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Olympians’ visit gets off on right foot P. 11
Serving Ladysmith, Chemainus and area
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Ladysmith plays starring role: P. 3
Strike leaves Ladysmith class in limbo Dan Ebenal
of classes later when all of the $12 million per day in strike savings may be consumed by the province’s offer of $40-a-day payments The B.C. teachers strike will to parents. continue to have an impact on But the possibility of an extended one group of Ladysmith Primary school year is not happening, acstudents even after the dust has cording to Mike Ball, president of settled on the dispute. the Nanaimo and District Teachers’ Picket lines have disrupted Association. School District 68 plans to erect a “That’s something that would have portable classroom at Ladysmith to be negotiated,” said Ball. “Do Primary School. they want me to work for free? I “We’ve had pickets at our district don’t see it happening to be honest.” office since July 28 and as well at He said ministry guidelines show a number of schools for most of you can lose about six weeks of the the summer, so a lot of the things school year and still deliver the full we would normally do to get ready curriculum. for school haven’t happened yet,” “You can lose a certain amount evsaid school district spokesperson ery year without affecting curricuDonna Reimer. lum that you deliver, you just don’t She said one classroom portable get all the frills and extras you’d won’t be ready when school does like to have,” said Ball. reopen and the students will have Reimer said extending the school to be housed elsewhere in the year is not something the district school until the portable can acTeachers Moira Dolen and Ken Warren lead a group of picketers in front of Ladysmith Secondary School. has looked at and a lot would decommodate a class. DAN EBENAL pend on how long the strike lasts, “Hopefully when schools do open again and we have our support to complete the project because going to Ladysmith Secondary this dents’ school year is not cut short and expects the ministry would have to make provisions for school staff back, we can do that work as the district is unsure when work- year,” said Reimer. “As well, Cedar by the teachers strike. That could mean adding days to districts. quickly as possible,” said Reimer, ers will be available or if another Secondary was closed at the end “If there’s additional costs inadding other schools have used emergency situation might devel- of June and approximately 200 of the school calendar later in the those students have opted to go to year, he said, to ensure Grade 12 volved, we obviously wouldn’t the school’s multi-purpose room op at another school. “But it is really one of our highest Ladysmith Secondary so there will students in particular complete have the budget for it so we would until the classroom is ready. their courses and get all the marks expect that they would also someShe said a number of the dis- priorities,” she said. “It would only be a significant increase.” Reimer doesn’t expect the strike they need. how support us in the costs,” she trict’s projects weren’t able to be be an emergency situation that completed over the summer as would divert us from that project.” will impact plans to accommo- “Do you put it on the end of the said. Ladysmith Primary won’t be the date the additional students at the year? Do you take it out of Spring For his part, Ball doesn’t think picket lines prevented mainteBreak? Do you take it out of the dispute will last long enough to nance staff from accessing the dis- only area school to see some ma- school. jor changes in the new school year. “Space won’t be a problem, she Christmas holidays? My staff are make a longer school year necestrict administration centre. “We created a priority list of The School district is anticipating said. “The work to house the looking at all of the options,” Fass- sary. “I don’t see us being out for six projects and the priority order of a significant jump in enrolment Grade 7s at the school, while it bender said. “It’s going to depend on how long weeks. The government has to them. And definitely I would say at Ladysmith Secondary, with 840 hasn’t been totally completed, it Ladysmith is one of our very top students expected when classes has been completed enough that this drags out. Whatever length of come to its senses at some point,” ones because our top priority is resume, up from about 580 last the Grade 7s can use the space. time it takes to get this settled, we he said. “We’ve said we’re still preThere’s not a lot of work left to do.” will do everything we can to make pared to make some moves but it making sure there’s classrooms year. Meanwhile, Education Minister sure the school year is kept whole has to come from both sides. Right for kids when they come back,” “Davis Road was closed in June so the Grade 7 English stu- Peter Fassbender says the prov- for those students.” now every move that’s been made said Reimer. It’s unclear how the government has been made by the BCTF.” Reimer didn’t want to give a dents from Davis Road and from ince may take extraordinary steps — with files from Jeff Nagel timeline for how long it will take Ladysmith Intermediate will be to ensure senior secondary stu- would finance adding extra days THE CHRONICLE
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