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FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2014
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◗ IN CITY SCHOOLS
Suspension policy needs an overhaul BY NIKI HOPE REPORTER
nhope@royalcityrecord.com
Kicking kids out of school should be a last resort to deal with misbehaving students, according to New Westminster’s recently hired superintendent, who is calling for an overhaul of the way the district manages suspensions. John Gaiptman has presented a draft policy that tightens the reins on suspensions in order to address his concerns about how they were being dealt with in the district. “I can tell you that suspensions should be a last resort, and if we are suspending students, then I think there are too many suspensions. Our goal is to keep students in school,” Gaiptman said. Lengthy suspensions should only be used to tackle serious issues, such as weapons and excessive violence, Gaiptman said, noting that suspensions hurt students’ relationships with their teachers and impact their ability to be successful in school. The draft suspension policy, which the board of education has sent out for public input, includes recommendations that suspensions in excess of five days not be considered for students identified with special needs or for students in Kindergarten through Grade 7. Suspensions in excess of five days may be considered for students in Grade 8 through 12, though homework and learning materials must be arranged for the student during their time away from school, according to the policy. “I want to make sure that there is a plan for sending work home during suspensions,” Gaitpman said.
◗Suspensions Page 8
For more photos, scan with Layar Jason Lang/THE RECORD
Easter treats: Victor He makes cotton candy at the Easter Artisan’s Fair at the River Market. The Easter weekend fun at the market also included the last indoor Royal City Farmers Market of the season – the market moves to its outdoor home in Tipperary Park starting June 5. See www.royalcityrecord.com for more photos of Easter weekend at River Market.
Homelessness decreasing BY THERESA MCMANUS REPORTER tmcmanus@royalcityrecord.com
The number of homeless people in New Westminster is dropping, but the need for outreach services is a growing concern. The 2014 Metro Vancouver Homeless count showed there were 104 homeless people in New Westminster in 2014, compared to 132 in 2011. “Most of our population is sheltered. That’s really important,” said John Stark, the city’s senior social planner. “In New West when you look at it overall, our numbers went down from 2011 to 2014, which is
positive. That is both sheltered and unsheltered.” About 40 volunteers took the streets, shelters and social agencies on March 12 for the homeless count. Of the 104 people counted in New Westminster, 32 had no shelter, 70 were in emergency facilities or shelters and two had no fixed address. “While the 21 per cent decrease in overall homelessness (unsheltered and sheltered) is positive, I believe the important number is the 22 per cent decrease in unsheltered homelessness,” Stark said. “In New Westminster, 68.6 per cent of the homeless population is sheltered, which means they
are accessing support services, including addictions and mental health counseling, housing support, life skills, etc.” The count, considered a 24-hour snapshot of people who are homeless in Metro Vancouver, found there was a total of 2,770 people living in shelters, transition houses, living outside or staying temporarily with others, five per cent more than the 2011 count. “Regionally speaking, homeless numbers remain stable from previous years,” said Deb Bryant, chair of the Greater Vancouver Regional Steering Committee ◗Homelessness Page 9
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