Sandy Lane Sandy Lake Sandy Beach Sand Trucks Sandy Bullock Sandy Day O'Connor Sandy Dee Sandy Koufax

Rory J. Koopmans, B. Admin., #203, 8912-156 Street,
Edmonton, Alberta T5R 5Z2

February VIIIth, MMX

Hon. David G. Hancock, QC, MLA, Minister of Education,
Progressive Conservative, Edmonton-Whitemud

Dear David:

The children on the cover of today's Edmonton Journal (Pg. A1) at Pelican Mountain Elementary at Sandy Lake look the way they should: happy, healthy & productive. But rather than move the students, should not the budget for this very successful school be increased & have kids from less constructive jurisdictions come there? I would argue that the 18 children in attendance there would be better off staying with their families. As well as learning from their aboriginal elders right on site.

I am not saying move all of the students, but since the kids are driven to Wabasca for Junior & Senior High School anyway, trucking kids to Sandy Lake for Elementary learning might be aproros. Especially as the kids already in attendance there are getting such a wonderful education. Keep the school as a 100% strictly Elementary focus. This seems to be a successful formula, so why mess with a good thing?

The passion these students show for all of their classes is unbelievable. It might be better David if you converted lesson plans over to say Cree rather than move the children to another school. If the children can learn in their own language first, they can then pick up English &/or French or other languages once they start exploring the world & becoming more aware of th customs of other cultures.

So David, do not mess with a good thing. Keep the children at Sandy Lake. Its where they belong, its where they are most happy & productive. Keep Pelican Mountain open!

Sandstone,

Rory

Source: Northland School District #61.