midweek edition WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 29, 2010 Vol. 101 No. 78 • Established 1908 • East
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Stick it to ’em
Animated filmmaker
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School board considers year-round school calendar Trustee says calendar based on agrarian society Naoibh O’Connor Staff writer
An expected long and controversial debate about the merits and flaws of yearround schooling kicked off Monday. A Vancouver School Board research report on the subject, which is known as a “balanced calendar” in education-speak, was presented at the district’s management coordinating committee meeting. Committee chair Mike Lombardi, a Vision Vancouver trustee, maintains it’s important to have the conversation. “I think it’ll be a spirited discussion because there are lots of different views about it, but we owe it to ourselves, as a board
and a community, to have a thoughtful discussion,” he said prior to Monday’s meeting. Lombardi said the traditional calendar was based on an agricultural society where students worked on farms during summer months. “That’s clearly not a very good rationale for organizing a school system now. On the other hand, a lot of societal organizations have shifted around that… but is that a reason for keeping it or do you want to keep it because it’s going to be useful for focusing on learning and teaching for kids? That should be the big driver,” he said. Year-round schools have the same instructional hours as a traditional school, but
breaks are distributed more evenly throughout the year. Proponents argue it improves student attendance, attitudes and academic achievement, while teachers’ job satisfaction increases and school operating costs can be reduced, according to the VSB report. Advocates say teachers, parents and students seem to like the system, but the report adds that opponents insist there’s no substantial increase in academic achievement and research proposing a yearround schedule is limited and inadequate. Critics further argue that students, parents and caretakers must deal with schedule changes and cost-saving claims are unsubstantiated. See SUPERINTENDENT on page 4
Aboriginal mothers get centre Building will include 16 residential suites Sandra Thomas Staff writer
VSB trustee Mike Lombardi wants a debate about the school calendar. photo Dan Toulgoet
First Nations mothers living in the city will soon have a place to call their own where they can receive support, counselling, training, life skills and education. Marjorie White, president of the Aboriginal Mother Centre, which is dubbed the Under One Roof Project, said the new building at 2019 Dundas St. should be completed in November and fully operational soon after. “The centre will provide
aboriginal mothers at risk a safe and secure place to stay and provide the mothers services they need,” White said. She said many new aboriginal mothers are in danger of losing their children because they don’t have a safe place to raise them. The new centre will include 16 residential shelter suites with a community kitchen for mothers and their children to live while the mothers learn life skills needed to move to semi-independent housing or a home of their own. See SEVERAL on page 4
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