photo Wojciech Graning TEAM captain Mariannina Cusano (10th from left) led her team, including fellow dancers irom the North Shore Spencer Jay, Kristi Cave, Jennifer Tennant, Romana Vuk and Wojciech Drobina, to Dance Sport gold in Florida. WV international junior enrolment up Anna-Louise Pentland Contributing Writer RIDGEVIEW Elementary school will be getting a new pertable to accommo- date the increased numbers of interna- tional students they _ expect to get during this term. The portable will be moved from Cedardale Centre. Warren Hicks, director of human resources and school operations for School District 45, said the interna- tional program for secondary students has always been popular but they’re now see- ing an increase in the num- ber of elementary students. When there used to be approximately five to seven students arriving for the spring semester, this year they’re expecting about 15 students. Older students can stay with Canadian families ‘in home stays, but the par- ents of the elementary stu- dents must be living with them. Because school ends at different times of the year in some countries, particularly Pacific Rim countries, there ’ is a winter intake of interna- tional students in West Vancouver. The 239 international students pay $13,000 a year each, and will generate an estimated $2.6 million for the school district this year. The cost of the program is approximately $1.6 million, leaving a $1-million surplus the district puts towards other programs. Hicks said much of the cost of the program is employing more teachers for the increased number of stu- dents, and those teachers also participate in other school activities. “It essen- tially enriches the fearning experience of all West -WV assesses technology impacis OVER the past two years, the West ‘ Vancouver school! board has imple- ‘mented a nuraber of strategies to - enhance the effective use of technol- _ogy in the elementary and secondary ‘schools. . . 2 In July 1999, the West Vancouver school "© district hired Wallbank-MacFarlane-Tindall to conduct an independent review of the use of technology in the schools. One of the major findings from the research to date is that the ~ West Vancouver school district is on the right track for equipping students and teachers for entering the world of the 21st-ceatury. tech-. nology. : . ; Strategies to enhance the effective use of technology have included the development of a shared vision for effective use of technology, a staff development plan, provision of additional resources and support, development of guide- lines, staff training and clarification of roles and responsibilities. These strategies were outined in the board’s document entitled Propositions for Information Technology. Inctuded in the 13 propositions was a proposal to assess the impact of technology on student achievement. This independent review is to be conducted in two phases —- at the start of the 1999/2000 school year, and again near the end of the 1999/2000 school year. Phase One of the report is now available for review. To obtain copies of Phase One Report: Review of the Effective Use of Technology in Schoels and/or Propositions for Information Technology visit or contact the school district office located at 1075-21st Street, West Vancouver. French Immersion Opportunities for West Vancouver Children LATE FRENCH IMMERSION PROGRAM ». Grade 6 Entry . : | The schocl district is considering reintroducing a Late Immersion program for students who will be entering grade 6 in September 2000. Registration deadline is January 31st, 2000 sie 4 Documents required are the child's birth certifi- EARLY FRENCH IMMERSION PROGRAM Kindergarten and Grade One Entry % - Registrations are nuw being accepted at Ecole Pauline Johnson for children entering Kinder- garten or Grade One in September 2000. cate and proof of residence. % KS fy £150:-“22nd Street, We bo Wodrie Jennifer Anderson, principal Ecole Pauline Johnson Vancouver students,” Hicks said. Hicks expects a slight decline in enrolment next year, so said he expects to be able to accommodate ail the students in the main school ° building. He hopes the portable will stay as “extra learning space,” perhaps to accommodate the band or music program. West Vancouver council approved moving — the portable at its Jan. 4 meet- ing. As the school’s zoning does not permit temporary buildings, the school board had to apply for a building permit for the move to take UBC's bailroom dancing team won gold at the Intercontinental DazieeSport Festival in Florida earlier this month. Marianninn Cusano, team captain and a North Van resident, provides this first-hand account. WE began as a group of eager, mostly inexperi- enced dancers. Under the direction of coach Viktor Yasel, nine couples worked diligently for four months to prepare a routine. Meeting in the Superstore parking lot at 7:15 a.m. Jan. 2, the North and West Van team members left to pick up the other team-mates in a chartered bus and we began our mission. As the only Canadian team, we would join 36 other teams from the U.S. and England in Daytona, Florida. Few of us knew what we were in for. It was seven days of boot-camp taining for ballroom dancers. Our days were filled with the highest calibre of dance instruction. Numerous celebrities in the world of dance-sport like Jean- Marc Genereux and France Mousseau from Montreal (five-tinse Canadian and North American Latin Amateur champions and 10-time Canadian Latin Pro champions) taught endless theory and technique workshops. Regardless of how physically and mentally exhausted we became, we attended these workshops religiously. Evenings were filled with individual and team com- petitions. Thursday evening, the UBC Latin Formation Team danced brilliantly in the elimination round and got a call-back for the finals. On Friday night all would be decided. As team captain, I had to pick our performance position out ofa hat. Of the three teams in the finals, we would be dancing first. This was a stressful situation to be in. Not only would we have to impress the judges but we knew the competition was stiff and only a flawless performance would keep our dream alive. oo, We were introduced as “the Canadian team from the . University of British Columbia.” From the moment we stepped onto the dance floor we put our exhaustion, aches and fears aside, and danced our energetic 44-minute routine to music” that included the sounds of Lou Bega, Jennifer Lopez and: Gloria Estefan. The crowd, filled with new friends we made during our stay, cheered relentlessly until their roar became deafening. Our samba, cha-cha, rumba, jive and paso-doble seemed to impress them. Then came the tough part. . We would have to sit and watch our competitors try to out- dance us. I became nervous because both teams were talented with amazing routines. However, it was a question of who the judges liked best. Nothing compares to the anxiety 1 experienced while the MC announced the results. Pil never forget it. He said: “In third place, with 203 points, the university of...” and he paused, creating an cerie silence that fasted forever. He continued: ' See Dance page 34 Enjoy our 1/4. Honey-Carlic Chicken It's the perfect combination of honey, herbs and the zest of garlic carefully basted on our rotisserie chicken and grilled to perfection. Served with Chalet fries and garlic toast. Talk about a sweet idea — and with this coupon... . 2a om iW 28 FAs be N DINE EOR$ Order two 1/4 Honey-Garlic Chicken dinners and pay only $9.99!.. .- -: 4 Ly rs Valid at any Swiss Chalet until March 15/2000. Not valid with any other promotion or offer HALET ——N ROTISSERIE & GRILL: