They worry about missing out on scholarships they have to apply for by October.
They worry about all of the band and choir practices they are missing.
They worry about their grades and, ultimately, their future.
Four New Westminster Secondary School students set up a blanket on the corner of Eighth Avenue and Eighth Street at their school on Tuesday morning and planted themselves on the grounds in a bid to have their concerns heard.
Annaliese Meyer, a Grade 12 student, organized the small gathering on what was one of the cooler days in recent weeks, to express her frustration with the process that has pushed students out of classrooms.
“This movement is not to stand on either the side of the BCTF or the Liberal government, but to bring to the surface a third party that is just as relevant, perhaps more – and certainly more impacted: the students,” she wrote in an email to The Record.
Annaliese was joined by fellow band/choir students and expected up to 15 students to turn up throughout the day.
They planned to sit-in for the duration of what would be a typical school day, saying they want to be back in the classroom.
“I just want to learn,” Grade 11 student Lorynne Machado says while sitting with her arms wrapped around her legs.
“Devastating” is how she describes the ongoing tussle between the teachers’ union and the government, which has meant students have already missed seven days of school and counting this year, in addition to the more than two weeks lost last school year.
One of the key concerns for the students is the impact the strike has had on their band program – an ensemble at the high school that practises and performs together.
NWSS has a well-respected music program with dedicated teachers and students, including the four holding what they called a “student walk-in.”
The labour strife takes away the opportunity for the students to perform outside of school, Grade 12 student Howard Dai says.
They worry that losing practice time will put them at a disadvantage at an upcoming competition in Banff.
“We get to be in an amazing program,” Grade 12 students Andie Lloyd says.
She only has another year with the school’s music program and wants to savour every minute.
“Any time away from an experience like that is a horrible loss,” she says.
The students are ready for summer to be over.
“We’ve had our whole summer to socialize,” Andie says.
“It’s like the endless summer,” Lorynne adds.
