THE DRAGON'S PEN
/by Milan Streit
(Image courtesy of Vancouver Coastal Health — click on any image on this page to enlarge)
COVID-19 EXPOSURE AT KING GEORGE
Exclusive Interview With “Positive” Student
It was almost guaranteed to happen, especially with King George being the only secondary school in the third biggest downtown core in Canada. But it is still a shock that COVID-19 has snuck into our school.
The exposure was first leaked on Friday, November 20 on a dark humour Instagram account “playing bingo” with COVID-19 cases in Vancouver high schools. A screenshot showed a text message from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control saying that the person who received the message had a positive test.
Due to it being leaked on social media, many teenagers first thought it was fake. But the student who got it eventually confirmed it was real. Rumors began spreading like wildfire and everyone who was in the person’s class began to panic.
Two days passed without any mention of the exposure from the school administration or Vancouver Coastal Health. Finally, an email was sent out to parents, clarifying some of the confusion. However, I have heard that not all parents told their kids about the email and misinformation continued to spread online. Students would not be notified until Monday, in class.
Some students I have spoken with would have liked to have seen faster exposure notification. The Vancouver School Board, for example, has the platform to do it, an all-students online Microsoft Teams page. Many of us feel not sharing this news fast enough helps spread misinformation and is a safety concern.
There are unconfirmed reports on social media of a second COVID exposure at King George, however, those have not been confirmed.
The West End Journal exclusively interviewed the student at King George who tested positive for COVID-19. For privacy reasons, we will not reveal the name, name, age, gender, or class information.
How are you feeling?
“Pretty good, I just have a bit of a cold.”
What were your symptoms?
“I couldn’t smell, had a cold and a sore throat.”
What was your reaction after testing positive?
“I wasn’t surprised. My father also had tested positive. I joked, ‘why did you give me that sh*t?’”
Is your father a front line worker?
No.
What message do you have for teens not taking COVID seriously?
“Don’t catch it. If you feel symptoms, stay home and get tested.”
A clear majority of King George students would be okay with a mask mandate in the classroom.
MANDATORY MASKS IN SCHOOLS?
With the massive uptick in COVID-19 cases in B.C. and dozens of exposures in schools, many students are pushing for tighter mask policies. Currently, we are only mandated to wear a mask in school hallways and have the option to take off our masks once in our assigned classes.
Only Skills (now known as RISE) classes at King George have a mandatory mask policy due to cohorts mixing. Some teachers are “strongly suggesting” we wear masks.
I conducted an Instagram poll to find out students’ opinions about masks.
Dragon’s Pen writer, Milan Streit eating a burger next to the fireplace on a bad hair day. (2019 photo)
CHRISTMAS FIREPLACE IN LIMBO
For many years, a Christmas Fireplace has been set up in the school foyer, bringing holiday cheer to students while also providing some extremely comfortable seating. This annual holiday tradition was always assembled by former KG staffer Jess Coomes.
But with Jess retired and a pandemic raging, the fireplace is in a state of limbo. Some students have been pushing for the display to return, including some KG grads on social media. Most of the supplies are in the abandoned boy’s shower room and the vintage recliner sits in the school archives room.
Will there be a Christmas Fireplace miracle? Let us hope as, again, this of the most comfortable chairs I have ever sat on, no joke.
One less stop now for the busy No. 5 bus.
(Photo courtesy of TransLink)
KG BUS STOP CLOSED
Recently, TransLink made several changes to bus stops along the No. 5 route (Robson/Downtown) due to temporary patios on Denman St. Unfortunately for KG students, a popular stop at Nelson St. has been closed forcing kids to now have to wait until Haro to disembark. With Lions Gate Bridge traffic on Denman, that can take a while on some days.
Transit advocates on the Facebook group, Expoline Memes for Translink Oriented Teens (ELMTOT) have called for a bus stop at the main entrance of the West End Community Centre, which would be useful to student, seniors, and other community centre or school transit users.
For more about the recent cuts on the No. 5, please read this month's edition of “A Closer Look” in TWEJ.
THE CANLEY CUP
An annual tradition has returned at KG, the Canley Cup. This fundraiser for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank is guided by the student council. The Canley Cup raises money to help buy non-perishable food donations and gift cards at a critical time of year for many families. Due to the pandemic, there is an even greater need this year with many food banks stretched to the limit.
To donate, visit your 2-2 teacher. The class which raises the most money will win a prize!
WATER FOUNTAIN TROUBLES
Let's face it, gym class is tough on everybody. But after running laps and playing a harsh round of Dodgeball, cold and refreshing water is a no-brainer. But because of the pandemic, KG has removed the tap from the drinking water fountain. However, our fountains have two parts, the second being a water-bottle filler which still works. turned on. Most students now get water by putting their mouth to the bottle filler, not a COVID-friendly move. Students are calling for the taps to be turned on again with new safety procedures in place.
The first King George Secondary School, on Burrard Street.
(Photo courtesy of Vancouver School Board)
INTO THE ARCHIVES
This photo shows the original King George High School on Burrard and Nelson Streets in what is believed to be the early 70’s (no date is given). Behind sits the B.C. Hydro building, now known as The Electra, which is one of Canada’s first Modernist buildings and for many years was Vancouver’s tallest. The school was demolished, and the property is now home to the Wall Centre.
What is interesting is that there is now a private high school in The Electra. Pattison High School offers a full secondary education from grade 8 to 12 with graduates receiving a provincial Dogwood diploma.
Editor’s Note: Your editor can’t resist adding that this photo of the old KG school brings back some nightmares (literally!). I attended there briefly in the late 60s, and well into my 30s would have a recurring dream of being in a panic to get to class, running up those wide wooden stairs and down the equally wide wood-floored hallways, opening doors and finding myself in the wrong class -- endlessly!
