Dear Parents and Guardians,

We strongly object to the proposed boundary change for the French Immersion program at Newmarket High School. The York Region District School Board is considering modifying the current boundary to redirect incoming French Immersion students from Newmarket High to Huron Heights Secondary School starting in September 2025.

The proposed French Immersion boundary change includes the area north of Davis Drive (East and West) to Ravenshoe Road between the Holland River in the east and the York-Durham Line in the west. Students residing in this area will be directly impacted by the proposed change. Students who attend Keswick Public School in Georgina will still go to Newmarket High, though they live the furthest away.

Some reasons to oppose this change:

 ‧Protecting Community Cohesion: The proposed boundary change threatens to divide our community by dispersing students among different schools. This includes students with siblings already enrolled at Newmarket High School, whose families may face additional logistical challenges if the boundary change is implemented.

 ‧Preserving Academic Excellence: Newmarket High School has consistently demonstrated academic excellence, as evidenced by its ranking of 63 out of 739 high schools in Ontario. In contrast, Huron Heights Secondary School is ranked 457 out of 739 by the Fraser Institute.

 

 

 

 

 

 

‧Clubs and Extracurriculars Comparison: Newmarket High School offers a diverse range of clubs and extracurricular activities providing opportunities for students to explore interests in arts, athletics, STEM, culture, and community involvement. Huron Heights Secondary School, on the other hand, provides a limited selection of clubs and extracurricular activities with no clubs listed for those interested in STEM. Club/sport listings were found in each schools information package for the Grade 8s: Newmarket High School package for Grade 8's, Huron Heights School package for Grade 8's

YRDSB is hosting a Virtual Public Information Meeting on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 to share information regarding the proposed French Immersion secondary school boundary changes. For more information and registration details, please visit the YRDSB website.

Please sign and share this petition widely and encourage as many parents of affected students to sign. We hope that by presenting this petition to the YRDSB, we can keep French Immersion students at Newmarket High School. 

Together, we can make a difference!