THURSDAY
S I N C E
JUNE 19, 2014
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Vol. 119, Issue 95
105
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PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO
Exams going ahead at Crowe Despite labour dispute, Grade 12 students will get report cards while other grades on hold BY SHERI REGNIER Times Staff
Final exams for grades 10-12 are being written at the local high school this week despite the teachers being in full scale strike action. Secondary principals and vice principals will invigilate Grade 10-12 provincial exams along with help from other schools’ principals, vice principals and district non-union staff, confirmed Greg Luterbach, superintendent for School District 20 (SD20). For J.L. Crowe Secondary graduating students, Friday marks the last day they may have in the high school, once the provincial English 12 exam is written in the school’s gym that morning or Communications 12 in the afternoon. At this point in the teachers’ strike, the only students that will receive a report card this summer are the Grade 12s, every other grade will have to wait until the dispute is resolved or the issue is deemed an essential service. “At this time, we have been informed by the teachers’ union that teachers will not be providing the district any marks/grades/performance indicators for any grade lower than Grade 12,” noted Luterbach. The matter requiring teachers to provide school final marks for lower grades may go in front of the Labour Relations Board to be deemed an essential service later this month, he added. “End of year reporting for grades K-11 is still a significant unknown for districts across the province.” The school district will provide a Grade 12 report card as teachers are required to have the school-based mark submitted to the SD20 office by June 20, as per the essential services order. However, the timing of the local Grade 12 report card is still up in the air as management staff has to handle entering marks into the system to generate the report cards, Luterbach continued. Once those marks are then sent to the Ministry of Education, the student’s final mark is a blend of the school mark (60 per cent in Grade 12 English) and the provincial exam mark. The blended marks appear on a transcript which students can access and print via their Personal Education Number (PEN) on the ministry’s website, explained Luterbach. “One of the topics covered in the required Graduation Transition 12 course at JLC is how to submit a post-secondary institute form,” he continued. “Which directs the ministry to send the transcript, when ready, directly to a BC post-secondary institutions at no cost.”
SHERI REGNIER PHOTO
Shari and Tom Stoddart’s regal greyhounds are on the mend after being sickened by eating Vitalife jerky treats the Montrose couple purchased from Walmart in early June. Quinn (front) and Syra are now eating a bland diet supplemented by probiotics and under the care of a veterinarian after suffering marked lethargy and gastrointestinal symptoms.
Dogs recovering after sickened by treats BY SHERI REGNIER Times Staff
A Montrose couple is breathing a sigh of relief now that their two beloved greyhounds are on the road to recovery after both pets became violently ill after eating Vitalife brand dog treats. Shari Stoddart purchased a bag of Vitalife duck jerky wrapped sweet potato snacks for the two dogs from the Trail Walmart on June 4. Within days of eating the Asianproduced treats, the gentle and affectionate greyhound brindles became lethargic followed by bouts of gastrointestinal symptoms that progressed to loose stool tinged with mucous and blood. “Their behaviour was changing and becoming lethargic,” said Shari. “I knew when they didn’t want to play anymore or go out for a walk, something was terribly wrong.” The morning of June 10, Shari’s
husband Tom was reading a news article while eating breakfast when he happened to come across a recently posted story about dog treats and the harm these particular snacks were causing to pets in North America. The information “clicked” said Shari, adding that he immediately opened up their pantry and on the shelf was the exact bag of Vitalife treats that was
reported to have caused 86 dog deaths in Canada and over 1,000 deaths of pets south of the border. “I couldn’t wait for the vet’s office to open,” she explained. “When I called and told them the symptoms of my dogs and the only change in their diet was this Vitalife, she knew and said to get them in.” See STORY, Page 2
Store pulls treats from shelves
Trail Walmart has pulled all Vitalife jerky treats from its shelves, the store’s assistant manager told the Trail Times Wednesday morning. “Walmart does carry them but we have pulled them off our shelves,” said Denise Smith. “We haven’t gotten official word from the company yet but we are not putting them on the shelves when they come in.”
Smith is aware of the media stories surrounding the jerky treats and said before the Trail Walmart can officially dispose of the product, word must come from head office. “We are holding them in our claims area but we need an official recall before we can actually destroy what we have.” – Regnier
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