Sagonaska Demonstration School students celebrate the last day of classes with a recognition celebration and barbecue with family and friends on June 28, 2016. Pictured are: Haley Brown, Sydni Brown, Jennifer Brown, Nicole Brown, Scott Ingram, Jackson Adair, Josh Lehman, Curtis Golloher and Canadian Armed Forces member and former Sagonaska student Ian Giasson. (Photo: Nicole Kleinsteuber / Quinte News)
Many kids are starting to cheer ‘school’s out!’ and students at Sagonaska Demonstration School in Belleville are no different.
While there is still uncertainty in the air as to whether the school for students with severe learning disabilities will stay open past 2016-17, it didn’t stop the grade 5 to secondary students from jumping up on stage in delight as they received certificates in multiple areas such as reading, sportsmanship and leadership on Tuesday.
Through the applause of recognition well deserved, it was quite apparent parents and teachers were feeling the elephant in the room – a province wide campaign (Save Provincial Schools) sparked earlier this year to try and keep demonstration schools open across the province. The campaign came in response to former Education Minister Liz Sandals beginning a consultation process moving to suspend the application process for the 2016-2017 school year citing low enrolment. In May, a $12.8 million human rights lawsuit was launched by 16 students in Belleville, London and Milton against the Ministry of Education in relation to the potential closing of demonstration schools, six of which are students at Sagonaska.
On Tuesday, the gymnasium was brightly decorated in a beach theme to celebrate the end of the school year, which was fitting as school principal Martin Smit said the kids spent the day prior at the Sandbanks Provincial Park flying kites, playing and digging holes in the sand.
“They weren’t playing in small groups,” described Smit. “They were exploring from group to group. Everybody was playing together. I was overwhelmed by the goodness and good strong character. Sagonaska changes these kids, you come with all that character intact but maybe those few small pieces we taught you like reading. The most important part of you has always been there, your character. This school is so full of character I am bursting. Maybe it comes from your learning disability. It makes you work harder, make you persevere. The world really needs more people like you – passionate and understanding of the needs of others.”
He said everyone’s reading had improved at least one grade level over the past year.
Grade 7 student Josh Lehman is one of many students whose reading skills have soared his year.
The 12-year-old, full of contagious energy, lives with dyslexia and explained he now has a hard time picking his favourite reading material because there are so many. But if he had to choose two – Harry Potter and Percy Jackson top the list.
Currently Lehman is one of the six students listed as applicants in the lawsuit against the ministry and former Minister of Education Liz Sandals.
He filed his claim in May with the assistance of his parents Leslie (Sagonaska Parent Council Chair) and Mike stating the education uncertainty past 2017 is a violation of his human rights now that he has had to register at the Thousand Islands Secondary School in the Upper Canada School District Board for next year.
While Lehman said he doesn’t want leave his school, he is confident in the reading and technology skills he has attained from Sagonaska.
That confidence was bolstered by the uplifting and inspiring stories of success shared by former Sagonaska students during the celebration.
CFB Valcartier Corporal Ian Giasson explained up until his two years at the school he hated reading.
“I didn’t stop reading,” Giasson said of his 2000 to 2002 Sagonaska school career. “I read whatever I could get my hands on and I have kept those skills and tools with me. Thanks to this school I am reading Thomas Paine, Homer, Charles Darwin and I am understanding it all. That’s what this school does. It puts you in small class sizes and gives students the attention they need.”
He told the students how before he started at Sagonaska he was called names and he started to call himself things like dumb and a sped. He went on to pick up skills he never dreamed possible and now he has seen many parts of the country as a member of the military.
“When you call yourself those names you start to believe it is the undeniable truth,” Giasson said. I came here, I started to read and the sky was the limit. Being called dumb doesn’t make you dumb. Being dumb and not trying makes you dumb. Use this place to make your dreams come true. Be a sponge. Use it to soak up everything this school has to offer.”
Giasson told Quinte News in an interview following the ceremony that there should be no question about keeping the school open.
Prince Edward Hastings MPP Todd Smith attended the ceremony and says it’s those success stories that reaffirm his commitment to keep the school open.
As it stands now, members of the Save Provincial Schools campaign have invited Minister of Education Mitzie Hunter to meet with them, provide a copy of the consultant’s report, expand enrolment and keep the schools (Amethyst Demonstration School, Sagonaska Demonstration School and Trillium Demonstration School) open until what they call a real solution is made available for students so they can learn to read at their home board.
