Marg Petrick Nurses coming MARG PETRICK can’t wait for the four nurses she recruited late last year in Australia and New Zealand to arrive here. She had hopes some would arrive this spring at Mills Memorial Hospital, but it looks more likely the four won't be here uniil early summer, ‘They'll fill gaps in spe- cialty nursing areas which continue to plague Mills, said Petrick last week. “It’s tough,” she said. “We could use another in LDR (labour delivery room) and we're short a couple in the OR (operaling room).” ---Those four nurses were recruited when Petrick and other nurses visited New Zealand and Australia late last year as part of a pro- ‘vincial initiative to find nurses to ease B.C.'s cur- rent and growing shortage. Two of the four are coming in via a specific program meant to speed them through immigration _requirements. “They’re anxious,” said Petrick of the nurses. “They’re going through the ‘ credentials process right now,” Still in the wings is a group of Filipino nurses, now working in Libya, who want to come to Terrace. ts Been more! than a’ tact with Petrick and their attempt. lo move here has been an up and down chal- lenge. “There are three for sure,” said Petrick of the group. “They’re going through the requirements of the RNABC (the Registered Nurses’ Association of B.C. which checks out cre- dentials and regulates the profession),” One piece of good news, Petrick said, is the “arrival at Mills of a Cana- dian nurse who had been -working in the United States. As well, the number of inquiries from nurses about working at Mills has ia- creased. “There haven’t been any commitments or hir- ings, but at least we’te getting inquiries,” said Pe- trick, _. She said the three-year registered nursing contract, brought in last year, which provides for raises of 23 ‘per cent is a factor in the inquiries. @MedicAlert 7 . -Boo-668- 1507. “WA: ‘medicalert: ca” Pactfic Northern Gas Ltd, NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING The Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Paclfle Northern Gas Lid. will be held in the Hastings Room of the Pacilic Palisades Hotel, 1277 Robson Streot, in the City of Vancouver, British Caiumbia on Thursday, April 18, 2002 al 10:00 a.m. By Order of the Board ‘David G, Unruh Secratary Vancouver, B.C, February 25, 2002 school contract doubts raised THE COAST Mountain School District may lack the tools it needs to keep its promise to improve reading and math skills, the district superintendent is warning. Randy Smalibrugge says without more money and cooperation from teachers, the accountability contract its been asked to sign with the provincial government may wind up collecting dust. The district pledges to improve literacy and arith- metic skills by five per cent over the next five years in the contract, which is still being finalized, Smallbrugge said the district was not made aware that its budget would be taking such a hit from tea- chers salary increases, “It was just, ‘Do the accountability contract’ with no mention of available resources, primarily money, from the minister” Smallbrugge said. The plan calls for more literacy programs and dis- trict-wide testing for Grades 1 to 10 to begin as soon as possible to establish a baseline to determine how well students improve year to year. Testing will require the cooperation of teachers, something Smallbrugge worries may be threatened in the wake of the imposed collective agreement. “Implementation is anly as good as the coopera- tion we get,” he said. “It is dependent upon teachers to carry oul certain aspects of this contract, and we're not sure if we're going to get that cooperation.” The district has told the education ministry it’s worried about lack of teacher cooperation, he added, He also wonders how the district will pay for the added educational supplies and testing materials it will need to improve literacy and mathematics. “If you don’t have the funding and you can’t buy the diagnostic tools, your accountability contract is going to collect dust on the shelves. There has to be a means by which you can accomplish this.” Smallbrugge said the only tool available to school districts is the ability to increase class sizes, a mave that will save money through teacher layoffs. “It's kind of an underhanded way to do business,” Smallbrugge said. Graduation rates in the district and student re- sponsibility would also be improved according to the goals set out in the contract. The contract is posted on the education ministry's website. The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, March 6, 2002 - AS We do more complex tax returns than any tax preparation company in Canada.* So bring yours in. We're ready. H&R BLOCK just plain smart H&R BLOCK 110 - 4716 Lazelle, Terrace Ph. (250) 635-2908 Fax (250) 635-5341 TE anges) number uF aodveciualawdates wit: acheahre a P00) WAT Black Canada, tic ‘feds since they made con-— - Smanrlease-: 2 PURCHISE FUANCING “2.2L-A15 MP Engine + 5-Speod Getrag. "Manual Transmilasion © 4-Wheel Ante ‘Dba! 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