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Thursday, January 30, 2014
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NORTH DAKOTA TROUBLES OVER
Forum reveals one-month school breaks not ideal for students, support staff
Agassiz couple
Jessica Peters
Balanced calendar not popular AGASSIZ OBSERVER
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The idea of a balanced school calendar didn't have the popular vote at a public forum held last week. The Fraser Cascade school district is currently polling parents, teachers, staff, students and even the wider community, asking them to comment on three options for a revised calendar. At last Thursday's meeting, where about 30 people gathered in the library at Agassiz elementary secondary school, many voiced their concerns about the balanced calendar option. With a balanced calendar, schools would operate on a three months on, one month off schedule, beginning each September. Numerous problems with this option were listed off, including loss of summer job opportunities and camp experiences for teens. Harrison elementary principal Mark Classen said that while he prefers to keep an open mind about possibilities, he worries that drastic changes would "be on the backs of our support staff " who rely on employment insurance benefits throughout the summer months. "The balanced calendar would really worry me," he said. "It would have a real impact." Barb Mercer is a mom in Agassiz, but works as an educational assistant in the Chilliwack school district. She agreed that three one-month breaks would create a potential problem for EAs and other support staff. "You have to be off for a certain amount of time to receive benefits," she said, as well as collecting enough hours in between times off. "Typically you don't see benefits until mid-August." She also worries about a change in the current calendar not coordinating with this area's closest school district, Chilliwack. It could pose problems for school teams looking to play against each other. AESS could potentially be closed at
JESSICA PETERS / OBSERVER
Students, parents, teachers, trustees and politicians all took part in a public forum to discuss reshaping the current school calendar in the Fraser Cascade district.
the height of the basketball season in January, for example. Other parents at the meeting said that the long summer takes best advantage of the warm weather. "I can't imagine having April off," one mother said. "It's just too rainy and cold here." The meeting was moderated by Dr. Karen Nelson, superintendent of schools for School District 78. While some elementary schools
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have experimented with the balanced school calendar, no high schools have made the move yet. If this school district were to adopt the calendar, it would be district wide. However, she reminded everyone that this is only a discussion that was created because the province recently opened up management of school calendars for each district to manage themselves. It's a discussion that's happening in many other
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districts across the province. "All districts have to consult the public," she said. "This is just a good discussion point so we know how people feel." Agassiz's mayor, John Van Laerhoven was among those who attended the forum. As a former teacher, he said "the school year is naturally divided" in a way that works. Continued on 3
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