Olivia Hellman didn’t want her school at Richmound, Sask., to be closed without a protest.
So at her parents’ suggestion, the Grade 10 student wrote a letter to the Chinook School Division outlining reasons why small schools like hers should remain open. She read it aloud at a Feb. 6 public meeting and received a standing ovation.
The school may be closed this year.
“It’s important for people to realize that kids need to go to a local school,” Hellman said.
To get to the school, Hellman and her brother now ride the school bus for an hour.
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If Richmound closes, it would be only a 10 minute drive to get to their new school in Birstall, Sask. However, some of their friends would have to take the bus for up to two hours to attend school.
The decision about the school’s fate will be made in May.
While urging the trustees to keep her school open, Hellman said she didn’t know how low student enrolment can go before a school closure is warranted.
Richmound has 53 students in Kindergarten to Grade 12. Five students have been added this school year since notification in November 2006 of the school’s possible closure.
In her letter, Hellman said, “thanks to smaller grades, all children can join sports teams and other after-school activities. … You are guaranteed a chance to play and have fun. …
“Smaller grades also give children a better education because smaller grades allow more one-on-one time with teachers. If a student is having a hard time learning something, the teachers are more than willing to help the student out. Classes also tend to be more enjoyable because there is more time for class discussions, which help students to understand what they are learning and voice their own opinions. This gives students the best education possible.”
Besides helping out the students, Hellman noted the school is the heart of many small communities.
“If you were to close it, that would mean the end of the community. Many people will move away to big cities, and in our case, to Alberta. … If you really want to bring people back to Saskatchewan, shouldn’t you be putting more money into the schools instead of closing them?”
