I am writing in regards to the early French immersion program being considered and reported on in your Nov. 21 edition. I had no children in the school system at this time, and the history is new to me. I am currently, however, a downtown resident and parent of a Queen’s Park student.
In your Nov. 21 article, Connie Denesiuk was quoted as saying that “some thought the location (Queen’s Park) should have been more central” in 2005. And I am not sure what the quote from a 2004 study means when it said that the French program “would have changed the sociology of Queen’s Park significantly.”
If this is purely a geographic issue, I have no problems with saying that Queens Park is not central enough. If, however, there are insinuations that Queen’s Park is not socially suited due to the demographics of the area, I take issue with this view. All my experiences there have been positive. Our principal, Rob Zoppi, is excellent. The teachers are approachable and care for the kids, and during the strike last year went way beyond what they were “supposed” to do. There is a great effort to make every child count, regardless of their social status, ability or background.
I am quite excited about the opportunity that may be afforded to my younger children in the near future. I hope that the final decision to go ahead with the program, as well as the locations, is objective and not based on an outdated stereotype of what some people call Penticton’s “inner city” school.
Sharon Otke
Penticton
