PAC Executive that you would have an overwhelming and immediate response. Perhaps a simple question sent home to all students “ would you like the school to hold a meeting including representatives from the board and the Environmental agency to address the remediation work and answer any questions” . Yes or No might give you a better representation of what the larger parent community desires. I personally have not had contact with anyone from PAC Executive and yet am aware of 30+ parents who are willing to pay to secure a second opinion if necessary. After 11 years at this school it has always been my understanding that each and every parent at the school is considered a PAC member and so I would hope that those views and opinions would be as highly regarded as the PAC executive.

I hope this provides you with some additional context to aid you in your decision making process as to the appropriateness and need for a meeting. I would hope that after Tuesday the decision would be made and by the end of the week that the time, date, and attendees confirmed. I do not think that is an unreasonable time frame, given the seriousness of the concerns to our children’s’ health and safety.

Thank you again for your timely response to this matter.

Sincerely,

Heather Dale

From: Janet Brine

Sent: September-24-10 11:29 AM
To: Bruce and Heather Dale
Cc: John D. Ormond; Nancy Johnston; Doug F. Strachan
Subject: Re: FW: Recent Fungal Summary Report

Thank-you Heather, for the e-mail loop.  

re: a meeting, ... once I discuss the possibility of a meeting with the full PAC on Tuesday I will make a decision.  I have heard from only a handful of people requesting a meeting so I need to get a sense of the larger community.  I suspect that there will be a recommendation to move forward with this but I think it fair to follow a process that includes more people.  I will be in touch with you late next week.

Sincerely,

Janet Brine

"Bruce and Heather Dale" writes:

Dear Ms. Brine,

I am including a recent round of dialogue that I have initiated between Ms. Nancy Johnston and myself. For some reason on the cc’s to you it was returning to my inbox as undeliverable. I hope that has nowbeen corrected.

Sincerely,

Heather Dale

From: Bruce and Heather Dale [

Sent: September-21-10 5:01 PM

To: mailto:%27johnston_n@sd36.bc.ca'

Subject: Recent Fungal Summary Report

Hello,

I have been following the updates on the situation at Peace Arch regarding the ants, asbestos, mould and water damage. I am curious if parents wanted an independent report/confirmation (i.e  from an independent environmental agency)  that all areas of the school are indeed safe and that there are no other ongoing concerns that would adversely affect our children what would be the procedure to allow that to happen?

With thanks,

Heather Dale

Heather Dale -

'be the change you wish to see'  - Mohatma Ghandi

Janet Brine

Principal - Directrice

École Peace Arch Elementary

S'ENGAGER C'EST APPRENDRE