WORK SET TO SHINE: Artists in the Village staging exhibit, 19 TEAM KEEPING PACE: DSS volleyball squad back at Valleys, 28 LEST WE FORGET
Deltans pay tribute, 11
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015
The voice of Delta since 1922
Academies on the rise
What are you lookin’ at?
District now has a dozen with opera, sustainable agriculture in the works SANDOR GYARMATI
s g y a r m a t i @ d e l t a - o p t i m i s t .c o m
PHOTO BY GORD GOBLE
This bald eagle found a perfect spot to survey the landscape while perched on a hydro pole on 112th Street in East Delta.
petitive teams that play as the Delta Wild. The number of out-of-district student athletes the hockey academy is attracting was evident during this May’s Western Hockey League Bantam Draft, which saw nine players selected, highlighted by Alberta native Ty Smith being taken No. 1 overall by the Spokane Chiefs.
They’ve become a big part of the Delta school district’s identity. Aimed at not only retaining students but also attracting out-of-district kids, the number of academies, and students enrolled in them, has steadily grown in recent years, providing a greater variety of academic choices as well as an important source of revenue. This year, 499 students are in a dozen academies, a number that includes 60 from out of district. SUBMITTED PHOTO There are also 19 The dance academy at Delta Secondary has international stu37 students. The Ladner high school also dents enrolled in hosts a lacrosse academy. academies. The variety of The fees vary according to the sports and fine arts offerings academy. A pricey proposition include soccer at South Delta is being part of one of the Delta Secondary in Tsawwassen and Wild teams, which can cost dance at Delta Secondary in roughly $12,000 over a 10-month Ladner, to name just a couple. season. The first academy was started An academy with one of the a decade ago when the school biggest enrollments is the soccer district partnered with the program at SDSS, which has 58 Vancouver Giants to offer aspirstudents, including two from out ing hockey players an opportuof district as well as four from nity to hone their skills. Based Germany and one from Spain. at SDSS, that academy has now OPERA: see Page 3 branched out to include com-
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