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| Tony Loffreda with students and (left to right) Commissioner Mario Pietrangelo, Moderator Richard Deschamps, Director General Nick Katalifos, Chair Joe Ortona and Assistant Directors General Pela Nickoletopoulos and Jack Chadirjian. |
CHOOSE THE EMSB: As part of a campaign to highlight the benefits of a public school education, the English Montreal School Board has launched a new series of presentations – in person and online- featuring prominent graduates. “Choose the EMSB,” will be the campaign slogan, beginning with a focus on East End Schools. Senator Tony Loffreda has agreed to serve as honourary chair and he kicked things off on February 28 at Laurier Macdonald High School in St. Léonard, speaking to students about his successful career and his public education experience. Students from the three St. Léonard elementary schools – Dante, Pierre de Coubertin and Honoré Mercier -were also be part of this, as well as the Laurier Macdonald Career Centre. Following up on a very successful Le Mois du français à la CSEM campaign, EMSB Chair Joe Ortona said it is important to remind every parent whose child has English eligibility to “Choose the EMSB: in order to boost enrolment. Senator Loffreda has agreed to approach other grads to make such visits to schools as well. The campaign's initial focus will be St. Léonard.
Watch this report on Global News
SAVE THE DATE FOR PARENT CONFERENCE: The 2023 EMSB Parents Conference will take place on Sunday, May 28 (9 am to Noon) at a location to be announced shortly. It will be followed up by five days of lunch and learn video capsules from May 29 to June 2. More details to come.
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| Students and staff thank guests at Rosemount High School Black History Month event. |
BLACK HISTORY MONTH: The EMSB marked Black History Month with a wide array of activities across its network. Please see our detailed recap here.
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| Victoria Rawski is congratulated by Commissioner Mario Pietrangelo, Chair Joe Ortona and Parent Commissoner Maria Corsi. |
STUDENT OF THE MONTH: Victoria Rawski, a Grade 6 student at Honoré Mercier Elementary School in St. Leonard, has been chosen as the EMSB Student of the Month for February. Victoria was recently selected to represent Canada at the International Mundialito Tournament, which will take place under the auspices of FIFA from April 1 to April 9, 2023 in Spain. This is an international event that brings together the world's elite soccer players in age-based categories between eight and 13 years old. For this exclusive tournament, École Sportive Montréal Canada is proud to count on the participation of a player from the Montreal region. Victoria also plays for the St Leonard Lions and practices two to three times a week. She must also train at home with exercises sent from her coach. She is very dedicated. Victoria is an honours student at Honoré Mercier and of Ukrainian background. In 2021-2022, she collected soccer balls as part of a school project to give to the Ukrainians who arrived in Montreal. She was hoping to share a smile despite languages barriers and difficulties of starting over. “Friendship without boarders” was the title of her project. She collected so many soccer balls that she is still continuing this project. Victoria was also recently voted as the most “caring” classmate. See our full press release.
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| Georges Laraque joins the students. |
CEDARCREST GIRLS HOCKEY: Nishika Venkatachalam has been ice skating for years but, up until recently, the 11-year-old had never played hockey. It's pretty expensive to buy all the equipment," she said. Nishika is equipped with a stick, knee pads, shoulder pads and a helmet. She's ready and eager to give hockey a shot. She is one of nearly 30 students at Cedarcrest Elementary School in St-Laurent — all of them girls — who are getting the chance to learn and play hockey, free of charge, as part of a Canada-wide initiative to remove barriers to the sport. The 10-week program is run by Hockey 4 Youth, which is overseen by the National Hockey League's inclusion coalition. According to its website, Hockey 4 Youth has organized programs for schools in Toronto, Hamilton and Ottawa and is launching one in Edmonton some time this year. Zayana Callender, a 10-year old who attends Cedarcrest, says the Hockey 4 Youth program makes her want to learn more about the game of hockey. She had no hockey experience heading into the program. Now, she's eager to learn more even if she's starting with the basics. Former NHLer George Laraque got a chance to teach a few tricks to the students taking part in the program. He took part in an on-ice session and says many immigrants are often unable to afford enroll their children in hockey programs. Laraque is hoping that by learning how to skate and play the sport, the girls taking part in the program will spread the word. "Some of these girls will become teachers one day that will teach other girls how to skate," Laraque said. "It's a chain. To be part of that chain is just awesome.” Note: This story comes from CBC
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| JFK students and the Stingers. |
JFK CHEERS ON STINGERS: Students from John F. Kennedy High School in St. Michel attended a game played by the Concordia Stingers women's hockey team recently and got to meet the players after the match. “We skated with the team and got a tour of their athletic facilities,” said teacher Joseph Lamantia. “The Stingers were encouraging our students to continue to take part in sports at school and were explaining the physical and mental benefits of participating in sports as an extra curricular activity in school.”
HOLOCAUST EDUCATION WEBINAR: On January 27, 2023 the EMSB held a panel discussion about the Holocaust and antisemitism on the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Co-hosting this panel was Mark Bergman, grandchild of Romanian Holocaust survivor, the late Baruch Cohen and Eliane Goldstein, a Grade 9 Westmount High School student, descendant of survivors, and creator and host of The Effect on Us podcast. The panelists were: Fishel Goldig, a Holocaust survivor, joining thanks to the Azrieli Foundation Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program; Michelle Sadowski, Educator, Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program; Eta Yudin, the Vice President Quebec for the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA); Heidi Berger, Founder and President of the Foundation for Genocide Education; and Rose Gottheil, Visitor Services Coordinator, Montreal Holocaust Museum. Two students from Royal West Academy in Montreal West, Brooke Chazanoff Moss and Emma Teboul also joined to talk about The March of the Living.
Also please see this wonderful report on CBC, which includes Spiritual Community Animator Vince Lacroce and staff and students at Pierre de Coubertin Elementary School:
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| Students on their tour of the museum. |
RHS HOLOCAUST PROJECT: Grade 11 students from Rosemount High School have embarked upon a sensitization program called “History and the Holocaust.” This program was initiated by Vince Lacroce, Spiritual Community Animator, along with History Teacher Alessio Giancola. Teachers and staff members will be providing their students with educational reading and video materials about the travesties of World War II. The sensitization program was culminated by a visit to the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre on February 14 and a testimonial from a Holocaust survivor is scheduled for April 2. Listen to this podcast.
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| Pearson students at the museum. |
NIGHT BY ELIE WIESEL: Secondary V students at Lester B. Pearson High School in Montreal North have been engaged in a learning process where understanding our history, developing both empathy and compassion, as well as empowerment for the future, have been the objectives. This learning path began with a novel study of the memoir Night by Elie Wiesel which was read by LBPHS students in Pangiota Seremetis' Secondary V English classes. The setting for the novel takes place during the Holocaust and follows Eliezer's family`s horrific journey through to Auschwitz. The learning process concluded with a trip to the Montreal Holocaust Museum organized by Spiritual Community Animator Joseph Monachino. The visit and accompanying workshop made the experiences described in Night real for the students and made the novel study even more impactful. Mr. Monachino stresses that this type of learning opportunity truly enables and empowers each of the students, and it is in this way that we can help ensure that events such as the Holocaust never happen again.
COMBATTING ANTISEMITISM: During a PED day last month, LaurenHill Academy in St. Laurent received a very special workshop from The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) organized by Spiritual and Community Animator Jessica Wilson. CIJA works to protect the quality of Jewish life in Canada through advocacy. Emmanuelle Amar, CIJA’s Director of Policy and Research (Quebec), discussed antisemitism and hate, and what that looks like in schools, as well shared hands-on resources teachers can use to educate and empower students.
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| Royal West students begin their tour of the museum. |
DIVERSITY CARAVAN: On February 10, Royal West Academy students had the opportunity to visit the Montreal Holocaust Museum as part of an Extra Curricular Activity (ECA ) project. This outing was organized by Spiritual Community Animator Jag Trehin and teacher Stephanie Ferland-Turcotte for Diversity Caravan, a multicultural ECA, that provides an opportunity for students to explore the unique cultures and faiths of the world in their own city, Montreal! Diversity Caravan allows students to get a taste of a multicultural experience, developing an awareness and understanding of the of the large number of ethnic groups that make up the multi-faith fabric of Montreal and Canadian Society. So far students have visited the Congregation Shaar Hashomayim synagogue in Westmount, Islamic Center of Quebec, and Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal. The latest trip to the Montreal Holocaust Museum included a guided tour of the informative exhibits, followed by an educational workshop with a Holocaust survivor. Students had an opportunity to travel back in time to the 1940’s and hear the emotional story of Daisy Gross, a Holocaust survivor, who shared her personal story and experiences during these difficult times. In the commemoration room of the Museum, students paused in reflection and remembrance placing a stone as per commemoration customs. Ms. Gross’ story and the visit to the museum brought a deep understanding and awareness of the effects of the Holocaust; an experience that many students expressed was quite moving for them.
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| Jag Traheen and students at their display. |
ACTION AGAINST ISLAMOPHOBIA: Royal West Academy’s Student Life Association (SLA) students and Ms. Trehin organized a Green Square Campaign January 24 to 31. During this time, the school community joined together for reflection for the National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against lslamophobia. Almost six years ago, January 29, 2017, the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City was subjected to a tragic, hateful and Islamophobic crime. RWA students and staff wore green felt squares in memory of the victims and in solidarity with the survivors. The aim of the campaign was to raise awareness of diversity, to stand up against discrimination and racism, and wear the green squares as a symbol of HOPE for a Canada that is free from hate. Ms. Trehin explains that the SCA service in our schools strives for ways to highlight and build awareness of cultures and create educational opportunities to explore the multicultural Canada we live in. This platform provides a prevention and promotion strategy really, which builds awareness and familiarity with cultures and diverse faith communities. The campaign began with a solemn and commemorative display in the main foyer, offering useful information, resources, and green squares. Further education and awareness on the cultures and traditions of Islam were highlighted by a beautiful artifacts and books display, in conjunction with the library, highlighting diverse authors. The campaign also included messages in the daily student bulletin, reflective mindful moment announcements with a moment of silence on Monday January 30. The campaign concluded on Jan.31 with a visit from a member of the National Council of Canadian Muslims Jannat Firdous, NCCM’s Education Coordinator, who offered an informative presentation for some ERC classes and the Social Justice club. Please see the CityNews report.
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| The EMSB Human Resources team. |
REACHING OUT TO POTENTIAL NEW TEACHERS: The EMSB Human Resources Department was represented by staff at the McGill Education Career Fair and the University of Ottawa’s virtual edition. This represented an excellent opportunity to reach out to potential new teachers.
LMAC IN THE NEWS: Please check out this story on Laurier Macdonald High School in St. Leonard in The Gazette.
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| The Green Team. |
LMAC’S SOLUTION TO POLLUTION: Have you ever brought your lunch tray to the bins, and wondered “What belongs in recycling, what should I compost and finally what goes to the trash?” This year, the Laurier Macdonald High School community decided to demystify this process by making a school-wide initiative. With the help of the Green Team Committee, the school population is also being educated about the benefits of composting and recycling, helping everyone sort their trash on the spot! To even go further in our commitment to help our environment and reduce waste, we are proud to announce that after the March Break the school will be introducing reusable utensils. When it comes to helping the environment, we are the change we wish to see in the world!
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| LMAC students and staff. |
LMAC’S VOW OF SILENCE: On Tuesday, February 21st, 2023, 100 students from Laurier Macdonald High School engaged in an important initiative organized by Spirtual Animator Joseph Monachino and IB Coordinator Valerie Barnabé in order to raise awareness about the silencing effect of bullying. The students had the opportunity to become “silent” for one full school day in solidarity with children who are experiencing the mental, physical, and emotionally silencing effects of bullying. By exercising their power to advocate for children’s voices, the students from LMAC helped spread awareness and understanding of the silencing effect that bullying can have physically, emotionally, and mentally. Congratulations to all the students who participated and took part in this worthy cause. The LMAC community is proud of each one of you and of your commitment to creating awareness and to beginning the process to end bullying in all its forms.
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| Left to right at LMAC: Gianna Simancas, Giovana Wendling, Hannah Tinkler and Andrea Vaccaro |
STUDENTS TO BE PART OF UN FORUM: Marymount Academy International and Laurier Macdonald High School will each have a representative joining a roundtable of panelists at a United Nations Forum, taking place in New York City this spring. Laurier Mac’s Gianna Simancas and Marymount’s Yasmeen Lrhazi, both Secondary V students, will be presenting their projects online on behalf of their teams at the NGO-UNCSW-67 Forum on March 13. The roundtable is taking place during the sixty-seventh session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women March 6 to 17, attended by representatives of member states and NGOs from all over the world.
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| Left to right at Marymount: Yasmeen Lrhazi, Shupeng Liu, Samantha Woo, Min Seo Kim and their teacher Richard Ouwendyk. |
The EMSB projects were presented by Voices of Olympia Canada, a global citizenship learning-based initiative located in Montreal, which mentors the students. Marymount Academy’s team is composed of Secondary V students Samantha Woo, Min Seo Kim, Shupeng Liu Wendling and its spokesperson, Ms. Lrhazi. At Laurier Macdonald, under the supervision of teacher and IBMYP Coordinator Valérie Barnabé, spokesperson Gianna and her team of Hannah Tinkler, Andrea Vaccaro and Giovana Wendling submitted their project. See the press release.
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| French author Chloe Varin read to students at Coronation Elementary School in Côte des Neiges. |
ÊTRE BILINGUES, C’EST GAGNANT: For a look back at our very successful Le Mois de Francais in January, please click here.
OMBUDSMAN: Laurence Sarrazin is the new EMSB Student Ombudsman. This is an independent and neutral individual who must be designated by the Council of Commissioners and is mandated to inform student(s) or their parent(s); direct their inquiries to the appropriate person; and receive, investigate and give an opinion on the merits of a complaint to the Council of Commissioners in order to recommend, if required, any appropriate corrective measures. For more information please go here.
HOOKED ON SCHOOL WEEK: This year’s Hooked on School Days took place from February 13 to 17. EMSB Officials were at the launch at Beurling Academy in Verdun and an address to the Chamber of Commerce of Montreal by Education Minister Bernard Drainville. The spokesperson was, once again, NFL player and McGill University Medical School grad Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff. Activities took place at a number of EMSB schools. Colin Throness, a project development and dropout prevention worker for the EMSB Alternative School network, was interviewed on the Global TV Morning Show. “Hooked on Schools is a year-long thing for us,” he says, noting how he runs a creative writing activity and Alternative United basketball program. You can see the clip here.
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| A section of the St. Gabriel mural. |
SCHOOL MURAL: For Hooked on School Days, the team at St. Gabriel Elementary School in Ville Émard all got together and created a mural using the clever template provided by RRM titled “draw the equation of your success.” Students in Grades 1 to 6 used art to depict how they can reach their own success. They also got a taste of algebra since the project began with a discussion on the meaning of an equation (how the sentence on one side equals the other side) and what this means when the other side of the equation equals “our success.”.
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| James Lyng High School Principal Giovanni Iammarrone and Vice-Principal Andrea Dillon speak with Westmount Park School Grade 6 students. |
TRANSITION TO HIGH SCHOOL: As a way to help elementary Grade 6 students prepare for their transition to High School, James Lyng High School, with support from EMSB Consultant Elpis Argyrakopoulos, and through funding from the government of Quebec and in collaboration with Réseau réussite Montréal, offered Westmount Park School Grade 6 students to be “Students for the Day at James Lyng High School recently. The students followed a typical high school schedule, which consisted of four periods and participated in learning activities in the course subjects of Music, Visual Arts, Leadership, and P.O.P. The students also had a Q&A session with current James Lyng High School students. In addition to this and as part of this initiative to best prepare students and their families for the realities of High School, James Lyng High School is also planning a Transition to High School Seminar for Parents exclusively for parents of Westmount Park School grade 6 students before the end of the current school. More information regarding this free seminar, including registration details, will be sent to you in the coming weeks.
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| Left to right: James Lyng High School Principa Giovanni Iammarrone, EMSB Commissioner Julien Feldman, John Abbott College’s Scott Darragh and Joseph Tomeo, students Maya Majdoub and Mati Loeffler and Vice-Principal, Andrea Dillon. |
DRUG AWARENESS: On February 14, James Lyng High School Secondary III to V students were given a drug awareness presentation by former colleagues of EMSB Commissioner Mario Pietrangelo and John Abbott College’s Police Technology Department staff members Joseph Tomeo and Scott Darragh. Their vast experiences as former police officers made for a very informative and engaging presentation about the many current dangers associated with drugs.
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| The EMSB Senior Chorale on stage at the Monument National in Opera McGill’s Hänsel und Gretel ( Photo credit: Stephanie Sedlbauer) |
EMSB CHORALE NEWS: It has been a busy start to the year for the EMSB Chorale. The Senior choristers sang as the Gingerbread Children in four performances of Opera McGill’s production of Hänsel und Gretel at the Monument National from January 26 to 29. The choir is now preparing to perform with the St. Lawrence Choir on March 11 at the Maison symphonique. The program, entitled Psalmae, includes the stunningly dramatic and rarely performed Psalmus Hungaricus by Kodály and the very beautiful Psalm 121 by Canadian composer Imant Raminsh. On March 25, the Chorale will once again be the guests of the Choeur des enfants de Montréal for the Earth Hour Concert which will take place at Christ Church Cathedral downtown. This year, the concert-by-candlelight, will also feature guest choirs from Ottawa and Toronto. The EMSB Chorale is also thrilled to be back at Oscar Peterson Hall on May 13 for its annual Spring Gala Concert. Tickets go on sale March 13. The choir is also excited about finally heading out to BC for the International Choral Kathaumiwx Festival in July after three years of postponement. For more information on the EMSB Chorale, contact conductor Pat Abbott at pabbott@emsb.qc.ca or at 514-483-7200, ext. 7234. Auditions for next season will be held in May, June, late August and early September.
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDESS : As part of the EMSB Respect Campaign, International Random Acts of Kindness Day (Feb. 17) and Pink Shirt Day (Feb. 22) were marked.
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| The We Care Club. |
WE CARE CLUB: Members of the Vincent Massey Collegiate “We Care” Club, guided by Spiritual Animator Veronica D’Agata, worked hard to make 65 beautiful bracelets for the patients at the Montreal Children’s Hospital. This activity was a special contribution to the annual SCA “Heart to Heart” Valentine’s Day project. Students at John Caboto Academy and Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary also participated in the "Heart to Heart" project by creating Valentine’s Day cards. The goal is to spread messages of joy, love, and care to make the young patients smile!
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| A nice Valentine's Day project. |
VALENTINE’S CARDS FOR VETS: The Grade 5 and 6 students at Honore-Mercier Elementary School created handmade Valentine’s Day cards for patients Veterans Hospital in St Anne de Bellevue. The cards included heartfelt message to help bring joy to our Canadian veterans
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| Pascal Fleury at Edward Murphy. |
KEEPING K.I.N.D. I.N. M.I.N.D: As part of their ongoing kindness campaign, Edward Murphy School administration, staff, and Spiritual and Community Animator Rocco Speranza invited SPVM officers from PDQ 48 and Pascal Fleury to speak to students about kindness, as well as the importance of education, determination, and perseverance. Students are being encouraged to continuing performing acts of kindness daily. One of the takeaway messages from the speakers was that, in the end it does not matter who won the game, the important thing is to take part in the game, have fun, to create connections and memories in the process, and to always spread kindness. Pascal Fleury also visited LINKS High School, Sinclair Laird and St. Raphael Elementary School, where students and staff participated in friendly basketball games.
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| Heart to Heart. |
HEART TO HEART: The seventh annual “Heart to Heart” Valentine’s Day initiative included an in person visit to the Montreal Children’s Hospital. Coordinated by Clementina Fraga (Gerald McShane School Daycare Technician) and Spiritual and Community Animator (SCA) Rocco Speranza, with support from SCAs Mary Poullas, Veronica D’Agata and Jagdeep Trehin, several schools took part this year to continue spreading the messages of love, hope, unity, peace and community. This initiative aims to cheer up children who are in the hospital during Valentine's Day and deliver the messages of joy and comfort to those who need it via cards, toys, bracelets, and well wishes. Participating schools included East Hill, Gerald McShane, Dante, LINKS, St. Raphael, Sinclair Laird, Edward Murphy, Vincent Massey, Leonardo Da Vinci, Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Edinburgh, and John Caboto. Together the schools created hundreds of handmade cards and works of art and collected funds for medical equipment and the Healthy Kids Fund. In addition, residents at Seniors homes and hospital staff also received cards and some Valentine’s Day treats as the initiative expands. Our students' efforts help them grow in community spirit as their actions make them more empathetic and compassionate and help them grow into caring citizens A great big thank you to staff, students, communities, and administrations for their support. The project aims to instill in the young children that any act of charity big or small, known or unknown, is a wonderful act of compassion and kindness that can change the lives of those giving and receiving.
WELCOMING UKRAINIAN STUDENTS: Julia Stark, Jessica Wilson, Hewot Dawit, Samantha Page Smith and Emma Pepall Schultz accompanied 30 students from Westmount High, LaurenHill Academy, Marymount Academy, and MIND who recently arrived from Ukraine. Together the staff and students walked over 15,000 steps as they explored downtown, Chinatown, Old Montreal, and the Port. Tim Horton's donuts and a Chinese buffet fed their stomachs, while ice skating, laughter and a day speaking their native tongue fed their spirits.
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| A Self-Love Gratitude Wall at Royal West Academy. |
WELLNESS AND VALENTINES: RWA’s Wellness Committee has been planning an initiative to lift the spirits of their peers and provide some comforting wellness opportunities in their school. Wellness committee students along with ECA Coordinator Sadia Di Pietro, Spiritual Animator Jag Trehin and Guidance Counsellor Michal Wineberg have been meeting weekly for discussions on mental health and wellness. Throughout the year the group has participated in the Headstrong Youth Summit, planned gratitude activities for homeroom classes and the latest initiative a self-care/self-love campaign for Valentines. Students in the committee shared that they wanted to do something kind and nice for their peers, and who doesn’t love a sweet treat once in a while! So, throughout the week of Feb.13 to 17 students and staff were invited to join the “self-love and gratitude” wall posting hearts with something they are grateful for or something they love about themselves. Leading up to Valentine’s Day a “sweet-self-treat” display was set up in the school foyer at lunch, offering an assortment of treats (mini cupcakes, donuts, and chocolates). Those receiving the treats were amazed at the kind gesture of the committee. Other activities included face painting, and live music during the lunch hour. The group is busy planning for some springtime activities centered around wellness and stress relief, again with the goal of spreading some positivity and kindness in their school community!
THE BEAT: EMSB Spiritual Animator Rocco Speranza spoke about Pink Shirt Day and bullying on The Beat 92.5 FM: You can listen here
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| Cat Spencer and Catherine Verdon Diamond at Michelangelo International. |
BEAT VISITS MICHELANGELO: Afternoon drive home show hosts Cat Spencer and Catherine Verdon Diamond visited Michelangelo International in RDP on Pink Shirt Day to meet and speak with the students. Thank you to all the teachers who put together an incredible array of anti-bullying and kindness activities!
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| The talented students at LDVA. |
LDVA'S GOT TALENT: There were lots of top-notch performances at the LDVA’S Got Talent Show! After a virtual presentation the past two years, the school welcomed parents and students to watch the show live and there was a full house."They truly put so much hard work and dedication into their acts which made this show magical and unforgettable," said Principal Nadia Sammarco.
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| Students do their heavy lifting. |
A MILE IN THEIR SHOES: Options Alternative High School in Ville Émard ran its first anti-bullying initiative entitled "A Mile In Their Shoes." We wanted to build on Pink Shirt Day,” said Development Officer Jason Gannon. “We measured out a distance of 50 m in Options and performed 32 lengths -one mile- with a heavyweight on our shoulders. The intent of this initiative was to feel the weight of being bullied. Students and staff participated fully. Most impactful was the discussion that followed where we collaborated as equals in order to open a discussion about bullying and how we can create an environment free from it."
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| LINKS students form a link. |
CHAIN OF COMMITMENT: LINKS High School students and staff are standing out in their newly designed t-shirts to show they are standing up for each other. On February 22 they promoted Pink Shirt day by building a chain of commitments. They are all working together to develop a safe place for trust, friendships, equity, respect and learning.
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| Lana Button and two students. |
RESPECT AT FACE: FACE Elementary School students were treated to a visit from Lana Button, who is a Canadian children's author. This event was part of one of the events that FACE planned to highlight the EMSB Respect Campaign this year. Lana shared the process of writing a book and some tips for aspiring writers during her presentation. Her presentation also addressed the important of positive mental health and kindness. She talked about the importance of respect, helping others and spreading kindness. Her session included a read-aloud from one of her award-winning picture books. Each class also received a book that was written and signed by Lana Button to help recognize Pink Shirt Day this year.
CHAMPIONS FOR LIFE: The Champions for Life Foundation and the Concordia University Department of Health, Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, in collaboration with the Canadian Tire Jumpstart Foundation, hosted a Kaizen Kids Carnival at the Stinger Dome.The Kaizen Kids Carnival is an event that provides children from local schools with a positive physical activity experience while developing their physical literacy skills. They welcomed over 170 children from Willingdon and Children's World Academy schools.Special guests were Champions for Life Ambassadors, former Olympian and Professional Soccer Players Marinette Pichon and Amy Walsh. The Concordia Stingers Women's Soccer Team and Kaizen, the Champions for Life Foundation mascot, also attended to help animate the festivities.For more information about getting involved with the Kaizen Kids Carnival, please get in touch with David Arsenault at d.arsenault@championsforlife.ca or by phone at (514) 825-5934.
HOCKEY DAY AT McSHANE: Gerald McShane Elementary School will be hosting a hockey play day on March 3 at Arena Rolland (12000 Rolland) in Montreal North. Any EMSB Grade, 3, 4, and 5 students are invited to come experience the sports concentration program and have some free ice time!
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| The EMSB's Jack Chadirjian and Jimmy Giannacopoulos visit a booth. |
CARLYLE IB-PYP EXHIBITION: Carlyle Elementary School in TMR held its annual IB-PYP Exhibition! The Grade 6 students were hard at work, researching the ways in which humankind expresses themselves. This inquiry project was initiated from personal interest, precisely expressing themselves through social media, film, art, robotics, science, food and fashion, which extended into the study of current modern forms of expression.
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| Luba Kalba and her Dalmation team. |
101 DAYS OF SCHOOL: Bravo to the team at Dalkeith Elementary School for their clever celebration of the 101st day of classes. The Kindergarten and Cycle I students all dressed up in the attire from the movie 101 Dalmations, noting how “some pups are 101 days smarter.” The program was spearheaded by Kindergarten teacher Luba Kalba. “We’ve always celebrated the 100th day of school in pre-school,” she says. “ Cycle 1 decided to join us a few years back, so I came up with celebrating the 101th day Dalmatian style to change things up. Otherwise it gets old for the first and second graders celebrating the same thing every year. It was a team effort and collaboration. Each of the five teachers organized a station in the gym. Students rotated throughout the morning. They had a Steam challenge to build a dog with toothpicks and marshmallows; stamping 101 spots in a dog; dog craft; making towers using 101 cups & blocks; and solving riddles to find 101 dog bones.”
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| Trying out the Fatbikes. |
ROLLING WITH FATBIKES: Physical Education teacher Natasha Benvenuto is always looking for new ways to incorporate fun and promote physical health and well-being into her classes. She has been incorporating creative activities both indoors and outdoors and her students are on board and engaged. Ms. Benvenuto explains, “Some of our students have physical challenges and some may not have access to leisure or organized sports activities in their communities. Therefore, we bring these sports activities to them so we can prepare them physically and mentally as well as be there to encourage and cheer them on. Often it is a matter of building their confidence and off they go. Expressions of apprehension to hearing them shout out with pride and accomplishment is very rewarding.” Bruno Lequenne, the founder of Bruno Velo, is the perfect partner for LINKS. He is the father of a five-year-old son with special needs and was extremely grateful that he was given the opportunity to provide his services to our LINKSTERS. His mission is to offer this outdoor activity to individuals of all levels and to promote diversity and inclusion. When Bruno drove his truck into our school yard full of snow and unloaded these strange looking bikes with giant tires, our students had that look of surprise and curiosity. One could also see the emotional connection Bruno had with our students as he guided them through the exercise. He felt he was truly making an impact. Ms. Benvenuto believes in our school philosophy where we focus on each student’s vast capabilities and strengthening those skills. She witnessed her students getting out of their comfort zone, exhibiting perseverance and supporting their peers. They showed some real skills that day. We cannot wait until Bruno returns in the spring.
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| Haroun Bouazzi gets a warm welcome. |
BREAKFAST CLUB AT LINKS: Haroun Bouazzi, the Québec Solidaire MNA for the Maurice Richard Riding, visited LINKS High School in Ahuntsic for their Breakfast Club of Canada program.
DRESSING DOWN FOR TURKEY AND SYRIA: As reported in the news, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit areas of Turkey and Syria collapsing buildings and creating devastation. In order to help support the humanitarian efforts, students at Vincent Massey Collegiate held a dress down day fundraiser benefitting the Canadian Red Cross. An amazing total of $2000 was raised! This campaign was initiated by Spiritual and Community Animator Veronica D’Agata and the VMC “We Care” Club, as one of the members has Turkish family roots and wanted to help her community during this terrible disaster. Let us all continue to send our thoughts and prayers to all those affected by this earthquake.
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| Kindergarten students get into the spirit with Jimmy Chan and the Dragon. |
CELEBRATING THE LUNAR NEW YEAR: On January 25, staff and students at Edinburgh Elementary School in Montreal West were invited to a special presentation and assembly with their Spiritual and Community Animator Jag Trehin to celebrate the Lunar New Year! With all grades present for the assembly for the first time since the pandemic, staff and students were happy and thrilled to be celebrating the Chinese New Year together and learn about the culture, customs, and traditions! Everyone enjoyed an upbeat, interactive, vibrant, and colorful Lion Dance performance. This was followed by a drumming workshop, where many of our students showed off their musical talents competing with the artist Jimmy Chan. “It was a day of celebration, fun and cheer, most importantly education and awareness of some of the unique cultures from around the world,” says Ms. Trehin, “just some of the ways we explore diversity and multiculturalism at Edinburgh!”
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| The B.A.S.E. students show a project. |
Meanwhile, Edinburgh B.A.S.E. Daycare held an assembly on February 2 to commemorate the Chinese New Year. The Grade 5 Prefect leaders chose the theme and helped organize the event. Each daycare group explored a Chinese zodiac animal according to the year they were born. The Kindergarten students studied the dog. The Grade 1A students worked on the rooster and the Grade 1B students worked on the monkey. The Grade 2 students explored the goat, while the Grade 3A students learned about the horse and the Grade 3B students learned about the pig. The Grade 4 students focused on the snake and the rat. The Grade 5 students worked on the dragon, while the Grade 5 Prefect leaders worked on the rabbit. The eldest students—Grade 6—inquired about the ox and tiger. Each group presented their zodiac animal during the assembly. The students showed their projects and shared facts that they learned during their research. The four Prefect leaders concluded the assembly with a presentation of the rabbit and a Lion Dance using a costume they built from recyclable materials. The students mirrored a Lion Dance they learned the week prior when the Montreal Chan Lion Dance Club visited the school for a Chinese New Year school assembly.
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| Julie Falbo |
STAR DANCER: Please see this report on CityNews about Julie Falbo, a Secondary II student at Lester B. Pearson High School in Montreal North and an outstanding dancer. Her older sister Angelike was a star in the French language TV show La Voix a few years ago while attending Laurier Macdonald High School in St. Léonard.
HOPS PROGRAM: The HOPS Program (Hospital Opportunity Program) has been modified from in-person to virtual. However, on February 21, the CRCHUM (Centre de Recherche) at the CHUM Hospital allowed some HOPS students to enter the hospital. Dr. Moishe Liberman, Thoracic surgeon and his team of medical engineers met with the students, and they were able to learn about his research concerning new minimally invasive and endoscopic techniques in the diagnosis, treatment, staging and palliation of thoracic cancers. Research program centers on technology assessment and development in minimally invasive and natural orifice thoracic surgical oncology. Students who attended this unique experience were from Vincent Massey Collegiate in Rosemount, Laurier Macdonald High School in St. Leonard and Marymount Academy International in NDG.
QFHSA APPLAUDS APPOINTMENT: The Quebec Federation of Home and School Associations Inc. (QFHSA) welcomes Amira Elghawaby as the newly appointed federal special representative on combatting Islamophobia in the wake of the growing discrimination and hate crimes our Muslim communities face. To that end, in June 2021, the QFHSA adopted a resolution to “Request to Revise and Improve the Secondary III and Secondary IV History of Quebec and Canada Curriculum” in response to the Minister of Education’s new history curricula. Further, in June 2022, the QFHSA adopted a resolution to “Request to Maintain Race, Religion, and Culture as Central Themes in the Proposed Citizenship Course” in response to the decision to replace the Ethics and Religious Culture program with a Culture and Citizenship in Quebec program.
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| Some LaurenHill students with their project. |
CRC ROBOTICS: The 22nd annual CRC Robotics Competition, entitled Avia 2023, took place February 16 to 18 at École secondaire Curé-Antoine-Labelle in Laval. A total of 600 students from 22 schools participated. The CRC Robotics competition brought together some of the most talented and creative young minds in the field of robotics. This annual event challenges high school students to design, build, and program robots that can complete complex tasks and compete against other teams. This year, two EMSB high schools, LaurenHill Academy in St. Laurent and Royal West Academy in Montreal West, participated in the competition, showcasing their impressive skills and innovation.
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| The Royal West team. |
These schools have a history of producing exceptional robotics teams, and their presence at the CRC Robotics competition was highly anticipated. The event was a true display of teamwork, problem-solving, and ingenuity, and it's sure to inspire future generations of aspiring roboticists. Royal West Academy ranked fourth overall in their division and LaurenHill ranked ninth in their division. In addition, Pierre Elliot Trudeau elementary school participated in the CRC Junior Robotics competition. These brilliant students received a silver medal for their overall performance in all the challenges.
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| Lewis Cohen got a warm welcome at Roslyn. |
BACK TO ROSLYN: Filmmaker Lewis Cohen returned to his former elementary school, Roslyn, on February 9 to talk about his prolific career. Right now, Cohen is talking about the six-part TVO original documentary Truth & Lies, for which he is the writer and showrunner. It began airing on Jan. 17 and each episode can also be seen through tvo.org, Roku, YouTube, and the TVO Today mobile app until the series concludes Feb. 17. “I am really pleased by the fact people can watch this virtually any time they wish after the original episodes air,” said Cohen. The series ties together thousands of years of deception, half-truths, ego-building and character assassination, that have created and toppled empires, caused the death of millions in wars, and perpetuated toxic hatreds. His stepbrother is Shawn Levy, a HUGE Hollywood producer responsible for Stranger Things on Netflix, the Night at the Museum movies and more. Cohen so much inspired the Roslyn students he spoke to that they want to Make a documentary about the school and he has agreed to assist. The students not only had many questions, but they asked Cohen if they can play a role in picking the title for his next film about a dog that bites someone and the consequences of the incident. This will be a docufiction.
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| Tim Fleiszer |
JUMP ROPE FOR HEART: Former Canadian Football League player Tim Fleiszer will be this year’s special guest at the Jump Rope for Heart program at Royal Vale School in NDG. Mr. Fleiszer, who is also a Royal Vale parent, has participated in six Grey Cup finals and was victorious in four of them. He will kick off proceedings on Tuesday March 14 (9:15 am). Over the past 20 years is number one in fundraising in Quebec, with almost $400,000 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, reports Physical Education and Health teacher Norman Katz.
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| Norman Katz and his Dragons. |
ROYAL VALE DRAGONS: The Royal Vale Dragons once again demonstrated their grit on the ice as the only public school team to not only play in the GMAA Elementary hockey league, but also qualify for the playoffs. The Dragons squeaked into the fourth and final playoff spot with a shootout victory over Solomon Schecter Academy. Go
CPR AT ROSEMOUNT HIGH: After the success of the Act Foundation CPR training of Rosemount High School and Laurier Macdonald High School staff members, both schools will be partnering up for a two month CPR training course certifying Secondary 3 students. The certification will be done by Laurier Macdonald Physical Education Teacher Vince Macri. Mr. Macri was a first aid instructor with the Red Cross from 2010-2020 and has certified staff, students, and company employees. He has been teaching and certifying various grade levels in First Aid as part of his Physical Education Program at Laurier Macdonald for over 10 years. The program will be supported by Spiritual and Community Animator Vince Lacroce along with Jessika Neri and Anne Flately, teachers at Rosemount High School. “CPR is an important lifesaving skill that can be the difference between life and death in an emergency situation, ” says Lacroce. “By working together, our high schools can pool our resources and expertise to provide a comprehensive CPR training program and our students can benefit from the diverse perspectives and experiences of different teachers and trainers.”
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| Lem talks to students. |
RESILIENCE: On February 7, Rosemount High School officially launched its partnership with La Fondation Petits Trésors. The two-part workshop will be spearheaded by Lem, a noted author and spoken word artist. Her credo is resilience, as indicated by the title of her one-woman show "From Limbo to the Surface." which sold out twice in early 2020. She tells her story, from the book of the same name, from a damaged childhood in a Parisian ghetto to her blossoming in Quebec. The sessions will be offering to grade 7 and 8 students and focus on Resiliency, Self-Esteem, and Mental Health. The presentations are organized by Spiritual and Community Animator Vince Lacroce along with members of the French Department, Natalie Beaudoin, Eric Mailloux and Emile Bertrand.
INTERNATIONAL PEACE POSTER CONTEST: For over three decades, Lions clubs around the globe have been sponsoring a very special art contest in schools and youth groups. Creating peace posters gives children everywhere the chance to express their visions of peace and inspire the world through art and creativity. For the 2023-2024 contest, students aged 11, 12 or 13, as of November 15, are eligible to participate. All of the details are here: https://www.lionsclubs.org/en/start-our-approach/youth/peace-poster Meanwhile, the Montreal- Autism Community Lions Club will hold its gala fundraiser on April 29 (5:30 pm) at Scofield Hall (90 Av. Roosevelt) in Town of Mont-Royal to continue to support awareness, acceptance, advocacy and support for the special needs community. They will be raising funds for all of its neurodiversity projects. Info: mtlautismlionsclub@gmail.com or Lori-Ann Zemanovich at 514-929-0830.
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| Dante students welcome the Toundra. |
MONTREAL TOUNDRA: Students at Dante Elementary School in St. Leonard were thrilled to welcome Olivier Cadieux and Misi Boye from the Montreal Toundra recently! The Toundra are Montreal’s newest professional sports franchise, set to begin play on March 4 in The TBL (The Basketball League) at the Centre Pierre Charbonneau. The visits are being organized by Julian Grau-Brown, an alumnus of Dante, John Paul I and Laurier Macdonald High Schools. When not working for the Toundra, Grau-Brown is also well known in the James Lyng High School for donating more than 300 pairs of sneakers to students over the past two years. Members of the team also visited Westmount Park Elementary School and plan to visit more EMSB schools throughout the season. General Manager Juan Mendez is an alumni of St.Gabriel Elementary School in Pointe St. Charles and James Lyng. For more information on the Toundra, please visit: mtltoundra.com.
WORKSHOP ON ANTICIPATORY GRIEF: Myra’s Kids Foundation will present a virtual professional development workshop on: Anticipatory Grief on Friday, March 24 (9 am to Noon). The workshop will focus on defining the term anticipatory grief and more specifically, what makes anticipatory grief a unique type of grief.. Grief, Loss and Bereavement Specialist Corrie Sirota will discuss the importance of identifying, acknowledging and addressing bereaved individuals when they present with anticipatory grief as there is a unique opportunity to provide invaluable interventions on how to address their grief prior to a death or related to a non-death loss that may in turn serve to mitigate their grief process. The second part of the workshop will include a panel discussion focused on different types of anticipatory grief with a specific emphasis on non-death losses, The discussion is intended to illustrate what professionals need to know in order to best support various stakeholders who have or continue to live with anticipatory grief. In the final part of the workshop, Ms. Sirota will offer guidelines and interventions that professionals can use to help the bereaved understand the anticipatory grief experience. This will encompass supportive ways to assist individuals (including children) who are experiencing anticipatory grief; including helping people understand their lived experience, manage changes, address emotions and discover ways to cope. To register go to www.myraskids.ca/events. You can also e-mail corrie@myraskids.ca. Cost is $35 for students and general admission and $65 with OPQ credits.
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| Action at Parkdale. |
WHAT ROUGH BEAST: After the runaway success of Alice Abracen’s award-winning The Covenant at the Segal Centre in 2022, the next production from Theatre Ouest End is here, in collaboration with Tantalus. Returning with a roar to the theatre where it was featured as part of Centaur Theatre’s 50th Anniversary Legacy Series in 2019, What Rough Beast is Centaur Theatre’s Brave New Looks selection for 2023; it runs March 2 to the 11. There will be post-show talkbacks. What Rough Beast begins as a controversial professor is invited to speak at a progressive college, kicking off a political firestorm and tearing the campus apart. As the factions form and the rhetoric flares, on the other side of the city a young man slouches down the rabbit hole of radicalization with devastating consequences. Through the story of seven young adults, What Rough Beast engages with topical questions such as: how do we engage with those whose ideas we find hateful? What do we risk in having empathy for the other side, and how, or should we, try to reach across the chasm? This thought-provoking, contemporary play presents a brave new look at some of the most heated questions facing our city, our country, and our world, exploring the danger of dehumanization and the limits of empathy and tolerance. The play contains mature themes and deals with challenging topics such as extremism, bigotry, and gun violence. Alice is a graduate of Royal West Academy. Info: www.theatreouestend.ca/about.html
WEST COAST CONNECTION: Westcoast Connection, an international student travel organization, based in Montreal, providing summer experiences for high school aged students. It offers community service programs, pre-college enrichment, career experiences, global adventures programs, and active teen tours in many countries all around the world. To staff these incredible programs, Westcoast Connection looks for passionate individuals to lead our participants across the globe for this unique growth opportunity that turns into one of the most memorable experiences of their lives. Teachers and educators are ideal for these positions as they are skilled leaders who can engage compassionately and enthusiastically with our teens, pulling on their valuable teaching experience. They are seeking Program Directors and Program Leaders, having had many teachers who have been very successful staff in the past within both positions. Info: jobs@westcoastconnection.com or feel free to apply online at: http://westcoastconnection.com/come-work-with-us/
ONLINE MEANNESS: New research conducted during the pandemic by MediaSmarts found 32 percent of young Canadians ages nine to 17 have experienced online meanness and cruelty, 49 percent have witnessed it, and 17 percent have engaged in this behaviour. In time for Pink Shirt Day (Anti-Bullying Day) on February 22, these findings were released in MediaSmarts’ new Online Meanness and Cruelty report. It’s the fourth in a series of reports from the latest phase of Young Canadians in a Wireless World, a national survey of 1,058 youth ages 9 to 17 conducted in Autumn 2021. This research highlights how often and where youth experience, witness and engage in online meanness and cruelty and the reasons why they engage in it. It also investigates how youth respond to online cruelty and where they go for support in navigating these harmful experiences. The study found that: Youth who experience online meanness or cruelty are also more likely to engage in it. They’re also more likely to say they’ve seen racist or sexist content online ; while most youth (64 percent) respond after witnessing someone else experiencing online cruelty, they're less likely to do anything when it happens to themselves; Having household rules related to technology makes it less likely that youth will engage in online cruelty and more likely that youth will ask for help when dealing with it ; When screen time is managed with technology, young people are more likely to experience, witness or engage in online cruelty These are the top places youth experience online meanness and cruelty: 41 percent online gaming; 37 percent text or private message ; and 26 percent posts and comments on social media
“This new research shows that we can’t oversimplify how youth experience or engage in online meanness and cruelty. It’s also unrealistic to suggest youth simply stop using devices or platforms as a solution,” says Dr. Kara Brisson-Boivin, Director of Research at MediaSmarts. “Instead, we need to provide all young people with resources that help them interact with each other from a place of empathy. Trusted adults also need guidance on how to stay involved and engaged in their kids’ digital lives - without using technology to spy on them.”
ORAL HEALTH MONTH: April is national oral health month! As part of the activities, the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) is hosting its annual Attack the Plaque kids’ colouring contest. The theme this year centers around Tooth Tips for kids. Children’s preventive oral health is an important message for this year, particularly with the introduction of the government’s Interim Canada Dental Benefit which will allow many families who don’t have private dental insurance, to have access to much needed, essential dental care. This is a great time to remind everyone to brush their teeth at least twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste (2x2 minutes). #oralhealth4totalhealth www.cdha.ca/colouringcontest Info: Brittney Sander at bsander@cdha.ca • www.cdha.ca
A NEW SERIES: Gala is a Montreal based production company specializing in the creation of audiovisual content that makes science and technology more accessible with an entertaining and educational approach. They have produced documentaries, podcasts, webcasts and most recently an educational animation series for kids called Ask Li'lDoc / Demande à TiDoc', which explains 52 different health issues to kids aged 6 to 9 years old. The content has been vetted by a scientific committee led by Dr. Caroline Quach and the approach is fun and entertaining to reassure kids and help their parents find the right words to explain difficult things such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, depression but also other health issues such as fractures, cavities, the difference between the cold and the flu, autism, food allergies, ADHD, Dyslexia etc... The Ask Li'lDoc / Demande à TiDoc' series is complete and you can find the 52 episodes online for free in English on Knowledge Kids and in French on TFO. The series has been very successfully sold internationally as well and we have a nice community of engaged parents who follow us on Facebook as we continue the conversation and raise awareness about health issues. The TiDoc Academie, where health specialists will address a specific health issue, exchange ideas and answer questions from parents and kids in the audience. The event will be informational, interactive and fun so that all the family can learn and have a good time. Partners on this event are the Coalition Poids (ASPQ), the Ontario Public Health Association, Dr. Caroline Quach and the Telus Fund and le Secrétariat du Québec aux relations canadiennes. Their aim is to situate the event in a school and collaborate together to make it even more pertinent to parents as a potential after school activity they can do with their kids. The event will be moderated by an experienced host and filmed with multiple cameras like a TV show that will be broadcast online after the event. The event will be in French and the online video end result will be subtitled in English. Info: j.kafieh@galamedia.ca
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ADULT EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL SERVICES
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| LaurenHill students strike a pose at the RTC wall. |
LHA VISITS RTC: Secondary IV students from Lauren Hill Academy in St. Laurent visited Rosemount Technology Centre with their physical education teacher Shaun Simon. Over the course of four weeks, 64 students will have had the opportunity to visit the vocational center and work alongside adult cabinet making students to create their very own fishing tip ups! These devices allow an angler to ice fish using multiple baited lines at the same time. Cabinet making teacher Eliane Kinsley collaborated with Shaun to create a model using wood. While there, students toured the main campus to explore RTC’s numerous vocational programs. If all goes well, there should be some great fishing stories to share at Lauren Hill! See this video.
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| LHA students get some cabinetmaking tips. |
A PROJECT THAT WORKS: LaurenHill Academy offers a Secondary IV elective called Active Outdoor Living for students following the arts path. In the winter, Mr. Simon’s students learn how to cross country ski, snowshoe and will have an opportunity to go ice fishing. The goal of the ice fishing trip is to have the students build their own ice fishing tip-and use it to catch fish through the ice. Mr. Simon contacted Vice Principal Real Heppelle at RTC to see if it would be possible if they could build their creations at his center. Everyone on board was super excited to see this project come to fruition. Melissa Urso, Ms. Kinsley and her team welcomed the students and took great care to make sure that they were learning in a safe and structured environment. “ An added bonus was that we were treated to a tour of the center,” said Mr. Simon. “Many of my students plan on following a vocational path and are keen on pursuing the idea of studying the trades. A huge thank you and I hope to return next year with a new cohort of students.” Added Ms. Kinsley: “It was great to meet Shaun and see his commitment to outdoor education. I loved the idea of building something with high school students that they would put to use! Many of our cabinetmaking students volunteered during the activities and it was gratifying to see them taking on the role of teachers. I was proud of how they stepped up to share what they have learned. All in all a rewarding collaboration.”
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| Relaxing at the Wellness Corner. |
WELLNESS CORNER: Social Integration Services (SIS) students from the first floor at the Galileo Adult Education Centre dreamt to have a calm area they could use to unwind, gather their thoughts and emotions, and refresh their minds. To gain inspiration, students agreed to use an existing, empty space to begin this journey. Over a span of three hard-working weeks, SI students were relentless in their attempt to revamp this room. They truly embraced the meaning of collaboration and teamwork as they communicated their ideas and helped each other transform an old space into their very own Wellness Corner. The name was selected to embody the different sections in the room which contribute to their well-being as it is equipped with a reading corner; an Art corner; a lounge corner and a corner dedicated to playing board games. Together with their teachers’ guidance, students gave an ordinary room a major face-lift, and SI students can finally enjoy a meaningful and useful space they have created collaboratively as one big Galileo family.
LOONIE FOR TOONIES: Galileo Adult Centre had a two-day fundraising blitz to help raise money to renovate the second-floor kitchen. Staff and students came together on February 24 and 25 to collect as many loonies and toonies as possible, and together, they were able to raise $1,000 towards realizing their renovation dream. Why do they need to renovate the kitchen? Because they want to continue using it to learn about other cultures, to learn how to co-operate and work together; it helps bring students out of their shell, but most importantly, the kitchen is used to strengthen the bonds of our Galileo family.
SKILLS OLYMPICS: The Olympiades québécoises des métiers et des technologies is the largest event dedicated to vocational and technical training in Quebec. Inspired by the Olympic Games, the Olympiades offers the public an exceptional showcase of skilled trades and tangible models of success. Organized by Skills Quebec and supported by committed partners, the Quebec Trades and Technology Olympiads are high-level trade competitions that highlight the know-how and talent of those who have chosen to qualify in a vocational or technical training program. This unique event, open to the public and school visitors, offers an incomparable orientation experience through the observation and exploration of skilled trades.
Over the period of several days, finalists from all regions of the province demonstrated their knowledge and expertise in several disciplines such as Welding and Fitting, Automobile Mechanics, Cabinetmaking, to name a few. It is not surprising that the EMSB had several winners at the Olympiades. On February 15, the Welding and Fitting competition took place at École des métiers de la construction de Montréal and Laurier Macdonald Career Centre had a winner! Josie Angelopoulos finished in fourth place, with the supervision and guidance of her dedicated teacher, trainer and coach, Robert Martin. On February 17, the Automobile Mechanics competition took place at École des métiers de l’équipement motorisé de Montréal and Laurier Macdonald Career Centre was well represented with two winners in this category! Third place was awarded to Sebastiano Carriero and an impressive first place was given to Austin Bertone. Teacher, trainer and coach Nikolaos Marangos, provided encouragement and support to these students. Congratulations to all the winners, the Centre’s team who helped the competitors achieve success, and Miriam Furfaro, Education Consultant in AEVS, for coordinating the school board’s participation in the Olympiades.
SERVICE TO BUSINESS: The EMSB has a new service that can certainly benefit employees of local businesses. Called the Service to Business Group (SBG), it provides customized training to businesses, aiming to provide creative, advanced, and modern training practices designed to assist companies build better performance and productivity within their corporate structure. These tailor-made instructional packages are specifically customized to meet each business’s training needs. Instruction can be done in person or online. Some of the most popular and successful training programs have revolved around the following themes: business/e-commerce courses; language courses; Français au Bureau; tools to make your workday more professional and less stressful; software training; computer graphics; secretarial and accounting; hotel reception; professional sales; healthcare training; beauty care; automotive training; client communications skills; and teambuilding activities for staff. BG also offers the RAC Program (Recognition of Acquired Competencies), which is a formal recognition of acquired competencies that leads to an official diploma of Vocational Studies for your staff. For further information go to the SBG website at www.sbg.emsb.qc.ca or call 514-483-7200 ext. 7724. Like their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/servicetobusiness
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| Students on the Honour Roll. |
ESTABLISHING THE RIGHT LEARNING EXPERIENCES: The administration of the St Laurent Adult Centre believes learning communities are key to student success. These communities aim to develop a combination of factors such as motivation, skill, positive learning experiences, and QEP competencies. The Center seeks to establish the right learning conditions, culture, and support. In an effort to encourage resilience and hard work, they recently held an Honor Roll ceremony. It was an opportunity to recognize students’ achievements and commitment and to enhance the development of strong work ethics and a sense of accountability. During the ceremony 99 awards were given to 68 students in recognition for getting a result of 80 percent or more in their second term. Besides this, a Kindness Week initiative saw students and teachers participate in different events. They were treated to doughnuts and hot chocolate on St. Valentine’s Day. Some of them even shared their talents with the rest of the school. During the remainder of the week students encouraged their peers by writing them positive messages on post-it notes (or by doing random acts of kindness and playing Kindness Bingo. To wrap up this special week some classes went bowling and had a blast!
ÉDITION DU MOIS DE FÉVRIER / BULLETIN DE LA CSEM
MOIS DE LA NUTRITION: Le thème national de la campagne de cette année est « Mon alimentation. Bon pour moi, bon pour la planète ». L'objectif vise à adopter des habitudes alimentaires saines qui nourrissent le corps et préservent l'environnement. Pour en apprendre davantage sur les bienfaits d'une alimentation durable pour votre santé et celle de la planète : https://whatyoueat.ca/fr. Célébrez le Mois de la nutrition avec l’équipe de Nutrition et services alimentaires, en encourageant votre école et votre communauté à se renseigner sur la nutrition et à savourer l'un des petits plaisirs de la vie… bien manger!
MOIS DE L'HISTOIRE DES NOIRS: Une foule d’activités ont eu lieu à la grandeur du réseau de la CSEM afin de souligner le Mois de l'histoire des Noirs.
ÉLÈVE DU MOIS: Victoria Rawski, élève de 6e année à l'école primaire Honoré Mercier de Saint-Léonard, a été nommée l’Élève du mois de février à la CSEM. Victoria a récemment été sélectionnée pour représenter le Canada au tournoi international Mundialito, qui se déroulera sous la direction de la FIFA du 1er au 9 avril 2023, en Espagne. Cet événement international réunit l'élite mondiale du soccer dans les catégories de 8 à 13 ans. Pour ce tournoi exclusif, l'École Sportive Montréal Canada est fière de compter sur la participation d'une jeune joueuse de la région de Montréal. Victoria évolue également avec les Lions de Saint Léonard et s'entraîne deux à trois fois par semaine. Elle doit aussi poursuivre son entraînement à la maison en effectuant les exercices que lui fait parvenir son entraîneur. Elle est très dévouée. D’origine ukrainienne, Victoria fréquente l’école Honoré Mercier où elle excelle dans ses études. En 2021 2022, elle a recueilli des ballons de soccer dans le cadre d'un projet scolaire en vue de les offrir aux Ukrainiens nouvellement arrivés à Montréal. Elle souhaitait ainsi échanger des sourires malgré la barrière linguistique et les difficultés que représente un nouveau départ. Son projet s'intitulait « Amitié sans frontières ». Elle est parvenue à amasser un si grand nombre de ballons qu'elle a décidé de poursuivre son projet. Récemment, elle a été élue camarade la plus « attentionnée » de sa classe.
Nous vous invitons à consulter l’intégral du communiqué.
HOCKEY FÉMININ À CEDARCREST: Nishika Venkatachalam patine depuis des années mais, jusqu'à tout récemment, cette jeune fille de 11 ans n'avait jamais joué au hockey. « L'achat de tout l'équipement nécessaire est assez coûteux », dit-elle. Nishika est équipée d'un bâton de hockey, de genouillères, d'épaulettes et d'un casque. Elle est prête et impatiente d’essayer ce sport. Elle fait partie de la trentaine d'élèves de l'école primaire Cedarcrest à Saint-Laurent - toutes des filles - qui ont la chance d'apprendre à jouer au hockey, gratuitement, dans le cadre d'une initiative pancanadienne visant à éliminer les obstacles dans ce sport. Le programme de 10 semaines est dirigé par Hockey 4 Youth, sous la supervision de la coalition sur l’inclusion de la Ligue nationale de hockey. Sur son site, Hockey 4 Youth mentionne qu’elle a organisé des programmes pour des écoles de Toronto, Hamilton et Ottawa et en lancera un autre à Edmonton au cours de l'année. Zayana Callender, une jeune fille de 10 ans qui fréquente l’école Cedarcrest, confie que le programme Hockey 4 Youth lui donne envie d'en apprendre plus sur le hockey. Elle n'avait aucune expérience du hockey avant de participer au programme. Maintenant, elle est impatiente d'en savoir plus, même si elle doit commencer par les notions de base. George Laraque, ancien joueur de la NHL, a eu la chance d'enseigner quelques trucs aux élèves participant au programme. Il a pris part à une séance sur la glace et explique que de nombreux immigrants n'ont souvent pas les moyens d'inscrire leurs enfants à des programmes de hockey. Il espère qu'en apprenant à patiner et à pratiquer ce sport, les jeunes filles qui participent au programme passeront le mot. « Certaines d’entre elles deviendront un jour des enseignantes qui apprendront à d'autres filles à patiner », a déclaré George Laraque. « C'est une chaîne. Et faire partie de cette chaîne, c’est tout simplement génial. »
Note : Cet article provient de CBC.
WEBINAIRE SUR L'ÉDUCATION À L'HOLOCAUSTE: Le 27 janvier 2023, la CSEM a organisé une table ronde sur l'Holocauste et l'antisémitisme à l'occasion de la Journée internationale de commémoration de l'Holocauste. Mark Bergman, petit-fils du survivant roumain de l'Holocauste, le regretté Baruch Cohen, et Eliane Goldstein, élève de 3e secondaire à l'école secondaire Westmount, descendante de survivants, créatrice et animatrice du balado The Effect on Us, ont coanimé l’événement. Pour écouter le balado : https://www.buzzsprout.com/1776234. Ont participé à titre de panélistes : Fishel Goldig, survivant de l'Holocauste qui s'est joint à la discussion grâce au Programme des mémoires de survivants de l'Holocauste de la Fondation Azrieli; Michelle Sadowski, éducatrice, Programme des mémoires de survivants de l'Holocauste; Eta Yudin, vice-présidente pour le Québec du Centre pour les affaires israéliennes et juives (CIJA); Heidi Berger, fondatrice et présidente de la Fondation pour l'étude des génocides; et Rose Gottheil, coordonnatrice des services aux visiteurs, Musée de l'Holocauste de Montréal. Deux élèves de l'Académie Royal West de Montréal-Ouest, Brooke Chazanoff Moss et Emma Teboul, se sont également jointes à la discussion pour parler de La Marche des vivants.
Pour consulter le reportage d'Eliane
Pour voir la vidéo : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHRf1igxlIY
Vous pouvez également consulter ce magnifique reportage diffusé sur les ondes de CBC, mettant en vedette Vince Lacroce, animateur de vie spirituelle et d'engagement communautaire, ainsi que le personnel et les élèves de l'école primaire Pierre de Coubertin :
Reportage télévisé de CBC National News
PROJET SUR L'HOLOCAUSTE À L'ÉCOLE SECONDAIRE ROSEMONT: Les élèves de 5e secondaire de l'école secondaire Rosemont ont lancé un programme de sensibilisation intitulé « L'histoire et l'holocauste ». Ce programme a été créé par Vince Lacroce, animateur de vie spirituelle et d'engagement communautaire, et Alessio Giancola, enseignant d'histoire. Les enseignants et les membres du personnel fourniront aux élèves des lectures et des vidéos éducatives sur les tragédies de la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Le programme de sensibilisation a été couronné par une visite au Centre commémoratif de l'Holocauste à Montréal le 14 février et le témoignage d'un survivant de l'Holocauste est prévu pour le 2 avril.
SENSIBILISATION À LA COMMUNAUTÉ MUSULMANE: L’Académie Royal West a organisé divers événements à l’occasion de la Semaine de la sensibilisation musulmane. Les élèves ont porté des carrés de feutre verts, symbole de solidarité envers les victimes et les survivants de l’attentat de la mosquée de Québec survenue le 29 janvier 2017 et envers leur combat contre l'islamophobie. « Lorsque nous distribuons les carrés verts, nous tentons d'éduquer les gens et de leur expliquer ce qu'est réellement l’objectif de cette campagne », a déclaré Huda Runjeet, élève à l'Académie Royal West. « Nous voulons vraiment que cette campagne contribue à mettre fin à la haine ». Et si vous vous demandez, pourquoi le vert? « Le carré vert représente les tapis verts dans la mosquée au moment de la fusillade », explique Huda. « Mais c’est aussi une façon d’illustrer, avec la grâce de Dieu, que les victimes de cet événement tragique reposent désormais dans de beaux jardins verts. » (reportage de CityNews)
ATTIRER DE NOUVEAUX ENSEIGNANTS POTENTIELS: Le Service des ressources humaines de la CSEM a été représenté par des membres de son personnel lors de la Foire de l'éducation et des carrières de McGill et de la foire virtuelle de l'Université d'Ottawa. Il s'agissait d'une excellente occasion de courtiser de nouveaux enseignants potentiels.
LMAC À LA UNE : Nous vous invitons à prendre connaissance de ce reportage réalisé par The Gazette sur l’école secondaire Laurier Macdonald, à Saint-Léonard :
SOLUTION CONTRE LA POLLUTION À LMAC : Quand vous rapportez votre plateau, vous êtes-vous déjà demandé : « Qu'est-ce qui va dans le recyclage, qu'est-ce que je devrais composter et finalement qu'est-ce qui va à la poubelle? » Cette année, la communauté de l'école secondaire Laurier Macdonald a décidé de démystifier la chose en lançant une initiative à la grandeur de l'école. Avec l'aide du comité vert, la population de l'école est également sensibilisée aux avantages du compostage et du recyclage, pour aider chacun à trier ses déchets sur place!
Pour pousser plus loin notre engagement envers l’environnement et la réduction des déchets, nous sommes fiers d'annoncer qu'au retour de la semaine de relâche en mars, l'école introduira des ustensiles réutilisables. Lorsqu'il est question de venir en aide à l'environnement, nous incarnons le changement que nous souhaitons voir partout sur la planète!
DES ÉLÈVES AU FORUM DE L’ONU: L'Académie internationale Marymount et l'école secondaire Laurier Macdonald seront représentées lors d’une table ronde de panélistes au prochain Forum des Nations Unies qui se tiendra à New York ce printemps. Gianna Simancas, de Laurier Mac, et Yasmeen Lrhazi, de Marymount, toutes deux élèves de 5e secondaire, présenteront leurs projets en ligne au nom de leur équipe respective dans le cadre du Forum ONG CNUEV-67, le 13 mars.
La table ronde se tiendra à l’occasion de la 67e session de la Commission de la condition de la femme des Nations Unies, du 6 au 17 mars, en présence de représentants des États membres et d'ONG des quatre coins de la planète. Les projets de la CSEM ont été présentés par Olympes de la Parole Canada, une initiative de citoyenneté globale axée sur l’apprentissage située à Montréal, qui encadre les élèves. L'équipe de l'Académie Marymount est composée des élèves de 5e secondaire Samantha Woo, Min Seo Kim, Shupeng Liu Wendling et de sa porte-parole, Yasmeen Lrhazi. À l’école Laurier Macdonald de Saint-Léonard, sous la supervision de Valérie Barnabé, enseignante et coordonnatrice du programme PEIIB (IBMYP) et de la porte-parole Gianna, les membres de l’équipe, Hannah Tinkler, Andrea Vaccaro et Giovana Wendling, ont présenté leur projet. Nous vous invitons à consulter l’intégral du communiqué.
ÊTRE BILINGUE, C’EST GAGNANT : Consultez ce lien pour un survol de notre campagne fort réussie Le Mois du français en janvier : http://www.emsbpressreleases.com/2023/01/le-mois-du-francais-la-csem-snapshot-of.html.
PROTECTRICE DE L’ÉLÈVE : Laurence Sarrazin est la nouvelle protectrice de l'élève à la CSEM. Tiers indépendant et impartial nommé par le conseil des commissaires, le protecteur de l'élève a pour mandat d'informer les élèves ou leurs parents; d’acheminer leurs demandes à la personne appropriée; de recevoir la plainte, de l’examiner et de donner son avis au conseil des commissaires sur le bien-fondé de ladite plainte afin de recommander, le cas échéant, toute mesure corrective appropriée. https://www.emsb.qc.ca/fr-ca/csem/services/services-centraux/protecteur-de-l-eleve
JOURNÉES DE LA PERSÉVÉRANCE SCOLAIRE: Cette année, les Journées de la persévérance scolaire ont eu lieu du 13 au 17 février. Des représentants de la CSEM ont assisté au lancement à l'Académie Beurling à Verdun et à l’allocution du ministre de l'Éducation, Bernard Drainville, devant la Chambre de commerce de Montréal. Encore cette année, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, joueur de la NFL et diplômé de la Faculté de médecine de l'Université McGill, a agi à titre de porte-parole. Des activités se sont déroulées dans un certain nombre d'écoles de la CSEM.
Colin Throness, agent de développement de projets et de prévention du décrochage scolaire pour le réseau scolaire alternatif à la CSEM, a été interviewé dans le cadre de l’émission matinale Morning Show sur les ondes de Global TV. « Pour nous, la persévérance scolaire est un enjeu sur lequel nous travaillons à longueur d’année », explique t il en précisant qu'il dirige un atelier d'écriture créative ainsi qu’un programme de basketball alternatif.
TRANSITION VERS LE SECONDAIRE: Afin d'aider les élèves de 6e année du primaire à se préparer pour le secondaire, l'école secondaire James Lyng, avec le soutien d’Elpis Argyrakopoulos, conseillère à la CSEM, grâce à la participation financière du gouvernement du Québec et en collaboration avec le Réseau réussite Montréal, a récemment offert aux élèves de 6e année de l'école Westmount Park d'être « élèves d’un jour » à l’école secondaire James Lyng. Les élèves ont suivi la grille horaire typique d'une école secondaire, soit quatre périodes de cours, et ont participé à des activités d'apprentissage dans les matières suivantes : musique, arts plastiques, leadership et POP. Ils ont également pris part à une séance de questions-réponses avec des élèves de l'école secondaire James Lyng. En outre, et dans le cadre de cette initiative visant à préparer le mieux possible les élèves et leurs familles aux réalités de l'école secondaire, l'école James Lyng prévoit également offrir avant la fin de la présente année scolaire un atelier sur la transition vers l'école secondaire, destiné exclusivement aux parents des élèves de 6e année de l'école Westmount Park. De plus amples informations concernant cet atelier gratuit, y compris la marche à suivre pour s’inscrire, vous seront transmises au cours des prochaines semaines.
SENSIBILISATION AUX DROGUES : Le 14 février, les élèves de la 3e à la 5e secondaire de l'école secondaire James Lyng ont assisté à une présentation sur la sensibilisation aux drogues animée par d'anciens collègues de Mario Pietrangelo, commissaire à la CSEM, soit Joseph Tomeo et Scott Darragh du Département de techniques policières au Cégep John Abbott. Leur vaste expérience en tant qu’ex-policiers leur a permis de livrer une présentation fort instructive et intéressante sur les nombreux dangers actuels liés aux drogues.
HANSEL ET GRETEL : La chorale senior de la CSEM a pris part à la production Hansel et Gretel d'Opera McGill présentée en février au Monument National.
GESTES DE BONTÉ SPONTANÉS : Dans le cadre de la campagne sur le respect de la CSEM, la Journée internationale des gestes de bonté spontanés (le 17 février) et la Journée du chandail rose (le 22 février) ont été soulignées.
Les élèves de 5e et 6e année de l'école primaire Honoré Mercier ont confectionné à la main des cartes de Saint-Valentin pour les patients de l'Hôpital des anciens combattants de Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue. Ils ont inscrit dans chaque carte un message bienveillant dans le but d’apporter un peu de bonheur à nos anciens combattants canadiens.
LE RESPECT À L'ÉCOLE F.A.C.E. : Les élèves de l'école primaire F.A.C.E. ont reçu la visite de Lana Button, auteure canadienne de livres pour enfants. Cette activité figurait parmi les événements que F.A.C.E. a planifié pour mettre en lumière la campagne de la CSEM axée sur le respect. Lors de sa présentation, Mme Button a expliqué le processus d'écriture d'un livre et y est allée de quelques conseils pour les écrivains en herbe. Elle a également abordé la question de la santé mentale positive et de la gentillesse. Elle a insisté sur l’importance de faire preuve de respect, d’entraide et de répandre la bonté. Elle a fait la lecture à haute voix de l'un de ses livres d'images primés. Chaque classe a également reçu un livre écrit et autographié par Lana Button, pour souligner la Journée du chandail rose.
EXPOSITION DU PEI DE L’IB À CARLYLE : L'école primaire Carlyle à VMR a tenu son exposition annuelle du PEI de l’IB! Les élèves de 6e année ont travaillé d'arrache-pied pour étudier les moyens d'expression employés par les humains. Ce projet de recherche est né d’un intérêt personnel, plus précisément de l’expression à travers les médias sociaux, le cinéma, l'art, la robotique, la science, les aliments et la mode, qui s'est étendu à l'étude des formes d'expression modernes actuelles.
101 JOURS D'ÉCOLE : Bravo à l'équipe de l'école primaire Dalkeith qui a su souligner de façon ingénieuse le 101e jour de classe. Les élèves de la maternelle et du cycle I ont tous revêtu un costume sous le thème du film Les 101 Dalmatiens. Le programme a été lancé par Luba Kalba, enseignante à la maternelle. « Nous avons toujours célébré le 100e jour d'école à la maternelle », explique-t-elle. « Le cycle 1 a décidé de se joindre à nous il y a quelques années, alors j'ai eu l’idée de célébrer le 101e jour à la dalmatienne pour faire différent. Sinon, ça devient ennuyeux pour les élèves de 1re et 2e année qui participent à la même célébration chaque année. Ce fut un travail d'équipe et de collaboration. Chacun des cinq enseignants a organisé une station dans le gymnase. Les élèves ont fait la tournée des stations tout au long de la matinée. Ils avaient pour défi STIAM de fabriquer un chien avec des cure-dents et des guimauves, de dessiner 101 taches sur un chien, de bricoler un chien, de construire des tours avec 101 gobelets et blocs et de résoudre des énigmes pour trouver 101 os de chien. »
CLUB DES PETITS DÉJEUNERS À L'ÉCOLE L.I.N.K.S.: Haroun Bouazzi, député de Québec solidaire dans la circonscription Maurice-Richard, a rendu visite à l'école secondaire L.I.N.K.S. à Ahuntsic dans le cadre du programme Club des petits déjeuners à l’école.
CALENDRIER DU SECTEUR DES JEUNES : Le calendrier du secteur des jeunes de la CSEM a été adopté pour l'année scolaire 2023-2024. La rentrée se tiendra le mercredi 30 août. Les vacances de Noël auront lieu du 25 décembre au 5 janvier. La relâche scolaire est prévue du 4 au 8 mars et le dernier jour de classe sera le 21 juin.
LA FQAFE APPLAUDIT LA NOMINATION : La Fédération québécoise des associations foyers écoles (FQAFE) souhaite la bienvenue à Amira Elghawaby, nouvellement nommée représentante spéciale du Canada chargée de la lutte contre l'islamophobie, dans la foulée de la discrimination et des crimes haineux croissants auxquels nos communautés musulmanes sont confrontées. À cet effet, en juin 2021, la FQAFE a adopté une résolution visant à demander la révision et la bonification du programme d'histoire du Québec et du Canada de 3e et 4e secondaire, en réponse aux nouveaux contenus en histoire du ministre de l'Éducation. De plus, en juin 2022, la FQAFE a adopté une résolution pour demander le maintien de la race, de la religion et de la culture comme thèmes centraux du cours de citoyenneté proposé, à la suite de la décision de remplacer le programme Éthique et culture religieuse par le programme Culture et citoyenneté au Québec.
SAUTONS EN CŒUR : Tim Fleiszer, ancien joueur de la Ligue canadienne de football, sera cette année l'invité de marque dans le cadre du programme Sautons en cœur à l'école Royal Vale de NDG. M. Fleiszer, qui est aussi un parent de Royal Vale, a participé à six finales de la Coupe Grey et a remporté le titre à quatre reprises. Il donnera le coup d'envoi de cette initiative le mardi 14 mars *(à 9 h 15). Norman Katz, enseignant d'éducation physique et à la santé, précise qu’au cours des 20 dernières années, Royal Vale s’est hissée au premier rang des collectes de fonds au Québec, amassant près de 400 000 $ au profit de la Fondation des maladies du cœur.
CONCOURS D'AFFICHES POUR LA PAIX : Depuis plus de trois décennies, les Clubs Lions du monde entier parrainent un concours bien spécial d’affiches de la paix dans les établissements scolaires et association de jeunesse. La création d'affiches pour la paix donne aux jeunes du monde entier l'occasion d'exprimer leur vision de la paix et d'inspirer la planète par leur talent artistique et leur créativité. Le concours 2023-2024 est ouvert à tous les élèves âgés de 11 à 13 ans au 15 novembre. Pour infos : https://www.lionsclubs.org/en/start our approach/youth/peace-poster. Par ailleurs, le Club Lions dédié à la communauté autiste de Montréal tiendra son gala-bénéfice le 29 avril (à 17 h 30) au Scofield Hall (90, avenue Roosevelt) à Ville Mont Royal pour appuyer la sensibilisation, l'acceptation, la défense et le soutien de la communauté aux besoins particuliers. Cette levée de fonds est destinée à tous les projets de neurodiversité de l’association. Pour infos : mtlautismlionsclub@gmail.com ou Lori-Ann Zemanovich au 514 929-0830.
ATELIER SUR LE DEUIL ANTICIPÉ : La Fondation Myra's Kids présentera un atelier virtuel de développement professionnel sur le deuil anticipé le vendredi 24 mars (de 9 h à midi). L'atelier portera sur la définition du deuil anticipé et, plus précisément, sur le caractère unique de ce type de deuil. Corrie Sirota, spécialiste du deuil, discutera de l'importance d'identifier, de reconnaître et d’approcher les personnes endeuillées lorsqu'elles vivent un deuil anticipé, car il s'agit d'une occasion unique de fournir des interventions précieuses sur la façon de faire face au chagrin avant un décès ou une perte non liée à un décès, ce qui pourrait contribuer à atténuer le processus de deuil. Le deuxième volet de l'atelier prévoit une discussion de groupe axée sur les différents types de deuil anticipé, en mettant l’accent tout particulièrement sur les pertes non liées à la mort. La discussion a pour but d'illustrer ce que les professionnels doivent savoir pour soutenir au mieux ceux et celles qui ont vécu ou continuent de vivre un deuil anticipé. Pour terminer l'atelier, Mme Sirota proposera aux professionnels des lignes directrices et des interventions pour aider les personnes endeuillées à comprendre le deuil anticipé. Elle présentera des formes de soutien en vue de venir en aide aux personnes (y compris les enfants) qui vivent un chagrin anticipé, notamment en les amenant à comprendre ce qu’ils vivent, à gérer les changements, à composer avec les émotions et à découvrir des moyens d'y faire face. Pour vous inscrire, rendez-vous sur www.myraskids.ca/events. Vous pouvez aussi faire parvenir un courriel à corrie@myraskids.ca. Le coût est de 35 $ pour les élèves et l'admission générale est de 65 $, crédits reconnus par l'OPQ.
WESTCOAST CONNECTION : Basé à Montréal, Westcoast Connection organise des voyages à l’international pour les élèves du secondaire afin de leur faire vivre des expériences estivales inoubliables. On y propose des programmes de service communautaire, d'enrichissement pré-universitaire, d’expériences de carrière, d'aventures mondiales et des circuits actifs pour adolescents dans de nombreux pays partout dans le monde. Afin de pouvoir offrir ces programmes exceptionnels, Westcoast Connection est à la recherche de personnes passionnées qui accompagneront nos participants aux quatre coins du globe dans le cadre de cette occasion d’épanouissement unique destinée à leur offrir l’une des expériences les plus mémorables de leur vie. Les enseignants et les éducateurs s’avèrent des candidats par excellence pour ces postes, car ce sont des leaders compétents aptes à s'engager avec compassion et enthousiasme auprès de nos adolescents, fort de leur précieuse expérience en enseignement. Nous recrutons des directeurs de programme et des chefs de programme. Par le passé, bon nombre d'enseignants ont connu beaucoup de succès dans ces deux postes. Pour infos : jobs@westcoastconnection.com ou postulez en ligne à http://westcoastconnection.com/come-work-with-us/.
MOIS DE LA SANTÉ BUCCODENTAIRE : Avril est le mois national de la santé buccodentaire! Dans le cadre des activités, l'Association canadienne des hygiénistes dentaires (ACHD) organise à l’intention des enfants son concours annuel de coloriage « Attaquez la plaque ».
Le thème de cette année est centré sur les conseils aux enfants. La santé buccodentaire préventive des enfants revêt une importance particulière cette année dans le contexte de la prestation dentaire provisoire introduite par le gouvernement du Canada, qui permettra à de nombreuses familles n’ayant pas accès à un régime privé d'assurance dentaire d’obtenir des soins dentaires essentiels et indispensables. C'est le moment idéal pour rappeler à tous de se brosser les dents au moins deux fois par jour avec un dentifrice fluoré (2 x 2 minutes). #oralhealth4totalhealth https://www.cdha.ca/ACHD/Actualites/SNHD/Concours_de_coloriage/ACHD/Actualite/Concours_de_coloriage.aspx. Pour infos : Brittney Sander à bsander@cdha.ca • https://www.cdha.ca/achd
SERVICES DE L'ÉDUCATION DES ADULTES
ET DE LA FORMATION PROFESSIONNELLE
VISITE DE L’ALH AU CTR: Les élèves de 4e secondaire de l'Académie LaurenHill (ALH) à Saint Laurent ont rendu visite au Centre de technologie Rosemont (CTR), en compagnie de leur enseignant d’éducation physique Shaun Simon. Sur une période de quatre semaines, pas moins de 64 élèves auront eu l'occasion de visiter le centre de formation professionnelle et de travailler aux côtés d’élèves adultes en ébénisterie en vue de créer leurs propres brimbales pour la pêche! Ces dispositifs permettent aux pêcheurs sur glace d’utiliser plusieurs lignes appâtées en même temps. Eliane Kinsley, enseignante en ébénisterie, a collaboré avec Shaun pour créer un modèle en bois. Pendant leur séjour, les élèves ont visité le campus principal et découvert les nombreux programmes de formation professionnelle offerts au CTR. Si tout se passe bien, il y a fort à parier que les élèves de LaurenHill auront de belles histoires de pêche à raconter!
ZONE BIEN-ÊTRE : Les élèves des services d'intégration sociale (SIS) au premier étage du Centre d'éducation des adultes Galileo rêvaient d'avoir un endroit calme pour s’y détendre, apaiser leurs pensées et leurs émotions, et s’aérer l'esprit. Pour s'inspirer et réaliser leur projet, les élèves ont décidé d'utiliser un espace vacant existant. Pendant trois semaines, les élèves des SIS n'ont pas ménagé les efforts dans le but de donner un coup d’éclat à ce local. Ils ont vraiment saisi le sens de la collaboration et du travail d'équipe en communiquant leurs idées et en s'entraidant pour transformer un vieil espace en une Zone bien-être bien à eux. Le nom choisi pour désigner cet espace reflète les différentes sections de la pièce qui contribuent à leur bien-être. Ainsi, on y trouve un coin lecture, un coin bricolage, un coin détente et un coin dédié aux jeux de société. Avec l'aide de leurs enseignants, les élèves ont réussi à métamorphoser un local ordinaire. Ils peuvent enfin profiter d'un espace utile qu'ils ont créé tous ensemble, en tant que grande famille Galileo.
DES PIÈCES DE UN ET DEUX DOLLARS : Le Centre d’éducation des adultes Galileo a organisé une collecte de fonds éclair de deux jours dans le but de rénover la cuisine du deuxième étage. Le personnel et les élèves se sont mobilisés les 24 et 25 février pour recueillir le plus grand nombre possible de pièces de un et deux dollars. Ensemble, ils ont réussi à amasser 1 000 $ pour réaliser leur projet de rénovation. Pourquoi rénover la cuisine? Parce qu'ils veulent continuer à l'utiliser pour s’initier aux autres cultures, apprendre à coopérer et à travailler ensemble. Cet espace aide les élèves à sortir de leur coquille, mais surtout, la cuisine contribue à renforcer les liens au sein de la grande famille à Galileo.
Le prochain numéro de Pleins feux sur Fielding sera publié le 29 mars. Prière de soumettre vos articles au plus tard le 24 mars à midi. The next edition of the EMSB Focus will be published on March 29.. Deadline for submissions is March 24 at Noon.
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