10 — Sunday, October 3, 1999 — North Shore News peek _ teachin orinelyal Bear Editor: I take exception to your lead story in the Sunday, Sept. 12 edition regarding “Rough start for schools.” 1 was telephoned at my school by your reporter and asked about the North Vancowver elementary school funding shortfall and the impact it had upon my school. I explained to reporter Kotharine Hamer that Wednesday, the first full day of school, was dziayed as I had received a new division on Tuesday. Instead of the students starting in their new classes on Wednesday, we started on Thursday. I described to her how the staff and. To miet on Wednesday before school, at the recess break, at Junch and after school to accommodate a school class configuration, who was teaching cach spe- cific grade, where, they were and finaily, placing each child into “the . new : alignnient. Having dons that, teach-- __ ets then worked through the dinner hour. and beyond preparing lessons for the next day, “Katharine Hamer teanslat- -edithis that “students were left. largely unattended” dur- ng.the day. i ‘This was simply not so Many of. the comments attributed to’ me’ in quote were her. words, not mine... ‘Further, words of mine. ere taken completely out of text and. used to flavour north shore news MAIL Box CONSERVAT: DELEGATES the slant of her story. The telephone interview thai [ hed with her and her written story were quite dis- similar. Your editorials occasional- ly reflect a pride of being a community-based newspa- per. - You self-cout the national * awards: you’ receive: yet the . ‘quality of your journalism: is. poor. : As editor, you should be aware that, frequently, your ‘fead stories are. often: sensa- tionalistic and lack accurate information. © - Your reporters ereate the news instead of reporting it. “Quite frankly, the resi- dents ‘of the North Share: deserve more. . . Phil Marshall, Principal . Blueridge Elementary : aoa Katharine responds: . TE concede that perh aps my my ‘comment. that’: pupils Blieridge | school). were left “lstgely unattended” on’ the Hamer was quite: frai when we spok phone. first day of classes in a Sept. . ‘en 12' News: Story about school ) ‘board - fandin been explaine ‘more clearl I. was" informed ® by” Mr. ‘Marshall that. snidents were engaging: in. supervised: “play” could” have . activities” rather thant’ ¢ ass i work. . ; It-was not my. intenti n “misrepresent. Mr. Marshail’ in: may: have ated sensationalizing th “Check bistery, tee ani 28, ~him or. taken * quotes from * check tires & brakes, visual in inspection :. soc, | One oh BC tp AiCarepecivicane you & tne wih