Edmonton Journal du lieu suivant : Edmonton, Alberta, Canada • 13

at Tropicals NOW 30 OFF RCMP will cover funeral costs B3 Jamie Halls People B2 If I VJj7 Li II ti LIL ftofesL, DB citythejournal.canwest.com gis lit teig mi iH fit' Oi EDITOR: PETER MASER, 429-5399; M.E. LaZerte students Jennifer Poon, left, and Nicole Murch apply makeup to English teacher Scott Horton as part of a fundraiser for tsunami victims. Horton grimaces in pain as he has his legs waxed. Sitting 'f Public board figures show nearly one in five high school classes has more than 30 students PHOTOS BY ED KAISER, THE JOURNAL "SSr-r wj. I Vkj EDMONTON JOURNAL Teacher Scott Horton agreed to wear a skirt and makeup and have his legs waxed if students raised $3,500 in one day for tsunami victims.

They won the bet, raising $5,000. So far, the students have raised $8,300 and will continue to raise funds until Friday. Their goal is $20,000. the tank spring is coming to the show pavilion on Jan. 15, starting with azalias, primula and cyclamen.

Those in search of a green place to relax downtown can go to the Lee Pavilion in the Citadel Theatre. See COLDIB4 TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2005 66 Were just hoping next year gets better and better after that.99 Karen Beaton, Alberta Teachers' Association BY THE NUMBERS I Number of classes with more than 40 students: Last year: 6 This year: 31 (all at the high school level, except four junior high music classes) 1 Number of classes with 36 to 40 students: Last yean 3 in grades 4 to 6 2 in junior high 142 in high school This year: 8 in grades 4 to 6 23 in junior high 70 in high school I Number of classes with 31 to 35 students: Last year: 24 in kindergarten to Grade 3 59 in grades 4 to 6 212 in junior high 618 in high school This year: 23 in kindergarten to Grade 3 97 in grades 4 to 6 569 in junior high 672 in high school classes meet that target in the coming years," said Lisa Austin, spokeswoman for Edmonton Public Schools. She said the number of classes with more than 40 students increased fivefold from last year because last year's numbers didn't include data from Centre High. Austin said students there are highly motivated to get high school diplomas after failing to do so elsewhere. She said the classes run much like university courses.

But Beatonsaid that explanation falls short. "There is no reason they should be over 40 simply because the kids might be motivated," Beaton said. See SIZE I B2 ri GREG S0UTHAM, THE JOURNAL James Stuart, new CHUM radio station manager, in the Bay building, which will house the new radio station Weather headed into rasggjs 1 'tj JODIE SINNEMA Journal Staff Writer EDMONTON New public school board figures show that about 20 per cent of high school classes still have more than 30 students, despite earlier boasts of meeting class-size averages set by the province's learning commission. That includes 31 high school classes including 22 in core subjects such as language arts and math that have more than 40 students, compared with seven classes last year. "There are still hundreds, if not thousands of students stuck out there in unacceptabry high class sizes, well in excess of the desired numbers the learning commission wanted to see in place," said trustee Dave Colburn, who asked for the detailed information.

"I find it unacceptable. I think these statistics provide a clear indication that the averaging formula has achieved an incomplete success in the area of reducing class size." In the lower grades, almost 10 per cent ofjunior high classes havemore than 30 students, and 128 elementary classes almost two per cent are above that mark. That means at least 3,900 elementary students and 18,400 junior high students are in classes with more than 31 kids. Alberta's Commission on Learning suggested class size guidelines of 17 students in kindergarten to Grade 3, 23 students from grades 4 to 6, 25 students in junior high and 27 students in high school. Karen Beaton, the Alberta Teachers' Association president for Edmonton public teachers, said she was surprised by the numbers.

"It's quite shocking," she said. "If you do the math, there are 50,000 students (who) walk into class every day and there are more than 30 students in that class." She said the report, which goes to the board at tonight's meeting, highlights the problem of averages. This year, the class-size average for kindergarten to Grade 3 (not including special needs classes) is 19.7 children. The government's target is 20 students in year 1 of a three-year plan to get class sizes down. For grades 4 to 6, the average size is 23.3 students.

The averages for higher grades also meet government targets. In July, the public board received an extra $13 million, most of which went to hire new teachers to target the early grades, where studies show small class sizes are key to success. The government has promised more money in the next two years. "While there are classes that remain over the class-size average as defined by the learning commission, we are steadily working towards ensuring all of our When weather permits, especially during summer festival season, DJs and their guests will come out of the building on the sidewalk along Jasper. "We're going to take our shows right out onto the street," Stuart says.

"People going by on the bus will see artists being interviewed, artists performing." The plan promises to animate the bleak grey streetfront and draw people downtown. It also gives the station a chance to work with the downtown's nightclubs and performance spaces to bring more live acts to the city core. Tve always felt that this area has deserved to have a little more focus put on it," says Stuart. "We're putting our money where our mouth is, to come downtown and give it a shot of energy and enthusiasm." See SIMONS I B4 Winter storm warning issued for tonight MIKE SADAVA Journal Staff Writer EDMONTON Even the hardy have to come in out of the cold sometime. As former TV weatherman Bill Math-eson used to say, the most dreaded of all meteorological phenomena, the Siberian high, is headed our way.

A winter storm warning with strong winds, up to five centimetres of snow and rapidly falling temperatures was issued fortonight by Environment Canada, and the mercury is forecast to plunge down to the -30s later this week. It's getting harder to run from winter. The West Coast is covered in snow and even California has been hit by winter storms. But there are ways to forget about the season for an hour or two without leaving this winter city. At the top of the list has to be the Mut-tart Conservatory, where the smell of living plants and a good dose of humidity are available for $7.50 per visit, or $28 for an annual pass.

JOHN LUCAS, THE JOURNAL Emergency workers prepare to move one of two women who suffered minor injuries when their Jeep rolled at Yellowhead Trail and Anthony Henday Drive on Monday morning. With a storm warning in effect, roads could become more hazardous today. CHUMs storefront studio will enliven Jasper Avenue Wendy Kinsella, a spokeswoman for the Muttart, said attendance always rises as the mercury plunges. The tropical pyramid, with itsdense foliage, palms and even banana trees, is the most attractive at this time of year. And C5 C3 1 Oh music geared for listeners aged 15 to 40.

Stuart says the station, which will eventually employ between 25 and 30 people, hopes to start broadcasting by late March orearly April. Even if you don't know your Snoop Dogg from your Ludicris, your crunk from your funk, you can applaud the arrival of the Bay's latest tenant. To be sure, one radio station will only i fill a fraction of the Bay's 280,000 square feet or 26,000 square metres. CHUM, though, has leased about the best 5,000 sq. feet possible a long, shallow swath, fronting Jasper Avenue.

The new station will fill up those big plate glass windows, bringing the building's southern face back to life. One window, the one facing the old Paramount Theatre, will allow passers-by to peek into the station offices. While the A-Channel's wind ws are currendy tinted so people can't peek in, the radio station will be see-through, with interior walls made of glass, too. The other great big window, which looks directly across to the venerable Silk Hat diner, will give people a chance to watch a live radio studio in action. DJs will broadcast from the streetfront studio 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Radio station occupying prime part of Bay building It maybe cold outside. Yet, the people trudging past the old Bay building on Jasper Avenue can't help peering in the windows to see what's going on. Crews from Clark Builders are hard at work, transforming 465 square metres that's 5,000 square feet of street-front space into a new radio station. The station, owned and operated by Toronto media giant CHUM, doesn't have a name yet, though it does have a frequency: 91.7 FM. James Stuart, the station's just-hired general manager and program director, says it's licensed for an urban format hip-hop, rap, dance music,.