{"source_url": "https://www.agassizharrisonobserver.com", "url": "https://www.agassizharrisonobserver.com/news/year-in-review-2019-ace-students-being-relocated-to-agassiz-high-school/", "title": "YEAR IN REVIEW 2019: ACE students being relocated to Agassiz high school \u2013 Agassiz Harrison Observer", "top_image": "https://www.agassizharrisonobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/19958647_web1_191024-AHO-ACEMove_1-1024x682.jpg", "meta_img": "https://www.agassizharrisonobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/19958647_web1_191024-AHO-ACEMove_1-1024x682.jpg", "images": ["https://2zp2vu3lc9ui2wllh740y5k6-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/19992090_web1_poweroutage1.jpg", "https://2zp2vu3lc9ui2wllh740y5k6-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/19981280_web1_yearinreview2019.jpg", "https://2zp2vu3lc9ui2wllh740y5k6-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/19986974_web1_191231-BPD-M-Bear.jpg", "https://2zp2vu3lc9ui2wllh740y5k6-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/19958875_web1_190926-AHO-PattiSwimmer_1.jpg", "https://2zp2vu3lc9ui2wllh740y5k6-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/themes/BlackPress/assets/images/ImpressTV.png", "https://2zp2vu3lc9ui2wllh740y5k6-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/19989494_web1_191231-BPD-M-22406509.jpg", "https://2zp2vu3lc9ui2wllh740y5k6-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/19989209_web1_191011-ABB-Danny-Depew_1.jpg", "https://2zp2vu3lc9ui2wllh740y5k6-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/19992018_web1_191122-TDT-baby.jpg", "https://2zp2vu3lc9ui2wllh740y5k6-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/19987237_web1_191231-IFD-Canada-Czech.jpg", "https://2zp2vu3lc9ui2wllh740y5k6-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/themes/BlackPress/assets/images/submit.png", "https://2zp2vu3lc9ui2wllh740y5k6-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/19958647_web1_191024-AHO-ACEMove_1.jpg", "https://2zp2vu3lc9ui2wllh740y5k6-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/19992288_web1_ISL101-1231_2019_115509.jpg", "https://2zp2vu3lc9ui2wllh740y5k6-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/19958843_web1_homeless-man-833017_1920.jpg", "https://2zp2vu3lc9ui2wllh740y5k6-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/19871741_web1_crowded-hospitals.jpg", "https://2zp2vu3lc9ui2wllh740y5k6-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/19988937_web1_170310-BPD-M-loonies-money.jpg", "https://www.agassizharrisonobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/19958647_web1_191024-AHO-ACEMove_1-1024x682.jpg", "https://2zp2vu3lc9ui2wllh740y5k6-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/19986059_web1_copy_191227-SAA-Snowfall-warning.jpg", "https://2zp2vu3lc9ui2wllh740y5k6-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/19958776_web1_190718-AHO-StorytimeinthePark_1.jpg", "https://2zp2vu3lc9ui2wllh740y5k6-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/themes/BlackPress/assets/images/newsletters/bp-newsletters-icon.png", "https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&c2=6035032&cv=2.0&cj=1", "https://2zp2vu3lc9ui2wllh740y5k6-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/themes/BlackPress/assets/images/BlackPressMedia.svg", "https://2zp2vu3lc9ui2wllh740y5k6-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/19985933_web1_191231-BPD-M-Park.jpg"], "movies": [], "text": "The Observer is taking a look back at some of our top headlines of 2019\n\nFILE - ACE students were set to move into the AESS building on Oct. 28, 2019 according to SD78 superintendent Karen Nelson. (Google Maps)\n\nFrom community events to short term rentals and realities about opioids, housing affordability and homelessness, as well as film crews and a cultural hub proposal, there was no shortage of news in Agassiz, Harrison, and surrounding communities this year. In the days leading up to New Year 2020, the Observer is taking a look back at some of these headlines and more.\n\nORIGINAL STORY: ACE students being relocated to Agassiz high school\n\nStudents at the Agassiz Centre for Education were moving to the AESS building starting on Oct. 28.\n\nAccording to school district superintendent Karen Nelson, the Fraser Cascade school board made a decision to move the ACE program to the high school during a closed board meeting on Oct. 15.\n\nThe decision was made partly because of declining enrolment numbers in the district, as well as concerns about safety for students and staff in the small building located next to AESS, Nelson said.\n\n\u201cOur enrolment numbers have been decreasing over the years as you know, and we just felt this was a good opportunity for students to move over and have some enhanced programming opportunities there,\u201d Nelson said.\n\nACE had an enrolment of 17 students at the time, up from 16 in 2018-19, although down from around 27 students in 2014-15.\n\nThe students were to be moving with ACE administrator Sandy Balascak to the AESS building, where they would have their own classroom.\n\nStudents would be able to integrate into other classes if they chose, or continue to learn from Balascak, who was the only teacher at ACE since Ray Steiguilas retired at the end of last year.\n\nNelson said she was at ACE on Oct. 21 to share the news with students, many of whom expressed concerns about returning to AESS.\n\n\u201cWe know that will be a difficult transition of course,\u201d she said.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a big transition, we understand that for our students, but we believe it will provide enhanced programming options,\u201d she continued.\n\n\u201cSandy\u2019s the only teacher at ACE right now and she can\u2019t be expected to \u2026 be an expert in every area.\u201d\n\nAccording to Nelson, students at ACE would be provided with counselling during the move to AESS, which would take place gradually as the school moves its equipment to the new space.\n\nConcerns were also raised by Alison Loosdretch, a student at ACE, in the Life in Agassiz Facebook group, who later added that what Nelson told the Observer was not what she had heard from the superintendent.\n\n\u201cWe are told this will be better for us, but we already know it\u2019s not,\u201d Loosdretch wrote in her post. \u201cWe left AESS. Our school is our safe place, as well as our teacher and has helped each one of us in our own way.\u201d\n\nRELATED: ACE setting itself up for success\n\nShe went on to say that staff at AESS had said students who eventually went on to go to ACE \u201cdidn\u2019t belong in a mainstream school\u201d and were made fun of for their mental health issues.\n\n\u201cWe are anxious, nervous, and scared to go back, many of us were bullied at that school, not other by students but the staff as well!\u201d she wrote. \u201cWe voiced that, but again our opinion doesn\u2019t matter because we are students.\u201d\n\nLoosdretch ended her post by asking parents to contact the school district about the move, and an hour after she published it, had already received more than 45 comments from people who were shocked that the alternative school would be moving.\n\nMany said they would be contacting the school district or members of the local government.\n\nAt least two ACE graduates also commented on the post, speaking about the importance of the school to their own education.\n\n\u201cIf I was still in ACE at this point I would most definitely had dropped out,\u201d Emma Potts said in her comment on the post. \u201cAESS is a good school but not for everybody. I have been personally victimized by people there, not only the students but staff.\n\n\u201cRegardless its not about putting other schools down, it\u2019s about making our students feel safe and excited to go to school. This is outrageous, and very sad to see.\u201d\n\nRELATED: Bullying remains key concern in ACE move to Agassiz high school\n\n\n\ngrace.kennedy@ahobserver.com\n\nLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter", "keywords": [], "meta_keywords": [""], "tags": ["Agassiz Secondary Senior Boys Basketball", "Chilliwack Chiefs", "Celebrations of Life", "Eagles Senior Girls Basketball", "BCHL"], "authors": ["Local News"], "publish_date": "Wed Jan  1 07:00:00 2020", "summary": "", "article_html": "", "meta_description": "The Observer is taking a look back at some of our top headlines of 2019", "meta_lang": "en", "meta_favicon": "https://2zp2vu3lc9ui2wllh740y5k6-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/themes/BlackPress/assets/images/icons/favicon.ico", "meta_data": {"viewport": "width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0", "gpsid": 19958647, "generator": "AMP for WP 0.9.98.2", "og": {"locale": "en_US", "site_name": "Agassiz Harrison Observer", "url": "https://www.agassizharrisonobserver.com/news/year-in-review-2019-ace-students-being-relocated-to-agassiz-high-school/", "title": "YEAR IN REVIEW 2019: ACE students being relocated to Agassiz high school - Agassiz Harrison Observer", "description": "The Observer is taking a look back at some of our top headlines of 2019", "type": "article", "image": {"identifier": "https://www.agassizharrisonobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/19958647_web1_191024-AHO-ACEMove_1-1024x682.jpg", "width": 1024, "height": 682}, "secure_url": "https://www.agassizharrisonobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/19958647_web1_191024-AHO-ACEMove_1-1024x682.jpg"}, "description": "The Observer is taking a look back at some of our top headlines of 2019", "article": {"section": "News", "published_time": "2020-01-01T07:00:00-08:00"}, "twitter": {"card": "summary_large_image", "title": "YEAR IN REVIEW 2019: ACE students being relocated to Agassiz high school - Agassiz Harrison Observer", "description": "The Observer is taking a look back at some of our top headlines of 2019", "image": "https://www.agassizharrisonobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/19958647_web1_191024-AHO-ACEMove_1-1024x682.jpg"}, "fb": {"app_id": 241715359219247}}, "canonical_link": "https://www.agassizharrisonobserver.com/news/year-in-review-2019-ace-students-being-relocated-to-agassiz-high-school/"}