Discussions

Received an emailed survey about the current changes to the 2017/2018 school year calendar in regards to this years PD days and how we may or may not like these new changes.  
 
If you didn’t receive it by email, they say paper copies can be found at your child’s school.  
 
The questions are about whether or not you prefer the new changes, like the old way, which day of the week you prefer to see PD days on, and the new childcare options that have been provided.  
 
The only question I had issues with was the childcare question. The only answers were along the lines of liking them or not knowing they existed or just not using it.  
 
Personally there should have been a “don’t like it” option. The spaces are so limited it’s damn near impossible to get into just like any childcare in this city.  
 
Anyways, if you get emails from the BSD check out the survey if not enquirer at your child’s school for a paper copy. There have been a lot of mixed opinions on these topics so I think it’s it’s important the survey is done.

There were lots of spaces left at the Y program at our school for the half days. Not even half filled!

tryinghard said "There were lots of spaces left at the Y program at our school for the half days. Not even half filled! "

Can I ask which school? Anytime I have gone directly to the YMCA to inquire about the before and after school program, as well as the half day PD Days, i keep getting told spaces are full and If I want to sign my child up I have to wait until next year.

Please everybody, take the time to answer this survey. It takes literally a minute or less! I hate this weird half day thing, and have heard from so many others that do too! Please answer the questions so maybe BSD will listen.

Just a heads up, I took the actual link out from the post above. I assume that it was sent out to a specific audience that they're gathering feedback from. That of course doesn't mean that the topic isn't fair game for this thread! thx

Yes, I received the email and I responded to the survey. I hate the new 1/2 days, I think they are disruptive, inefficient and inconvenient for everyone involved. Every one we've had so far at least 1/2 of my child's class is missing for the the part of the day they are supposed to be attending.  
 
My question is... is the BSD actually going to listen to the responses they get and make any changes that are reflected by the majority? I received and responded to the initial email that was sent when these changes were being considered and from what I understand it was futile. The BSD had already made up their mind about bringing in these 1/2 days.  
 
I'm pretty confident that this survey is going to reflect that the majority of people do not like the 1/2 days or the fact that they are in the middle of the week. So it'll be interesting to see if they are still that way for the 2018/2019 school year.  
 
And can someone explain to me how 1/2 days saves money for the BSD?

Here’s the link, BSD has it posted on Facebook, so it seems pretty clear they’re looking for feedback from the public at large.  
 
https://www.bsd.ca/news/pages/school-calendar-feedback-survey.aspx

This survey link is public as it was also posted on Twitter #bdnmb.  
 
<:blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">:<:p lang="en" dir="ltr">:We':re looking for your feedback on the changes that were implemented for the 2017-2018 School Year Calendar - Visit our website here to access our survey: <:a href="https://t.co/X5sMhGkOyE">:https://t.co/X5sMhGkOyE<:/a>: <:a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bdnmb?src=hash&:ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">:#bdnmb<:/a>: <:a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BrandonManitoba?src=hash&:ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">:#BrandonManitoba<:/a>: <:a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BrandonMB?src=hash&:ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">:#BrandonMB<:/a>: <:a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BSDSchools?src=hash&:ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">:#BSDSchools<:/a>: <:a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BSDParents?src=hash&:ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">:#BSDParents<:/a>: <:a href="https://t.co/M33fSTebTf">:pic.twitter.com/M33fSTebTf<:/a>:<:/p>:&mdash: Brandon Schools (@BrandonMBSD) <:a href="

We':re looking for your feedback on the changes that were implemented for the 2017-2018 School Year Calendar - Visit our website here to access our survey: https://t.co/X5sMhGkOyE #bdnmb #BrandonManitoba #BrandonMB #BSDSchools #BSDParents pic.twitter.com/M33fSTebTf

&mdash: Brandon Schools (@BrandonMBSD) December 8, 2017

8, 2017<:/a>:<:/blockquote>:  
<:s:cript async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8">:<:/s:cript>:

I filled it out as soon as I got the email. I feel BSD must already be seeing an issue with the half days if they're already sending out a survey. I'm thankful for a flexible lunch hour through my job or I wouldn't send my child to school on those days.

Thanks everyone for bringing this up. We kept getting Robocalls from BSD this evening, but when we answered it would never speak. Glad we figured out what it was for!!  
 
I filled out the survey, but I think I am also going to write to the person listed on the webpage. Our daughter has been missing full days when it's a 1/2 day because she's in Life Skills, and by the time the bus picks her up and gets her to school, and then turns around and brings her home, she'll spend less than 2 hours in school those days. Not a great option for a kid who relies on routine, it's easier on her to just stay home and do a home routine. I get the impression that's the case with the majority of kids in her class.  
 
I'm also totally at a loss as to how this is supposed to save money. The busing costs alone would increase because of this - instead of having X amount of days where the buses are idle (incurring no fuel and wear-and-tear, and depending how drivers are paid maybe less wages if they're hourly), you're running the buses every day. Busing is a substantial expense in any school division. They haven't been very transparent about the financial aspect of this.

Okay cool, Since they have in fact made the decision to post it elsewhere publicly all is okay to have it on here as well

Riverheights School is the one I'm referring to.

Thanks, we’re at Kirkcaldy.

Abbysmum said "Thanks everyone for bringing this up. We kept getting Robocalls from BSD this evening, but when we answered it would never speak. Glad we figured out what it was for!!     I filled out the survey, but I think I am also going to write to the person listed on the webpage. Our daughter has been missing full days when it's a 1/2 day because she's in Life Skills, and by the time the bus picks her up and gets her to school, and then turns around and brings her home, she'll spend less than 2 hours in school those days. Not a great option for a kid who relies on routine, it's easier on her to just stay home and do a home routine. I get the impression that's the case with the majority of kids in her class.     I'm also totally at a loss as to how this is supposed to save money. The busing costs alone would increase because of this - instead of having X amount of days where the buses are idle (incurring no fuel and wear-and-tear, and depending how drivers are paid maybe less wages if they're hourly), you're running the buses every day. Busing is a substantial expense in any school division. They haven't been very transparent about the financial aspect of this. "

Bussing is a very low cost to the division. It accounts for 2% of the division budget. They said it would save the division 80 grand but I fail to see where. Nothing was every publicly broke down on these findings from what I can search. The boast from LEAN findings, well I can tell you if I held a LEAN event at my work and found savings of only .7% savings from the budget...not even a full one percent the whole event was a waste of time and money. They probably spend more than the 80 grand trying to figure out how to save it.  
 
https://www.brandonsun.com/breaking-news/bsdembraces-continuous-improvement-416785674.html  
 
I have attached the Sun's write up about the move to half days.

Those buses run at lunchtime anyway-they usually take dual-enrolled high school kids to their afternoon electives. Instead, those kids have to find their own way to school on half days.  
 
It's such a plate of cluster fudge.

I’m at Kirkcaldy and neither of the two half days were even close to full in the in-school WMCA program.

I would like to know what these pd courses actually are. Is there info somewhere detailing this? The bsd is terrible for getting any info out. I didn't even know what time kids catch the bus. Yes I could call the school but it is their job to get info out. My son says they don't even do anything in class because there wasn't many kids. Doesn't make sense to me and very frustrating. Why can't teachers do some pd days during spring break, July or even late august. They get more days off then people who work a regular 5 days a week job. And get paid quite well. These really need to change. Really starting to feel that the education system is going downhill

The issue I have is if your child is within 1.6 km from school they do not qualify for school bus. So with living on the north hill and working in the south end I end up spending my 1/2 hour lunch break picking up and dropping off at school, for 2.75 hours of education. It is just easier to keep her home all day.

had a spare right after lunch, so we kept her home as it made no sense to send her for one class. Emailed the teacher for the assignment and she did it at home. Still got the call from BSD saying she was absent.

Even if you email the teacher you still have to call the school to excuse the absence or you will get the robocall that they’re absent.  
 
I kept mine home too.

If the YMCA programs at Kirkcaldy were not close to full, than that there just proves the flaws in these new systems if some parents are being told one thing and some another.  
 
Myself i:ncluded, I know of three other parents with kids at Kirkcaldy who were told they were full and couldn’t be helped this year.

The before and after school programs are full but not the daycare for the half day pd sessions at Kirkcaldy

This is what I am talking about though. Some people have been told everything is full. Not just the B/A.  
 
Maybe I will be popping back in there to find out why myself and others are being told these programs are full when they clearly are not.  
 
It doesn’t make it easy on parents to be getting so many mixed messages.