DRUGS AND ALCOHOL AT OLIVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Principal David Fairbrother said it's been 12 years since drugs or
alcohol have shown up at Oliver Elementary School, but as luck would
have it they both showed up in one week -- in two separate incidents.

"It's a very unique and specific situation," Fairbrother said. "I
don't even have kids smoking cigarettes."

Last week, there were a couple of incidents that have started rumours
and created worry among some parents.

In one of the cases, a girl in grade five brought wine to school in a
stainless steel coffee cup, and shared sips with two others. Later, a
grade six student was found to have a small quantity of marijuana in her purse.

Fairbrother thinks the rumours about the incidents might have been
overblown. He is urging parents with concerns to contact him for
details, about what happened and how it was handled.

The students each received three-days out-of-school suspension, and
two-days of in-school suspension.

District policy recommends a minimum of five days suspension, he
said, but that is written more for high school. Fairbrother said he
believes, because of his knowledge of the children involved and the
situation, the punishment assigned fits the crime.

Sonia Mason is a very concerned parent. She has three children who
attend Oliver Elementary, and she's worried about how the situation
was handled, and what kind of message it sends to the children.

"The kids shouldn't be back at school already, shouldn't be taking
part in extracurricular activities," Mason said. "You need to set a
precedent for future offenders. A few days off school? Big deal."

She wants to see more action taken. For example, a school assembly,
to remind the children about the penalties they might face if they
bring substances to school. She also wants to make sure the teachers
are all informed and the information isn't being swept under the rug.

"Call a meeting. Do the TA's (Teacher's Assistants) know what to
watch for on the playground?"

For Fairbrother, the bottom line is the unusual nature of the situation.

"It's incredible that we never deal with it (more often), given some
of the issues the high school deals with, and community acceptance in general."

He said this is the only suspension for any reason that has occurred
at the elementary this year, and they are taking it seriously. The
teachers have each spoken to their classes, and have explained the
situation while trying not to make too big a deal of it.

"I treat it seriously, but I don't treat it as an indicator of a
serious problem," Fairbrother said. "I don't want people to think our
elementary schools are in trouble -- because they are not."