77
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2017
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Total paid @ 0.99% / 60 months: $10,010. Taxes extra. See dealer for details. Model #BURCEM.
KAMLOOPS THIS WEEK THURSDAY
30 CENTS
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AT NEWSSTANDS
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JUNE 8, 2017 | Volume 30 No. 68
ONE-WEEK SPRING BREAK CONFIRMED ANDREA KLASSEN STAFF REPORTER andrea@kamloopsthisweek.com
The Kamloops-Thompson school district is sticking with its plan to return to a one-week spring break in 2018. Nearly five months after school trustees first voted to do away with an extended break, the district has decided next year’s break will run from March 19 to 23, making SD73 one of only seven in B.C. to have a one-week break. Superintendent Alison Sidow said the district spent several months attempting to negotiate with the Kamloops-Thompson Teachers’ Association (KTTA) regarding adding language about an extended break to its collective agreement to replace an existing agreement on a one-week break, but failed to reach a deal. “We’re just informing the public the one-week spring break is now a certainty, so people can make plans,” she said. At issue was how the district would make up the five days of lost instruction time a two-week break required. “What the board was debating, and what the board heard from educators and the community, was those additional minutes at the end of the school day don’t actually give you the same quality of instruction that a full day does,” Sidow said.
TODAY’S WEATHER
cOAcH ✹ D&G ✹ BEBE
ALLEN DOUGLAS/KTW
SPLASHDOWNTOWN
Six-year-old Rayelle Carter and her family were downtown for dinner during a warm day this past week and stayed for an evening splash in Prince Charles Park. Mother Nature has been kind to Kamloops, with an original soggy forecast this weekend being revised by Environment Canada. Expect sunshine and highs to 23 C Friday and Saturday, with a 60 per cent chance of showers on Sunday.
SHOOTING FOR THE STARS
A THIRD CANDIDATE
NorKam student on her way to McGill
Mayor’s race in byelection getting more interest
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“So the board said we’ll go ahead with a two-week spring break, but we don’t want to lose instructional days.” Sidow said district staff suggested blending spring break with the Easter long weekend, to give families a larger block of time off, or moving some professional development days for teachers to the week before school begins. But she said an agreement could not be reached with the KTTA and staff opted to stick with the one-week break. Board chair Meghan Wade said the announcement puts the spring break debate to rest for 2018, but noted the contract with teachers expires in 2019. “It’s important to bring stability to the system and the calendar for next year and that’s what this does,”Wade said. “We ran out of time to make this happen for next year and I think it’s important for all the stakeholders in the system to know going forward it is a one-week spring break.” In January, the board chose to revert to a one-week break, with some trustees citing concerns the extra week out of school could be a financial hardship for some families. After an outcry from some parents and teachers, the board took another vote on the issue in March, opting to stick with the one-week break unless it reached an agreement with the KTTA.