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School board mulls closure of exclusive arts program
Sabrina Nanji
The York Regional District School Board’s (YRDSB) trustees are considering introducing a policy that would close the only elementary school arts program of its kind in York Region, much to the dismay of parents and students.
If the policy is approved, the YRDSB would put an end to the exclusive drama, dance, dramatic and visual arts stream at Thornhill’s Baythorn Public School, located near Yonge Street and Royal Orchard Boulevard. Currently, the school has a standard curriculum stream as well as an integrated arts stream for Grades 6, 7 and 8, which students must successfully audition for. Trustees initially drafted the policy to ensure consistent programming across all schools, said Ross Virgo, senior manager of public affairs and communications at the YRDSB.
“If the policy was adopted, all of the elementary schools will be fully accessible to students who live within the attendance boundary,” Virgo said. “The current program at Baythorn, which restricts attendance to those who meet certain criteria, would be curtailed,” he added.
But some parents such as Stacie Korn, whose daughter, Kayla, is in Grade 6, plan to fight the policy.
“I was shocked. The program has been around for so many years,” Korn said. “Kids thrive in the program. The whole thing doesn’t make sense. It’s not that the kids are flunking.”
Virgo said the audition process is unfair to students who are not accepted, and the trustees’ policy is meant to promote inclusiveness and equity.
Although the arts stream would cease to exist, there would be opportunities for “grandparenting,” which would permit students currently enrolled, including for the 2012–2013 year, to remain at the school, Virgo explained.
But as someone who lives outside the boundary in Thornhill Woods, it’s not enough for Korn.
“Why would I send Kayla there if she’s just going to take a drama class and go to a regular public school?” she asked.
The final decision is expected in April 2012.
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Reader Comments:
The Arts@Baythorn program is an integrated arts program, not a performing arts school. For 25 years, the program has incorporated visual arts, dance, theater, music and language to complement and enhance delivery of the standard Ontario school curriculum. Students do not specialize in a particular arts area. Rather, they learn through an integration of drama, visual art, dance and music.
The program simply acknowledges what the York Region District School Board already believes; that children learn differently and require “differentiated” learning approaches.
The York Region District School Board sets the number of places that are open to candidates in the Arts@Baythorn program each year. Like other programs in the York Region District School Board, Arts@Baythorn asks candidates to submit applications and to participate in a special type of assessment.
The Board's concerns about "equity" are based on a faulty understanding of the program. The "audition" is not performance-based. In fact, children are not permitted to submit CVs, portfolios of their work or videos of past performances. Throughout the audition process, students are anonymous (numbered). Overall, they are ranked on their enthusiasm about taking on new and unfamiliar tasks, who demonstrate a collaborative rather than individualistic approach to problem solving and critical thinking. Children do not need to demonstrate existing talent in specific arts disciplines to be accepted.