JUNE 15, 2017 EDITION / VOLUME 19 NUMBER 11 / THE OFFICIAL BULLETIN OF THE EMSB

Editor:                        Michael J. Cohen

Translation:              Manon Bourassa

Copy Editor:            Alessandra Nardolillo

Summer holidays are almost here, but classes will resume quickly enough.

BACK TO SCHOOL: Students  of the EMSB primary and secondary institutions will return to class on Wednesday,  August 30, 2017. Kindergarten children must be five years of age on or before September 30, 2017 while  Grade 1 (Cycle 1) students must be six years old on or before the same date. Registration for those not previously enrolled will begin on Tuesday,  August 15  for elementary and secondary schools. Parents are asked to call the school in their neighbourhood to make an appointment. Parents are urged to consult the Board’s  website at www.emsb.qc.ca, which also contains information about the successful adult education and vocational training programs. E-mail inquiries can be sent to informationdesk@emsb.qc.ca  or you can call 514- 483-7200.   The EMSB serves more than 40,000 students at 35 elementary schools, 17 secondary schools, eight alternative outreach  high schools, seven social affairs institutions and 10 adult and vocational centres.   All pupils registering for the first time are required to provide a birth certificate and  vaccination records to the school the child will be attending. Parents will be asked to fill out forms which will allow the school to apply for the  certificate of eligibility for English schooling. Under the Charter of the French Language, a certificate of eligibility is generally granted to children who did the majority of their elementary or secondary studies in English in Canada; whose mother or father did the majority of his/her  elementary studies in English in  Canada or whose brother or sister did  the majority of his/her elementary or secondary studies in English in Canada. Please note that as a result of Quebec law, this criteria excludes studies completed in the Quebec Private School system.

Michael Cohen receives his award from Jennifer Macarone.

EMSB CAPTURES AWARDS: The EMSB was presented with two  Excellence in Education Awards sponsored by Global Excel Management at the annual Association of Administrators of English Schools of Quebec/Quebec English School Boards Association Spring Conference in Bromont. EMSB Communications and Marketing Specialist Michael J. Cohen was recognized with the Public School Promotion Award while Focus Alternative High School in NDG received the Innovation in Teaching or Program Delivery Award. The Public School Promotion Award is presented annually to a QESBA-member school board or individual school for a program or campaign that enhances the image and awareness of English public schooling in Quebec. The EMSB’s “ÊTRE BILINGUE, C’EST GAGNANT!” marketing and promotion campaign was recognized. The Innovation in Teaching or Program Delivery Award goes to an individual teacher, consultant or school administrator or a group of such individuals for the development or implementation of a classroom or after-school program that best exemplifies innovation in teaching or program delivery.

The team from Focus receives their award.

The Focus Alternative High School project was submitted by Carol Marriott, a member of the ASSET Team.  It recognizes achievements in such areas as the arts, addressing students with special needs, technological innovation and drop-out prevention. 

Ann Marie Matheson, Angela Mancini, Katya Kredl, Royal West Principal Tony Pita, Selena Laneuville and Commissioner Joseph Lalla.

PECK AWARDS: Robert Alfred Peck had been an employee of former Protestant School Board of Greater Montreal who had served as a Teacher, Department Head, Superintendent of French and was Vice-Principal of Riverdale High School before retiring in 1970. Mr. Peck had co-authored the textbook for the teaching of French as a second language called ‘Le francais pratique’ which was a mainstay in Protestant schools in Quebec for over 20 years. He had been described by a long-time educator as ‘one of the best French teachers he had ever known’. Mr. Peck’s family had asked our Board to establish a prize in their father’s name and this was done in May 2002. The prize was awarded for the first time in December 2002 and Mr. Peck was in attendance to present the students their prize. Mr. Peck passed away in February 2006 at the age of 92. The prize is given annually to graduating students of the EMSB who have achieved the highest mark in French 634 504. The recipients of the prize for 2016-17 are Katya Kredl and Selena Laneuville, Secondary V students currently attending Royal West Academy, having each attained the mark of 100 percent.

Evelyn Alfonsi, Pela Nickoletopoulos, Angela Mancini, Jackie Dare, Ann Marie Matheson, Parkdale Principal Marylène Perron and Roma Medwid from The Learning Partnership.

WELCOME TO KINDERGARTEN: This year's  The Learning Partnership Welcome to Kindergarten Award Winners are teacher Jackie Dare from Parkdale Elementary School in  St. Laurent and Principal Marisa Mineiro  from Michelangelo International Elementary School in RDP. These awards honour individuals/agencies/school teams who demonstrate greatness in community/school collaboration; in the Welcome to Kindergarten™ program planning/implementation; and, in providing support to young children and families within their school communities.

Pela Nickoletopoulos, Evelyn Alfonsi, Angela Mancini, Marisa Mineiro, Ann Marie Matheson, Joe Ortona and Roma Medwid.

POETRY WINNER: O’Poésie is a French as a Second Language poetry contest open to Quebec youth aged 10 to 17. Organized by Canadian Parents for French, Quebec Project, this provincial contest allows FSL students to share their experiences by using words in a fresh, creative way. For its inaugural edition, O’Poésie received 63 poems: 13 in the 10 to 13 age category and 50 in the 14 to 17 age category. The participants came from five different English school boards. Tashya Weatherston, a Grade 9 French immersion student at Westmount High School,  was one of the winners for her poem Ma mère that she wrote for French class. She won a bursary from the Centre linguistique du Collège de Jonquière “It was part of a project that I do with my class and I decided to send all of the poems of my two classes to the CPF contest,” said teacher Layla Khanji,

Attar Aziz is congratulated for his achievement.

SCHOLASTICS CHAMPION: Thirteen-year old Attar Aziz of LaurenHill Academy’s Junior Campus in St. Laurent is this year’s Quebec Provincial Champion of the “Scholastic Challenge” contest. The Scholastic Challenge is a Canada-wide contest for Grade 8 students designed as an enrichment activity to stimulate students’ interest in knowledge, thinking and learning, and to offer a challenge to top-achieving students.  The contest has been offered nation-wide since 1998. It consists of 100 on-line questions and lasts one hour. The six categories covered in the test are:  General Knowledge (food, art, sports, music, current events, entertainment, mythology, etc.), Language and Literature, History, Geography and Science and Math. Attar is an honour-roll student in LaurenHill Academy’s Francais langue d’enseignement program.  He is also in Enriched English and Enriched Math classes.  Prior to attending LaurenHill , he was enrolled at Gardenview Elementary School, also in St. Laurent.  When asked about his future goals, he states that he would like to become a chemical engineer. Attar was be formally recognized for his achievement at LaurenHill Academy’s annual Awards Assembly.For further information concerning “Scholastic Challenge” which also has a contest for Grade 6 students, please visit:  www.schoolschallenge.com. See the full press release here.

Patrick Charland and students introduce their robot to Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau.

TRUDEAU STUDENTS HEAD TO JAPAN:  After capturing the attention of the judges at the regional robotics competition in April, a team of six students from Pierre Elliott Trudeau School in Rosemount has been invited to compete at the 21st international RoboCup competition, taking place from July 27 to 30, in Nagoya, Japan. Since the beginning of the school year, students have worked on Johnny the Robot, a functional machine that was built and programmed during class, recess, lunch and after school. Built with various techniques, including a number of 3D printed parts, Johnny is controlled remotely and designed “dance” to popular music. Led by teacher Patrick Charland, students won gold and bronze in two categories at the Robocup Junior event in April. During his career, Charland’s students have won the local Robocup Junior competition six times as well as he has competed internationally in Germany, Portugal and Japan, capturing first place on two occasions. The international robotics competition attracts 4,000 participants from around the world and is the world’s largest event for intelligent and autonomous robots. The organization’s mission is to invent, design and develop prototype robots. The event attracts participants and researches from age 11 to post-doctoral students and its aim is to create the next generation of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) innovations that will impact everyday lives in a positive way. Montreal is scheduled to host the 2018 edition of the competition.  The students are currently fundraising in advance for their trip to Japan.

ROBOCUP INTERNATIONAL: The City of Montreal, in partnership with the EMSB, will host the 22nd Robocup International Competition and Symposium one year from now, June 15 to 22, 2018. EMSB Science, Technology and Robotics Consultant Sara Iatauro is the local organizing committee chair. A press conference will be held at École de technologie supérieure (ETS) on Monday, June 19.
The RoboCup Federation, a distinguished non-profit research and development organization, annually hosts an international event with intelligent and autonomous cutting-edge robots developed by students world-wide.

Students like this adore the STEAM initiative.

NEW STEAM SCHOOLS: The EMSB has announced the expansion of  its very successful STEAM initiative for the 2017-2018 academic year. “STEAM” stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. It represents a multi-disciplinary initiative that promotes creativity and high levels of student engagement, as they perform a series of group projects that not only involve five school subject domains, but also makes them more relevant, creative, discovery-based and interesting for students. STEAM is subject-specific learning. It aims to foster inquiring minds, logical reasoning, and collaboration skills.  Joining pilot project schools  General Vanier in St. Léonard and Pierre Elliott Trudeau in Rosemount will be 10 elementary schools Elizabeth Ballantyne in Montreal West, Pierre de Coubertin and Honoré-Mercier in St. Léonard, Coronation in Côte des Neiges; Westmount Park;  Carlyle in TMR; Gardenview in St. Laurent; Michelangelo in RDP; Dalkeith in Anjou; Bancroft in the  Plateau; and two high schools: John Paul I in St. Léonard and James Lyng in St. Henri.

LOVE OF READING: On May 25 three teachers and students from St. Dorothy Elementary School in St. Michel thought they were participating in a general informational conference call with the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation to discuss the state and need within their library. Little did they know that the Foundation was about to reveal that they were in fact a recipient of a $20,000 Literacy Fund grant to transform their school library. St. Dorothy is one of 30 recipients to receive a 2017 Literacy Fund grant, part of a $1.5 million commitment given by the Foundation each year to high-needs elementary schools across Canada in an effort to bolster literacy and give all children equal access to books. Over the past 13 years, the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation has committed more than $25 million in funding, helping more than 3,000 schools, and transforming the lives of over 900,000 Canadian children. St. Dorothy School was thrilled to hear they would have the opportunity to transform their school library over the next three years.  The school currently has 150 students with a library budget of $1750.00 which allows for $11.70 per student. The average age of books in St. Dorothy School’s library is approximately seven years old, making them one of the many Canadian schools in dire need of new books. Now, as a result of the Literacy Fund grant, St.  Dorothy will be able to increase its library collection by 6 books per student for each of the three grant years, totaling 1400 new books.  Global TV's Morning News will broadcast live remotes from St. Dorothy on the final day of classes, June 22. See the full press release.

LDV Principal Nadia Sammarco, Sylvia Lo Bianco,  Rino Folino, Christian Weiman and Simona Lombardo Varisco.

EMSB IMPACT NIGHT: For the 12th year in a row, the EMSB  has continued its partnership with the Montreal Impact soccer team through its “All the Way with the Impact” program. Members of the Impact have been visiting schools to remind young students of the importance of studying, persevering and building self-confidence in order to succeed. The traditional “EMSB Night”  took place on May 30 when the Impact hosted the Vancouver Whitecaps at Saputo Stadium. This was part of the Amway Canadian Championship, which involves the top professional clubs in Canada, in the race to qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League. That is an international competition between professional clubs from North America, Central America and the Caribbean.  More than 2,250 tickets were sold to EMSB students and staff for the game.  Montreal won an exciting match, 4-2.  Before the game the EMSB’s presence was  recognized and two students were presented with the Tony Licursi Bursary, valued at $500 each. Mr. Licursi was the team’s statistician and a devoted member of the James Lyng High School Alumni Association. He passed away a number of years ago. The award recognizes excellence in school and sports, preferably soccer. This year’s winners were Christian Weiman from Royal Vale School in NDG and Simona Lombardo Varisco from Leonardo Da Vinci Academy in RDP. Impact Director of Business Development Rino Folino made the presentation. He is a graduate of Lester B. Pearson High School. See the press release.

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ALOUETTES FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITY: The Montreal Alouettes will play their first regular season game on Thursday, June 22 at Molson Stadium against the Saskatchewan Roughriders and EMSB schools have a special opportunity to purchase tickets and use it as a simple fundraiser at the same time. Every school will be receiving a unique link and promo code. Parents and EMSB staff can print the tickets from their home or office.  Anyone who wishes to do this the old fashioned way can call John Di Terlizzi at 514-787-2755 and he will handle the request.  Tickets are $16 each, with $3 going back to each school.  You can also order individual tickets at the reduced price from our website.

Students proudly showcased  their art.

JFK ART GALLERY: A group of at-risk students from John F. Kennedy High School in St. Michel decided to show their talent to the public via the creation of an art gallery. This was a space for the W.O.T.P. (Work Oriented Training Pathway) to highlight and expose the collection of student works and to celebrate the creative efforts over the course of the four years of the program. Teachers and program coordinators Stefan Kazamias and Anthony Tonin are very proud of their students. “Mr. Tonin and I are not only teachers and program coordinators, we are the coaches, the big brothers and the caretakers of our students’ growth,” he said. “The exhibit this year was as much about representing the culmination of their artistic efforts as it was about giving them a chance to see the public appreciate their work and talent. If you give young people a chance to grow, they’ll grow.”Visitors to the exhibit were truly moved by these works of art. Seeing the talent that was present in the rooms of people was electric. An even better feeling of joy came over those on hand when they saw the happiness and hope in the eyes of the students talking to people about their work. You could tell they were proud. They had made an effort for this event, and it all paid off. Over 100 guests were on hand to lend their support to these at-risk students who struggle with a variety of difficulties including autism, socio-behavioral difficulties and physical and intellectual limitations. See this video by Eleni Giannakis 

Staff and students at the museum.

JAMES LYNG AT THE MUSEUM: For the next few months, students from James Lyng High School in St. Henri will be taking part in a revolution of sorts – with their artwork on display for the duration of the Revolution exhibit at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.  With the help of teacher Nathan Gage and Youth Fusion coordinator Tina Carlisi, students in Secondary III spent a great part of this year designing pieces that fit the exhibit, which explores late-sixties counter-culture years through art, music, fashion and design. To prepare for the exhibition, the class spent time researching late 1960s culture as well as created ‘mood boards’ which served as the foundation for their artwork and included ideas for lighting, colour and texture. Additionally, they wrote poetry based upon the themes of their research and worked with local photographer Nicolas Gouin to create artistic portraits that are on display as part of the exhibition. The class has previous experience curating art shows as they act as administrators for James Lyng High School’s Up Next Gallery, located inside the school. The exhibition runs from June 17 until September 22.

John Caboto Academy students created this unique project.

MENTAL HEALTH: The EMSB community once again came together this year to mark Mental Health Awareness Week. At the head office, the Mental Health Resource Centre (MHRC), organized a talk on Relationships: Tips on how to work with difficult people with Dr. Sydney Miller, psychologist and CJAD radio host. To promote this endeavour with our students, the MHRC asked schools to create projects with the theme of NATURE.  They were asked to cover from one to four domains pertaining to nature using their five senses. The domains were: growing, going (i.e., actively engaging with the natural world), grounding (i.e., using our senses to connect the body with the earth), and giving care (to animals to connect with nature and build empathy). It is well documented that contact with nature creates positive experiences which in turn help create neuropaths of healing and general well-being. Our school community recognizes the importance of providing our students with regular contact with nature. All of the entries, including pictures, poems, power points and videos are posted here. The elementary schools that participated included: East Hill  who created a power point of Ms. Ragusa’s, Grade 3 class enjoying being in nature; John Caboto Academy students were gardening with Mr. Lamantia; Leonardo Da Vinci Academy created a video under the supervision of Ms. Beccat; Ms. Kelly’s students wrote poems and pictures about nature; St. Raphael students created a poster of all of their activities with animals, and Willingdon created a website  demonstrating all four domains: giving, going, growing, and grounding

Lester B. Pearson High School students.

In High School, Mr. Shapiro’s students at Focus created a video montage of how they integrate nature into their learning at  https://youtu.be/f_pKppYjGss; Ms. D’Agata’s students participated in a mindfulness/meditation activities at James Lyng High School; Ms. Rendell-Green’s class at John Grant created a video and posters about how they enjoy nature. Mr. Monachino’s students from John Paul I created a power point of their nature retreat.  Lester B. Pearson students with Ms. Krsteski, organized a number of activities including a yoga flash mob.     A special shout out goes to Van Ferrier and  the B.A.S.E. Daycare "Green Club" program, which runs after-school workshops focused on outdoor gardening and environmental activities at 18 different EMSB schools.This team has designed, built, and currently maintains many of the vegetable and flower gardens at EMSB elementary schools. Gardening provides a number of mental health benefits. Congratulations to the winners of the contest: Willingdon, Lester B. Pearson High School, John Grant High School, and Focus School! The winners each received a plaque commemorating their work. A very heartfelt and special thank you goes to every single participant. The Mental Health Resource Centre Committee memebers were truly impressed with every single entry!

CHESS RESULTS: On May 19 Lester B. Pearson High School (LBPHS) hosted a chess meet between their students and  those from Royal West Academy (RWA).  Initiated in 2015 by the LBPHS Chess Club, the Battle of Thrones II chess meet aims to cultivate strategic critical thinking and broaden interest in chess from an inter-school to a board wide activity.  Eight student participants represented each school in a two-hour chess meet divided into four segments that culminated with four winners and an honorable mention: First Place, Christopher Zhang, Royal West;  Second Place, William Lumsden, Royal West;   Third Place,     Elizabetta Tillona, Lester B. Pearson High School; 4th Place:    Ji Han Lee,  Royal West. Honorable Mention went to Patrick Bakker, Lester B. Pearson High School. LBPHS Principal,  Joseph Vitantonio  and RWA Principal,   Tony Pita  have been avid supporters of the “Battle of the Thrones” since 2015, in hope that both LBPHS and RWA chess moderators, Rosaliza Pe and Stephen Nemeth will continue to collaborate to widen this activity to a board wide event on the 2017-2018 school year.  For further information, contact Rosaliza Pe at rpe@emsb.qc.ca or Stephen Nemeth at snemeth@emsb.qc.ca.

UNIVERSAL WASHROOM: An official ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at Lester B. Pearson High School in Montreal North on Monday, June  19 (10 am) for its  Universal Washroom Inauguration. The school’s Gender-Sexuality Alliance student members have worked in collaboration with Principal Joseph Vitantonio  and Guidance Counsellor Natasha Krsteski to have a bathroom that is accessible to all students; hence the word “universal.”  LBPHS will be the first to have a versatile washroom that serves the needs of students while having another function for its facility. 

BREAKFAST TV AND SEX ED:  Catherine Verdon Diamond of City’s Breakfast TV visited Lester B. Pearson High School and conducted  a panel with some students to talk about sex education, drugs, peer-pressure, bullying and other matters. With Prom season  coming up,  there are lots of issues that need to be addressed. It will air on Thursday, June 15 (6 am to 9 am). You will also be able to view the segments at www.btmontreal.ca  

DE SANTIS VISITS: Rita De Santis, MNA for Bourassa / Sauve and Minister Responsible for Access to Information and the Reform of Democratic Institutions,  had a working lunch with Lester B. Pearson High School’s Student Council on May  19.  Ms. De Santis lead a roundtable discussion involving our members of the Student Council Executive on digital citizenship and online privacy.  In addition to the discussion, our members of Student Council were also able to tackle issues that they felt were important in our schools namely the new Sex Ed program, financial literacy and how the legalization of marijuana might affect our schools.

BEAUTIFICATION: Several members of the LBPHS Student Council, Vice Principal Sabrina Petrocco and teacher Paul Karpontinis have recently participated in a beautification activity in partnership with the Société de verdissement du Montréal métropolitain (Soverdi) with the ongoing Green Corridor Project. Soverdi oversaw the installation of picnic tables and planters built by students from neighboring École Secondaire Henri-Bourassa. Student Council volunteers planted five large planters with trees and shrubs, painting existing benches and picnic tables and spread fresh cedar mulch. Now students and neighbours can have respite in the shade and enjoy a greater mixture of greenery in our urban landscape. Next school year we will be repeating this project in front of our other major student entrance.

Teacher Paul Karpontinis and his students think green.

GREENHOUSE: LBPHS's Student Council gardeners converted an old storage room into a greenhouse over the winter months and recently had a sale to enjoy the fruits of our labour! Students have been growing organic seedlings such as zucchini, ground cherries, cucumber, basil, pepper, tomato, kale, Swiss chard, thyme and dill. Once mature, the seedling committee sold the plants at sustainable prices, to friends and family. As an act of goodwill, Student Council members distributed the remaining seedlings as a gift to the school’s neighbours. All profits will support student life at LBPHS,  looking forward to a third year of urban gardening in 2018!

Another successful car wash is in the books.

CAR WASH: On June 3, the LBPHS Student Council began its annual car washes to support its leadership program.Twenty students overcame a dreary morning and washed cars and bagged items on what became a beautiful June day. They raised almost $650 at the Canadian Tire on Maurice Duplessis, the traditional host. Ten percent of the proceeds were donated to their Jumpstart Foundation, which helps kids participate in sports, dance or other physical activities. There are  two more car washes on July 15 and 16 at the same location.

TEA PARTY: With the support of the administration and staff, LBPHS's Student Council invited graduating students to a tea-party themed brunch on June 7. Students were able to take pictures at a selfie photo booth, enjoy one of  their last dances all together, take photos, blow bubbles in the back field and enjoy a special meal planned in partnership with  cafeteria food services. This has become an annual tradition to see  Secondary V students off in a hopeful way and to whet their appetites for the culmination of their high school days in graduation and prom at the end of the month.  

COHABITATION APPROVED: The EMSB has approved a proposal that will allow Centennial Academy and Centennial College to cohabitate with two schools for one year. Centennial Academy and Centennial College in NDG are from the private school sector and they cater to a diverse clientele, including students with learning disabilities.  Their current high school facility, owned by the Commission scolaire de Montréal, will no longer be available to them as of July 1. The high school students will be based at Marymount Academy International, while their CEGEP students will be directed to James Lyng.

AUDITORIUM REPAIRS; Over the next two years, the EMSB is set to spend nearly $1.6 million on renovations to auditoriums in 12 youth and adult sector schools. Here is a list of the plans.

A multicultural experience.

MULTICULTURAL CELEBRATION: Coronation Elementary School in Côte des Neiges is home to over 20 different cultures. To celebrate the end of the school year, students and their families got together to showcase the foods, music and dress from their respective countries and cultures. 

Tea Time in St. Leonard.

HIGH TEA AT MERCIER: The Grade 5 students at Honoré-Mercier Elementary School in St. Leonard continued a long-standing tradition recently where the Grade 5 students prepare and serve High Tea to the graduating Grade 6 class, as well as the teachers and administration. Dressed to the nines, the Grade 6 students enjoyed hot and cold tea, cookies, cakes and party sandwiches as they celebrated the end of the school year and their last few days as elementary school students.

Supporting the Terry Fox Foundation.

TERRY FOX SUCCESS: With the presentation of a cheque for $8,654 from Honoré-Mercier  to the Terry Fox Foundation, the EMSB, its schools and students culminated another successful year honouring the legacy of the Canadian hero. Throughout the year, all EMSB schools remember Terry Fox with runs, walks and fundraisers, raising tens of thousands of dollars for cancer research. 

Welcoming Ron MacLeod.

ESSAY WRITING CONTEST: Gardenview Elementary School in St. Laurent recently had a visit from Ron MacLeod of the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network. Every year, students from Grades 4, 5, and 6 across the province participate in an Essay Writing Contest writing stories about remarkable people, events and traditions from Quebec’s past. This year, Ms. Wong’s Grade 6 class again excelled winning the top three prizes and receiving an honourable mention. Congratulations to Luca Valiante (first prize, The Festival Sant'Anna), Abdulhameed Asif (second prize, Saint-Laurent and My Celebration), Zoe Gabrial (third prize, Montreal's Ice Storm) and Emilia Foltyn, (Honourable Mention. Our Traditional Home). Each winner will receive a cash prize, as well as a publication in Quebec Heritage News.

Dalkeith students participate in their program. 

MINIMALISM AT DALKEITH: Cycle 3 students at Dalkeith Elementary School in Anjou recently participated in a two-day workshop entitled A Minimal-list. It examined the concept of minimalism, observing the current trends of consumerism and the lifestyles of a modern consumption-based society. With the support of the Spiritual and Community Animation Service’s virtues program, students were challenged to take an inventory of their possessions and created a list of what is truly valuable to them. Their lists were shared in an open discussion and compared to findings across the globe. The intention of the project was to promote the idea of finding freedom by living with less and appreciating the immaterial, in order for students to realize that positive human relationships are what really make us happy. The workshop was animated by Vince Lacroce, Spiritual and Community Animator, alongside EMSB alumnus Pamela Pagano.

Norman Katz, his student hokey players and Youppi!

HOCKEY DE RUE: On Sunday May 29 students from Royal Vale School participated in the sixth edition of the Hockey de Rue – Together for the Kids street hockey tournament. The event is organized by the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation and the Sylvan Adams YM-YWHA in collaboration with National Bank for the benefit of underprivileged kids. Hockey de rue has already raised over a million dollars over the course of the first four tournaments. The Montreal Canadiens’ Alumni was once again on hand and taking part in a legends game.   Physical Education   teacher  Norman Katz was thanked for offering this opportunity to our students.

Caroline Cameron in action.

MUSIC TEACHER ROCKS: Caroline Cameron, a music teacher at  Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary school  in Rosemount, will be playing symphonic rock tribute concerts (with a choir, rock band and orchestra) at  the Classica Festival. On June 3 the theme was "Back to the Beatles" in St-Lambert while on June 10 it was "Dark Side of The Moon" in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu  She will also be playing in Quebec and Ontario with rock icon Michel Pagliaro. For more info about Electric nights with Michel Pagliaro, you can visit http://www.pagliaro.ca. Born into a musical family from a French Canadian mother and an Anglo-Ontarian father, Caroline started playing music at the age of three on the violin. Having completed her college and university studies in performance in bass guitar, Caroline also studied sound recording and art education. Caroline has been a professional touring and studio bass player for the past 14 years. She’s been part of   Michel Pagliaro’s band for 10 years now. She also worked with Jean Leloup, Louise Forestier, Éli et Papillon, Pascal Dufour and others. Cameron considers herself to be a bass-player/vocalist, a music educator and a feminist. She lives to create and play music."

Lia Loebenberg

ROYAL WEST SCIENCE STUDENT SHINES:  Secondary V Royal West Academy student Lia Loebenberg did exceptionally well with her 2017 science fair project  Division: Impossible  (Discovering Cancer’s Dependencies for Targeted Treatments).  Her project hits close to home given the fact that her older sister Laura has been battling brain cancer for eight years. Overall, this year after four science-fairs, Lia won four medals and four university scholarships, valued at $16,500. At the Grade 11 level at Royal West Academy Science Fair she took home the Award of Excellence in Biology – Senior and her fourth consecutive Gold Medal.  At the Montreal Regional Science & Technology Fair at Concordia, Lia won the Bronze Medal - Senior, the Cercles des jeunes naturalistes Award, the Concordia University Faculty of Arts & Science Entrance Bursary ($2500) and Highest Distinction. At the Quebec Provincial Expo-science Final, Lia won the Prix de L’Université  de Concordia - $4000 per year renewable for three consecutive years, and Medal & Finalist - Member of Délégation Québécoise Expo-sciences pancanadienne 2017.  Finally, as the only EMSB student at the Canada-Wide Science Fair in in Regina, Saskatchewan in May, Lia scored 92 percent and won a senior excellence award – Bronze medal and $1,000 scholarships to both Western University and Ottawa University.  Bravo Lia!

Vanessa Grimaldi speaks to teachers at Mackay.

THE BACHELOR VISITS MACKAY:  Teachers at the Mackay Centre and Philip E. Layton Schools got a big surprise when Vanessa Grimaldi, a former special needs teacher at Galileo Adult Education Centre, visited the facility. Ms. Grimaldi, of course, was a candidate on the smash hit ABC program The Bachelor and was chosen by bachelor Nick Viall. The couple are now engaged. Nick was in town and joined Vanessa at the school. Principal Patrizia Ciccarelli and members of her staff provided  Vanessa and Nick with a tour of the building.  Vanessa has established her own foundation called No Better You. The Foundation`s first fundraiser will take place on July 16.See this Global TV report. See this coverage on Global TV. 

LINKS students proudly display copies of their book.

LINKS BOOK: Congratulations to the staff and students from the LINKS High School WOTP Pre-work ELA/Visual Arts/Autonomy & Social Participation group. They produced a magnificent book, with stories that were transformed into a play with costumes, sets and props. It was performed last week at their home, the St. Pius X Career Centre in Ahuntsic. You can read the entire book produced by these special needs students here. “Thank you to all my students for inspiring me each day with your tenacity, perseverance, creativity and incredible sense of humour,” teacher Gail Bernstein writes in her introduction. “I am so proud of you and all that you have accomplished this year.  This cross-curricular project culminated in a work of art that I will treasure always.” You can access this wonderful book here,

ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS: A number of administrative appointments have been announced for the 2016-17 academic year.  New school principal assignments will be: Sabrina Petrocco, Carlyle (presently vice-principal at Lester B. Pearson High School) and Denise Maroun, St. Monica (presently vice-principal at Mackay Centre/Philip E. Layton Schools). Irini Margentis will be taking a leave of absence from her role as principal at St. Monica. New vice-principal assignments will be: Marilyn Ramlakhan, James Lyng (currently a teacher at LaurenHill Academy); Vito Campbell-Guerriero, John F. Kennedy High School (currently vice-principal at Willingdon); Alexander Kulczyk, LaurenHill Academy (teacher at Focus School, presently interim vice-principal at James Lyng); Anthony Tonin, Lester B. Pearson High School (presently a teacher at John F. Kennedy High School) and Patrizia Tummillo, Lester  B. Pearson High School (currently vice-principal at Marymount Academy International); Holly Kusiewicz, Marymount Academy International (currently a teacher at Parkdale Elementary School);  Amanda Vallelunga, Westmount High School (presently there on an interim basis); Giovanni Iammarrone, Westmount Park (presently there on an interim basis); Steve Spetsieris, Willingdon (currently a teacher at Vincent Massey Collegiate);  Vincenzo Timpano, FACE School (currently vice-principal at Royal Vale); Gregory Watson, Mackay Centre School/Philip E. Layton (currently a teacher at Westmount Park); Eugenia Carystios, Royal Vale School (currently a teacher at Roslyn School); Frederic Boudreault, High School of Montreal (currently vice-principal at FACE School); Nadine Pomilio, James Lyng Adult Centre (currently vice-principal at James Lyng High School); Lydia Landori, Marymount Adult Centre (currently vice-principal at Laurier Macdonald Career Centre); Darlene Kehyayan, John F. Kennedy Adult Centre (currently vice-principal at James Lyng Adult Centre); Joan MacMillan, Shadd Business Centre (currently vice-principal at Marymount Adult Centre); JoeAnne Désir, Rosemount Technology Centre (currently vice-principal at High School of Montreal Adult Centre); Marsha Excellent, Laurier Macdonald Career Centre (currently vice-principal at LaurenHill); Jimmy Giannacopoulos, St. Pius X Career Centre (currently interim vice-principal of John F. Kennedy Adult Centre); Maria Caldarella, St. Pius X Career Centre (currently vice-principal at Shadd Business Centre); and Sulaman Khan, new EMSB Welding and Auto Mechanics Centre on des Grandes Prairies Blvd, (currently vice-principal at Rosemount Technology Centre).

Students and staff conclude the Coding Quest Arcade.

CODING QUEST ARCADE: Thirty-eight students showed off the ARCADE games that they created to showcase their new programming skills on June 13 at the EMSB Head Office. They learned to program computers with the help of their teachers and a program called Coding Quest from The Learning Partnership.  Personnel from head office and parents of our presenters doled out praise to our young coders. Maggie Aboud was heard saying “These students are simply amazing.” Leslie Butt said “these students are geniuses! Students from East Hill, Nesbitt and St. Raphael , accompanied by their teachers Nadia Barrafato, Martin Marcil and Jenna Moriello respectively, learned about programming computers to create games to demonstrate knowledge they acquired. Roma Medwid, the TLP Program Manager, said the teachers were dedicated to making learning fun! She added that the teachers were not afraid to let students take control of their learning while providing them with the proper support and direction. These teachers love providing their students with innovative ways of learning.

The students used the program Scratch to create their games. One of the videos the students were exposed to early in the Coding Quest Program is how all the great programmers (the creators of Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram etc) all started by programming a  simple game on their computer. Who knows whom among our students will be the creator of a social media  service that has not even been created. Who will be the next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs!  The Learning Partnership is a not for profit educational organization that provides free programming for public schools such as Coding Quest, Welcome to Kindergarten, Investigate! Innovate! And Invent! Just to name a few. They also honour outstanding administrators with Canada’s Outstanding Principal Award as well as the Welcome to Kindergarten Award.

NESBITT LOOKS TO THE FUTURE:  “If you had magical powers and you had the ability to see the future - What would the world look like in 50 years?” This is the question that   Nancy Saltarelli asked her Grade 5 and 6 English classes at Nesbitt Elementary School in Rosemount. Students used their imaginations and wrote their creative predictions to  Sabrina Bejba’s Secondary I Visual Arts Class at Rosemount High School. Each student at R.H.S. received a story and used their artistic vision to re-interpret the predictions into plasticine relief images. Images of pet dinosaurs and robot teachers began to form. Some stories featured miraculous advances in medicine and some had warning tales about our environment. Each unique story inspired an equally unique art piece. Once the artworks were complete, they were mounted alongside their respective stories and displayed for the community to enjoy at Rosemount High School’s Annual Art Show on May 5   The Nesbitt students visited the art show and were given an interactive tour by their artist partners from Rosemount High School. The purpose of this cross-curricular collaboration was to help create a bond with the Rosemont community and help students reflect on their role in creating their own futures.

  

SCHOLARSHIPS TO WASHINGTON AND ISRAEL: The Riva and Thomas O. Hecht Scholarship Program, Teaching of the Holocaust for Educators endeavors to promote Holocaust education for educators in Quebec. This scholarship program is designed to offer professional development opportunities to educators through the Belfer National Conference for Educators at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.  This year’s recipients are Lev Berner from Vincent Massey Collegiate in Rosemount of the EMSB; Anne-Marie Jacob of College Jesus-Marie de Sillery in Quebec City; and Stephanie Kessler from College Reine-Marie in Montreal.  They will travel to Washington in July.  The Hechts also wish to congratulate Melanie Philip and Audrée Anne Dupont, teachers at the EMSB`s Mackay Centre School in NDG and Merton Elementary School in Côte Saint-Luc respectively. They have been awarded a Hecht Scholarship to a professional development program in July under the direction of the Faculty of the Yad Vashem Seminars for Educators from Abroad, International School for Holocaust Studies.  The goal of this program is to provide professional development activities to teachers for teaching about the Holocaust and anti-Semitism. Upon their return to Montreal, scholarship recipients will be asked to create at least one teaching unit or module developed within the context learned, appropriate for the régime pedagogique. The Belfer National Conference for Educators presents Holocaust education for English Language Arts and Social Studies/History teachers from Grades 6 and up. The goal of this three-day Conference is to give educators the tools for teaching about the Holocaust in their classrooms. Teachers will be introduced to information and teaching strategies using many Museum resources, with a focus on school systems in North America.  The Conference will take place from July 19 to 21 for English Language Arts teachers and July 23 to 25 for Social Sciences and History teachers.

INSPIRATIONS NEWSPAPER: In our ninth year, Inspirations Newspaper  shares the challenges and celebrates the accomplishments of children and young adults with special needs, encouraging them to reach their full potential. It provides information about educational, therapeutic and recreational services in our communities that are often difficult to find. We go into classrooms and report on new initiatives, and share the news of specialists in the field. Over the past few years, Inspirations has reached beyond its educational scope, sharing experiences of parliamentarians (in our section ‘From the House’), artists, athletes, and organizations that thrive due to the work of people with special needs. Our Spring/Summer 2017 edition celebrates Montreal’s 375th by featuring four key Montreal organizations, and Canada’s 150th anniversary with a one-on-one interview with Senator Chantal Petitclerc. Read this edition at www.inspirationsnews.com/index.html#editions, click on Spring/Summer 2017.

Via our publications, outreach, events, and a Special Needs Resource Database which shares over 500 resources, Inspirations reaches out to parents, caregivers and teachers who are searching for support and community when they are most in need. These tools break down barriers in an effort to educate the public-at-large and foster acceptance and inclusion, and provides a voice to those with special needs. It is a great read! The hub for special needs news and information in the Greater Montreal and surrounding areas (including the West Island, the South Shore, and Laval), Inspirations is fulfilling a tremendous need. A non-profit organization sponsored by the English Montreal School Board, Inspirations is funded by the generous support of donors, sponsors and advertisers. We offer excellent advertising opportunities that provide your business with visibility while supporting a worthy cause. This year, a group of 35 people from the EMSB and Inspirations communities came together to walk, run, and raise funds for Team Inspirations at the Scotia Bank Charity Challenge. Inspirations was honoured to be the first recipient of funding, along with St. Gabriel Elementary School, of Make It Matter (www.makeitmattertoday.org).For information visit www.inspirationsnews.com, www.facebook.com/inspirationsnews, or email wendyinspirations@gmail.com.

UP375:  This spring five EMSB high schools participated in a collaborative art project called UP375, organized by the City of Montreal  to celebrate its 375th birthday. Schools from every borough in the city were asked to contribute to the project, with a total of 21 participating.  EMSB representatives schools were:  Lester B. Pearson, Laurier Macdonald, FACE, James Lyng and LaurenHill Academy. Animators from the city were invited to come to the schools to animate the project.  They brought iPads and archived photos from McCord Museum, and invited students to use apps to animate their vision of the future of Montreal on to the archived photos.  Click this link for examples from Laurier Macdonald:  The students’ work will be projected in the Quartier des Spectacles throughout the summer, and each participating school will receive a printed mural of the students’ work, to be displayed inside or outside the school. To follow their pages:

https://www.facebook.com/RaisondartMtl/ https://www.instagram.com/up375mtl

FUSION JEUNNESSE:  Students from Sinclair Laird and St. Raphael Elementary Schools in Park Extension, Nesbitt Elementary in Rosemount and Willingdon Elementary in NDG, along with parents and RBC volunteers, recently joined forces to complete a beautification project as part of the Youth Fusion Design 375° initiative. This is another program linked to Montréal's 375th Anniversary and the Government of Quebec. This official socioeconomic project of Montreal's 375th anniversary involves the city’s public schools and mobilized nearly 10,000 students to beautify 25 schools selected from five school boards on the Island of Montreal. Each project is the fruit of a collaboration between primary or secondary school students, university students enrolled in a design program, design industry professionals, RBC employees, local businesses and neighbourhood citizens.   

FAST INITIATIVE: High School teachers planning for the 2017-2018 academic year are being asked to consider programming offered by FAST (Fighting Antisemitism  Together). FAST is a non-profit organization aimed at putting a stop to all forms of racism by educating students about humanity’s historical hatred, genocide and discrimination (which we continue to face daily). By teaching students about the dark side of humanity we can potentially inspire them to become more compassionate and inclusive today.   Info: Jodi Derkson, 604. 767. 2139  - jderkson@fastcyv.ca.

TREE INAUGURATION: Edinburgh Elementary School  in Montreal West   received a grant from Trees Canada and Telus to plant trees around the school.   

TEACHING OF ITALIAN: The Centro Scuola Dante Alighieri di Montreal (CESDA) and the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) have agreed to act as  official partners in the development, conservation and teaching of the Italian langue in schools. The EMSB offers the PELO Program, (Programme d’Enseignement des Langues d’Origine), teaching Italian in several schools in which a consistent group of students request it, and is interested in continuing to provide this service. The school board recognizes the importance of the heritage language and culture and that the learning of Italian is essential for the students’ social and cognitive training. The EMSB believes that learning a third language helps to improve the learning of the two other languages taught in the school. The EMSB has committed to ensuring the continuation of Italian courses already integrated into the regular programs at East Hill, Dante, Pierre de Coubertin and General Vanier elementary schools. It will continue to explore the possibility of offering an increased amount of integrated Italian programs and extra-curricular courses at the following EMSB schools: Cedarcrest, Dalkeith, Dunrae Gardens, Edinburgh, Edward Murphy, Gardenview, Gerald McShane, Honore Mercier, John Paul, Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Nesbitt, Our Lady of Pompei, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, and St. Dorothy.

NATURE/FISHING RETREAT: John Paul I Junior High School students in St. Léonard  recently took part in a  Nature/Fishing Retreat.  Organized by the Spiritual and Community Animator Joseph Monachino and Student Supervisor Elijah Winsborrow, the students had the opportunity to experience nature, foster a connection with it, as well as create a sense of community with other students.  The Nature/Fishing Retreat also allowed for the practice of patience and determination through the learning of the fundamentals of fishing. The retreat focused on developing teamwork, social skills, building of community, self-esteem, and a feeling of belonging. It was an empowering experience for all!

TELL THEM FROM ME SURVEY: John Paul I High School's Vice Principal, Tanya Alvares, discussed with the entire student body their results of the Tell Them From Me Survey. This  is a voluntary, online school survey that allows students the opportunity to give their input into school improvement initiatives in an anonymous way. The data collected is used to monitor, support and enhance future planning. During the assembly, results were shared with the students. This exercise underlines how we can  empower kids,  give them a voice & make them part of the decision making process in their school environment.  JPI students were very receptive, engaged and empowered by this presentation.

COLLECTIVE VOICE: Vice Principal Alvares presented results from the Our SCHOOL - Tell Them From Me - Survey to  John Paul I students during their general assembly.  Students learned how important their collective voice is and how their feedback helps to better their school community. Every year, EMSB schools conduct the  OurSCHOOL - Tell Them From Me - Survey to determine how students feel at school.  This is an integral part of the EMSB`s efforts to assess and continuously improve school climate as required by the Quebec Education Act.

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: See this video from the B.A.S.E. Daycare food Revolution event at St. Pius X Career Centre. See this video produced by the  Leaders on Wheels Mackay Centre School satellite class at Westmount High School promoting their new bbq sauce.

GET YOUR PROMOTIONAL SUPPLIES: Out of the 11 booth sponsors at this year’s Volunteer Appreciation Night, two of them are newcomers to the event. One of them is Fana Sports; the other is Hannah Promotions (www.hannahpromotions.com), which is an agency that specializes in offering promotional products and strategies that help to impact overall growth objectives, with their main focus of contributing towards their clients’ overall profit and sales evolution. It joined veteran sponsors La Capitale, Steve’s Music Store, Green Apple Studios, Loft Uniforms, and The Big Blue Hug, the Montreal Alouettes, KidCon and The Suburban newspaper. At their Volunteer Night booth, representative Neil Janna, who attended LaurenHill Academy in St. Laurent when it was known as Sir Winston Churchill High School, impressed the attendees with his display of the wide assortment of products that Hannah Promotions has to offer, from coffee mugs, pens and highlighters, to private and public school team sports and graduating class jerseys, polos, sweatshirts and hoodies. And for the past 30 years, Janna has moonlighted as a professional stand-up comic, and has performed in clubs, charity benefit shows and corporate gigs, not to mention numerous times at the Just For Laughs festival and toured around the world with the acclaimed performance troupe The Quiddlers. Info:    jolly1@sympatico.ca

ADULT EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL SERVICES

NEW GREENHOUSE: The AEVS Department at the EMSB has approved funding for the construction of  a greenhouse for the Social Integration Services (SIS) programs at Galileo Adult Centre in Montreal North. The AEVS is mandated to serve the adult special needs population in Montreal that require services in English. The Galileo Adult Education Centre is presently managing very successful SIS and looking into including SVIS programs for this clientele.The SIS and SVIS programs, as designed by the Ministère de l'Éducation et de l'Enseignement supérieur (MEES), help adults with special needs to develop competencies that are useful in dealing with real-life situations. The program is distinctively designed to help the student acquire the necessary skills to be able to integrate and participate in society to their fullest potential. The EMSB’s AEVS Department has structured a project for its SIS students at Galileo Adult Education Centre, which includes the need for a greenhouse. This program will promote independence and social integration by exploring the student’s person, social, school and work experience. The students will be exposed to fields of skills that will enhance their strengths and interests in an environment conducive to learning. The estimated cost of the greenhouse is $350,000. The AEVS Advisory Committee  recommended that funding from the sale proceeds of the former St. John Bosco Elementary School  property in Ville Émard be earmarked for the greenhouse project at Galileo. 

WAGAR ADULT CENTRE: The EMSB  is reaching back into its past with the announcement that the Marymount Adult Education Centre in Côte Saint-Luc will be renamed the Wagar Adult Education Centre. Wagar High School occupied the Parkhaven Avenue building from 1963 until its closure in 2005. The Marymount Adult Education Centre, which previously shared the premises of the Marymount Academy International on Côte Saint-Luc Road in NDG, relocated to the building in September 2005. The facility also serves as the home of the C.A.R.E. Centre, which offers services to adults over the age of 21 with physical disabilities and John Grant High School, which caters to special needs students. “For the past 12 years we have had two schools called Marymount, leading to some confusion,” stated EMSB Commissioner for Côte Saint-Luc Bernard Praw. “I have spoken to many people in the community over the past year, from private citizens to the mayor, and there was a great desire to bring the Wagar name back. In fact, since Wagar closed as a high school most people still refer to it as the name of the building.” Last year the auditorium in the building was named after the late Syd Wise, the respected former Wagar principal and school commissioner who passed away in November 2015. “I know that Syd very much wanted to see the Wagar name returned,” said EMSB Chairman Angela Mancini.   At one point in the 1970s, Wagar High School had more than 1,700 students. The school was named after a former Protestant School Board of Greater Montreal Commissioner named Roy Wagar, who passed away in 1962. The Marymount Adult Education Centre  has over 1,800 students, offering day and evening  courses to adults aged 16 and over in French and English catering mainly to new Canadian citizens and landed immigrants learning the languages.  The school also has a large special needs population and operates satellite classes in different locations across the city.

MORE SPACE NEEDED:  Consultation is presently underway for Laurier Macdonald Vocational Centre  to get two additional classrooms in the high school section of the building to accommodate the new revised vocational training program of Electrolysis – 5849,  as specified by the Ministère de l'Éducation et de l'Enseignement supérieur (MEES) and to address the growing demand.  This is expected to come to Council for a vote at a June 28 special meeting.

EXPANSION OF PIUS:  Phase-I of the expansion and reconfiguration of the culinary programs at St. Pius X Career Centre has been approved. The EMSB previously earmarked $3,800,000 for this project. It has allocated $900,000 more from the sale of the St. John Bosco facility in Ville Émard.

Some Pius graduates after their ceremony.

BUSINESS SECTOR GRAD: On May 31, Pius held its first graduation ceremony for its business sector.  Students from the following programs were honoured:  Accounting, Secretarial Studies, Hotel Reception, Travel Sales and Professional Sales.  Some graduates who attended the ceremony had finished their programs a year to three years earlier, but were delighted to join the graduating class of 2017 for the opportunity to walk across the stage and receive their diplomas.  The evening ended with a reception of culinary delights prepared by the very talented Pius culinary students.  A great time was had by everyone who attended.  Pictured here are two graduates with their former teachers, Mariangela Crasci and Aleksandra Fani.

ÉDITION DU 15 JUIN 2017 / BULLETIN DE LA CSEM

LA CSEM REMPORTE DES PRIX : La CSEM a raflé deux prix d’excellence en éducation décernés par Global Excel Management lors de la conférence annuelle de l’Association des administrateurs des écoles anglaises du Québec/l’Association des commissions scolaires anglophones du Québec (ACSAQ) tenue à Bromont au printemps. Michael J. Cohen, spécialiste en communications et marketing à la CSEM, s’est vu remettre le prix Public School Promotion (promotion de l’école publique), tandis que l’école secondaire Focus Alternative de NDG a remporté le prix Innovation in Teaching/Program Delivery (innovation pédagogique/prestation des programmes). Le prix pour la promotion de l’école publique est décerné chaque année à une commission scolaire membre de l’ACSAQ ou à une école en particulier qui s’est distinguée au moyen d’un programme ou d’une campagne visant à promouvoir l’école publique anglophone au Québec ou à en rehausser l’image. La candidature gagnante se doit d’avoir eu un impact manifeste et démontrable sur l’école et/ou la commission scolaire d’où elle provient, y compris des objectifs mesurables entourant le programme ou le projet en question. C’est la CSEM qui a remporté les honneurs cette année avec sa campagne promotionnelle et de marketing « ÊTRE BILINGUE, C’EST GAGNANT! », candidature soumise par M. Cohen. Orchestrée pour mettre en lumière l’excellence de son enseignement en français et inciter un plus grand nombre de parents à choisir la CSEM pour l’éducation de leurs enfants, cette campagne promotionnelle et de marketing fort ambitieuse était assortie d’affiches, de brochures, d’annonces dans les journaux, de sacs publicitaires, d’annonces à la télévision, de séances photos avec des élèves de la CSEM et d’un slogan accrocheur. En plus de rehausser l’image de la CSEM, elle souligne l’excellence de l’enseignement en français dispensé par les neuf commissions scolaires publiques au Québec. Ce concept est également intemporel; le slogan et le matériel d’accompagnement peuvent être utilisés indéfiniment. Le prix pour l’innovation pédagogique/la prestation des programmes est décerné à un enseignant, un conseiller ou un administrateur d’école en particulier, ou encore à un groupe d’enseignants, de conseillers ou d’administrateurs, pour la création ou la mise en œuvre d’un programme pédagogique ou parascolaire qui illustre le mieux l’innovation pédagogique ou la prestation de programmes. La candidature gagnante se doit de démontrer les répercussions positives sur la réussite des élèves. Les réalisations peuvent toucher le domaine des arts, les élèves ayant des besoins particuliers, l’innovation sur le plan technologique et la prévention du décrochage. Le projet de l’école secondaire Focus Alternative a été soumis par Carol Marriott, membre de l’équipe ASSET.

DE NOUVELLES ÉCOLES ADOPTENT LE PROGRAMME STIAM: La CSEM a annoncé l’expansion de son fort populaire programme STIAM pour l’année scolaire 2017-2018. Le programme STIAM (sciences, technologies, ingénierie, arts et mathématiques) est une initiative multidisciplinaire qui vise à favoriser la créativité chez les élèves ainsi qu’une participation poussée de leur part dans la réalisation d’une série de projets de groupe, en abordant non seulement les cinq matières enseignées à l’école mais aussi en rendant ces projets plus pertinents, plus créatifs, plus intéressants et davantage axés sur la découverte. STIAM est une approche pédagogique ayant pour objectif de promouvoir un esprit inquisiteur, un raisonnement logique et des compétences en matière de collaboration. Dix autres écoles primaires se joindront aux deux écoles pilotes Général Vanier à Saint-Léonard et Pierre Elliott Trudeau à Rosemont. Il s’agit des écoles suivantes : Elizabeth Ballantyne à Montréal-Ouest, Pierre de Coubertin et Honoré-Mercier à Saint-Léonard, Coronation à Côte-des-Neiges, Westmount Park à Westmount, Carlyle à Ville Mont-Royal; Gardenview à Saint-Laurent, Michelangelo à Rivière-des-Prairies; Dalkeith à Anjou et Bancroft sur le Plateau. Deux écoles secondaires prendront également part à ce programme : John Paul I à Saint-Léonard et James Lyng à Saint-Henri.

POUR L’AMOUR DE LA LECTURE: Le 25 mai dernier, trois enseignants et élèves de l’école primaire St. Dorothy à Saint-Michel croyaient qu’ils prenaient part à une conférence téléphonique d’information avec la Fondation Indigo pour l’amour de la lecture afin de discuter de l’état et des besoins de leur bibliothèque. Or, ils étaient bien loin de se douter que la Fondation était sur le point de leur annoncer que leur école était récipiendaire d’une subvention de 20 000 $ du Fonds pour la littératie en vue de leur permettre de transformer leur bibliothèque. L’école St. Dorothy figure parmi les 30 écoles qui ont reçu une subvention du Fonds pour la littératie en 2017, dans le cadre d’un engagement de 1,5 million de dollars versé chaque année par la Fondation à des écoles primaires dans le besoin, d’un bout à l’autre du pays, dans le but de soutenir la littératie et de donner à tous les élèves un accès égal aux livres. Au cours des 13 dernières années, la Fondation Indigo pour l’amour de la lecture a remis plus de 25 millions de dollars à plus de 3 000 écoles, permettant ainsi de transformer la vie de plus de 900 000 enfants canadiens. Inutile de dire que l’école St. Dorothy a été ravie d’apprendre qu’elle pourra rénover sa bibliothèque au cours des trois prochaines années. L’école compte présentement 150 élèves et son budget pour la bibliothèque s’élève à 1 750,00 $, soit 11,70 $ par élève. L’âge moyen des livres de la bibliothèque de l’école St. Dorothy est d’environ 7 ans, ce qui fait d’elle l’une des nombreuses écoles canadiennes ayant un besoin urgent de nouveaux livres. Grâce à la subvention du Fonds pour la littératie, l’école St. Dorothy sera en mesure d’augmenter sa collection de 6 livres par élève pour chacune des trois années couvertes par la subvention, pour un grand total de 1 400 nouveaux livres.

RENTRÉE SCOLAIRE: La rentrée scolaire des élèves des écoles primaires et secondaires de la CSEM aura lieu le mercredi 30 août 2017. Les élèves de la maternelle devront être âgés de cinq ans au plus tard le 30 septembre 2017, tandis que ceux de la première année (1er cycle) devront avoir six ans au plus tard à cette même date. La période des nouvelles inscriptions débutera le mardi 15 août pour les écoles primaires et secondaires. Nous invitons les parents à téléphoner à leur école de quartier pour prendre rendez-vous et à visiter le site Web de la Commission, au www.emsb.qc.ca, qui renferme de précieux renseignements, notamment sur les programmes d’éducation des adultes et de formation professionnelle fort populaires. Vous pouvez faire parvenir vos demandes de renseignements par courriel à informationdesk@emsb.qc.ca ou composer le 514 483 7200. La CSEM regroupe plus de 40 000 élèves répartis dans ses 35 écoles primaires, 17 écoles secondaires, 8 écoles secondaires innovatrices, 7 écoles des affaires sociales et 10 centres d’éducation des adultes et de formation professionnelle. Si vous inscrivez votre enfant pour la première fois, vous devrez fournir son certificat de naissance et son carnet de vaccination à l’école qu’il fréquentera. Les parents devront remplir des formulaires afin de permettre à l’école en question de présenter une demande de certificat d’admissibilité à l’enseignement en anglais. En vertu de la Charte de la langue française, un certificat d’admissibilité est généralement accordé aux enfants qui ont reçu la majeure partie de leur enseignement primaire ou secondaire en anglais au Canada, à ceux dont la mère ou le père a reçu la majorité de son enseignement primaire en anglais au Canada ou à ceux dont le frère ou la sœur a reçu la majorité de son enseignement primaire ou secondaire en anglais au Canada. Veuillez prendre note qu’en raison de la législation québécoise, ce critère exclut les études complétées dans une école privée au Québec.

SALLE DE TOILETTE UNIVERSELLE: Une cérémonie officielle aura lieu à l’école secondaire Lester B. Pearson de Montréal-Nord le lundi 19 juin, à 10 h, afin d’inaugurer la salle de toilette universelle. Les élèves membres du Gender-Sexuality Alliance de l’école ont travaillé en collaboration avec le directeur Joseph Vitantonio et la conseillère d’orientation Natasha Krsteski dans le but d’avoir à l’école une toilette accessible à tous les élèves, d’où l’appellation « toilette universelle ». L’école Lester B. Pearson sera la première à être dotée d’une salle de toilette polyvalente pour répondre aux besoins des élèves.

VISITE DE MADAME DE SANTIS: Rita de Santis, députée de Bourassa / Sauvé et ministre responsable de l’accès à l’information et de la réforme des institutions démocratiques, a eu un déjeuner de travail avec le conseil des élèves de l’école secondaire Lester B. Pearson le 19 mai dernier. Madame de Santis a animé une discussion sous forme de table ronde à laquelle ont participé les membres du conseil exécutif des élèves sur la citoyenneté numérique et la protection des renseignements personnels en ligne. Outre la discussion, les membres du conseil des élèves ont pu aborder des questions qu’ils estiment importantes dans nos écoles, notamment les nouveaux programmes d’éducation sexuelle et d’économie et les répercussions possibles dans nos écoles de la légalisation de la marijuana.

LINKS A UN LIVRE À SON ACTIF: Félicitations aux membres du personnel et aux élèves du parcours de formation axée sur l’emploi (programme préparatoire au travail - ELA/arts plastiques/autonomie et participation sociale) de l’école secondaire LINKS. Ils ont produit un magnifique livre dont les histoires ont inspiré une pièce de théâtre avec costumes, décor et accessoires. La pièce a été présentée la semaine dernière au Centre de carrières St. Pius X à Ahuntsic. Vous pouvez lire ici intégralement ce livre produit par des élèves ayant des besoins particuliers. « Merci à tous mes élèves. Vous êtes chaque jour une véritable source d’inspiration grâce à votre ténacité, votre persévérance, votre créativité et votre remarquable sens de l’humour », comme on peut le lire dans l’introduction rédigée par l’enseignante Gail Bernstein. « Je suis tellement fière de vous et de tout ce que vous avez accompli cette année. Ce projet parascolaire aura donné naissance à un chef d’œuvre que je chérirai toute ma vie. »

BOURSES POUR WASHINGTON ET ISRAËL: Le Riva and Thomas O. Hecht Scholarship Program a pour mission de promouvoir la formation des enseignants québécois concernant l’Holocauste. Ce programme de bourses vise à offrir des occasions de perfectionnement professionnel aux enseignants par l’entremise de la Belfer National Conference for Educators qui se tient au United States Holocaust Memorial Museum à Washington, D.C. Cette année, les récipiendaires sont Lev Berner du Collège Vincent Massey de la CSEM à Rosemont; Anne-Marie Jacob du Collège Jésus-Marie de Sillery à Québec et Stephanie Kessler du Collège Reine-Marie à Montréal. Ils se rendront à Washington en juillet. Le couple Hecht souhaite également féliciter Melanie Philip, enseignante au Centre Mackay de la CSEM à NDG, et Audrée Anne Dupont, enseignante à l’école primaire Merton de la CSEM à Côte Saint-Luc. Elles sont toutes deux récipiendaires d’une bourse Hecht pour participer à un programme de perfectionnement professionnel qui aura lieu en juillet, sous la direction de la Faculty of the Yad Vashem Seminars for Educators from Abroad, International School for Holocaust Studies. Ce programme a pour but d’offrir des activités de perfectionnement professionnel à ceux et celles qui enseignent l’Holocauste et l’antisémitisme. À leur retour à Montréal, les récipiendaires de ces bourses devront concevoir au moins une unité ou un module d’enseignement à partir des connaissances acquises, en conformité avec le régime pédagogique. La Belfer National Conference for Educators présente l’enseignement des réalités de l’Holocauste à l’intention des enseignants des matières suivantes : English Language Arts, études sociales/histoire pour les élèves de 6e année et niveaux supérieurs. L’objectif de cette conférence de trois jours est de fournir aux enseignants les outils nécessaires pour enseigner l’Holocauste à leurs élèves. Ils auront ainsi l’occasion de se familiariser avec de l’information et des stratégies pédagogiques grâce aux nombreuses ressources que renferme le musée, en insistant sur les systèmes scolaires en Amérique du Nord. La conférence se déroulera du 19 au 21 juillet pour les enseignants d’English Language Arts et du 23 au 25 juillet pour les enseignants de sciences sociales et d’histoire.
Le United States Holocaust Memorial Museum est l’institution nationale par excellence en Amérique pour la documentation, l’étude et l’interprétation de l’histoire de l’Holocauste. Ce musée incarne le monument américain à la mémoire des millions de gens qui ont péri durant l’Holocauste.

INITIATIVE FAST: Les enseignants des écoles secondaires qui sont à planifier l’année scolaire  2017-2018 sont invités à jeter un coup d’œil au programme offert par FAST (Finissons-en avec l’antisémitisme sans tarder). FAST est un organisme sans but lucratif voué à enrayer toute forme de racisme en éduquant les élèves sur l’histoire de la haine, des génocides et de la discrimination (auxquels nous sommes encore confrontés aujourd’hui sur une base quotidienne). En enseignant aux élèves le côté sombre de l’humanité, nous pourrons éventuellement les encourager à devenir plus compatissants et inclusifs. Pour tout renseignement, veuillez communiquer avec Jodi Derkson au 604 767-2139 ou à jderkson@fastcyv.ca .

PROCUREZ-VOUS DES ARTICLES PROMOTIONNELS: Parmi les 11 kiosques commanditaires de la Soirée d’appréciation des bénévoles, on comptait cette année deux nouveaux venus : Fana Sports et Promotions Hannah (www.hannahpromotions.com), une entreprise qui se spécialise dans les stratégies et produits promotionnels pour favoriser l’atteinte des objectifs globaux de croissance et mettre l’accent sur l’accroissement des ventes et des bénéfices de sa clientèle. Ces deux entreprises s’ajoutent aux commanditaires La Capitale, le magasin de musique Steve’s, Green Apple Studios, Loft Uniforms, The Big Blue Hug, les Alouettes de Montréal et le journal The Suburban. Le représentant Neil Janna, diplômé de l’Académie LaurenHill à Saint-Laurent connue à l’époque sous le nom d’école secondaire Sir Winston Churchill, a vivement impressionné les participants lors de la soirée en présentant à son kiosque la vaste gamme de produits des Promotions Hannah : des tasses à café, stylos et marqueurs jusqu’aux chandails, polos et chandails à capuchon d’équipes sportives et pour souligner la fin des études. Ajoutons que depuis 30 ans, Neil est également humoriste professionnel. Il s’est produit en spectacle dans des boîtes de nuit, à l’occasion d’activités de bienfaisance et corporatives, sans compter ses nombreuses apparitions au Festival Juste pour rire et ses tournées mondiales en compagnie de l’illustre troupe The Quiddlers.

SERVICES DE L’ÉDUCATION DES ADULTES 

ET DE LA FORMATION PROFESSIONNELLE

NOUVELLE SERRE: Les Services de l’éducation des adultes et de la formation professionnelle (SÉAFP) de la CSEM ont approuvé le financement pour la construction d’une serre en lien avec les programmes de services d’intégration sociale (SIS) au Centre d’éducation des adultes Galileo à Montréal-Nord. Les SÉAFP ont pour mandat de desservir la population adulte de Montréal ayant des besoins particuliers et qui requiert des services en anglais. Le Centre d’éducation des adultes Galileo offre actuellement des SIS fort populaires et examine la possibilité d’inclure des programmes de services d’intégration socioprofessionnelle (SISP). Élaborés par le ministère de l'Éducation et de l'Enseignement supérieur (MEES), les programmes SIS et SISP aident les adultes ayant des besoins particuliers à développer des compétences utiles pour gérer des situations réelles. Le programme est spécialement conçu pour permettre aux élèves d’acquérir les compétences nécessaires à leur intégration et leur participation au sein de la société dans le but de développer leur plein potentiel. Les SÉAFP de la CSEM ont mis sur pied un projet à l’intention des élèves du programme SIS au Centre d’éducation des adultes Galileo. Ce programme, qui requiert la construction d’une serre, vise à promouvoir l’autonomie et l’intégration sociale en explorant les diverses facettes de l’expérience personnelle, sociale, scolaire et professionnelle des élèves. Ils seront exposés à divers champs de compétences qui contribueront à consolider leurs forces et leurs intérêts au sein d’un environnement propice à l’apprentissage. Le coût estimatif de la serre est de 350 000 $. Le comité consultatif SÉAFP a formulé la recommandation que le projet de serre à Galileo soit financé à même le produit de la vente de l’ancienne école primaire St. John Bosco située à Ville-Émard.

CENTRE D’ÉDUCATION DES ADULTES WAGAR: La CSEM fait un retour dans le temps en annonçant que le Centre d’éducation des adultes Marymount à Côte Saint-Luc sera rebaptisé le Centre d’éducation des adultes Wagar. L’école secondaire Wagar a occupé le bâtiment situé sur l’avenue Parkhaven de 1963 jusqu’à sa fermeture en 2005. Le Centre d’éducation des adultes Marymount, qui partageait auparavant les locaux avec l’Académie internationale Marymount sur le chemin de la Côte-Saint-Luc à NDG, a été relocalisé dans l’ex-bâtiment Wagar en septembre 2005. Cet endroit abrite également le Centre C.A.R.E. qui dispense des services aux adultes âgés de plus de 21 ans souffrant de déficiences physiques ainsi qu’aux élèves ayant des besoins particuliers de l’école secondaire John Grant. « Depuis les 12 dernières années, nous avons deux écoles Marymount, ce qui porte à confusion », a déclaré le commissaire de la CSEM dans Côte Saint-Luc Bernard Praw. « J’ai consulté un grand nombre de personnes au sein de la communauté au cours de la dernière année, allant des citoyens jusqu’au maire lui-même, et j’ai été à même de constater un profond désir de restaurer le nom Wagar. De fait, depuis la fermeture de l’école secondaire Wagar, la plupart des gens connaissent encore ce bâtiment sous le nom Wagar. » L’an dernier, l’auditorium a été rebaptisé à la mémoire du défunt Syd Wise, ancien directeur fort respecté de l’école Wagar et commissaire qui s’est éteint en novembre 2015. « Je sais que Syd souhaitait ardemment restaurer le nom Wagar », de dire la présidente de la CSEM Angela Mancini. À une certaine époque dans les années 1970, l’école secondaire Wagar comptait plus de 1 700 élèves. Elle avait été nommée à la mémoire de Roy Wagar, ancien commissaire de la Commission des écoles protestantes du Grand Montréal, décédé en 1962. Le Centre d’éducation des adultes Marymount regroupe plus de 1 800 élèves et offre des cours de jour et de soir, en français et en anglais, aux adultes âgés de 16 et plus, pour la plupart de nouveaux citoyens canadiens et immigrants qui apprennent ces deux langues. Cet établissement dessert également une forte population d’élèves ayant des besoins particuliers et compte des classes satellites dans divers secteurs de la ville.

DU NOUVEAU À ST. PIUS X: La phase I de l’expansion et de la reconfiguration des programmes culinaires au Centre de carrières St. Pius X a été approuvée. La CSEM avait initialement réservé la somme de 3 800 000 $ pour la réalisation de ce projet. Or, une somme additionnelle de 900 000 $ provenant de la vente du bâtiment St. John Bosco à Ville-Émard a été allouée à cette initiative.

The next Focus will be published on August 31. Submissions should be made to Michael J. Cohen preferably by e-mail (mcohen@emsb.qc.ca) by August 25 at Noon.

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