ini AFTER MONTHS of study on its contentious French im- mersion problem, North Vancouver School Board reached a compromise acceptable to all meeting. But it depends on the construc- tion of a new Indian River school for which the provincial education ministry has not yet allocated fun- ding. Board member Marg Jessup, the French Immersion ad hoc commit- tee chairman, said half the French Immersion program should be moved out of overcrowded Sher- wood Park School by 1989 into the proposed school, and new facilities should be built at Sherwood Park. parents at its Tuesday By ROBERT BEYNON & MICHAEL BECKER a new site within the school district, Jessup said. “The Sherwood Park parents say they can live with this,”’ Jessup told the board. Last spring Sherwood Park parents demanded a change to the French Immersion program as their school was the only one east of the Seymour River with a If the new school is not built by French Immersion program and it 1989, the board should move half the French Immersion program to Weather: Friday and Saturday, inostly cloudy with showers. Highs near 8°C. INDEX Classified Ads. Doug Collins... Editorial Page. . Entertainment. . Home. & Garden...19 Horoscopes.......18 Bob Hunter....... 45 Lifestyles........ 155 Mailbox ......... 74 TV Listings.......29 What's Going Gn. .26} 16 was causing overcrowding and traffic problems at the school. ersion co The school currently offers French Immersion classes from kindergarten to Grade 3. The new facilities would allow expansion of the program to cover up to Grade 7 At an angry March 10 meeting parents of different schools shouted at the board and demand- ed that their school and its needs be considered. Jessup said tempers had cooled since last spring because the board’s ad hoc committee met repeatedly with parents to work out an acceptable compromise. “If people truly understand the problem they help you to solve it,’’ she said. The new proposal includes building a band room and a 3 - Friday, November 27, 1987 - North Shore News PARENTS TO LOBBY VICTORIA FOR NEW SCHOOL FACILITIES ise reached classroom for English as a Second Language at Sherwood Park, as well as adding new washroom fa- cilities. Construction is expected to be undertaken next summer. The renovations will free up two classrooms for the French Immer- sion program. A third classroom will be available with two Grade 7 classes moving on to secondary school and only one Grade 6 class coming up behind for the 1988-89 school year. “Personally speaking, I think the school board made a very sen- sitive decision,’’ said Sherwood Park Parent Council co-chairman Susan Mueller. ‘‘The program will remain intact at Sherwood Park. As a result though, the school will have a very rough and crowded FUTURE OF WV SCHOOL UNCERTAIN le dec 1 AFTER 2% hours of public debate Monday night, West Vancouver School Board delayed’a decision on the future of Hillside Secondary School to a future meeting. Of the board’s five members, oniy chairman George Suart wanted to prolong the debate regarding a six-point proposal the district’s superintendent offered to the board before a 120-member parent, teacher and- student au- dience in the West Vancouver Sec- ondary School theatre. When Suart asked motion mover Jean Ferguson to amend the mo- tion and debate it point by point, Ferguson tabled thé motion. “We'll be here until 7 tomorrow morning if we debate the motion point by point,’’ Ferguson said. Suart told the board he was not happy about the motion being tabled until Dec. 7 because the disagreements amongst the board could only be worked out’ by debate. : The key points of superintendent Bill May’s proposal were: * changing Hillside Secondary School into a junior high school by September 1989; * forming committees to research the hiring of staff and the transition period for the students at Hillside; * researching facility needs for the future; * building a playing field on the district’s Caulfeild Plateau site; and * submitting a brief to the West Vancouver community plan pro- cess. May told the audience this plan would allow for a smooth transi- tion, quality course offerings, fMlex- ibility in futhre decision making and_ allow Grade 1] students cur- rently enrolled at Hillside to grad- ision WEST Vancouver School Board chairman George Suart...unhappy about motion being tabled. uate from their own school. The proposed new Hillside . high school ghetto. 1988-89 year. But if we see Indian River School on line, that's okay.”’ Jessup said a group of parents, municipal officials and schoo! board members would be meeting with Ministry of Education of- ficials in early December to discuss the construction of two new schools east of the Seymour River, the already proposed Indian Rive- school and a new Burrard View school. Since 198] the board's policy has stated that both new develop- ments are necessary as a result of population expansion in the Deep Cove area. “ts a very pressing problem and we know it,’’ Jessup said. The proposal passed unani- mously. Goods gone, mess left ‘DAVID BEVAN, Salva- tion Army thrift shop manager, sifts through ruined donations left scat- tered in the alley behind the Lonsdale store by thieves. The organization is asking donors to drop off items during the store’s opening hours or to use the home clothing and furniture pick-up ser- vice available by calling the Salvation Army dispatch at 293-1711. school will be developed into a ‘middle school,’’ May said. He said the board would have to en-. sure it did not become a junior “It will depend on teachers,”’ May said, and the two-year transi- tion period will allow the district in consultation with teachers to gather the best possible staff for the new school. Michelle Metcalfe, West Van- 'couver Teachers Association co- president, said May’s proposal was a good compromise. ‘‘The original time line seemed too short,” she said. Parent response was sparse and mixed. Elena Hall said choosing May’s option only avoided the problem of how to deal with the district’s three aging secondary schoo! buildings. Hall said she expected that in years to come Sentinel Secondary School, where her child attends, will be filled beyond its capacity. Before the motion was tabled two board members spoke strongly against it.