We'll er You Straight to Financing* * No Limit on Amount Financed. 48-Month Full Term Includes All GM Cars & Trucks Except C/K Pickups. x tLalative Lidvary tiazeas Bldgs, , 501 ria. 1x4 By CLAUDETTESANDEC! ff Writer Dual-entry kindergarten. and ungtaded primary school will bé put off for a year to give teachers, administrators tnd staff time to determine how the new provincial Program will affect how children are taught in Castlegar schools, trustees decided at an informal education forum Monday night The Castlegar school board must still ratify Monday's “ unofficial cohsensus. “We need-to-find- out what ‘ungraded means for this district,"’ said’ Brenda Balahura, chairman of the professional development committee of the Castlegar and District Teachers’ Association Paul Phipps, principal of Twin Rivers elementary, ad. ded the district “‘needs more time to define what we are going tobedoing:* Board likely to dela The forum, which included trustees, teachers and ad ministrators, was discussing a draft School Act clause that will allow children to enter kindergarten in January if their birthdays fall between Nov. | and April 30 and in Septem: ber if their birthdays fall between May | and Oct. 31 The Ministry of Education policies on the new program state entry can begin in January 1990. Students will spend their first four years of school with no grade levels — they will progress at their own rates ac cording to their mastery of skills The new system was suggested by the Sullivan report, a royal commission on education completed in July 1988 Superintendent of schools Terry Wayling said. the district is unprepared for the new system. He sdid ad. ministration doesn’t, know how many students will enter kindergarten under the new rules and this year’s budget has no provisions for extra funds for more-teachers or class space if they are needed in January The forum discussed concerns that children may enter school to0 young because of the way birth dates have been divided by the ministry. Some children may be physically and socially unprepared for classes if they enter school in January, having just turned five, teachers said Lach Farrell, assistant superintendent, said the district hasn't been told how students will exit the ungraded system and enter Grade 4. Administrators are uncertain tow students will be “graded” or marked on their progress since leuer.grades will not be given for the ungraded years, Farrell said Attempts at ungraded schools in the 1960s failed because teachers and administrators were unprepared for the new system and weren’t given any help implementing dual-entry_ The system also failed because parents were unhappy about students getting letters on their progress in skill levels rather than letter grades, teachers said. Wayling said talking to parents will be an essential part of making the new system work Trustee Evelyn Voykin said she was worried about the impact of the new system on children with special needs The ministry‘s policy directives state, in part: “Special needs, Native and ESL (English as a second language) students will be admitted to fullday programs during their first year according to school district policy when approved by the ministry,”” The forum also discussed whether such programs as Russian bilingual — which currently runs from kindergar ten to Grade 3 — will be integrated into the new system or if Uie programs, said teachers and trustees who taught at that time. it will be left as it is, continued on poge A2 WIN A TRIP For a Family of Four TO DISNEYLAND When Your Purchase Any New or Used Vehicle Between April 1 and 12 you automatically become eligible for our Disneyland Vacation Draw. Phone for Details. (SWEETER STILL ) Our tow, Low, 1989 PONTIAC SUNBIRD SEDAN $9995 LOW PRICES — 1989 PONTIAC GRAND AM S$}! 12,995 1989 PONTIAC 89 BUICK EXTENDED CAB | TEMPEST SEDAN CENTURY $12,395 | $12,995 | *16.995 1989 GMC S-15 PICKUP 1989 GMC S-15 Pw 103 Additional New Cars & Trucks Over 70 Fully Reconditioned Used Cars & Trucks Steering You Straight Castlegar _ Vol. 41, No. 28 RSs a precipitation 100 per cent tonight, dropping'to 40 per cent on Thur sday WEATHERCAST Overcast skies with rain tonight, lows 2 to 4. Thursday ‘ain in the morning decreasing to showers by neon and clearing by late atter noon. Highs 9 fo 13. Chance of CASTLEGAR, BRITISH COLUMBIA, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 1989 3 Sections (A, B & C) UP, UP AND AWAY. parking lot. The balloon is part os Hi i . Kei tH Balloon pilot Dennis Myrthu and crewman Catherine Meier of to tak: take up the hot-air balloon anchored in the Satowor 60th cal celebrities will be serving food at the new ‘in-store deli. A portion of the proceeds will go te the Castlegar Aquatic Centre. The balloon will be up until Sunday and Myrthu is ready to take brave souls a few stories off the ground. CasNewsPhotp by Claudette Sondeck Kootenay Savings declares d By CHERYL CALDERBANK Kootenay Savings Credit Union had another successful year in 1988 and has declared a five-per-cent dividend for the year Doug Stanley, chief executive of ficer for the credit union, told 153 people at the credit union’s 20th an. nual meeting Tuesday night in Trail that during 1988 there was strong im provement and performance in all areas of the business Assets increased to $153.5 million from $139.8 million, a growth rate of 9.75 pér cent. Stanley said the growth rate is the largest in recent years and is due mainly to members using more deposit services. Income before taxés and dividends was $809,000 — an increase of nine per cent over 1987, After the payment of taxes and a five-per-cent dividend, an additional $426,000 was added to retained earnings equity. Retained earnings now stand at $5.8 million, or 3.8 per cent Of assets, among the highest of any credit unio# in British Columbia ‘The long-term objective of Kootenay Savings is to build our equity to at least five per cent which will enhance our financial strength even further," Stanley said Stanley also reported that in 1988 bad debts were at levels more con sistent with the pre-recession years. “The downward trend in loan losses (compared tothe mid-1980s) bi 1987-and is a very positive sign, said. ‘Despite the fact that the worst appears to bé behind us, management will continue to closely monitor our loan portfolio, and the minimization of loan losses will remain a priority.”” Stanley also told credit union mem bers that the local real estate market remained fairly sluggish in 1988 Coupled with large commercial loan payouts, this tesulted in a six-per-cent decline in loans secured by real estate On the other-hand, personal loans for such things as vehicles, home im. provements and vacations increased by close to 12 per cent ividend New personal Ivan policies, such as longer pay-back periods for vehicle loans, were introduced in 1988 Stanley said these innovative changes make Kootenay Savings’ loans among the most competitive in the financial services industry Deposits also continued to show strong increases in 1988. During the year, total deposits increased by $12.7 million, or 9.5 per cent. Registered Retirement Savings Plans, Registered Retirement Income Funds and the popula: T-Bill Account all had sub: stantial gains During the past year, a package of services especially for junior members was introduced. Kootenay Kids” is designed to encourage younger mem: bers to save for the future while teaching them the basics of financial services, Stanley said. He added that the pregfam was extremely successful and was enthusiastically welcomed by members of all ages: He said the majority of membership growth’ in continued on page A2 Local students on par with reading skills By CLAUDET children spend watching makes Staff W reading less likely to be a ts students Castlegar students are on par with or will pick up on their own slightly above provincial averages for Getting students interested. in three reading skills, according to an reading on their own is one of the most annual survey of student achievement difficult tasks {gr teachers to accom tabled by the Reading Interpretation _plish, according to the panel which is Panel at the Castlegar school board’s made up of language arts teachers education forum Monday night from the elementary schools and The survey of 100,000 B.C. students junior and senior high schools. in May of last year looked at how Turner expressed concern that students in Grades 4, 7 and 10 under- problems with reading skills will carry stand litergl and inferred meanings in over to writing, but the panel said written. passages. Grades 7 and 10 writing skills are actually improving. students were also assessed on- their Education forum chairman Mickey critical comprehension making Kinakin suggested parents should be judgments and distinguishing bet- informed of the survey. results and ween facts and opinions €ritieal_ comprehension was low given information about how to en- courage their chitdren to read GORDON TURNER throughout the province, the panel The surveys have been condu reported every year since 1976, looking at a d The main recommendations the ferent area each year such as math panel made to the board were to en- * science and social studies. The last sur courage students to read poetry andto vey of reading skills was in 1984 Assistant school superintendent / reading essential have an interest in reading for pleasure both in schools and at home Poetry can help develop all three made between the 1984 and 1988 results because different questions are Oi | used each time the testing is done close Lach Farrell said comparisons can't be areas of reading skills, the panel said, and is often neglected at higher grades. School board chairman Gordon The Reading Interpretation Panel Turner said more emphasis on reading consisted of five teachers and Farrell, skills is essential as the world becomes who acted as chairman. more science- and math-oriented. As Farrell said each school will be given well, the number of hours most — its own individual results Grant will page A2 Lottery numbers The winning numbers drawn Tuesday in The Pick lottery were 5, 17, 23, 24, 38, 40, 50 and 55. In the event of a discrepancy between these numbers and the official winning numbers list, the latter shall prevail soften blow By CasNews Staff school tax increase. Homeowners with The education tax hike for Castlegar homes assessed at higpa values will residents will be $50 less than expected — have an increase but it will be $50 less thanks to the provincial government's _ than expected, Turner said increase in the homeowner grant, Turner said the grant increase is a Castlegar school board chairma r blessing don Turner says. ‘I'm quite impressed," -he said, Finance Minister Mel Couvelier an and I think the board will be in nounced in last week’s budget speech pressed too the homeowner grant will increase $50 © increase is the government's this year, to $430 from $380. Seniors handicapped and others entitled to the .0l boards ehough money, he said ‘al framework owledging it ‘is not giving supplementary grant will receive a $70 an accoun increase, to $700 from $63€ The school. board said last month school taxes would rise about $50 for board's budget the province will pay Canucks ready ing method by which the government etermines how much of a school the owner of an “average” home and how much will have to be raised assessed at about $43,000 through local taxes — was increased by The increase in the grant means an continued on poge A2 page Bl average homeowner will have no B.C. Tel files one-way plan By SIMON BIRCH Editor If approved by the CRTC, the new Matlin movie Castlegar to Trail B.C Tel has submitted to the — service would eliminate long-distance Canadian Radio-television and arges to Castlegar residents calling Telecommiunications Commission a but would mean an additional five-year plan for the implementation $1.75 charge — to $9.15 from $7.40 of one-way toll-free service between 96 to customers on their monthly continued on page AZ page B6 communities in the province including