Editor,
My heart breaks to see the Surrey School district's plan to close down the one school where I ever felt safe and seen by the staff. I was there for grade 10, 11 and 12 and graduated back in 2015, on time with good grades and extra credits that I never would have gotten at a mainstream school.
I was extremely bullied at Earl Marriott with zero support from the staff. I remember the day I got kicked out of Earl Marriott like it was yesterday. It was lunch break and a group of the "popular" students were sitting behind me in the cafeteria throwing food at me and making rude comments to me when I finally lashed back and threw whatever food I could find back at them. The entire cafeteria turned into a food fight and the principal put me to blame.
I went to my next class and was pulled from my class to see the principal, where I broke down and told him about the bullying I was going through both on social media and in the school, and that's when he said "I can't kick out hundreds of students, but I can kick out one," and off to the learning centre I went..
The WRLC changed my life, and I know I wouldn't have finished high school if it wasn't for this school.
I feel so sorry to the current students who are probably terrified about this change. Finally you have a sense of belonging somewhere and now it's to be ripped away from you.
Alyssa Brooks, Chilliwack
