November 24, 2009
Parents and Guardians,
In response to the air-quality testing which was performed by Pinchin Leblanc Environmental Limited on October 20th and October 21st, the company made the following conclusions;
Based on the mould air sample results and visual inspection, the following recommendation is provided:
Recommendation: Further investigation and visual inspection of building materials located in Rooms 125, 120,117,116, 122, 104 and 109 to determine the possible presence of any hidden mould growth.
Our School Council met on Wednesday, November 18th and Friday November 20th to discuss these findings and receive the immediate course of action to be taken by Eastern School District (ESD). Following the closure of the school on Wednesday, a team of professionals were enlisted to investigate the identified areas. The irritant in classrooms 125,120,117, 116, 122 and 104 (Kindergarten, Grade 4 – Ms. Lynch, Grade 4 – Ms. Power, Grade 1 – Ms. O’Brien, Challenging Needs Room, Special Education Room – Ms. Power) revealed to be an airborne wood based mould, likely caused by the recent excavation of the new addition to the school. According to the Industrial Hygienist, this is not a mould which would pose a danger to any occupants of the school. There was no evidence of any surface mould anywhere in the building.
In room 109, (Grade 2 – Ms. Jackman & Ms. Walsh) a different mould spore was detected in a small amount. Intricate procedures were performed within this room to identify the source. Rubber baseboards mouldings were removed from the wall, lights and cameras were used to view inside the wall, the bookcase was removed to investigate the wall behind it, the tennis balls which are on the bottoms of chairs throughout the school were all discarded, a plant was removed, older books and resource materials were discarded and every material in the room was cleaned entirely and window screens were removed. There was no conclusive source.
Power Vac, a remediation company which has been used by ESD within other schools, was contracted to thoroughly clean the existing ductwork. Special filters have also been ordered to use with the existing ventilation system.
During both meetings with District members, council had again stressed the necessity to upgrade our school with a new air filtration system which would service the entire school. This has been an action item on our agenda since the initial air quality testing in 2007. During that time, we felt there were unacceptable results contained within that report so we made a plea to the Department of Education to grant us a brand new system. Unfortunately, since our system still remained within the guidelines of the Department of Health, our request was denied. Eastern School District recognizes our community’s outrage with St. Bernard’s current air filtration system, and has submitted a proposal to Capital Works for approval.
Please note that a copy of the entire report of the October air quality testing will be posted over the weekend by ESD for all of us to view. In addition, the report and photos of Pinchin Leblanc’s investigation at the school this week will also be posted on the school website.
On Sunday a repeat of the air-quality testing will be done. Findings will be available on Tuesday, November 24th and a decision to re-open school will be made at that time.
Please check the school website for any information or updates posted by the Eastern School District. You may contact us at stbernards_schoolcouncil@hotmail.com or phone 334-2405 with any further questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Shalyn Kavanagh, Chair
St. Bernard’s School Council
September 2009
Parents & Guardians,
As you are all aware, during the construction of the new extension to St. Bernard’s, an area sharing the Custodian’s room and the Kindergarten washroom revealed a section contaminated with mold. This mold was discovered during the removal of a sink to install a water filtration system that would service the new extension.
The discovery of a contaminant in our school has generated much concern and fear among our community. On Wednesday, September 2nd, School Council members were requested by the Eastern School District to meet with Director, Ford Rice and other representatives to update the parent community. School Council was infomed of the steps taken to remove the contaminated materials from the school by environmental specialists, Pinchin Leblanc. That same information we received was posted on the St. Bernard’s website for all parents to review.
During our meeting, School Council posed many questions, as well as concerns that seemed to be circulating around our communities. Through our conversation with ESD board members, we indicated other areas in the school may have been compromised by past water damage, thus also making them possibly subject to mold growth. ESD noted every one of those areas (as indicated by our Principal and maintenance staff members) and a technician from Pinchin Leblanc tested to verify that these areas did NOT contain mold. Pinchin Leblanc was also requested by ESD to do air quality testing on the entire building to ensure the safety of all students and staff here at St. Bernard’s.
A second meeting took place on Saturday, September 5th to discuss the results of the air quality testing that was performed following the abatement. ESD members reassured that St. Bernard’s passed all tests performed and there would be no issue with opening the school on time. Given the abundance of questions and concerns parents still had regarding the safety of our school, Council arranged for a public meeting to take place on Monday, September 6th, so everyone would have a chance to ask any further questions that were unanswered by the reports posted on our school website.
At the conclusion of that meeting, ESD agreed to repeat the air quality testing throughout the entire school after a couple of months, as further reassurance to the safety of our building. It was also made clear by parents that we need a complete review of our air ventilation system, an issue that has been an agenda item since 2007. ESD agreed to further investigate the air quality of St. Bernard’s, and reiterated that we all have the same goal…the safety and health of all students and staff who attend here.
