January 5, 2011
Deadline for school
names: Jan. 14
by Terry Myers
There is still time to submit comments and suggestions on a name for
the “new” JK-12 school set to open in Deep River next September.
Deb Rantz, the local superintendent of education for the Renfrew County
District School Board, says the board will accept comments until next
Friday, January 14.
The suggested names will be reviewed by an advisory committee made up
of Rantz, trustees Barb Basso and Norm Hazelwood, transition principal
Ivan Saari, Morison student Mallory Felix, teacher Vhairi Walker,
school council members Vicki Landrigan and Hilary Angell, and community
member Barb Shreeve.
The committee will make a shortlist of three proposed names and submit
them to the school board for a final decision.
According to the school board's policies, submissions to the advisory
committee must include a rationale of “not more than” one page and
“must reflect the Renfrew County District School Board's mission,
vision and values.”
Comments can be made online. A link to the name survey is available on
the school board's website at www.renfrew.edu.on.ca.
Printed copies of the name survey are also available at the libraries
in Deep River, Chalk River and Point Alexander, and at the Deep River
town hall.
Rantz said the school board had received 331 online submissions at the
beginning of the Christmas holidays.
“It will be interesting to see what we get,” she said.
A page has been created on the social networking website Facebook
urging the board to “save” the name Mackenzie.
“Mackenzie Mustangs - save the name!!” was created in early December
and has 600 members.
One recent suggestion is to call the new school something like the
“Mackenzie Academy” and name sections of the school the Morison, Keys
and Cockcroft wings to reflect different age groups.
“That way all schools, and the people they were named in remembrance
for, are kept,” said Janice Lardner, who moved out of the area before
her two daughters attended Mackenzie High School.
“My daughters only had the opportunity to go to Morison and to Keys. It
would be nice to be able to keep those names alive.
“I know when we lived in Deep River, there was a great sense of loss in
the community when Cockcroft School was closed. This way all the
schools, and their namesakes are remembered.”
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