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Pastors ask district to ‘rethink’ inclusion But school trustees vote unanimously to pass policy intended to make city schools safer for LGBT students
By Niki Hope
nhope@newwestrecord.ca
‘A’ FOR EFFORT? A hockey academy at New Westminster Senior Secondary is one of the ideas that has been passed around for years in the New Westminster school district. On Tuesday night school trustees started a process that could see specialized academies launched. PHOTO FILE PHOTO
Next class? Off to the rink
School district takes first step to look at setting up specialized academies which could include hockey, lacrosse or fine arts
they never feel marginalized, and sometimes you need a hook, and sometimes it’s the academies that’s the hook.” There has been discussion about some potential academies, but nothing concrete at this point, Gaiptman said. “Just about every sport you can think of has been kicked around,” he said. “What we have said is, if there is a grassroots movement, they can talk to the school; the school will talk to staff, and we will get it going.” Gaiptman came to New Westminster about a year ago. He previously managed
By Niki Hope
nhope@newwestrecord.ca
The school board is opening the door for specialized academies at New Westminster Secondary School, which could include hockey, lacrosse, football or fine arts. The district passed a motion Tuesday night that will create a protocol for initiating specialized academies. “I like academies. I’m a big believer in academies,” superintendent John Gaiptman told the Record. “I think it’s really important that kids never feel disenfranchised, that
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the Victoria School District, which, he said, has 13 academies including curling, softball, lacrosse, baseball and soccer. “Yes, we certainly had a lot of academies, and why not?” he said. The academies differ from extra-curricular activities in that they are part of a student’s class schedule. For example, if there were a hockey academy at the high school, the student may have a skating course and a weight-training course during school hours. “They know of their eight or nine blocks, two of them will be related to something that they truly love to do,” Gaiptman explained. Asked if academies benefit the school district financially because they may attract Continued on page 8
Two local pastors shared their concerns at the New Westminster’s board of education meeting Tuesday night on an inclusion policy that trustees say makes schools safer for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered students. Grant Hill, an associate pastor at Olivet Baptist Church, and Paul Dirks, pastor at New Westminster Community Church, urged the school board to rethink the policy, though their attempts had little impact as trustees passed it unanimously. “Laws and human rights drive policy,” school board vice-chair Casey Cook said at Tuesday’s board meeting, where trustees heard from those who supported the policy and those who opposed it. “I’m going to say up front, I am going to support this, and I say that proudly.” For pastor Hill, a father of two, the inclusion policy takes a side. “And what truly bothers me, is that it does not need to take a side in order to become a helpful policy,” he told the board. His main role as a pastor at Olivet Baptist is to care for children and youth, Hill said. “One of the things the students I work with struggle with is the fear of letting people at school know that they are Christians,” he said. Those students fear being labeled a homophobe if they say that they believe homosexual relationships are wrong, he said. “Students have the right to disagree in a respectful manner without being labelled with insulting terms designed to belittle them,” Hill said. Continued on page 8
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