Charles Hays students in Kitimat for Northwest Zones Drama Festival

High School basketball isn't the only activity that is winding down its season this month, for students of Drama across the region this is tournament week, as six schools head for Kitimat for the 2015 Northwest Zones Drama Festival.

The three days of presentations and celebration of the arts getting started with performances on Thursday night, as Hazelton and Terrace launched the 2015 edition of the Festival.

Over the weekend, actors from schools across the Northwest will be seeking the top spot in the competition, with Kitimat's Mount Elizabeth Theatre the host venue for this years event.

Drama students participating in the 2015 Zones include those from Charles Hays; as well as students from, Hazelton, Smithers, Terrace, Houston and the host this year Mount Elizabeth of Kitimat.

Performers from Charles Hays take to the stage on Saturday evening providing a thirty minute presentation of Hedges, which marks their entry into the Zones competition this year.

Admission to all of the performances in Kitimat is by way of donation.

The three nights of dramatic and comedy presentations will be followed by the Award Ceremony on Sunday at Mount Elizabeth Theatre, that takes place at 2PM.

You can follow along with some of the highlights of the weekend from the  #nwzone15 twitter feed the social media portal that has been set up for the zones competition.

More background on activities from School District 52 can be found on our achieve page.

School District 52's financials could be reduced as the Province claws back strike savings

Like many of British Columbia's School Districts, SD52 probably thought that some of that money that was saved in the District during the course of the labour dispute of the last four months, could make for a small little nest egg to put aside for future use this year.

However, if local administrators and Board members had plans to allocate some of those savings into required work or services around the district, the provincial government is about to deliver some bad news.

Friday the Ministry of Education advised School Districts across British Columbia that they would be reclaiming those savings from the dispute, with what appears to be a plan to fund the 40 dollar a day payment plan for parents that was in place while the schools were closed.

That take it all approach by the provincial government, is one that is not being received well by  a number of school districts across the province.

Many spoke out over the weekend, reminding the Ministry that they have suffered financial losses due to the dispute and that taking all of that available money back is just wrong.

In particular some districts are pointing out that they are now being required to pay for a program (the 40 dollar payment plan) which they had no say in.

Many are fearing that School Districts may struggle to balance their financial picture as result of the requirement to turn over the cash to the province.

In its letter to the School Districts, the Ministry of Education is reported to have stated that any District with a particular financial difficulty linked to the strike will be addressed on a case by case basis.

The claw back of money is just one indication as to how the strike may be over, but the effects from it will be mostly now felt by those in administration across the province.

A situation that leaves the School Districts to deal with the many issues that are left behind as the result of the acrimonious dispute.

Some notes on Friday's announcement from the province can be found below:

Province reclaims money saved during teachers' strike
B. C. looks to claw back all savings from school districts
B. C. school districts ordered to return all strike savings
Two levels of government fighting over teacher strike savings

Recreation Commission tapped to make decision on Skateboard stencil Art project

Last week during their Monday Council session, the Mayor and Council decided to shift a file of interest over to the newly created Recreation Commission.

Tasking that new community body to determine whether a proposed art project is suitable for the Prince Rupert skateboard location across from the Civic Centre.

The discussion came as part of the Correspondence for Action portion of the Monday session, as Council considered a letter from Charles Hays Secondary School Art Teacher, Antonio d'Emanuele who was seeking Councils approval for a project that would see students provide stencil art work for the park.

City Manager Robert Long provided the background on the proposal, which provided Council with the opportunity to discuss whether items such as this would be best forwarded to the Recreation Commission.

After a bit of conversation on that theme, Council decided to turn the proposal over to the Commission,
though Councillor Ashley did offer up the concern that the project is of a time sensitive nature with school about to end.

Councillor Garon also expressed her concerns that the previous art work at the site not be covered up as part of this new proposal and that the Recreation Commission examine that during their consideration of the subject.

Councillor Ashley also recommended that the Recreation Commission decision be the final word on the topic, with no need to return it to council for further action.

The Recreation Commission was to consider the proposal at their May 28th meeting, however no announcement has been made regarding their decision as of yet.

You can learn more about the stencil project from page 36 of the Council agenda.

The discussion on the topic is available on the City's Video Archive, it takes place from the one hour, one minute mark through to one hour, eight minutes.

For more items on developments at Prince Rupert City Council see our Archive page.

5th Annual Science Fair set for late February

Attention class, Attention, all scientific minds are invited to take part in this years Science Fair at Charles Hays Secondary School.

The next few weeks could see local students working hard in their school labs and perhaps even the home garage as they put together their submissions a much anticipated scientific event on the local calendar.

Budding scientists of the North Coast will be exhibiting their creations later in February, as the Northwest Science and Innovation Society hosts a Science Fair at Charles Hays Secondary School on February 23rd.

Student registration is free, however pre-registration is required from the online registration portal.

The timeline for the February 23rd event is as follows:

8:30 - 9:30 Students set up projects

9:30 - Noon Judging of projects

12:30 - 1:30 Lunch and Science Activities

1:30 - 2:30 Awards Ceremony

2:30  Take down of projects

The February 23rd event is but one of two events that local students could be involved in this year, the 2013 Pacific Northwest Regional Science Fair is scheduled for April 5 and 6 at Northwest Community College in Terrace.

More details on that Science Fair are to be provided on the Society's website as we get closer to April.

You can learn more about these and other events sponsored by N(Si)S from their website.