Deaf stuDents Deliver speeches
page
3
aging, anD the art of argument
page
6
shoulD bc place be solD?
page
14
the u16 selects will be one of four burnaby teams playing for coastal cup championships this weekend in richmond. See page A8
friDay
April 26 2013 www.burnabynewsleader.com
Just 7.5 jobs cut to balance budget ‘Very minor’ classroom impact: Frank Wanda Chow
wchow@burnabynewsleader.com
MAriO BArTEl/NEWSlEADEr
students from burnaby schools lend their voices and enthusiasm to bring atmosphere to afternoon games at the esso cup national midget girls hockey championship, being played all week at copeland arena.
Schools jam Copeland for Esso Cup First hockey game for many students Wanda Chow
wchow@burnabynewsleader.com
Their mission: to cheer on the teams at the Esso Cup national female midget hockey championship. Their tools: juice boxes, cereal bars and cardboard noisemakers handed out by volunteer Burnaby firefighters. Their training: being schoolkids capable of making lots of noise. There was no shortage of
enthusiasm at Bill Copeland Arena that for many of the students it’s Tuesday as busloads of Burnaby the first time they’ve ever been to a elementary students arrived to cheer hockey game. on the visiting players. And for the players, “it’s the The excited crowd biggest crowd these girls filled up about twoever played in front video-online] have thirds of the 2,000-seat of,” Kashima said. arena, so buzzed at “These girls come a burnabynewsleader.com their assignment some long way, they get to students appeared to have almost skate out to a noisy arena, that’s worn out their noisemakers before great.” the first drop of the puck. Kashima said the idea got started Armstrong elementary principal when a parent of an Armstrong Ernie Kashima, who helped student who plays with the organize the cheering squads, called tournament’s host, Burnaby Minor it a win-win situation, explaining Hockey, asked if the school could
YOUR LOCAL AGENT
BRiAN VidAs 604.671.5259
2009 - 2012
Brian Vidas Personal Real Estate Corporation 3010 Boundary Road, Burnaby
www.BrianVidas.com
centre realty
3 Bed, 3-Level Renovated Burnaby Home $649,800 5 Bed, 4450SF Golf Course Community Home $1,348,000
provide a few hundred students to enliven the stands. He contacted other Burnaby school district schools and the response was so huge, he’s managed to supply 1,500 students per day for four of the noon weekday games as well as 20 high school volunteers. That’s a total of 6,000 children from 19 schools. The schools were told in advance what team they’d be cheering for, allowing many to prepare signs and banners and to wear the team’s colours to the game. please see ChEEriNg CrOWD, A3
Experience Our Retirement Community Call today for more details and a personalized tour!
604-527-3323
HARMONY COURT ESTATE 7197 Canada Way, Burnaby, BC (at Edmonds)
Burnaby school district has balanced its 2013-2014 budget, with only 7.5 full-timeequivalent (FTE) jobs to be cut. That’s no small feat considering district staff started the process facing a $6.1-million shortfall if the status quo was maintained, and was considering cuts to 33 full-time positions. Never mind that next door in Coquitlam, that city’s school board is looking to cut more than 140 jobs, including 80 teachers, to address a $12-million deficit. On Tuesday, Burnaby school board approved a budget that saw a $4.7-million surplus from the current year applied to next year’s revenue figures. That’s up from an expected $3.5-million surplus from a few weeks ago, thanks to a recently-announced increase in the perpupil funding from the province, additional energy savings and an “actuarial gain” on moving to the Public Sector Accounting Board standards. see ‘ANy iMpACT’, A4