Okanagan teen ‘blindsided’ by removal from high school | 24CA News

A North Okanagan household is talking out about the best way the Vernon School District is dealing with their daughter’s training.

The teen, who lives with psychological well being challenges,  says she is being pressured out of her highschool and into another program in opposition to her needs.

“As soon as anything changes in my life, it’s like explosions for me. It’s like everything is over. It is horrible,” mentioned Grade 10 pupil Kayla Rossner.

That problem with change is a giant a part of why the Coldstream teen doesn’t need to depart her highschool.

However, earlier this month she says a college administrator advised her she was instantly not a pupil at Kalamalka Secondary School [Kal] and could be moved to the district’s Alternative Learning Program.

“He is like, ‘I am sorry and…I wish we had the resources to have you at Kal,’ and all this stuff. He starts going on and I’m just bawling to him, like begging him not to do this,” Rossner mentioned.

Her mom,  Rose Carnevale-Rossner mentioned she was equally “blindsided” by the news.

“Kayla was looking for answers from me and I honestly had said that I don’t know,” Carnevale-Rossner mentioned.

Rossner says she was advised she was not a pupil at Kalamalka Secondary School as a result of she had missed too many courses.

Those absences, she says, are because of psychological well being considerations together with melancholy.

“A lot of teenagers suffer with mental health and depression and they miss school and I feel like it shouldn’t be a reason to completely kick a student out of a school,” Rossner mentioned.

The concept of switching Rossner to the Alternative Learning Program had been raised with the household and the dad and mom had expressed openness to the thought. However, Carnevale-Rossner harassed that Rossner would should be on board.

Carnevale-Rossner believed the college district’s plan was to introduce the teenager to the Alternative Learning Program by an off-the-cuff go to, however mentioned that didn’t occur.

Instead, the household mentioned, the teenager was abruptly unenrolled from her present secondary faculty.

In an electronic mail to the household, a district employees member mentioned officers felt the Alternative Learning Program could be the most effective supportive placement for the teenager.

Rossner feels the educational model gained’t work for her and she or he hasn’t been attending and refuses to tour the house.

“I really can’t deal with any more change in my life. I can’t be at a new school. I can’t be with new kids,” Rossner mentioned.

The faculty district mentioned out of respect for college students’ privateness it is not going to touch upon particular circumstances.

In an electronic mail to the household, the superintendent mentioned she would meet with Rossner however provided that the scholar toured the Alternative Learning Program first so the teenager is personally conscious of the choices.

“I just feel we weren’t heard with the district and I think other people need to know Kayla’s story. She is not trying to be difficult. This is the way she feels,” Carnevale-Rossner mentioned.

“If Kayla has decided Kal is where she wants to be then we should work with that.”

The scenario seems to have grow to be a stalemate with Rossner refusing to tour the choice program and the superintendent refusing to satisfy along with her until she does.

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