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| Thursday, February 25, 2016
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Langley class sizes higher than B.C. average By DAN FERGUSON Aldergrove Star
KURT LANGMANN PHOTO
Aldergrove Kodiaks head coach and general manager Rick Harkins (centre) is the first to introduce the “Breakout” program, with other PJHL teams to follow. The program for athletes’ mental health support was developed by Tom Dooley (right) and Trevin Sewell (left).
‘Breakout’ for mental health By KURT LANGMANN Aldergrove Star
A new support program has launched in B.C. that is aimed at providing professional and peer-based assistance with mental health issues in sports. “Breakout” has been formally adopted by the Pacific Junior Hockey League and the Aldergrove Kodiaks are the first junior B hockey team to sign on with the program. The program will roll out to the other nine PJHL clubs in coming weeks. Breakout’s founder, Sean Dooley, had officially launched the program last month with the Nelson Leafs, where he also serves as assistant coach. On Feb. 10, Dooley launched the program in Aldergrove at a meeting with the full Kodiaks team and management at Aldergrove Arena. Dooley said Breakout was being brought to Aldergrove first at the invitation of Kodiaks assistant coach Trevin Sewell, who found that it dovetailed perfectly with his own goal of providing the team’s players with assistance and resources for issues faced by athletes.
Both Dooley and Sewell had suffered from depression and had selfmedicated with alcohol during their younger playing days. “You’re told, you gotta be tough, suck it up,” said Dooley. “And there’s a stigma around mental health, but we’re saying it’s OK to ask for help. Because if I had not asked for help I probably wouldn’t have survived.” Dooley observed that often young players are living away from home while they pursue their athletic goals, or in some cases may not have the family support they need in their homes. Or the person needing help might be a player’s friend, sibling or even parents. Or the problem could be related to injuries such as concussions. Breakout’s model is “building lines of communication… and awareness.” This is accomplished through providing ongoing speakers and workshops on mental health issues, as well as providing clinical counsellors and concussions education. The services are provided in conjunction with the B.C. provincial health services authority’s
“MindCheck” program services to teens and young adults (see website: mindcheck.ca). Sewell said that as a once-young junior hockey player — he’s now 28 — he wished he had this kind of support then. “I didn’t understand my emotions… I hid my feelings, and substance abuse led me to a dark place, near death, before I saw the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Sewell. “Breakout is all confidential, and helps you understand why you’re feeling like you do and what to do about it.” Sewell noted that junior B hockey used to be disparagingly referred to as “jungle B” because of the scraps and fights that were once endemic to the game but the league has diligently moved to get rid of these excesses and to provide a positive “development” atmosphere for athletes to advance in their careers. “Breakout is not a social event, it’s survival,” added Dooley. “And it might save your life.” Breakout is on social media, via twitter @breakout.mh and on Facebook via “Breakout” or send an email to breakout.mh@outlook.com.
A just-released provincial government report shows the average Langley public school class had more students than the B.C. average last year. The “overview of class size and composition in British Columbia Public Schools” report was produced by the provincial Ministry of Education. It shows that, as of Oct. 31, 2015, in the Langley school district, the average kindergarten class was 20.9 students, higher than the provincial average of 19.7. The average Grade 1 to 3 class was 22.6 pupils, larger than the provincial average of 21.8. The average 4 to 7 class was 27.6, bigger than the provincial average of 26.0. In the Grade 8 to 12 category, the average Langley class size was close to but still slightly bigger than the provincial average at 23.8 compared to 23.4. In response to a Times request for comment on the local class size figures, Langley School District Communications Manager Ken Hoff said, based on the provincial report, “the Langley School District sees itself as fairly comparable to other Fraser Valley and Metro class size averages.” Langley Teachers Association (LTA) president Gail ChaddockCostello said the provincial numbers show Langley schools “are the worst overall, collectively, in the province.” An LTA analysis said Langley had the second worst kindergarten class size in B.C., tied for second worst in grades 1-3, and tied for fifth worst in Grades 4-7. Chaddock-Costello said the figures were also skewed downwards
because the provincial government included smaller-than-average classes like the international baccalaureate, French immersion and special education pro grams in the averages. She added the provincial numbers don’t reveal the number of classes with more than 30 students in the Langley district. Based on grievances filed by teachers last year, ChaddockCostello said the LTA estimates 21 Langley classes had from 31 to 36 students. The report also doesn’t give a district-by-district accounting of the increasing number of special needs students in the classroom, Chaddock-Costello said. “We (in Langley) have larger and larger case loads,” she said, adding “there is not, I can assure you, a commensurate increase in specialist teachers.” A BC Teachers Federation press release said the number of classes in BC with four or more children with special needs has risen to 16,516, the most ever. The number of classes with seven or more children with special needs has also gone up to an all-time high, 4,163, the BCTF said. “When classes become too large and overly complex, all students lose out on time with their teachers” BCTF President Jim Iker said. “It is time for this government to stop the cuts” Iker added. Provincial Education Minister Mike Bernier responded by saying a $100 million learning improvement fund has hired an additional 312 full time teachers, increased another 616 from part time to full time, and upgraded almost 3,000 support staff from part time to full time as well. “We’ve been working well with
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