Unregistered schools run races anyway

The unregistered runners ran with students from registered schools but were reminded before the races that it wouldn’t be official.

“It’s a public beach and they’re free to (run). But unfortunately it won’t count,” said Toronto District School Board spokesman Ryan Bird. The board is looking at scheduling alternate meets for schools that didn’t register.

Susan Gattoni’s 9-year-old daughter, Megan, was one of 24 Williamson Road Junior Public School students who ran unregistered in maroon school T-shirts. Megan placed well in past meets, finishing in the top 10 every year, her mother said.

“I don’t think any child should be denied the chance to run.”

This year, Megan finished 10th in the Grade 4 girls’ division, a placement that would allow her to move on to the next round if she were registered. Gattoni said she plans to take her to the next meet anyway.

“I don’t know if this is the right way for the teachers to get what they are after . . . although they say they’re not taking it out on the kids, the end result is they are,” she said.

Half of Megan’s teammates ran well enough to move on to the next round, said parent Ron Watson.

His son, Andrew, finished first in the Grade 1 boys’ division, while his daughter, Charlotte, finished fourth in the Grade 3 girls’ division.

Local trustee Sheila Cary-Meagher, who represents some of the unregistered schools, said everyone shares the blame for holding a run in which some couldn’t participate.

“It was one of those perfect storms where anywhere you point, there’s blame. We should have just had a big, informal run where no one kept records, because this year is such an aberration, and then maybe more teachers might have felt they could help and with all the parent volunteers, everyone could have had a good time,” she said.

“But with all this confusion, the point of the run has been lost. In the end, teachers pick up the blame for the mess the province created.”

Some Kew Beach Junior Public School students also ran unregistered, parent Desmond Brown said. His son, Felix, finished 23rd in the Grade 2 boys’ division.

“If our teachers would have registered the team or not bailed out on the kids, he would have advanced to the city finals. It’s very disappointing.”

Brown said parents at normally tight-knit Kew Beach are divided in light of the teachers’ action. Behind the scenes, he said, people are taking sides and are sometimes at odds with their neighbours.

Brown blamed the divide on a lack of communication from the school board and the school. “Our children have been let down immensely.” With files from Louise Brown