THE DRAGON'S PEN
/KING GEORGE WINS $10,000
Choice Of Music Program Causes Controversy
Kyle Cole is a proud voter in the Participatory Budgeting initiative.
It was announced in late January that King George Secondary, along with Lord Roberts Elementary, had both won the $20,000 ‘Christine Fretwell and Kathryn Gibbons Memorial Gift to West End Students.’
This was part of the City of Vancouver’s first participatory budget of $100,000 in parking permit money. Students at King George were very passionate about winning this grant, with a high voter turnout online and in-person.
So, where is KG’s half of the money going?
It's been confirmed by school staffer Jess Coomes that a large sum of the $10,000 will be going to the music program and other elective courses. But this has created a bit of controversy.
Many students have cited that the Lunch Program is in bad need of an upgrade. The current Lunch Program serves cold food, which is then heated up in a microwave. Unfortunately, the Hot Lunch Program closed back in 2017 due to problems in the kitchen.
HAS BARCLAY SPEEDING PROBLEM BEEN SOLVED?
Back in July, I reported on vehicles speeding through the intersection of Barclay and Bidwell. But unfortunately, it's still a problem.
Many students who live on the south side of King George, including myself, must cross this intersection every school day, and it can be scary. So, what has the city done to improve safety?
Currently, there are two pedestrian signs, almost hidden in tree branches and usually ignored by drivers. Jess Coombs says “speeders are asking for trouble, going 75km in a 30km zone.”
Students are hoping for future traffic police enforcement.
THE NOT-SO-HEALTHY VENDING MACHINE?
Let's face it, kids at King George do not eat the healthiest food during school hours.
Fast food is very popular at lunch and drinking pop is more common than water among students. But the school's vending machine should be supporting healthy snacks, right?
Unfortunately, you would be mistaken, as it serves pop, chips and chocolate bars.
How ironic that the vending machine is literally labelled “Healthy Choices.” Even more ironic, our beloved Grotto Store which operated in the lobby of King George until the early 2000s, was shut down by the Vancouver School Board because its snack selection was deemed “unhealthy”. The vending machine is operated by the Fresh! Corporation in partnership with the VSB.
SPRING BREAK
Spring Break is right around the corner, and admin is just reminding everyone that there is no school between March 16th to 27th. Students, that means be prepared for a lot of homework coming your way, especially with the end of term two on March 3rd.
The Dragons!
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
The King George Dragons have won the boys AA Vancouver Sea to Sky Zone Tournament. They beat St. Thomas Aquinas in the finals 81-61, taking home a banner that will be hung up in the gym.
Now the team’s goal is to win the provincial championship. Big congratulations to the Dragons!
Swim, Bike and Run! The 3rd annual KG Triathlon is happening in Stanley Park in June. Apply now!
See posters up around the school for more details or speak with English teacher, Ms. Birks.
Nicolas Kovacs checks out volunteer opportunities at The Grotto.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
With the third term come lots of different volunteer opportunities around the community. This is a great way to get community hours, which are mandatory for a B.C. Dogwood Diploma.
The West End Community Centre has many programs that need volunteers. Pre-teen Night on Fridays is a fun way to meet future King George students. For more information, head over to the Youth Office at WECC.
The KG Community Schools Team also has some great volunteer opportunities. Many afterschool programs at elementary schools in downtown need teens to help out the instructors. For more information, stroll down to The Grotto in the lobby.
King George alumnus Percy Saltzman, CBC TV’s first weatherman.
INTO THE ARCHIVES
This month’s Into The Archives is quite special, as we look at one of King George’s most famous alumni.
Percy Saltzman was born on March 15, 1915, in Winnipeg. In 1925, his family moved to Vancouver where he attended King George, becoming a top student. He even won Governor-General Lord Willingdon's Silver Medal for coming in first in the province in his final high school exams.
After attending UBC, Saltzman moved to Montreal to study medicine. However, he then took a job at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to become Canada’s first TV weatherman. His signature move was to toss the chalk used in his forecast and catch it once again saying "and that's the weather picture".
Saltzman also hosted CBC’s coverage of the 1969 moon landing.
He had a long and highly successful TV career including work at BCTV, now Global. He received the Order of Canada and many other awards.
Saltzman passed away in 2007. However, his legacy still lives on with his impact on broadcast journalism in Canada.
