NDP WANTS HEALTH REVIEW PUBLIC
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RUNNING CAN GROW ON YOU, IN TIME
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CITY SPENDING OUT OF LINE?
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FRIDAY
JUNE 13 2014 Stephanie Standerwick may be poised for a big break. See Page A3
www.burnabynewsleader.com
New school programs bursting Wanda Chow NewsLeader
MARIO BARTEL/NEWSLEADER
Teachers walk the picket line in front of Burnaby South secondary school in the latest round of rotating strikes that affected 22 school districts around the province on Wednesday. The walkout could become full-blown strike as early as Monday after teachers voted 86 per cent in favour of escalating their job action.
Prospect of strike disheartens teachers Mario Bartel
photo@burnabynewsleader.com
The morning after their union voted 86 per cent in favour of escalating job action to a full strike, teachers walking the picket line at Burnaby South secondary school Wednesday were disheartened, discouraged and disillusioned. Burnaby teachers and those from 21 other school districts, along with CUPE support workers, were off the job on Wednesday in the latest round of day-long rotating strikes that have moved around the
province for the past two weeks. But the result of the strike vote means those walkouts could become indefinite as early as Tuesday. That’s not good news for Colin Chow, a counsellor at South. “We don’t want to be on strike,” said Chow. “But we have to support our kids by taking the hard decisions.” Chow said a full strike would have minimal effect on graduating students, as most post-secondary schools will make allowances for their situation. But younger
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students in need of extra guidance to help them get their marks up or select their courses for the next school year could be at risk, he said. “It’s going to set some kids back,” said Chow. Mimosa Bryant, one of a clutch of English teachers chatting in the sunshine said, “We’re pretty sick to our stomach.” “It’s exceptionally difficult,” added Shelley Dube. Steve Balnave, who teaches English and ESL, said he was frustrated.
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“There’s a certain amount of anxiety,” he said. “We want our kids to do well. We’re trying to meet the needs of our students.” Achieving that has been made difficult by the government’s partial lockout that prevents educators from assisting students before or after classes or during breaks, said Chow. That’s normally when he does most of his counselling. But with the lockout, he must take kids out of class to talk to them. “It’s hurting their education,” he said.
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Two new Burnaby school district programs for advanced learners are full and plans are afoot to expand them. The Multi-Age Cluster Class (MACC) program will start at Capitol Hill elementary in September with two classes—grades 4/5 and 6/7. It will teach the curriculum in a challenging way to highability students from across Burnaby and allow them to learn amongst their peers. The district prefers such an approach over allowing students to skip grades since it still allows children to develop and mature with their own age group. The MACC program will expand to another site in South Burnaby in September 2015. A district committee of parents, teachers, administrators and staff will design a mini-school model to allow the MACC students to continue on at Alpha secondary starting in September 2015. Then starting in September 2016, the mini-school and TwiceExceptional programs at Alpha will be extended to include Grade 9 students. Another minischool will also be added in 2016 in South Burnaby. Meanwhile, the Advanced Placement Capstone Program will start in September at both Burnaby North and Burnaby South secondaries.