SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS: The Director General of Elections of Quebec (DGEQ) has confirmed that the only people allowed to vote in school board elections on Sunday, November 2, 2014 are those already placed on the list of electors at the board in their territory. Individuals who do not meet this criteria and request to be accepted by showing two pieces of identification will be turned away. Pierre Yves-Bezzaz, The Chief Returning Officer (CRO) of the English Montreal School Board, contacted the DGEQ and requested this information in writing.
“Any contrary information found on the internet or communicated through word of mouth is incorrect,” stated Mr. Bezzaz. “The DGEQ, the Ministry of Education, Leisure and Sports and the EMSB will do their best to alert the electors that on Sunday, November 2, only those registered on the EMSB electoral list will be permitted to cast their ballots with this school board.”
Any parent who has a child registered in an EMSB youth sector elementary or high school as of September 30, 2014 is automatically on the list. In addition, any elector who made a choice prior to the November 2007 elections and had his/her name entered on the EMSB electoral list is included. These individuals would have signed a special form. Others domiciled in the same household aged 18 and over who do meet the latter criteria and did not sign a special form prior to October 14, 2014 will not appear on the electoral list.
CANDIDATE DEBATES: The EMSB Central Parents Committee has been very implicated in the elections, sponsoring three regional “meet the candidate” meetings at John F. Kennedy High School in St. Michel, Laurier Macdonald High School in St. Léonard and Royal Vale School
Here are links to some of the debates between the two candidates for chairman.
CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/the-race-is-on-to-run-english-montreal-school-board-1.2784780
Anne Lagacé-Dowson on Breakfast TV: http://www.btmontreal.ca/videos/3860510026001/
ENROLMENT: Preliminary figures for enrolment in the EMSB youth sector is 19,647, a decline of 211 students. This is much lower than the original forecast of a drop of 400 to 500 students. Meanwhile, the Adult Education and Vocational Services Department has seen its numbers explode to nearly 20,000 students, bringing the overall EMSB enrolment to close to 40,000. This makes us the largest English public school board in the province.
SUCCESS RATE: The EMSB has recorded the highest success rate in the entire province of Quebec Quebec
EMSB IN THE MEDIA: The EMSB would like to point readers to the media clippings section of our website where we provide links to newspaper articles about our Board or relevant to the local education system.
EMSB TV: The EMSB posts links to television and radio reports, as well as videos produced in-house on our website. EMSB TV is hosted by Vimeo and we have sections for EMSB TV Coverage, EMSB Videos and others.
EMSB RADIO GUIDE: EMSB Radio can now be heard via SoundCloud, the world’s leading social sound platform SoundCloud can be accessed anywhere using the official iPhone and Android apps, as well as hundreds of creation and sharing apps built on the SoundCloud platform.
HALLOWEEN BROADCASTS: City’s Breakfast Television (www.btmontreal.ca) will broadcast live from Edward Murphy Elementary School Edinburgh Elementary School
PEARSON HOCKEY FEVER ON CITY: In advance of the Montreal Canadiens’ home opener at the Bell Centre on the Rogers Sports Network, City’s Breakfast TV broadcast live from Henri Bourassa Arena in Montreal North with the Lester B. Pearson High School Sport-Études hockey players.
Casey Gagné and two students
High Performance Athletes and how to take a hit
Balancing School and Sports
The Principal and the Goalie
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| Students from both schools relax. |
PEARSON AND NESBITT TOGETHER: Students from Lester B. Pearson High School in Montreal North and Nesbitt Elementary School in Rosemount recently returned from a two-day camp in Riviere Rouge, Quebec
STUDENT LEADERS: Student leaders from across the EMSB convened at Lester B. Pearson High School
James Watts, educator, principal and founder of Education Plus, discussed the concept of leadership and urged students to be purveyors of changed in the EMSB and in their own schools. Educator, Lawyer, Mediator & Conflict Management Trainer Georgianna Karamitos, led a workshop on teambuilding and communication. The English Montreal Student Advisory Committee (EMSAC) brings students together for monthly meetings in order to develop their leadership skills through workshops, discussions, working on common projects and as a consultative body for the EMSB.
CAREER FAIR: The 15th annual English Montreal School Board (EMSB) Career Fair took place October 29 and 30 at St. Pius X Career Centre in Ahuntsic for more than 2,000 Secondary IV students. Jack Dym of Pipe and Piling Supplies Ltd. and RBC Royal Bank are the event’s title sponsors. Among the special guests was RBC sponsored Para-Olympic para-cycling competitor Marie-Claude Molnare. Several on air personalities from 92.5 The Beat FM, including Cat Spencer, Sarah Bartok, Shaun McMahon, Natasha Hall and Claudia Marques were also on hand to talk to students about careers in broadcasting. Global TV's morning crew of Jessica Laventure, Camille Ross and Richard Dagenais were on hand as well.
Harriet Cohen from EMSB Adult Education and Vocational Services is the Career Fair chairperson. The Student Services and AEVS Departments of the EMSB coordinate this program. Ms. Cohen notes that the main objective of the Career Fair is to provide students with an in-depth exposure to the various educational opportunities available to them. All students took part in a brief general information session in the St. Pius X auditorium. Students then had the chance to visit the various exhibition/information booths staffed by representatives from English vocational centres, CEGEPS, universities, Air Canada and some private business colleges. See our photo album from the event.
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| Jessica Laventure from Global TV talks broadcasting with students. |
Harriet Cohen from EMSB Adult Education and Vocational Services is the Career Fair chairperson. The Student Services and AEVS Departments of the EMSB coordinate this program. Ms. Cohen notes that the main objective of the Career Fair is to provide students with an in-depth exposure to the various educational opportunities available to them. All students took part in a brief general information session in the St. Pius X auditorium. Students then had the chance to visit the various exhibition/information booths staffed by representatives from English vocational centres, CEGEPS, universities, Air Canada and some private business colleges. See our photo album from the event.
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| Cat Spencer and Sarah Bartok meet students from LINKS High School. |
MEDIA LITERACY WEEK: MediaSmarts and the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF) are pleased to announce that the theme for Canada Canada
RETIREES DINNER: The annual EMSB Retirees' Dinner, which took place on October 21 at the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown Montreal, honoured 84 now former employees who worked as educators, administrators, professionals and support staff. EMSB Chair Angela Mancini, along with EMSB Deputy Director General (Education Division 2) Roma Medwid, Deputy Director General (Education Division 1) Paola Miniaci, Deputy Director General (Administration Division) Angelo Marino, several EMSB Commissioners, and senior administrators presented each retiree with a special thank-you gift of a Hillcrest Crystalline pitcher.
Some of the longest serving employees honoured that evening were former EMSB Secretary General Joanne Bisbikos, who retired after 52 years of service to the board; Gail Ewing, who retired as a teacher at LaurenHill Academy in St. Laurent after 49 years of service; and Robert Lipscombe, who retired as a teacher at John F. Kennedy High School in Villeray after 47 years of service. See the photos in our newly designed Photo Album right here.
STOP.THINK.CONNECT: Last year, the Grade 7 students of LaurenHill Academy in St. Laurent
As an ethics project, students spent time together brainstorming and remembering events that impacted their lives to give their peers the courage to share their own struggles. The stop.think.connect. book cover was created by one of our student Samantha Pilote Baptista. She has won a beautiful art basket sent by Intel from Santa Clara , California LHA Academy is the first school in North America to debut this program. The book, which is the final product, has been published and is now available here.
GERALD MCSHANE FACELIFT: The schoolyard at Gerald McShane Elementary School in Montreal North will receive a much needed face-lift, having been awarded $25,000 from the Ministry of Education, Sports and Leisure in order to transform the area into a haven for students, complete with play and rest areas as well as green spaces. The funding is made possible by the MELS “School yard Beautification Measure.” It enables school boards to develop various projects to promote the physical condition of schools and their surrounding areas, such as schoolyard beautification, in partnership with the community. This measure helps in creating a stimulating and safe environment, conducive to the practice of sports among other tangible benefits. Please see the press release for more.
TERRY FOX UPDATE: The LaurenHill Academy Junior Campus students in St. Laurent invited the students from Summit School Lincoln , they also connected with pupils from Gardenview Elementary School Lincoln Roslyn Elementary School 250,000 in 13 years. Here is a clip from Global TV.
LEADERSHIP WITH MACKAY: The 15th annual Westmount High School Leadership / MacKay Centre / Philip E. Layton Terry Fox Walk was held recently at the MacKay Centre School Decarie Boulevard Philip E. Layton School
FIRST READ PROGRAM: Coronation Elementary School in Côte des Neiges became the first elementary school in Canada to launch First Book Canada Quebec City Coronation Elementary School was one of 20 schools across Canada
ST. DOROTHY’S EXPERIENCE: On Friday, October 3, St. Dorothy Elementary School 's Kindergarten and Cycle 1 students took part in a wonderful reading event sponsored by the TD Bank of Canada , in partnership with the organization First Book Canada
Students were then treated to two free books thanks to the generosity of the TD Bank and First Book Canada St. Dorothy School
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| Principal Rebelo rewards student Francis Pena. |
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| New citizens are sworn in. |
CITIZENSHIP CEREMONY: During Citizenship Week, Our Lady of Pompei Elementary School in St. Michel had the pleasure to host a Citizenship Ceremony. Over 50 new citizens took The Oath of Citizenship. Grades 4, 5 and 6 students participated in this event.
URBAN ARTS: James Lyng High School in St. Henri branded as an Urban Arts School Brooklyn , NY Gordon Parks 90’ s'. Shabazz is dedicated to mentoring youth, both in the field of photography and career planning. The workshop took place on October 9.
MARYMOUNT READS: This article was prepared by Piraveen Paranitharan from the IB Council Public Relations:
Mr. Pete Hautman also gave a brief biography of himself and we found out that he has held many different jobs, including a pineapple cutter, truck driver, painter and a comic book writer. Mr. Hautman led a writing workshop for students of Secondary 5 in the afternoon. Earlier, in his honour, a Karaoke program was organized where he donated one of his newer best sellers “Rash” as a prize to one of our students.
THE SPIRIT OF GIVING: In preparation for the holidays, the EMSB will once again be teaming up with the Canadian Armed Forces to support CTV Montreal’s annual “Spirit of Giving” campaign, which brings much needed assistance to the less fortunate throughout Montreal La Rue , Batshaw Youth and Family Services and the N.D.G. Food Depot. In all, the combined efforts of the EMSB, its schools and facilities will hopefully generate over 600 boxes of non-perishable food, and over 40,000 toys and miscellaneous items. Marymount Academy International in NDG will serve as the main hub for the collection. Principal Elizabeth Lagodich is thrilled to have her facility assume the role of the main hub for the very first time. Many of the participating EMSB schools will organize a series of events set to encourage donations, and a number of schools will be featured on CTV Montreal’s mid-day and nightly news programs throughout the duration of the campaign.
TOY TEA: Students from the EMSB will once again work towards collecting new toys for the 23rd annual Christmas and Chanukah Toy Tea, to be held at Tudor Hall on the fifth floor of Ogilvy’s Department Store on December 3. The toys will benefit over 5,000 children who are being sheltered and protected from abuse, or violence, as well as other children’s charities. This will be the 12th year of the EMSB’s involvement in the Toy Tea Campaign, which is an initiative of former Spiritual, Religious and Moral Education Consultant, Irene Miller.
Student representatives from each school, along with their respective spiritual community animators, teachers, administrators and parent volunteers, will attend the event to drop off their donated toys and receive special certificates of participation from Claire Kruyt, the Toy Tea’s chairperson, along with Santa and Mrs. Claus. The event will also feature the singing of Christmas carols by several school choirs. Schools can participate by collecting new non-violent toys. While non-violent toys are preferred and can be delivered unwrapped to Tudor Hall between 10 a .m. and 4 p.m. on December 3, donations and cheques endorsed to the Toy Tea would also be greatly appreciated. Log on to www.toyteamontreal.org for more information.
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| Brandy |
G!EE HIGH SCHOOL SHOWDOWN: On Sunday November 16 (1 p.m.) at the Eric MacLean S. J. Centre for the Performing Arts, Loyola Campus (2477 West Broadway) in NDG, 11 Montreal area high schools will compete in the “Just for Kids” (JFK) Foundation's fifth annual G!EE High School Showdown benefiting the Montreal Children’s Hospital. Five of the schools are from the EMSB: defending champions Royal Vale in NDG, Royal West Academy in Montreal West, Lester B. Pearson High School in Montreal North, LaurenHill Academy in St. Laurent Kuper Academy , Miss Edgar’s & Miss Cramp’s, Selwyn House and Trafalgar School
THERAPEUTIC HORSEBACK RIDING PROGRAM: The EMSB Before and After School Enriched (B.A.S.E) Daycare Program is offering a therapeutic horseback riding program to Parkdale Elementary School in St. Laurent B.A.S.E. students with special needs. Six students, ages four to seven, will spend seven Thursday mornings at the Goldie Equestrian Project in St-Benoît de Mirabel, which offers children with physical and/or intellectual disabilities an opportunity to improve their quality of life. The B.A.S.E. funded program is offered to students at no charge to their parents. Students visited the horse ranch on October 23 and 30 and have additional trips planned November 6, 20 and 27 and December 4 and 11. Accompanied by daycare educators and childcare workers, the students spend the better part of the school day at the horse ranch from 10 a .m. to 2 p.m. All the participating students have Autism, ranging from low to high functioning, and some have other special needs as well, such as language impairments or behavioral difficulties. Horse-Assisted Therapy is designed to not only provide the physical benefits of improved posture, balance and a strengthened spine and pelvic muscles, but also emotional, social and cognitive benefits.
CTV AD CAMPAIGN: The EMSB’s unprecedented television advertising campaign on CTV for the high school sector ran throughout the months of September and October and met with loud applause. Five commercials featured students grouped by schools: Royal West (Matthew Almengo-Raymond) and Vincent Massey (Beatrice Dupont); John Paul I (Jason Carnevale) Laurier Macdonald (Divya Aery) and Marymount Academy International (Alexandra Sarmiento); John F. Kennedy (Veronica Melo Martins) and Lester B. Pearson ( Justin Terassi); Rosemount (Vanessa Aparicio), FACE (Yocoyani Badillo-Amberg), James Lyng (Iyanla Simmons); Westmount (Tanjena Akhter), LaurenHill (Sarah Vacante) and Royal Vale (Joshua Adam Werber). You can see the commercials here.
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| Students enjoy their apples. |
INTERNATIONAL APPLE PICKING: International students enrolled at Westmount Park Elementary School Syria , Libya , Mexico , China , Korea , Saudi Arabia , United Emirates, Spain and Brazil
CONCORDIA-EMSB PARTNERSHIP: The EMSB and the Concordia University Athletic Department have announced a new partnership. More than 600 EMSB students will fill Ed Meagher Arena on Wednesday, November 19 when the Concordia Women’s Stingers hockey team hosts the Carleton University Ravens for a 10:30 am. face off.
Autobus Transco is serving as a main sponsor of this pedagogically themed field trip, which will kick off a new program aimed at creating a consistent link between the university athletes and local schools that extends beyond an annual hockey game.
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| Faceoff time. |
Student athletes from multiple Concordia teams will join EMSB students throughout the year at a variety of in-school and after-school activities and events. As academic and athletic mentors for the students, the athletes will promote the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle as well as provide examples of how both men and women can achieve success in both athletics and academics. At the press conference held at Royal Vale School in NDG, four current Stingers-captain Danielle Scarlett and Assistant Captain Alyssa Sherrard, Marie-Joelle Allard and Erica Porter - as well as head coach Les Lawton and assistant coach Julie Chu, a four-time Olympian with the United States National Team, shared the message with students that females too can become elite athletes and concentrate on their academics. Students from Elizabeth Ballantyne School
OLYMPIC STARS AT EDINBURGH : One week before the Short Track ISU World Cup in Montreal Edinburgh Elementary School 500 Hudson Ave Edinburgh
EMSB GRAD A SUCCESSFUL ACTOR: Rivière des Prairies native and present-day resident Davide Chiazzese is one busy stage actor. Last week he completed his run as part of the cast of the world English-language premiere of Billy (The Days of Howling at Théâtre La Chapelle and presented by Talisman Theatre. It was written by Québecois playwright/actor Fabien Cloutier, translated by Nadine Desrochers and directed by Emma Tibaldo. From November 13 to 20, the 26 year old graduate of Michelangelo International Elementary School in RDP, Lester B. Pearson High School in Montreal North and the John Abbott College Theatre Program, will star in Teesri Duniya Theatre’s Holocaust-themed play Corpus. In Billy, Chiazzese played the father of a young child who is accused of spreading lice in his daycare.
Chiazzese was introduced to the arts at a very young age as his father was involved with l'Associazione Trinacria, an organization devoted to maintaining Sicilian culture in Quebec Eastern Canada .
THE HIGH NOTE: Series’ made directly for the web are becoming quite popular these days. Enter The High Note, a six part web series featuring a cast of young Montrealers with backgrounds in theatre, film and stand-up comedy. Performers Rena Hundert, Matt Enos, Matt Lacas, Tania Dos Santos and Joshua Budman, along with writer/director Holly Brace-Lavoie, chose NDG’s Girouard Park as the set for the series which follows a group of inspired but misguided misfits who use their limited musical talent to start a band. Brace-Lavoie went to FACE School while sisters Kelly and Lori Walker, the executive producer and producer respectively, attended Westmount High. Hundert went to FACE and Dos Santos to Laurier Macdonald High School in St. Léonard La Vitrola on Boulevard St. Laurent. The producers from an outfit called Broken Banjo are Brace-Lavoie, Marc Vandry, Kelly Walker and Lori Walker.
ANTI-HOMOPHOBIA: Before the onset of summer vacation, the EMSB Pedagogical Services Department launched its third annual Anti-Discrimination poster contest for secondary students. In light of Bill 56 and the Management and Educational Success Agreement (MESA) goal of developing safe and healthy school environments, students from all secondary schools were invited to create posters depicting the short or long term effects of homophobia and heterosexism. After receiving an overwhelming response from students across the EMSB, Lara Renzullo of Vincent Massey Collegiate in Rosemount was chosen as the winner of the contest. In recognition of her work, Lara’s poster, as well as a poster depicting some of the runners-up, has been distributed to all the high schools, and even some elementary schools. In addition, Lara received a Brault & Bouthillier gift bag of art supplies worth $150. During the 2013-2014 academic year, Lester B. Pearson High School in Montreal North established the Gay-Straight Alliance, a unique club which is open and welcoming to all students. Westmount High School
WORLD PREMATURITY DAY: Last June the Auxiliary of the Jewish General Hospital introduced its latest initiative, the Tiny Miracle Fund. It is aimed at raising funds to purchase the most technologically advanced, state-of-the-art Giraffe incubators. The JGH is one of the largest birthing centers in Quebec
The Tiny Miracle Fund provides a wonderful teaching opportunity for students. It demonstrates the importance of charity, and allows the students to be part of an important global event. Participating schools will be eligible for an NICU nurse visit during the year, where a short presentation and video will be shown. Debbie Basevitz, for instance, is the nursing co-ordinator of a clinic for post NICU patients. She attended Gardenview Elementary, St. Laurent High and Sir Winston Churchill (now LaurenHill). She currently is following a premie whose father was also her premature patient at this clinic. For further information, please call the JGH Auxiliary at (514) 340-8216 or email me at rozrinzler@hotmail.com.
JUMP ROPE: Schools are being encouraged to participate in the annual Jump rope for heart program, offered to primary schools in Montreal Canada Royal Vale School
CEDARCREST AND TERRY FOX: Along with Mayor Alan De Sousa and the local police station, Cedarcrest Elementary School
Ensuring that the students realized the importance of the cause, Mayor De Sousa participated and spoke to the students as well.“The run was a great success,” said Principal Nadia Sammarco. “We were so excited to have the Mayor in attendance as well as the police department. All of our students participated and along with their parents and the staff, we raised a lot of money for this very worthwhile cause.”
JFK’S WORK/ART PROJECT: John F. Kennedy High School
Recently, they have been fortunate to have a well known artist, Thibault Zimmer, working with them. He has collaborated with the teachers to integrate Visual Arts into the curriculum. It has encouraged students to make connections between the classroom and the world of work, to be creative in their use of common tools and materials, and express themselves in a positive manner. One of the larger projects students undertook was the restoration and beautification of some school walls. This project enabled students to learn and practice useful trade skills while also giving back to their school community. A photographic exhibit of their hard work and amazing results is currently on display at the EMSB Administration Building
GATORADE: The people from Gatorade’s Social Media Team are creating a video series featuring athletes, coaches and teams who define what it means to Win from Within. Here are the first two already completed
- BEN JACKSON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLimu0fw8gg&list=UUKbGPPMiB37HbLIAKyV9bmQ
- BOBBY HORSNBY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTNhG4Nq_IU&list=PLYHB_K45JmFoG5kns3_BH44yMmBEg0Gsq
Gatorade officials came across a Montreal
EUROPEAN ADVENTURE: Royal West Academy
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| Students and staff in Germany. |
Grade 9 students travelled to the Hesse, Rhineland Pfalz, Saarland, Baden-Wurrtemberg and Bavaria regions of Germany with stops in France, Austria and Switzerland interspersed along the way, from September 5 to 21. In the process the students and staff experienced among others; hiking in the Alps above the clouds (Obersdórf), visiting the fairy tale castles of King Ludwig II at Neuschwanstein Castle and Linderhof Palace, medieval cities such as Strasbourg (France), Heidelberg, Riqueweir, Oberammergau, and Regensberg, visiting a 600 year old functioning salt mine near Salzburg (Austria) and taking in the sites of this picturesque city and its fortified palace, a night watchman tour of Munich, as well as biking through the English Garden in Munich, the spectacular Deutches Museum, and two river cruises along the Rhine and Danube Rivers. See the complete press release.
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| Mayor Denis Coderre greets the delegation at Montreal City Hall. |
What was to come was a week of cultural discovery; they got to learn our customs and traditions, while they were telling us about theirs. Read students Romy Shoam and Clara Stewart’s full story here.
EBOLA VIRUS: Parents at the EMSB were recently sent a letter last week from the Health Minister regarding Quebec Canada
SPECIAL GUEST AT RHS GRADUATION: Rosemount High School
ANIMATORS RECOGNIZED: Spiritual Community Animators are an important asset on the front lines of education and the service has a strong impact on students at the EMSB. Students from Laurier Macdonald High School in St. Léonard
At the recent Complementary Educational Services Symposium (Caring for the Whole Child), animators Katie Leggitt (Rosemount High School), Elizabeth Pellicone (Lester B. Pearson High School) and Rocco Speranza (Vincent Massey Collegiate) presented workshops on their impact on students as well as certain initiatives in place at schools. See the press release.
CENTAUR FOR SCHOOLS: Centaur Theatre Company is proud to present its Theatre of Tomorrow (TOT) Program (http://www.centaurtheatre.com/highschools.php) for the 2014-2015 season. The TOT program makes live English theatre accessible to high school students at a discounted price. Further program benefits include a teacher’s guide providing background information, discussion topics and improvisation activities; talkback sessions are provided following the performances where students meet the cast, voice their comments and ask questions. http://www.emsb.qc.ca/emsb_en/pdf_en/media_en/flyer/2014-09-12-TotS46officialletter.pdf. For more information or to book a group, please email groups@centaurtheatre.com or call 514-288-1229 ext 245. Visit our website for a list of dates at http://www.centaurtheatre.com/highschools.php The TOT Program is supported by Great West Life, London Life, and Canada Life. For details, email Vanessa Rigaux at groups@centaurtheatre.com.
CORPUS –STORY ON THE HOLOCAUST: Montreal ’s Teesri Duniya Theatre will inaugurate its 2014-2015 season with the Quebec Auschwitz and the wife of a Nazi officer. While investigating their dark and seductive history, Megan is spurred on her quest for academic fame by the unexpected charms of her online lover. Corpus is described as a Holocaust story with a twist, one in which the third generation must confront the legacy of retelling the personal stories. Post performance panel-discussions will take place each Sunday matinee. In class activities for schools, with artists from the production and Teesri Duniya Theatre are also available. The play is directed by Liz Valdez and stars EMSB grad Davide Chiazzese. Here is the flyer.
FACE GRAD ON STAGE: FACE School grad Born and raised Talya Rubin spent 12 years as a resident of Melbourne, Australia where she met her husband Nick James and developed a most unique theatre piece called Of The Cause of Wonderful Things. It is a one-person show, starring Rubin, using projections, miniature dioramas, evocative lighting and an immersive sound design, creating worlds that are uncanny, subtle and mysterious.
FACE GRAD ON STAGE: FACE School grad Born and raised Talya Rubin spent 12 years as a resident of Melbourne, Australia where she met her husband Nick James and developed a most unique theatre piece called Of The Cause of Wonderful Things. It is a one-person show, starring Rubin, using projections, miniature dioramas, evocative lighting and an immersive sound design, creating worlds that are uncanny, subtle and mysterious.
When Rubin became a mom two years ago, she convinced James to relocate to her hometown of Montreal with the promise that they would return to Australia La Chapelle (3700 Rue Saint-Dominique) in the trendy Plateau District. Rubin describes the play as a moving, intricate and darkly comic installation theatre piece about five children who disappear in a small town in the American South. James directs the production, which is limited to an audience of 50 people per show. “Because of the nature of this play, the idea of filling the hall does not work for this piece,” Rubin explains. “I am up there alone for 65 minutes as we visually create different worlds on stage. Because so much of our engagement these days is passive, it disconnects us from feeling, which I think is a great loss.” See the flyer.
ADMINISTRATOR PHOTOS: There is a new section on EDocs (the EMSB internal online document sharing program) with administrator photos. Those with access can go to this link and place their user name and password.
TED CONFERENCE: Students from Grades 6 to 11, are being invited to participate in the third annual TEDxYouth@Montreal conference that will be held on Saturday, November 15, 2014 at the Collège de Montréal, from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The theme this year is Imagine. Organizers have carefully curated a great roster that consists of 12 speakers and two performers with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences; our speakers and performers will deliver an afternoon full of ideas, emotions & inspiration! TEDxYouth@Montreal Imagine Conference is organized and run by volunteers wanting to make a difference in student’s lives; our speakers and partners have also graciously donated their time and money so that we can offer this conference at the lowest cost possible to our attendees. The cost per ticket is $20 per person (snacks and beverages included). Please visit www.tedxyouthmontreal.com for more details and to view the talks from their last two conferences. Organizers expect the conference to be sold out, as in the past years, so please ask your students to sign up quickly! If you would like further information please do not hesitate to contact Louise@tedxyouthmontreal.com. Please note we would also be very happy to provide you with posters should you wish to hang them in your schools.
INTERNATIONAL MUSIC DAY: Eight students from St. Gabriel Elementary School FACE School
YOUTH PROTECTION WORKSHOP: The Student Services Department organized a workshop entitled “Youth Protection: A Collective Responsibility” on October 1. Department of Youth Protection (Batshaw Youth and Family Centres) Assistant Director Harley Schwartz and DYP Manager Marisa Trentadue were the guest speakers. The objective of the workshop was to outline the major elements of the Youth Protection Act, which provided a greater understanding of its application as well as provided the opportunity to understand the obligation with respect to ensuring the safety of children. The presentation also included references to the Multi-sectoral Entente and the role which the school plays in facilitating the appropriate intervention when a child is a victim of physical or sexual abuse by his parents or by an employee within the school. The notion of when to report such cases was discussed as well as how the EMSB can continue to maintain a strong working relationship with the Department of Youth Protection as we move forward with the objective being the safety of children.
MENTAL HEALTH VIDEO LINK: Congratulations to Secondary V student Eleni Giannakas from Laurier Macdonald High School in St. Léonard for having the courage to produce this video on YouTube about her personal battle with depression. “The video was made because of her personal situation; it was a healing tool,” says her mom Gail. “She posted it on Facebook and sent emails. If she can help one person seek help and also make people more aware then she has done what she intended to do. I know she felt that coming from a teenager might make people think twice.”
WALK TO SCHOOL: Continuing the tradition, students from Royal Vale School
participate in International Walk to School Day on October 8. The walk began at N.D.G. Park 15 a .m. Students, parents and representatives from the school had a police escort as they made their way into school. Elementary school students in over 40 countries walked to school that morning. This program began in 1997 and the success of the campaign has prompted October to be dubbed “International Walk to School” month.
CBC HOLIDAY CONTEST: Students in Grades 4, 5 and 6 are once again being invited to make submissions to the annual CBC Holiday Story Contest. Those who have their stories chosen will be able to read them on air on the CBC Homerun program, hosted by Sue Smith. The theme of the contest this year is: Tell Us About Your Favourite Family Holiday Tradition. Submissions are welcome now until November 14. See the flyer here.
ADULT EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL SERVICES
CORN ON THE COB: The Galileo Adult Education Centre recently hosted their Corn Roast to welcome back all students and teachers. The S.I.S students took part in husking the corn and academic students served out the corn to all students and staff. For many students this was an introduction to the history of the harvest season and experiencing a Quebec
On the evening of October 9, a number of Galileo Adult Centre literacy students and staff were offered the unique opportunity to explore the Foresta Lumina exhibition in the Gorge de Coaticook. This 2 km nocturnal course focused on the park’s natural light; one of Quebec Quebec Quebec
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| SIS Program reps. |
SIS PROGRAM: On October 21 Galileo, in partnership with the CRITED de Montréal, opened the doors to welcome 13 new special needs students to our the program which promotes independence and social integration by exploring the students’ personal, social, and school experiences in a stimulating environment. The new students took the time to walk through each classroom and were mesmerized by the current students’ various talents in art, cooking, music, computers skills, theatre and academics. “Our current S.I.S teachers and students have created a quality of life and an environment that makes our students feel supported and welcomed,” says Principal Martina Schiavone. “At Galileo, our S.I.S students are fully integrated into the Centre’s everyday life and treated as an important people.”
JAMES LYNG TEACHER SHINES: Vicky Reuter, an English Language Arts teacher at James Lyng Adult Education Centre in St. Henri, was chosen as one of a select few finalists for the CBC and Quebec Writers Federation Short Fiction contest. It's a thread of a story about death and design and colour and the details surrounding important things that are not so important until you pull that thread. On October 27, the stories were published on the CBC website and members of the public began to vote. Here is the link.
That process concludes on November 14. The first and second prize winners will be unveiled at a gala on November 18. The third prize will be the Public Award, based on how many votes the story gets on the CBC website. “These contests are very important and quite prestigious,” she says. “They support English writers in Quebec US , and also in Rampike, a literary magazine in Ontario , as well as Branch in Montreal
COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP: The Quebec Board of Black Educators and The Rosemount Technology Centre will be hosting their second banquet “Celebrating Community and Leadership” on Saturday November 1 (6:30 p.m.) at Le Nouvel Hotel (1740 Rene Levesque Boulevard West). This banquet will honour the memory of Curtis George, an outstanding educator in the Black and wider Montreal communities. He was a teacher, elementary principal and Assistant Centre Director RTC. The EMSB named Campus Two of RTC in his honour. Mr. George was a member of the Greta Chambers Task Force on English education. He accompanied then Montreal Mayor Pierre Bourque to Trinidad and they forged a link between that Caribbean country and the City of Montreal. Proceeds will go towards the EMSB/QBBE Curtis George Memorial Scholarship. Tickets are $100 each. They include dinner and a contribution to the scholarship fund, which is tax refundable. Info: (514) 481-9400 or qbbe@videotron.ca.
ÉLECTIONS SCOLAIRES : Les élections
scolaires auront lieu le dimanche 2 novembre 2014 avec des candidats/candidates
déclaré(e)s pour la présidence et chacun des 10 postes de commissaires. Le vote
par anticipation aura lieu le dimanche 26 octobre. Pour la liste des candidats, cliquez ici. Pour être éligible à
voter, vous devez figurer actuellement sur la liste permanente des électeurs du
Québec, être âgé de 18 ans ou plus, être citoyen canadien, domicilié sur le
territoire de la CSEM, être domicilié au Québec depuis au moins six mois, ne
pas être sous curatelle et n’avoir pas été reconnu coupable d’un délit de
corruption électorale. Tout parent, dont l’enfant est inscrit à une école
primaire ou secondaire du secteur des jeunes de la CSEM au 30 septembre 2014,
est automatiquement inscrit à la liste électorale. En outre, tout électeur qui
a fait un choix avant les élections de novembre 2007 et qui fait inscrire son
nom sur la liste électorale de la CSEM, est inclus. Ces personnes auront signé
un formulaire spécial. D’autres l’auront fait avant le 14 octobre.
SEMAINE
ÉDUCATION MÉDIAS : HabiloMédias et la Fédération canadienne des
enseignantes et des enseignants (FCEE) ont le plaisir d’annoncer que le thème
de la neuvième Semaine éducation médias du Canada (3-7 novembre 2014)
mettra l’accent sur les usages positifs des réseaux sociaux par les jeunes. Le
thème officiel de la Semaine – Les jeunes
sur les réseaux sociaux : créativité, connexion et collaboration – invitera les membres de la profession enseignante et les
parents à travailler avec les jeunes pour promouvoir le large éventail d’activités
qu’ils mènent quotidiennement sur les plateformes sociales. Le sondage
2013 d’HabiloMédias de 5436 élèves, de la 4e à la 11e
année, a démontré une utilisation élevée des réseaux sociaux par les jeunes
canadiens. Les sites d’affichage et de partage de contenu, tels que YouTube,
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter et Tumblr ont été les plus utilisés par tous les
groupes d’âge. Bien que l’accent principal des plateformes soit placé sur leurs
activités sociales, les élèves les utilisent aussi pour de l’apprentissage,
l’expression créative, le soutien de pairs et la promotion. HabiloMédias et la
FCEE ont le grand plaisir d’accueillir à nouveau YouTube en tant que
commanditaire or de la Semaine Éducation Médias. Au cours de la semaine, une
variété d’activités ont lieu dans les foyers, les écoles et les communautés à
travers le Canada et à l’échelle internationale dans le but de promouvoir
l’importance de la connaissance des médias pour les enfants et les adolescents.
SOIRÉE DES
RETRAITÉ(E)S : La Soirée annuelle des retraité(e)s de la
CSEM, qui a eu lieu le 21 octobre dernier à l’hôtel Intercontinental du
centre-ville de Montréal, a honoré 84 anciens employés de la CSEM, qui ont
occupé des postes d’administrateurs, d’éducateurs, de professionnels et de
personnel de soutien. La présidente de la CSEM, Angela Mancini, ainsi que la directrice générale adjointe (Division
de l’Éducation 2) Roma Medwid, la directrice générale adjointe (Division de
l’Éducation 1) Paola Miniaci, le directeur général adjoint (Administration)
Angelo Marino, plusieurs commissaires de la CSEM et cadres supérieurs ont
présenté à chaque retraité(e) un pichet en cristal Hillcrest. Quelques uns des
employés de longue date honorés cette année incluaient l’ancienne secrétaire
générale Joanne Bisbikos qui a pris sa retraite après 52 années de service
auprès de la Commission ; Gail Ewing, enseignante à l’Académie LaurenHill
qui compte 49 années de service et Robert Lipscombe, enseignant à l’école
secondaire John F. Kennedy qui a pris sa retraite après 47 années de service.
Voir les photos dans le nouvel album de photos ici. https://plus.google.com/photos/104770142881370846508/albums/6073112053025983441?banner=pwa
RÉNOVATIONS
À GERALD MCSHANE : La cour de l’école primaire Gerald McShane de
Montréal-Nord entreprendra des rénovations grâce à une subvention de 25 000 $
du ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport qui transformera cet espace
en un paradis pour les enfants, avec des aires de jeux et de repos, ainsi que
des espaces verts. Le financement a été rendu possible par la « Mesure
d’embellissement des cours d’école » du MELS, qui permet aux commissions
scolaires d’élaborer divers projets d’amélioration de l’état physique des
écoles et de leurs environs, en partenariat avec la communauté. Cette mesure
aide à créer un environnement stimulant et sécuritaire propice à la pratique
des sports, entre autres avantages tangibles.
ARTS
URBAINS : L’école secondaire James Lyng de Saint-Henri, désignée
comme école des arts urbains, a lancé son nouveau cours intégré Arts des médias,
en invitant le renommé photographe documentaliste Jamel Shabazz à présenter un atelier aux élèves du secondaire V.
Shabazz , né et élevé à Brooklyn NY, a obtenu sa première caméra à l’âge de 15
ans et a entrepris à enregistrer le monde qui l’entourait. Jamel s’est inspiré
des travaux de James Van Der Zee, Gordon Parks, Robert Capa, Chester Higgins et
Eli Reed. Auteur de trois monographies, il travaille actuellement à son
quatrième livre intitulé « The 90’s ». Shabazz est engagé à servir de
mentor aux jeunes dans le domaine de la photographie et de la planification de
carrière. L’atelier a eu lieu le 9 octobre.
TOY TEA :
Des
élèves de la Commission scolaire English-Montréal (CSEM) participeront à
nouveau à la collecte de nouveaux jouets pour le 23e Toy Tea annuel qui aura lieu le 3
décembre à la salle Tudor, au 5e étage du magasin Ogilvy.
Les jouets seront remis à plus de 5 000
enfants qui sont mis à l’abri et protégé des abus ou de la violence ainsi qu’à
d’autres organismes caritatifs pour enfants. Ce sera la 12e
participation de la CSEM à la campagne Toy
Tea qui est une initiative de l’ancienne animatrice de vie spirituelle et
d’engagement communautaire, Irene Miller.
Des élèves de chaque école, en compagnie de
leurs animateurs de vie spirituelle, enseignants, et de parents bénévoles
assisteront à l’évènement pour remettre les jouets et recevoir des certificats
spéciaux de participation, remis par Claire Kruyt, présidente de Toy Tea, ainsi que par M. et Mme Noël.
L’évènement mettra aussi en vedette l’exécution de chansons de Noël par
diverses chorales d’écoles.
« Toy
Tea est une bonne levée de fonds pour une bonne cause, parce que tout le
monde sait à qui sont destinés les jouets » déclare Dora Cesta, directrice
adjointe des Services aux élèves de la CSEM. « Quel que soit le nombre
d’élèves qui participent à cet évènement, l’engagement est toujours présent et
les écoles se mobilisent pour aider la campagne. »
Les écoles peuvent participer en recueillant
de nouveaux jouets non-violents. Bien que la préférence est accordée à ces
derniers, qui peuvent être livrés non emballés à la salle Tudor entre 10 h et
16 h le 3 décembre, les dons et les chèques libellés à l’ordre de Toy Tea sont aussi fortement appréciés.
Connectez-vous à www.toyteamontreal.org pour plus
de renseignements.
CUEILLETTE
INTERNATIONALE DE POMMES : Les élèves internationaux inscrits à
l’école primaire Westmount Park ont apprécié une journée de cueillette de
pommes à la ferme Quinn le 19 septembre. Il y a eu 40 élèves internationaux de
la 1re à la 6e année provenant des pays suivants : Syrie,
Liban, Mexique, Chine, Corée, Arabie Saoudite, Émirats Unis, Espagne et Brésil.
Les élèves ont apporté leurs propres repas et la ferme Quinn a offert des
muffins aux pommes et du jus de pomme à tous les élèves.
ANTI-HOMOPHOBIE :
Avant
le début des vacances d’été, les Services pédagogiques de la CSEM ont lancé
leur troisième concours d’affiche anti-discrimination pour les élèves du
secondaire. Dans le cadre de l’objectif de la loi 56 et de la Convention de
gestion et de réussite académique de développer dans des environnements
scolaires sûrs et sains, les élèves de toutes les écoles secondaires ont été
invités à créer des affiches décrivant les effets, à court et à long terme, de
l’homophobie et de l’hétérosexisme. Après avoir reçu une réponse enthousiaste
de la part des élèves à travers toute la CSEM, Lara Renzullo du Collège Vincent Massey, a été déclarée gagnante du
concours, en reconnaissance de son travail. L’affiche de Lara, ainsi qu’une
affiche décrivant quelques finalistes, a été distribuée à toutes les écoles
secondaires et même à quelques écoles primaires. En
outre, Lara a reçu un sac cadeau de Brault & Bouthillier contenant des
fournitures d’art d’une valeur de 150 $. Au cours de l’année scolaire
2013-1014, l’école Lester B. Pearson de Montréal-Nord a établi l’Alliance Gay-Straight, un club unique en son
genre qui accueille et est ouvert à tous les élèves. L’école secondaire
Westmount doit aussi établir un club semblable au cours de cette année scolaire.
CEDARCREST
ET LA COURSE TERRY FOX : En compagnie du maire Alan De Sousa et le poste local de
police, l’école primaire Cedarcrest a récemment organisé une course Terry Fox
couronnée de succès qui a permis à l’école de recueillir plus de 6 000 $. Les
élèves ont profité d’une journée très clémente pour démontrer leur appui à la
Fondation Terry Fox. Afin de s’assurer que les élèves réalisent l’importance de
la cause, le maire De Sousa y a participé et s’est aussi adressé aux élèves.
« La course a remporté un grand succès » a déclaré la directrice Nadia Sammarco. « Nous avons été
ravis de la participation du maire et du service de police. Tous nos élèves ont
participé à la course, en compagnie de leurs parents et du personnel, et nous
avons recueilli beaucoup d’argent pour cette cause très digne d’intérêt. ».
VIRUS
EBOLA : Les parents de la CSEM ont récemment reçu une lettre du
Ministre de la santé au sujet de l’état de préparation du Québec pour traiter
tous cas de virus Ebola. Le but de cette lettre était d’alléger toutes
préoccupations dans les communautés ayant des membres provenant de pays affectés
par l’Ebola ainsi que de réaffirmer qu’il n’y avait absolument aucun risque à
interagir avec les membres de ces communautés. Depuis que l’Organisation
mondiale de la santé a déclaré l’éclosion de l’Ebola en Afrique de l’Ouest, une
situation d’urgence, d’envergure internationale, le gouvernement du Canada a
mis en place diverses mesures visant à réduire tous risques pour les voyageurs
en provenance de pays affectés par l’Ebola. À ce jour, aucunes restrictions ne
sont imposées aux personnes de pays où sévit l’Ebola ou qui ont été en contact
direct avec une personne de ces pays si elle n’a aucun symptôme qui pourrait
être associé à l’Ebola. Cependant, les personnes qui démontrent ces symptômes,
tels que de la fièvre accompagnée de maux de tête, de douleurs musculaires, de
vomissements, de diarrhée ou de fatigue, dans les 21 jours de leur séjour dans
un pays affecté par l’Ebola, devraient communiquer avec Info-Santé en composant
le 811 pour obtenir de l’information. Les recommandations et les informations
pour les personnes qui se rendent dans un pays affecté par l’Ebola sont
disponibles au site Web de l’Agence de santé publique du Canada, à l’adresse
suivante : http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/id-mi/vhf-fvh/ebola-fra.php.
ATELIER
PROTECTION DE LA JEUNESSE : Les Services aux élèves ont organisé
le 1er octobre, un atelier intitulé « Protection de la jeunesse
– une responsabilité collective ». Le directeur adjoint du Service de la
protection de la jeunesse (Centres de la jeunesse et de la famille Batshaw) Harley Schwartz et la directrice du département
Protection de la jeunesse, Maria
Trentadue, étaient les conférenciers invités de l’atelier. L’objectif de
l’atelier a été de souligner les éléments majeurs de la Loi de la protection de
la jeunesse, qui ont permis de comprendre son application ainsi que de donner
l’occasion de comprendre l’obligation du respect d’assurer la sécurité des
enfants. La présentation a aussi inclus des références à l’Entente
multisectorielle et au rôle de l’école pour faciliter l’intervention appropriée
lorsqu’un enfant est victime d’abus physique ou sexuel de la part de ses
parents ou d’un employé de l’école. La notion du moment opportun de rapporter
de tels cas a été discutée ainsi que la façon dont la CSEM peut continuer à
maintenir une forte relation de travail avec le Département de la protection de
la jeunesse.
SERVICES
DE L’ÉDUCATION DES ADULTES ET DE LA FORMATION PROFESSIONNELLE
CÉLÉBRATION
DU LEADERSHIP COMMUNAUTAIRE : Le deuxième banquet
du Conseil des éducateurs noirs du Québec et du Centre de technologie Rosemont
(CTR) « Célébration de la communauté et du leadership » aura lieu le
samedi 1er novembre (16 h 30) au Le Nouvel Hôtel (1740, boulevard
René Lévesque ouest). Ce banquet célèbrera la mémoire de Curtis George, un
éducateur exceptionnel de la communauté noire et de Montréal. Il a été
enseignant, directeur d’école primaire et directeur adjoint du CTR. La CSEM a
nommé le campus II du CTR en son honneur. M. George a été membre du Groupe de
travail Greta Chambers sur l’éducation en anglais. Il a accompagné le maire Pierre
Bourque à Trinidad où ils ont forgé un lien entre ce pays des Caraïbes et la
Ville de Montréal. Le coût du billet, qui inclut le diner et une contribution
au fonds de bourse d’études, est de 100 $ et le produit de la soirée sera versé
à la Fondation de la bourse d’études Curtis George. Info : (514) 481-9400
ou qbbe@videotron.ca.
UNE
ENSEIGNANTE DE JAMES LYNG SE DISTINGUE : Vicky Reuter, enseignante d’English Language Arts au Centre
d’éducation des adultes James Lyng, a été choisie comme l’une des quelques
finalistes sélectionnées du Concours de courte fiction de CBC et de la
Fédération des écrivains du Québec. Son récit parle de la mort, du design et de
la couleur ainsi que des détails entourant des choses qui ne sont plus si
importantes, une fois que vous en déroulez le fil. Le 27 octobre, ces récits
ont été publiés au site Web de CBC et les membres du public ont commencé à
voter et ce processus se termine le 14 novembre. Le premier et le second prix
seront dévoilés le 18 novembre. Le
troisième prix sera le Prix du public, basé sur le nombre de votes obtenus au
site Web de CBC. « Ces concours sont très importants et prestigieux »
déclare Vicky Reuter. « Ils appuient les écrivains anglophones du Québec.
Mon travail a été déjà publié à plusieurs endroits aux E.U. ainsi que dans
Rampike, une revue littéraire de l’Ontario ainsi que dans Branch à Montréal et
Hedges à l’Université de Montréal. « Le sourire de mes élèves me soutient
et m’inspire. » Qu’est-ce qu’elle aime écrire? De très courts récits qui
fractionne le temps et réinventent des espaces où la poésie et la prose se
rencontrent et ne se reconnaissent pas, poursuit Vicky. « J’aime
écrire des récits qui ne sont pas faciles – des récits qui ne ressemblent pas à
des récits, recueillis de bribes de conversation, d’un regard rapide à travers
la fenêtre, des explications scientifiques, de paroles de chansons, de coups de
vent qui portent des ballades urbaines fracturées et de la même façon dont nous
cuisinons – ajouter des ingrédients et goûter. Lorsque vous terminez, vous avez
un soupçon de chaque ingrédient. Tous les ingrédients se mélangent et se
transforment – par exemple, comme pour la soupe. J’aime séparer les ingrédients
et leur donner leur propre vie. »
DATES
IMPORTANTES
25
octobre 2014
Congrès de l’Association parents-élèves du Québec
29
et 30 octobre 2014
Foire des carrières de la CSEM
Centre des carrières St. Pius X
3 au 7 novembre 2014
Semaine
éducation médias
10 au 14 novembre
2014
Semaine
internationale de la science et de la paix
11 novembre 2014
Jour
du Souvenir
16 novembre 2014
Journée
internationale de la tolérance
17 au 21 novembre
2014
Semaine
des professionnels en éducation
27 au 28 novembre
2014
Congrès
de l’Association provinciale des enseignantes et enseignants du Québec
The next Focus will be published on November 27, 2014 Submissions should be made to Michael J. Cohen preferably by e-mail (mcohen@emsb.qc.ca) by November 21, 2014
If you no longer wish to receive the EMSB Focus please go to www.emsb.qc.ca/antispam
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