NEW DRY GRAD POLICY

Every year at this time, as Grade 12 students prepare to graduate,
Langley school trustees go to great pains to distance themselves from
"safe" graduation parties at which alcohol is served, to "dry"
affairs which bar the use of alcohol and illicit drugs.

At their meeting earlier this month, trustees approved a notice of
motion to put their stamp on a new policy which will now be
circulated throughout the district for input.

While the board encourages students to celebrate the end of high
school with formal graduation and school-leaving ceremonies, it
frowns upon any graduation activity in which students consume
alcohol, or use of drugs.

Under the policy, the board refuses to allow the use of school
district facilities, or the name of those facilities, for functions
where alcohol would be consumed or drugs used.

Most graduating students are aged 17 or 18. The legal age for
drinking alcohol is 19.

The policy, which trustees are expected to adopt later this spring,
shows that trustees are willing to support any dry graduation event
organized by parents, who will also be allowed to use a school's name.

The policy rules out staff supervising a graduation event, making
that the responsibility of parents and volunteers.

In September, 2004, trustees added illicit drugs to the list of
restrictions on their graduation celebration statement which will now
form an official policy.