Tobique parents pushing for new school

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Tobique parents pushing for new school

Leaky roofs, mould plaque 33-year-old facility

Star - Grand Falls,NB,Canada*

LaFrance

Published Wednesday April 16th, 2008

Appeared on page A3

http://victoriastar.canadaeast.com/news/article/269061

When it was built in the 1970s, Mah-Sos School was a model for other

communities with its spacious gym, excellent classroom layout,

modern kitchen, and other facilities, but in 2008 there are water

leaks in the gym and the floorboards are rotting, two classrooms and

the principal's office have been closed because of mould, and many

of the students have respiratory problems.

" We've had the leaking and mould problem for quite a while now -

about six or seven years if not longer, " explained Mah-Sos Principal

a Pirie last Friday morning. " " We've had this leaking which led

to the mould problem. It's hard to keep on top of it. "

In the literacy room not far from the school's entrance the smell of

mould is strong.

" We've had to throw out books and posters that were on the wall over

there, " she said. In the library, the central domed area of the

school, it was somewhat better. " I don't know who came to do it, but

they did some work around the dome up here and that helped a little

bit.

" This classroom is closed, " Pirie said, indicating a large room near

the literacy room. " This was our immersion classroom, the grade four

class. Smell the mould? We keep it sealed. Also, the grade one and

two classroom developed a leak. A couple of falls ago I took the

grade fours out of that classroom and moved them into another one

because I didn't want the kids in there either. "

Teachers and administrators also have to deal with the smell of

mould and the leaking roof.

" In the mornings when I walk in here it just hits me in the face, "

said a Pirie. " It's terrible, because it's like you don't want

to be here. I think this is my third year out of this office, " she

said, indicating her previous office, a room obviously now used only

for storage. Now my new office is also developing the smell of

mould. I don't know where I'm going to move into next. I brought in

an Ionic Pro air purifier anyway. It helps a little bit. "

" I'd say we been asking for help for five or six years now; we've

been wanting this problem solved, " she said. " The floor is rotting

away in the gym next to kitchen and cafeteria. Actually that floor's

been replaced before. I think it was about 8 or 9 years ago. It had

to be replaced for the same reason. Plus we had backed up water

coming in, especially at this time of the year. "

At the balcony of the gymnasium plastic garbage pails are set up to

catch what appears to be a plumbing leak coming from the ceiling or

roof area. Every nine seconds a drop came down into the pail. " The

contractors have been here twice to find how to fix that pipe leak.

I don't know why they couldn't find the leak - it's right there.

There's water damage in the ceiling. The building next door (Sports

Complex) is just as bad if not worse. "

, parent and grandparent of students, said it was

long past time when something should have been done. " I have

children and grandchildren going to this school. It's in very very

bad condition. A new school is long overdue. It should have been

done years ago. We're not going to put up with this for three or

four more years. It's not an option.

" We parents don't want our kids to go downtown to school. We like

this community school, I like the small classes, the one-on-one

attention that they get, the culture. When my kids come home and

they start speaking Maliseet to me it's like a treasure. The kids

teach their parents words in Maliseet.

" It's ridiculous, the conditions here. I come in here and do things

as a parent and there were just things that I noticed. The first

couple of times was the floorboards in the gym and the kids eating

right nearby. So on April 1 I came in here with my camera, took

pictures. Each of those pictures definitely did paint a thousand

words. I uploaded three albums of those pictures on FaceBook. It

wasn't long before I started getting feedback and a lot of people

knew about the condition of the school but hadn't realized how bad

it was.

" A couple of other mothers got on board. There's no turning back

now; we just have to keep going ahead. This is my future - these are

my kids. CBC was here this week and the chief and band council came

down. Things seem to be rolling. There's not only hope for a new

school, but the possibility is becoming a reality. "

She said that there might be other locations at Tobique that would

accommodate the students while a new school was being built and

there might be mobile classrooms brought in.

" All the teachers who work here on a daily basis with my children.

Maybe there's a possibility of a relocation, I don't know. There's a

meeting on Monday (April 14) which Chief Gerald Bear and council

invited me to go to. Three of us mothers are going to go - myself,

Perley, and Lorrie .

" There's a lot of sickness here. I think 99 per cent of these kids

have respiratory problems. I know mine do. Back at my house I have

puffers for each one of them. And the teachers are getting sick.

It's high time these leaders put this place first. This is a

community school. At one time it was the pride and joy of the

community. If we get a new school - not if, but when we get our new

school, hopefully all the other kids (going to school downtown) will

come back. "