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 Plans are underway to have a fence installed around the perimeter of The Pines Senior PS. The fencing will be installed during the summer of 2024 and before students are on site in September. Please see the map below for the proposed fencing.

 A. Grade 5 and 6 students at The Pines Senior PS will use the newly fenced yard (fencing will go in during this summer) and will continue to have access to activities like soccer, baseball, foursquare, volleyball, and basketball. Grade 7 and 8 students at The Pines Intermediate @Clarke will make use of a pavement area, as well as the grassed space behind the school for the same activities.

A.  Grade 7 and 8 students will be in their own hallway at The Pines Intermediate @Clarke, which includes separate washrooms. Secondary students will not have access to this part of the building Both intermediate and secondary students will be monitored so they remain in the parts of the building that have been set up for their use. There are three shared spaces: the gym, the learning commons, and the cafeteria. Students' day schedules mean that there will not be overlap in their use and they will always be supervised during these times. 

 A. The Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ District School Board partners with third party licensed child care providers to offer before and/or after-school programming where there is sufficient interest from families. The YMCA Greater Toronto will begin operating a before and after-school program in September, beginning at 7:00am and ending at 6:00pm. Please contact the YMCA directly to register for a spot.  Tameka Solomon 365-688-3300 or tameka.solomon@ymcagta.org

After-school care is also available for students from The Pines through the  at the Diane Hamre Recreation Complex, located at 1780 Rudell Rd, Newcastle.  provides transportation to the recreation complex or afterschool care. Please use the above link to contact BGC Durham.

 A. No, both locations of The Pines will be using homerooms. This means that students from Grades 5-8 will have one homeroom teacher, as well as a French teacher and a planning time teacher.

A. We will continue to look for opportunities to have shared events between The Pines Intermediate and Clarke HS students and staff. This year, for example, we have come together for a Halloween parade, Remembrance Day, and Intermediate Track and Field.

 A. Mr. Avery (Principal at The Pines) has been visiting the Grade 4 and 5 classes at Newcastle PS and has connected with almost all students; Orono visits with Grade 6 students will be happening in mid-May. In an ongoing way, Mr. Avery and Ms. Cummings (Principal at Clarke HS) connect with students who will be moving over to The Pines @Clarke in September 2024. As we prepare for September, we will continue to create opportunities to connect students and build community.

A. If you have additional questions with respect to the transition of students, you are welcome to reach out directly to your school principal who can help.

Dear Families – Clarke High School Elementary Family of Schools

We continue to experience increased enrolment pressures within the family of elementary schools that connect to Clarke High School. Specifically, we have significant challenges in having enough space for all our current students at Newcastle Public School (PS) and The Pines Senior PS.
As you know, one step in addressing these enrolment pressures began this September with Newcastle PS becoming a JK- Grade 5 dual track (English and French Immersion) school while The Pines Senior PS expanded to become a dual track Grade 6-8 Intermediate School.
As we worked through this transition this past spring with the impacted school communities, we shared that we would begin a broader public consultation this year to help find a longer-term solution to these accommodation pressures.
To that end, we are inviting interested parents to join us at the following public meetings to learn more about the enrolment challenges we are experiencing in the community, and to share feedback on the possible solutions we are considering.

Specifically, we are considering the potential of a number of possible options, including:

• Newcastle PS becoming a JK - Grade 4 dual track (English and French Immersion) school. The Pines Senior PS becomes a dual track Grade 5 – Grade 6 school. A dual track Grade 7-8 Intermediate School would be established at Clarke High School. 
• Newcastle PS becoming a JK - Grade 3 dual track (English and French Immersion) school. The Pines Senior PS becomes a dual track Grade 4 – Grade 6 school. A dual track Grade 7-8 Intermediate School would be established at Clarke High School.
• Newcastle PS becoming a JK - Grade 4 dual track (English and French Immersion) school. The Pines Senior PS becomes a dual track Grade 5 – Grade 8 school.

We will be reviewing this information for parents and seeking input on possible solutions at the following meetings: 

• December 6, 2022, 6:30 p.m., Clarke High School
• January 17, 2023, 6:30 p.m., Clarke High School

Further information on the consultation process and related information are also captured in the Question and Answer document below. The Background Study with information on enrolment projections and possible options is available on the dedicated Student Accommodation Review: Elementary Family of Schools – Clarke High School web page, accessible from the home page of www.kprschools.ca.
We shared this information with members of the Board last evening, with a final decision tentatively scheduled, after consultation and feedback, for February 2023.
We appreciate your interest in helping us make the best possible choices for the students we serve and appreciate your continued support of our school communities.
Sincerely,

Sonal Gohil
Superintendent of Education