Local schools gear up for summer onslaught

Maple Ridge News

By Robert Mangelsdorf - Maple Ridge News

Published: July 07, 2009 4:00 PM

It’s an annual tradition that the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows School District would just as soon see retired. Every summer, vandals attack local schools, inflicting hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage.

Schools across the district have been boarded up in preparation for the onslaught, as if awaiting a hurricane instead of the dog days of summer. While many schools are now equipped with rolling metal shutters, a number of schools have required plywood boards to keep their windows intact.

“You’d think they’d take a vacation, but they don’t,” school board chair Kathie Ward said of the vandals.

Ward, who is also the chair of the district’s anti-vandalism committee, said staff estimated the toll from vandalism could be as high as $700,000 for the 2008/09 school year, the largest amount the district has ever faced.

It’s a milestone she hopes to avoid.

“To think that almost a million dollars could be going into our classrooms,” said Ward. “It’s sad.”

The boards will stay up until the first week of school, said Ward, as there always seems to be a spike in vandalism every September as students return.

“It can be a little disheartening for parents to bring their children for their first day of school and see the windows boarded all up,” she said.

The district has number of measure to help mitigate the damage, including private security patrols, video surveillance, automated sprinkler systems, and the Mosquito high-frquency teen deterrent.

That device emits an obnoxious high-pitched noise audible only to young people.

Parents in the Davie Jones elementary neighborhood have requested a Mosquito device be placed next to a popular hang-out for young people near the school.

However, Ward said the expense involved would likely be too much.

“It would mean digging a trench, and running power out there,” she said. “It’s not out of the realm of possibility, but it looks like it may be cost-prohibitive.

• If you witness an act of vandalism or theft on school property, call the district’s anti-vandalism hotline number at 604-466-4357.

Principal shuffle

The Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows School District is shuffling its administrative staff effective August 1.

The district’s Principal of Education Options, Trevor Conner, will take over as principal of Westview secondary, while current Westview principal Sean Nosek will head to Thomas Haney secondary, replacing Dennis Tjernagel. Tjernagel will head to Alouette elementary, taking over from Kim Bondi, who will be heading up Yennadon elementary pending the retirement of current principal Heather McPherson.

Joanne Rowen will be the new principal at Pitt Meadows elementary, while Stuart Richardson will take over as vice principal there.

Cathy Watkins will take over as vice principal at Maple Ridge secondary, while vice principal Bruce Cunnings goes to Thomas Haney.

Board chair Kathie Ward said the staff shuffle is routine in most districts.

“We try to do this about every five years or so,” she said.