4— Friday, September 17, 1999 — North Shore News Class {I $200,000 for technology Katharine Hamer Contributing Writer THE introduction of different rules for dif- ferent races at some North Vancouver schools has caused cozs- sternation among par- ents. Janct Gee, who, has daughters in Grade 3 and Grade 6 at Queen Mary cle- mentary, said she was shocked to discover that 11 First Nations children had been given their awn class- room, teacher, and comput- ers. “My daughter Elizabeth came home and said, ‘Mum, there’s no natives in our class this-year, they’re all in their _own class,’” said Gee. ‘At first, Gee assumed her daughter must have gor it wrong. The schcol wouldn’t .separate kids like that, she thought to herself, Bur when she telephoned Queen Mary principal Maric Brewer. to “check, Gee was told there was truth to the tale. _. “Marie Brewer told me that’ Indian. Affairs ~ had bought these computers, and | *.they only wanted native kids to use them,” said Gee. She’ said that Brewer informed her that if the pro- gram was successful, it could be expanded to other grades. ~. Nine North Vancouver schools that fall into Burrard ‘Band: and. Squamish - Band catchment areas have been selected |. for the project, -according to scheol district . principal for school services Tom Tupper... Tupper said the federal government has given North ‘Vancouver schocis $200,000 to. finance «new technology ‘ for’. aboriginal - students, whose literacy and numeracy “; skills ‘are generally weaker ° than those of their peers. “Our .success rate in ‘Canada. is awful,”. said Tupper. “Out of 306 aborig- ihal'students starting school, only. about half a dozen end ‘up graduating.”. Tupper. said, there - was “lots-of evidence that tech- - ‘ nology. ": skills,” improves” writing ‘and. that ‘the school board hoped the new com-’ puters would raise educa- “Ctional standards and improve *~ self-esteem for. First. Nations stuidents. . ~-The-students will eventu- ally tutor others on software ~ programs. - Tupper said: that so far, “he’s had very positive feed- “back from the First Nations community. “They’re very enthusias- tic about this opportunity,” he said. Not so Janet Gee: Tupper said that other students will be allowed to use the computers before and after, classroom hours, on a schedule worked out by individual schools. Another parent, Kim Faughnan, said her daughter also came home from school wondering about the new arrangements. Faughnan said parents had no indication in the starc-of-term newsletter that the school would be running a separate classroom for First Nations children. “Queen Mary is a multi- cultural school, and that makes it a great place to learn,” she said. “f just want to know what's fair. The way I see it, if they've got i sepa- rate, private classroom, what’s it doing in a public school? “If the school district is paying for the teacher and the classroom, then everyone shuuld have access.” With the current shorrage of. teachers in North Vancouver, Gee said the fast place a teacher should go is into a class of 11. “If they’ve got a spare teacher floating zround, they should put all the G rade 6s and 7s together,” she said. Faughnan sv3gested that if there were only 11 in a class, perhaps those children who’ of been turned away trom. ‘schools should be bussed over to Queen Mary _.t0 join them. “If the government said, “‘here’s half a dozen comput- ers; you supply the class- room and the teacher, bur it’s only for white kids or Iranian kids would that be all right?’ [ don’t think so,” said Gee. “It’s segregation. unacceptable.” It’s fi ree for your “My daughter can’t keep . up: cither,” said Gee. “Emily’s.in Grade 3 and her reading’s terrible! I'd like my kids to be using computers for all their lessons as well.” ’ WEST Vancouver with a car thief 5 just off Marine Squamish open crisis Bob Mackin News Reporter TERESA Nahanee hopes the modest grey portable near Mosquito Creek Marina on West Esplanade can be a place where lives can be changed or even saved. It’s the base for the Squamish Nation — Crisis Centre, a service for local First Nations people whe need help dealing with domestic vio- lence, sexual abuse, drug and alcohol addiction, the loss ofa loved one, thoughts of suicide or relationship breakdown. Nahance is the director of the pilot program known among Squamish people as Esemkwu. It’s a Coast Salish term for “wrapped in a blin- ket”, a traditional method of giving warmth to someone in Gifficulty. Though the centre’s crisis hotline doesn’t formally begin receiving cails untit Occ. 1, Squamish Nation councillors held an opening ceremony at the centre Wednesday. It’s been seven years in the making and cost $450,000 to start up, with much of the funds underwritten by the Aboriginal Healing Foundation. The AHF, based in Ottawa, is an Aboriginal-run, not-for-profit agency. It man- ages a $350-million federal government grant intended to help Metis, Inuit and. First Nations peoples, on-and-off reserves, to overcome the aftcrraath of physica! and sex- ual abuse at residential schools. Nahance co-chairs the NEWS photo Mike Waketield BOUGHS of cedar were placed on the ground at the Squamish Nation Crisis Centre in a traditional ceremeny to coen the f. Squamish Nation residential schoo! advisory committee which conceived the crisis centre. Her staff of counscl- lors and outreach workers are busy training volunteers to prepare for Oct. 1. The lines will initially be open on week- ends, seven-day-u-week, 24- hour-a-day operations will begin when further funding can be secured. Volunteers are subject to a 20-c2ee application, in-per- son reference checks and 11 hours of training every week for a month before they get to answer the phone on their cwn. The volunteers will be backed by a counsellor every hour of the day, Nahanee said. Sorth Vancouver facility Wednesday. “IF they get into a situation - - First Narions volunteers. Call where they can’t handle the call or they feel that it’s just getting away from them, there’s 2 toggle switch here that switches onto one of the main lines and then a counsel- lor will pick ic up and walk them through,” she said. Operators will lend callers an ear with helpful advice or referrals to counselling or intervention services, some of which will be offered at the crisis centre itself. “Confidentiality is the key,” said volunteer co-ordi- nator Emily Henry. “It’s up to them whether or not they want to disclose any personal information.” ; Henry is secking more Stolen vehicle recovered by police Drive last Friday. After receiving a call from the RCMP in Squamish about a stolen car heading down Highway 99 towards West Vancouver, police wene searching for the vehicle; a bine Chevy Cavalier. A detective found che car, which had been stolen Aug. 12 in Surrey, parked in the 4400 block of Piccadilly Street. * Police caught up al blocks. were taken from Chilliwack on Aug. 15. A police dog tracked the driver for scver-. The 43-year-old Vancouver. man was found hiding in a burnt-our tree trunk. Spt. Police. He was arrested and charged with posses- sion of stolen property over $5,000. Police are currently. sifting through “ least 106 items;” found inside the car, said = Jim. Almas of the . West, Vancouver The items had been stolen over a period’ of several weeks. - The Cavalier also had stolen plates, which —Katharine Ha: FACTORY SPONSORED EVENT FOR SKLAR-PEPPLER SOFA SHOP "SAVE 10%, 15%, 20%, - 1) Exce; . 2) BONUS scnarcia SANE AND EVEN 50%! : SAVE TWO WAYS!! ional Low Prices! 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