John Charles Haines Elementary School

Tbh, I’m pretty frustrated with the situation at Haines lately. The school building is really showing its age and I’m worried about how that impacts the kids' health. Just looking at the public board notes, there are constant issues like broken windows in classrooms and a big backlog of repairs that never seem to get finished. It feels like the air quality isn't great and I've noticed it gets pretty stuffy and dusty in the older wings. Plus, the absenteeism rates are a red flag; it feels like once one bug starts going around, the whole class catches it because the ventilation just isn't there. For a neighborhood school in Chinatown, you'd think they'd prioritize the physical environment more. It definitely doesn't feel like the 'wellness' focus they talk about online is making it into the actual classrooms.

My son has been at Haines for two years now and overall I'm pretty happy with the health side of things. The school is kept really clean for being an older building in Chinatown, and you can tell the custodial staff actually cares. When that flu bug went around last winter, the office was great about sending out email blasts to keep us updated, though I wish the sick-child policy was a little more flexible with the return-to-school dates for minor colds. The nurse is super sweet but she's only there a couple days a week, so just keep that in mind if your kid has regular meds or anything. It's a solid neighborhood school that definitely tries its best to keep the germs contained!