Letters to the Editor
Editor,
Can I just say how excited I am to see eight candidates for School Board Trustee in the upcoming election? The current board has done a fine job to date, but I am hoping to see the issue of French Immersion brought forward in this campaign. The quality of our basic public school education has become quite strong over the years, creating a great foundation on which to build programs such as French Immersion (the public school option for English-speaking children to become bilingual).
When I speak with parents in town there is so much interest, yet in previous attempts to get French Immersion the school trustees have voted it down primarily based on a lack of enrollment to sustain the program. Although nationally school enrollment is on the decline, FI enrollment is on the rise. What’s even better for us is that Revelstoke enrollment is on the rise and birth rates are up too. Currently, at least 30 other communities in B.C. with populations under 10,000 offer the FI program. I don’t think the school board realizes how much demand and potential there is for this program. Another parent and I have been compiling a list of interested families to take to the superintendent in November (french_immersion@mail.com).
Our basic education is solid in Revelstoke and I think it’s time to start offering options that can open up the world to our children.
Stephanie Melnyk,
Revelstoke