R.H. King Academy’s most recent parent council meeting revealed new developments regarding the Wellness Break’s discontinuation; the decision to remove the break will be temporarily held off as admin takes the time to properly assess this unique aspect of King.
Superintendent Courtney Lewis has stated that the essence of this pause is to make sure that King’s modified calendar is still in alignment with the requirements first proposed by trustees in 2016. The break was piloted in 2016 and the modified calendar continued for three school years until voted on again in 2019. An overwhelming majority of the King community was in favour of the Wellness Week and the modified calendar was secured for three more school years.
Last school year’s survey showed an overwhelming support for the break (86% of students, 81% of caregivers and 75% of staff showed support for the Wellness Break). Lewis shared that another survey may be taken, however, its results will not dictate the fate of the break.
The board intends to develop a plan and properly assess the usefulness of the break during this period. He hopes that this pause will encourage the community to move away from the belief that this was an arbitrary decision put forward by a singular individual. Before leaving, Lewis firmly stated that while the decision is on hold, this does not mean that the modified calendar will continue.
Shortly after, Areeb Munir, student council’s president, and Fahmida Mim, student council’s secretary, offered a student perspective on the matter. Earlier this month, the student council circulated a feedback form around the student body, urging students to share their concerns, issues and thoughts about King. Of the 133 total responses, 129 addressed the cancellation of the Wellness Break.
Malika Ghous, Trustee of Ward 18, stated that she was not consulted about the decision to remove the break. She did not receive the newsletter nor was made aware of the reason behind the change. Given that she was elected for this role by parents, she especially felt that she should have been included in the process. Following Munir and Mim’s report, Ghous requested the survey results to better assess the student perspective.
A huge aspect of the controversy surrounding this decision was the lack of communication; students, parents, staff and even Trustees were not consulted before the decision was made. The co-chair of parent council, Jason Irving, stated that he wished that King’s community could have been involved in the process or at the very least, been communicated with. Irving believes that the fate of King’s Wellness Break should depend on what’s in the best interest of students.
Following the initial announcement of the Wellness Break’s cancellation, many grew concerned over what this could mean for King’s other unique aspects, such as Clinic and Mentor. King’s Principal, Catherine Chang, verified that while this particular pause is intended to gather information about the Wellness Break, she looks forward to gathering input about King’s other unique aspects in the future. The fate of Clinic and Mentor is not confirmed by the principal, however, she hopes to determine which changes are necessary with her team through careful research.
During the meeting, one attendee asked why the decision to remove the Wellness Week was made in a significantly smaller time frame than the decision to implement it back in 2016. Another asked how it is any different than March break. Clearly, there are many that are still baffled as to why it was cancelled in the first place. The Kingsley Voice hopes to have more information on the situation after speaking directly with Chang.
