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Teachers withdraw from extra-curricular activities

Students on Haida Gwaii will likely have less opportunities to play sports, go to Mount Moresby Adventure Camp and travel on off-island field trips following last week's decision by the BC Teachers' Federation to withdraw from all extra-curricular activities.School district superintendent Angus Wilson said graduation ceremonies will also be affected, as teachers will not be helping out or attending anything outside of regular school hours."I expect the grads will be toned down," he said.Mr. Wilson said the decision is unfortunate, but the activities affected are all extra-curricular and are done voluntarily by teachers. Nothing about the school day or what students are doing in their classrooms will change.Haida Gwaii Teachers' Association president Evelyn von Almassy said many teachers are withdrawing from coaching and travel plans with heavy hearts, but feel they have been left with no other way to protest the provincial government's Bill22, the back to work legislation passed last month.Ms von Almassy said sports and trips can continue if parents and administrators step forward, but teachers will not be able to participate."In our hearts we really don't like to do this, but we don't like Bill 22 even more," she said.