Robotic Champions Again - Montréal

The monthly news bulletin of the EMSB
Vol.10. No. 10
EDITOR: MICHAEL J. COHEN
PRINTING SERVICES: L. SHAW, D. D’ORNELLAS
May 29, 2008
PROOFREADING/TRANSLATION: ALINE ZEROUNIAN
Robotic Champions Again
∆ Building Bridges
∆ Making Impact
∆ Roslyn Centennial
∆ Katz Honoured
∆ Special Exchange
∆ Edinburgh Citizenship
∆ Brain Waves Success
∆Volunteer Appreciation
∆ Trudeau in St. Laurent
∆ Lyng Adults Contribute
The championship team.
Coronation Elementary School in Côte des Neiges was a
winner once again at the Northeast Regional Robocup Junior
Competition in Boston. Coronation won a robotics prize for the
sixth year in a row! In Boston, they won first and second place
in the search and rescue category whereby robots race to rescue
victims from artificial disaster scenarios, varying in complexity
from line-following on a flat surface to negotiating paths
through obstacles on uneven terrain. First place winners for the
search and rescue trophy were Abhinaya Uthamacumaran
and Thenuha Satkunapala. Coming in second place in the
same category were Neerujah Ledchumanan and Cowzhiya
Ravisingam. Finally, third place winners in soccer two-ontwo were Alberto Dias-Medeiros and Keshawn EversleyWorrell. The two-on-two teams of autonomous mobile robots
play games in a rectangular field colour-coded in shades of
grey. The teachers are Patrick Charland and Giovanna
Maimone.
Students from Gerald McShane Elementary School in Montreal
North and Merton Elementary School in Côte Saint-Luc also
have some robotic accomplishments to be proud of which you
can read about in this edition of the Focus.
The last day of school is June 23
Terrence Quinn
conference.
address
the
press
BUILDING
BRIDGES:
Student
representatives from Lester B. Pearson High
School and École Secondaire Henri Bourassa
in Montreal North, accompanied by their
principals and administrators from the English
Montreal School Board and the Commission
Scolaire de la Pointe-de-l'Île (CSPI), held a
well attended press conference May 20 to
talk to the media for the first time since last
fall’s incidents involving the two schools. The
press conference took place at
Lester B.
Pearson High School and concluded a block
away at École Secondaire Henri Bourassa
where beautiful murals produced by both
student bodies were displayed. They also
unveiled a joint glossy and bilingual
newsletter which was distributed to the
combined 3,500 students at both schools and
made a joint cheque presentation of $2,000 to
the Projet Animation du Milieu Urbain, an
organization which works with youth in the
area. Student Council presidents Joey
Gendron from Lester B. Pearson and CarolAnn Bellefeuille from Henri Bourassa spoke
about the excellent ties and friendships that
have been made between the two student
bodies over the last seven months and of plans
to maintain this momentum in the future
through joint programming. One exchange
involved Lester B. Pearson and École Henri
Bourassa students spending a complete day at the
other school.
Principals Terrence Quinn and JeanFrançois Bouchard expressed delight with
the initiatives that have been taken, placing all
of the credit with the students themselves.
They maintained that the incident that
occurred last October was an isolated one. As
for the murals, the students explained that they
decided to use the concept of spilled paint in
order to symbolize the negative things that
took place. They noted that from that the
spilled paint was used as a springboard for
both schools to come together and form a new
friendship. They used blue paint to represent
Lester B. Pearson and yellow to represent
Henri Bourassa. When both colours meet they
become green, representing the coming
together of the two schools. “We don’t expect
our mural to solve everything,” student artists
Daniela, Fernando, Rodrigo and Luis stated.
“It’s one small step in the right direction. The
beauty of art is that it starts conversations. We
hope that this mural will do that.”
The joint newsletter is available on the EMSB
website at www.emsb.qc.ca.
Serge Furlanetto
ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS:
Several administrative appointments have
been made for the 2008-2009 academic year.
New principals are: Richard Mason, St.
Monica
(from
Marymount);
Luigi
Santamaria, Marymount (from James Lyng),
Serge Furlanetto, Lester B. Pearson
(promoted from vice-principal); Connie
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Forese, Willingdon (from Pierre Elliott
Trudeau); Joan MacMillan, Carlyle (from
vice-principal of Michelangelo); Patricia
Ciccarelli,
Mackay/Phillip
E.
Layton
(promoted from vice-principal); Craig
Olenik, James Lyng (promoted from viceprincipal); Michelle Stein, Pierre Elliott
Trudeau (from Holy Cross); Eleni Zervas,
Holy Cross (from vice-principal of
Gardenview). New vice-principals are:
Derrick Cauchi, James Lyng (from teacher at
Outreach/Options
II);
James
Fequet,
Rosemount (from teaching at Marymount);
Roberto DiMarco, St. Pius Adult and
Vocational
(from
teaching
at
Outreach/Venture); Joe Anne
Desir,
Mackay/Philip E. Layton (from teaching at
Coronation); Ranis Delis, Gardenview (from
teaching at Roslyn); Steven Rebello, Lester
B. Pearson (from teaching at the same school);
and Marylène Perron, Michelangelo
(presently a special education consultant at the
EMSB). Retiring as principals are Terrence
Quinn (Lester B. Pearson) and Ivana
Colatriano (Willingdon). Retiring as a viceprincipal is Luciella Cianci-Teolis (St. Pius X
Adult and Vocational). Taking a leave of
absence next year as principal is Andre
Vamvakas (St. Monica). More administrative
changes will be announced in June.
Konecny, who is retiring. Ms. MedwidMichailuk began her career in the public
education system at Dante Elementary School
in St. Léonard, where she has spent all but one
those years as a teacher, vice-principal and
principal.
PEACEMAKERS: Hampstead Elementary
School has received a $7,000 grant from the
Alex and Ruth Dworkin Foundation Tolerance
Initiative Fund, administered by the Canadian
Jewish Congress Quebec Region, for a
program called Peacemakers, which is being
introduced on May 5 by Dynamix Adventures
(www.getdynamix.com) for all students from
Kindergarten to Grade 6. A school assembly
was held on May 1 to formally launch the
program.
Principal Marcia Kennedy Gaul, Corey Corey
Szwarcok, Daphna Leibovici and students at the
launch.
Roma Medwid-Michailuk
PEDAGOGICAL
SERVICES:
Roma
Medwid-Michailuk
has been appointed
assistant director of pedagogical services,
effective July 1, 2008. She will succeed Irene
Hampstead Elementary School serves a broad
socio-economic level of students and for
several years was classified as a category 2
inner-city core English school. In fact, 95
percent of the students are bussed in from
various parts of the island of Montreal
including, Côte-des-Neiges, Saint-Henri, Ville
Émard and Little Burgundy. In addition, a
large number of the Hampstead School
population has special needs, which can range
from mild learning difficulties to handicaps.
Consequently, many students are unable to
participate in after-school activities and are
therefore deprived of the opportunity to
interact with one another on a social level
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rendering it more difficult for the students to
respect each other’s differences and embrace
the multicultural environment of the school.
The implementation of Peacemakers is
fostering global respect, tolerance and good
citizenship amongst the student population
and will teach them lifelong social skills that
would positively impact their day to day peer
interactions.
“The goal of Peacemakers is to teach students
to tolerate each other’s differences, be it
cultural, social, academic or otherwise,” says
Corey Szwarcok, the director of Dynamix.
“Through various experiential based learning
activities, students will have to work together
using techniques taught in class by
professional facilitators. The students will
learn the importance of respect, honesty,
kindness and patience so that collectively they
can resolve conflicts and better co-exist as a
community. The students will assume the ever
important social responsibility of tolerance
that not only fosters a peaceful school
community but the greater community as
well.”
JUNIOR
PEACEMAKERS:
Recently,
students from the Junior Peacemakers
program at McGill University provided a way
for students at General Vanier Elementary
School in St. Léonard to learn and talk about
global issues and the situation of children
worldwide. These students worked with the
Cycle 3 classes at General Vanier with whom
they discussed issues such as human and child
rights, inequality and discrimination, poverty,
hunger, conflict and conflict resolution, and
child activism.
The final session dealt with some of the ways
in which students can become involved in
doing good for their school or community.
After learning about Oxfam and Craig
Kielberger’s Free the Children, the students
in Jenny Lysowych’s group 5 class organized
a book drive on May 8. The students baked
cookies to give to their peers in exchange for
second-hand books, and received an
astonishing 832 books! These books will go to
a school in Rwanda, helping to promote
literacy and providing greater access to
education for students in the area. The
students at General Vanier learned about how
education is a crucial part of breaking the
poverty cycle, and in working so hard to make
the book drive happen, they have played an
important role in promoting peace through
education, communication, and collaboration.
Congratulations, 5A and the students of
General Vanier!
MAKING IMPACT: The Montreal Impact
soccer game on Wed. June 4 (7:30 p.m.)
against FC Miami at the new Saputo Stadium
(4750 Sherbrooke E., corner of Viau and at
the Métro Viau) will be the third annual
EMSB Night. The EMSB has already set its
own ticket-sale record: more than 4,800. In
each of the last two years, the EMSB sold
over 3,500 tickets per game.
THINK FIRST:In keeping with the theme of
being "Brain Aware," Natalie Auclaire and
v.i.p. speaker Sean Pothier from the Think
First Foundation of Quebec, along with
spiritual
community
animator, Rocco
Speranza,
visited
Edward
Murphy
Elementary School
in HochelagaMaisonneuve and John Paul I Junior High
School
in
St.
Léonard.
They presented their Think First Safety First
presentations. The objectives of their very
informative, educational, and interactive
presentations are to promote safe behaviour
and to provide the useful tips and information
that will help the students understand why
their first choice must be to think first and
practice the necessary safety habits that will
minimize their risks of sustaining brain or
spinal cord injury over their lifetime when
they are taking part in sports or getting into a
vehicle. Sean Pothier told his very moving
and touching story of having survived a car
accident that left him in a coma for three
months.
FOCUS SCHOOL HEARINGS: EMSB
Focus School hearings took place at Laurier
Macdonald High School in St. Léonard,
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Hampstead School and Dunrae Gardens
Elementary School in TMR. Present-day and
future parents, representatives from the
community-at-large and local municipalities
and boroughs were among those who
participated. Five school commissioners are
serving on the Commission: Syd Wise
(chairman), Marvin Helfenbaum, Joseph
Lalla, Bernard Praw and Anne Williams.
They will now begin deliberating upon all of
the presentations in order to make
recommendations to the full Council of
Commissioners.
FILM FESTIVAL: The Media Education
Department of Laurier Macdonald High
School in St. Léonard, which has gained
notice over the last number of years for its
extraordinary publications, documentaries and
movies, held its first ever Media Festival.
“M-Fest” took place at the Leonardo Da
Vinci Centre in St. Léonard. The first part of
festival was a display of students’ work
(animation,
sculpture,
paintings,
photography). This was followed by a Film
Festival/Book Launch. This year’s book is
called “Boxes Re-Opened, Stories Re-Told.”
Some stories will be acted out in vignettes,
alternating with the best short films from LMac students. A panel of judges will choose
“Best In Show.” At the LMAC “M Fest”
copies of “Boxes Re-Opened, Stories ReTold” and the short films (DVD) will be
available for sale. Almost 300 students
showcased material in “M-Fest,” including
10 with films, 35 with book stories and 200
with miscellaneous art. Staff involved with the
project were teachers Audrey and Lev
Berner,
Christian
Gavard,
Slawek
Goreckim
Leon
Llewellyn,
Charles
Northey, Michael Penning and technical
advisor Alan Taylor.
ROSLYN CENTENNIAL: In September
1908, Roslyn Elementary School in
Westmount welcomed 264 students into its
halls for the first time. Now, almost 100 years
later, alumni and friends are invited to walk
through those doors once again to celebrate its
100th birthday. On May 30 and 31, 2008,
Roslyn will be hosting its Centennial
Celebration. This is an occasion for alumni,
former staff and friends to re-discover the
school, meet up with old friends and reconnect with former teachers!
From a small, fledgling public school created
as Westmount was defining itself as its own
city, to a school with a history of educational
excellence and leadership, Roslyn has
flourished and been a pioneer in the field of
public education.
One of Roslyn School’s defining moments
was 40 years ago, when a group of active,
committed and visionary parents pioneered the
French Immersion education, the first on the
island of Montreal. In September 1968, the
entire kindergarten year started in the French
Immersion program. They then continued
their studies in French until Grade 3, at which
point English was gradually introduced.
Well-known alumni who attended the school
include Leonard Cohen (singer, songwriter
and poet), Norma Shearer (film star), Bill
Brownstein (author and columnist), Jay
Baruchel (actor), Shawn Levy (director of
Night in the Museum and Pink Panther), Jed
Kahane (news reporter), Marian Scott
(reporter) and Karin Marks (Mayor of
Westmount).
Alumni and friends are all welcome to attend
the two-day event at no charge but must
register beforehand on the Roslyn School
Foundation’s
web
site
at
www.roslynschoolfoundation.ca.
By
registering they will receive an invite to the
event. For those who do not have access to
internet, they can contact the Roslyn
Centennial at 514-670-8111.
NEW PLAY STRUCTURE: On May 12, the
installation of the new play structure at Roslyn
School began.
The EMSB and the Ministry of Education,
Sports and Leisure had pledged $25,000
towards the project on the condition that
6
Roslyn raise a matching $25,000. A silent
auction and raffle held in October 2007
ensured that not only were the required funds
raised, but an additional $23,000 meant that a
more elaborate play structure could be
installed.
All those who made donations to the
Playground
Improvement
Fund
were
recognized by a stepping stone engraved with
their family names. These stepping stones
form a path winding through the newly rebuilt
area. Stepping stones are still available for all
those wishing to make a contribution. “The
generosity of local merchants and businesses,
such as Air Canada and Westmount
Stationery, also went a long way in reaching
the financial goal,” says Ms. Uhthoff. “Their
overwhelming positive response towards their
neighbourhood public school is gratifying and
heartwarming.”
Commander for coming up with the name
"Flick.”
A week earlier Nina, her classmates and
Principal Evelyn Alfonsi were invited to the
National Police Academy in Nicolet to spend
the day. “We were treated like royalty,” said
Ms. Alfonsi. “We were greeted by the director
of the Academy and other police officers.
We met the mascot. Nina was awarded a
plaque and the children were given the
opportunity to see two police dogs in action
and talk to their trainers. Following that we
met a group of 40 young aspiring trainees.
Each child had his or her personal escort to
visit the academy. At the end of our visit
each received a gift bag with a stuffed bear
representing the mascot and a SPVM cap. To
board the bus we walked through two lines of
police officers as they saluted us. It was truly
a memorable experience for everyone.”
VARIETY SHOW: Lester B Pearson High
School held its annual Variety Show
“Spraynet” and was a rousing success!
Students performed six sold out shows to
parents, fellow students and visiting
elementary school students. Students from all
levels participated in the various scenes which
ranged from acting, to fashion to singing and
dancing. The talent of Lester B Pearson
students was definitely highlighted! The
production of the Variety Show is year long
and would not be possible without student
supervisor Pierre Desormeaux.
Nina McGregor receives her plaque from Flik.
MASCOT WINNER: Gerald McShane
Elementary School in Montreal North had a
big event on May 14 to introduce the new
mascot for the Montreal Police Department.
More than 700 children entered a contest to
name the mascot and McShane student Nina
McGregor won. At the event there was a
party for the mascot in the gym with all of the
students and a dozen or so other mascots plus
a huge cake. At this time Nina received a
bicycle and recognition from the Police
Meanwhile, at the invitation of Lester B
Pearson’s spiritual and community animator,
the Tolerance Caravan set up their interactive
exhibit in the school’s “Sacred Space.”
Although the Caravan has been visiting
French schools for the past 10 years, Lester B.
Pearson is the first English school in the
province of Quebec, to host this travelling
exhibit. Thirty classes from Secondary 3 and
4 attended the presentation. The goal of the
Tolerance Caravan is to raise awareness and
inform young people of the inherent dangers
of intolerance, prejudice and discrimination in
all their forms. This is accomplished through
7
the excellent materials and the meaningful
discussions that followed. Students are left
with the poignant message that respect,
democracy and individual rights must never
be taken for granted.
Service Reception recently at Le Challenger
Reception Hall in St. Laurent.
Angela Mancini and Antonio Lacroce congratulate
Angela Orsi on her 25 years of service.
Norman Katz receives his plaque from VicePrincipal Susie Douranos, parent Patricia Gervais
and students.
KATZ WINS AWARD: The Canadian
Association for Health, Physical Education,
Recreation and Dance (CAHPERD) has
announced that Norman Katz of Royal Vale
Elementary School is the recipient of the
CAHPERD / Wintergreen PHYS-ED Physical
Education Teaching Excellence (PETE)
Award for the province of Quebec.
PETE is honouring nine exceptional teachers
(one from each province) for their excellence
in teaching physical education and their ability
to motivate children and youth to participate
in physical activity. This is the only national
award in Canada that recognizes physical
education teachers for their hard work and
dedication in helping to build strong, healthy
and physically active children. Mr. Katz
received the award from Vice Principal Susie
Douranas and parent Patricia Gervais before
school this week, with many students in
attendance. It will be presented more
formally at the school’s year-end staff dinner
in June. For full details see the EMSB website
press release section.
LONG SERVICE RECEPTION: Thirtyfour people attended the annual EMSB Long
The EMSB honoured 10 employees for their
25 years of service with the Board, which
began in 1983: Sylvie Bureau (John Paul I
High School), Elizabeth Segelstein (Royal
Vale School), Carter Mack (Galileo Adult
Centre), Stavroula Platanitis (LaurenHill
Academy),
Paul
Naud
(LaurenHill
Academy),
Marie-Josée
Normandin
(Rosemount High School), Frima ShafferRuby (James Lyng Adult Centre), Rosa Del
Balso-Fuoco (Community Services), Roch
Tremblay (Buildings & Grounds) and Angela
Monteferrante-Orsi (Galilio Adult Centre).
LITERACY WEEK: At the end of April,
Gerald McShane celebrated Literacy Week by
having the students actively participate in a
number of activities to help develop their
reading, writing, and listening skills in both
English and French. The activities included
“Let’s Go Bananas” where students read as
many books as possible and recorded the
books read on forms in the shape of bananas.
The bananas were placed all over the walls to
collectively reach a common point in the
school.
Every morning a few students were asked to
present their favourite books to the school
over the PA system. On one particular
afternoon, staff members and teachers were
invited to classes other than their own to read
8
to children. This was to demonstrate that
“Everyone Reads.” Each day
the entire
school “Dropped Everything And Read.” In
addition there was a Book Exchange activity
in the library.
And finally through their
classes the entire student body was involved in
writing two stories (one in English and one in
French) starting with the Kindergarten classes
and ending with the Grade 6 classes.
The McShane Robotics winners.
JUNIOR ROBOTICS: Having had Robotics
as an extra-curricular activity in the school for
the very first year, Gerald McShane is proud
to announce that a representative group of
Cycle III students participated in the
RoboCupJunior Quebec 2008 Competition
held at Mother Teresa Junior High School
recently and did very well.
The team of
Gerald McShane 2 came in second place in
the Sumo challenge and the team of Gerald
McShane 1 came in third in the 10 meter dash
and first in the tug of war challenges. As a
result, the latter team won the bronze medal
for their overall performance in the robotics
challenges. Gio Spina, a teacher at Lester B.
Pearson High School and robotics coach and
McShane teachers
France Paquin and
Michel Lemaire are to be thanked for their
contribution to the school’s success in the
robotics contribution.
FRENCH FOR THE FUTURE: The
Bibliothèque Nationale du Québec was the
site of the 2008 French for the Future
Montreal Conference
April 29. Aimed at
promoting bilingualism amongst Canadian
youth, the theme was Respect, Culture and
Integration into Québécois society.
The
opening speaker was Michel Godbout, the
very bilingual anchor of the CBC Television
News at Six. He told the audience about how
he began his broadcasting career in French on
the CBC in Moncton and while he never
planned to move to the English side of things,
it all worked out nicely in the end.
The CBC’s Michel Godbout meets students from
Westmount High School.
From the EMSB, students from four schools
participated - John F. Kennedy in St. Michel,
Westmount, LaurenHill Academy in St.
Laurent and Royal Vale in N.D.G. The
program began with students taking part in a
game show based on Canadian and Québécois
culture. It was moderated by noted French
television personality Malik Shaheed, a
graduate of Westmount High School. John F.
Kennedy students helped in the planning for
the game show which served as an excellent
ice breaker.
This was followed by a half hour debate
between the French for the Future
Ambassadors – two from Halifax and two
from John F. Kennedy. Filmmaker Nadine
Valcin then discussed her documentary called
A School Without Borders, which delves into
her questions about the education system and
the process of integrating cultural minorities.
Later,La Ligue D’improvisation de Montréal
took over and allowed the students to engage
in some more interaction.
9
INTERCULTURAL EXCHANGE: Cycle
3 students from General Vanier Elementary
School in St. Léonard have been involved in
an incredible sensitization program about the
Holocaust and Jewish tradition.
dialogue with Rabbi Yonah Berman and
speak about the importance of music to the
Jewish people. They also got to see the
synagogue choir perform. The General Vanier
students performed a couple of songs for their
hosts as well.
The project was coordinated by Mr. Lacroce,
Principal Pina Rizzi and Music Teacher
Jason Lipstein.
General Vanier
Hashomayim.
students
at
the
Shaar
The goal of this cross-curricular project was to
bridge the gap between cultures and people
and promote the virtues of respect, tolerance
and compassion. This sensitization program
commenced with a basic history lesson given
by Spiritual Community Animator Vince
Lacroce about the start of World War II. It
included facts on the persecution of the
innocent men, women and children who were
tragically affected by the war, as well as the
liberation of these individuals. Two years ago
the EMSB renamed the former Wagar High
School facility in Côte Saint-Luc after
Giovanni Palatucci, who saved many Jews
during the Holocaust. The goal of that
program was to create an ongoing educational
program in order for non-Jewish students to
learn more about the Holocaust. This activity
is one of many successful follow-ups, many of
which have been organized by Mr. Lacroce.
For the Cycle 3 students, a heartfelt
testimonial from a Holocaust survivor, Ernest
Ehrmann touched them deeply as he shared
the memories of his childhood in a
concentration camp.
The sensitization
program was culminated by a visit to
Congregation
Shaar
Hashomayim
in
Westmount, the largest synagogue in Quebec.
Here the students had an opportunity to
CULTURAL CELEBRATION: LEARN, the
Leading English Education and Resource
Network, in partnership with the EMSB’s
Westmount Park Elementary School will host
a huge Intercultural Exchange Day June 11
involving 2,500 students, teachers, community
leaders and dignitaries. The event will take
place at Westmount Park. Students from
across the province will join together to
represent and to share the many diverse
cultural communities, through their cultural
art, music, dance, story-telling, games and
sports, and learn from each other. This project
is based on the premise that teaching young
people about other cultures should be a true
learning experience. The Intercultural
Exchange Project involves Quebec schools
and students in an interactive dynamic way,
empowering them to take leadership in the
presentation of their respective culture.
Professionals
from
Québec’s
cultural
communities collaborate with the students,
offering them a multitude of activities, and
reinforcing the importance of building bridges
between
all
cultural
communities.
Fundamental to this project is the notion that
understanding one another’s cultural beliefs
and practices is key to humans living
harmoniously in a peaceful world. Audrey
Ottier of Westmount Park School is one of
the main coordinators.
CITIZENSHIP:
Edinburgh
Elementary
School in Montreal West hosted its first
Canadian citizenship ceremony recently. A
total of 43 new Canadian citizens from 22
different countries, including China, the
Congo, the United States, France, Israel,
Morocco, Iran, the Philippines and Russia,
10
took the oath of citizenship in the school’s
gym. Enthusiastic Edinburgh school students
greeted the new Canadian citizens by asking,
“are you becoming a Canadian citizen today?”
The new citizens took their seats and began
taking pictures, eagerly waiting for the
ceremony to begin.
Edinburgh students get into the spirit of the
citizenship ceremony.
Edinburgh Principal Leah Auclair began the
ceremony by exploring the rich history of
Montreal West’s cultural diversity. Ms.
Auclair then congratulated the guests for
making it to this special day when they would
become Canadian citizens.
EMSB Director General Antonio Lacroce
then addressed the new citizens. Mr. Lacroce
shared his personal story of making it to
Canada in 1958 as an Italian immigrant. He
acknowledged the challenges the new citizens
have and likely will continue to face. Mr.
Lacroce then reminded the new citizens that
they are making sacrifices to provide the
greatest opportunities for their children, who
will always be grateful to them for this.
Montreal West Mayor Campbell Stuart was
next to address the new citizens. Mayor
Campbell stressed Canada’s multicultural
nature and how proud he is to be a Canadian.
Mayor Campbell then told the Edinburgh
students how fortunate they were to be part of
such an important event.
The swearing in of the new citizens was
preceded by the entrance to the gym by
Citizenship Judge Barbara Seal, who was
escorted by an RCMP officer. The new
citizens and guests were asked to stand in
unison, raise their right hands and repeat the
oath of citizenship in English and French.
After reciting the oath, Judge Seal called the
names of the 43 new citizens. Each individual
came up to the stage to loud applause to
receive their certificates of citizenship and to
be personally congratulated by Judge Seal.
BUILD A PLAYGROUND: Edinburgh
Elementary School in Montreal West is the
recipient of this year’s “Build a Playground”
grant offered by the non-profit organization
KaBOOM! and Home Depot. On June 19
Home Depot personnel will be at Edinburgh to
help build a new playground to replace the
existing one. They will be coming with
volunteers and all the required materials.
Edinburgh will provide the rest (the tools, the
food, and volunteers for Build Day). There is
a lot of planning that needs to be done and, the
bigger the team, the more successful the Build
Day will be. A project manager has been
assigned to work with the school. April 22 was
Design Day, at which time some of the
children were involved in the design of the
new playground. “We need everyone to be
involved – you, your neighbours, your family,
alumni, community members and businesses,”
says Heather Ogden, co-president of the
Home and School Association.
MUSIC FEST: Lorraine Arsenault, a
retired music specialist, has diligently
supported the arts in schools throughout her
career and for the past 12 years has expertly
coordinated the Fine Arts Festival of the
former Protestant School Board (PSBGM) and
now the EMSB. The festival, which highlights
students from both elementary and high
schools, features inspiring performances from
choirs, dance troupes, instrumental ensembles,
bands and orchestras.
This year the festival began on April 18 with
eight elementary schools represented. These
11
included Cedarcrest, General Vanier, Honoré
Mercier, Michelangelo, Nesbitt, Our Lady of
Pompei, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, and St.
Dorothy schools. The venue was St. Pius X
Adult Centre which hosted the event at which
Diane Duguay adjudicated. On April 25
Rosemount High School welcomed musical
groups from F.A.C.E., Royal West Academy,
and Rosemount High School as well.
Adjudicators at this event included Michel
Fortin, Richard Charron, and Jennifer Bell.
The final stage of the festival will take place
on June 13 at Westmount Park School at
which time Dante, Gardenview, Merton,
Parkdale, Sinclair Laird, St. John Bosco, St.
Raphael, and Westmount Park schools will be
represented. The adjudicator at that time will
be Claire Rousseau.
pieces which will be displayed throughout the
school.
GARGOUILLE: Students at St. Monica
Elementary School had the chance to meet
Tristan Demers, the creator of the storybook
character Gargouille. Mr. Demers told the
youngsters how he created his celebrity
personality when he was only 10. Many of
the students expressed interest in following his
career path one day.
Richard Wieczorek, a retired principal and
fine musician in his own right, has been
master of ceremonies for the two events
already held and will again serve as emcee for
the remaining one in June.
The Dante Choir performs at the Brain Waves Gala.
St. Brendan students work with their clay.
ST. BRENDAN CLAY: Students from St.
Brendan Elementary School in Rosemount
had the opportunity to explore and work in
clay this week. Deidre Potash was invited to
come to school and give each class a
workshop. The Art Comes to School
Workshop was an opportunity for each child
to express themselves by producing a clay
bust. The students each worked on individual
BRAIN WAVES: The fourth annual Brain
Waves Gala at the Leonardo Da Vinci Center
May 7 was a huge success. The gala
highlighted talented students from 10
secondary schools (FACE, James Lyng,
LaurenHill, Laurier Macdonald, Marymount,
Rosemount, Royal Vale, Vincent Massey and
Royal West) and two elementary schools
(Dante and General Vanier) . Spiritual
Community Animator Vince Lacroce and
Dalkeith Elementary School Principal Mike
Talevi headed a dedicated committee,
spending eight months planning the event. It
raised money for the Franco Di Giovanni
Foundation, which supports
the Montreal
Neurological Institute and Hospital Brain
Tumour Research Centre. Through a variety
of events, such as Brain Waves, and different
fundraising programs, more than $150,000 has
been raised by the EMSB. In September
2002, Franco Di Giovanni died after a 40 day
illness from a malignant Grade IV
Gioblastoma brain tumour. Devastated by this
12
tragedy, his daughters Lina and Grace Di
Giovanni decided to start the Foundation. At
the gala, the Leonardo Da Vinci Centre was
filled to capacity. In addition to the
outstanding high school performances, the
choirs from two St. Léonard elementary
schools – Dante and General Vanier – made
surprise appearances and brought the house
down. There were some major grand prizes
raffled off by CTV’s Mose Persico and
Daniele Hamamdjian.
Volunteer of Distinction Irene Berry gets a standing
ovation.
VOLUNTEER NIGHT: The EMSB held its
seventh Volunteer Appreciation Evening
April 30 at Le Baron Royal in St. Léonard.
This year’s event was held during National
Volunteer Week.
This year’s Volunteer of Distinction was Irene
Berry, a volunteer
at Westmount Park
Elementary School for the past 20 years in
various capacities. “I love being at Westmount
Park and being with the children. It’s like a
second home to me,” said Ms. Berry, who
recently turned 80. “The love I get from the
children and the teachers in the school is
incredible. It’s great to know that I’m
appreciated by everyone.”
Time and space did not allow the EMSB to
honour all of its nearly 1,700 volunteers in
person. Therefore, only those individuals who
have volunteered for more than five years
attended the reception, representing some 500
people. However, several thousand copies of a
commemorative program book designed by
webmaster Yibing Shen were
each school.
distributed to
Dante Elementary School’s choir served as the
musical guests. Global Television anchor
Jamie Orchard and Luciano Pipia of CBC
Radio returned as the emcees. This year’s main
corporate sponsors for Volunteer Appreciation
Evening
are
First
Canadian
Financial
Services/TransAmerica,
PBL
Photography,
Steve’s Music Store,
Ristorante Sapore and Le
Doral Hot Lunch Providers.
Jamie Orchard
interviewed Irene Berry on the new Global
weekend program Focus Montreal. That interview
can be viewed in the video section of the EMSB
website.
MUSIC MONDAY: May 7 was Music
Monday and schools across the world joined
in unison at 1 p.m. in a song created especially
for this day. Dante and Lambert Closse, from
the Commission Scolaire Pointe de l’île (the
two schools share a yard) joined hands to
sing this song. Children from both schools
joined hands in concentric circles and sang
together in the universal language of music.
The Coalition for Music Education in Canada
organized the event. Established in 1992, the
coalition advocates the importance of
providing music lessons for students.
AWARD WINNERS: Ayesha Vording and
Bethsheba Ananng, two Secondary V
students at LaurenHill Academy in St.
Laurent, recently received the Quebec
Lieutenant Governor Youth medal for 2008.
BOSCO BICYCLE WINNER: The staff and
students of St. John Bosco Elementary School
in Ville Émard would like to congratulate
Kaya-Maghan Philip from class 4A who was
selected for recognition by the Sun Youth
Organization for his perseverance, dedication,
kindness and goodwill towards others, his
school and his peers. Kaya was nominated by
his science teacher, Tanya Steinberg and
presented with a brand new bicycle by Sun
Youth on May 2.
13
SPECIAL MENTOR: On May 15, there
was an assembly at Vincent Massey
Collegiate to honour the 120 students who
completed
their
community
service
assignments this year. Christine Koutras, the
Special Olympic Silver Medal winner in the
2008 Special Olympics figure skating
competition, was present. Julia Venditti, a
Secondary V student tutored and befriended
Christine. This relationship played a
significant role in Christine going for the
gold!!!
ST. JOHN BOSCO QUILTS: The
presentation of 10 quilts for children with
cancer at the Montreal Children’s Hospital
will take place at St. John Bosco Elementary
School (6255 Hamilton) in Ville Émard on
Monday, June 9 (1 p.m.). Anne Macaulay,
the Chaplain in Pastoral Ministries for the
Oncology Department, will be present along
with another representative from the Montreal
Children’s Hospital, as will EMSB Director
General Antonio Lacroce.
Principal Chantal Martin was integrally
involved in the project. “This was a major
school and community project,” says Ms.
Cherry. “And the quilts are beautiful! The
students did a great job!”
STEPPING OUT: Over 24 students from the
junior and senior campuses of LaurenHill
have taken time after school to make cookies
and later travel down to Benedict Labre House
to distribute them, and help feed street people.
A total of 250 people have been nourished by
the special cookies and the meals of the local
cook “André.” Home Economics teacher
Mélanie Bertrand, together with Spiritual
Community Animator Mike Shaw assisted
and organized the trips. The reaction of the
students has been to desire more visits and to
look at the possibility of providing new plates
for the meals. Two trips in May are scheduled
for both campuses.
“These quilts have not only spiritual,
community, cross-curricular, skill-building
and confidence-building dimensions, they also
represent our gift to the community on this,
the 10th year of the EMSB,” says Spiritual
Community Animator Catherine Cherry,
noting that material and supplies came from
donations from the families at St. John Bosco
as well as from an EMSB Multicultural grant.
Ms. Cherry says that the teachers were all
involved during the classes, knotting, sewing,
and ironing. “I could not have done this
without the guidance and behind the scenes
work of Roma Ali Bocas, a quilter, and
lunch-time supervisor, and after school
teacher,” Ms. Cherry insists”.
“My long-time friend Carrie Marchand,
who recently retired as head of the Computer
Science Department at Dawson College, has
added hours and hours of sewing and loving
presence with the children.”
Students take part in the poverty and violence
discussion.
POVERTY
AND
VIOLENCE:
Occasionally, the Oasis at Laurenhill
Academy Junior campus has been where
Moral and Religious Education periods have
been spent to look at and discuss various
subjects pertinent to modern day concerns.
Among these are the issues of poverty and
violence. Whether in the class room or the
Oasis and guided by teachers Tara Fogel,
Peter Saad and Mr. Shaw, the students have
examined how poverty can create violence or
be a product of violence – especially for
children and women. Such facts as one
14
percent of the world’s wealth is held by
women and each year over 1 million girls are
killed by infanticide etc. concern the students
and raise new questions to challenge the issues
presented by poverty and violence.
RETREAT: The LaurenHill support staff Sherilyn Bell (Guidance Counsellor), Ms.
Claude (Nurse) and Mr. Shaw - combined
talents to organize a half-day event in the
Oasis on looking at life in different ways.
Over 50 students were referred to this activity
by the teachers and 16 requested to participate
and were also selected by the support staff
team. Ways of “de-stressing” oneself, group
and individual activities involving looking at
pictures or listening to stories with different
views and name games, and generic
meditation were part of the program. The
closing of the workshop/retreat involved the
students writing down the good inner qualities
that they had seen emerging through their
involvement in the programme. These
qualities were written on a large leaf and
placed on a “Tree of Inner Life” to be
displayed in the second floor corridor of the
school. All participants recommended this
activity should be offered to other students
and gave the whole experience a grade of
excellence!
LAURENHILL PRESTIGE:
Shari
Cameron, a teacher at the Junior Campus of
LaurenHill Academy in St. Laurent, has been
chosen to represent Canada at the 2008 World
Club Crew Championships in Malaysia. Some
fun events will be held at the school to help
raise some funds to support Ms. Cameron.
Meanwhile, 2000 graduate David Zilberman,
has successfully qualified to represent Canada
at the upcoming Beijing Olympic games in
freestyle wrestling. David was the undefeated
GMAA champion while at LaurenHill. He
will compete in the 95kg weight class after
recently placing third in a meet in
Switzerland.
WHEEL OF FORTUNE: Teachers from the
LaurenHill Academy Junior Campus’ POP
Culture Committee - Colleen Long, MariePierre Filion, Rachel Reitz, Sherilyn Bell
(Guidance Counsellor), Mark Carpenter
(Student Teacher) and Mike Shaw (Spiritual
Community Animator) – joined forces to
facilitate a student fieldtrip, called the “Wheel
of Fortune,”, which encouraged their LHA
students to understand, experience and
appreciate three completely different “life
situations” or environments from their own.
The field trip provided students with the
opportunity to participate in activities, speak
with, and learn from the individuals at:
“Welcome
Hall
Mission”
http://www.mbawhm.com/our_mission.php
(where individuals and families can be
provided with food, shelter, clothing and
community support to help them move
forward with their lives), “Le Portage”
http://www.portage.ca/en/
(a
drug
rehabilitation campus for teenagers), and
“Weredale School/Batshaw” (for children in
danger from domestic violence).
The “Wheel of Fortune Field Trip” was an
extension of work being done at the LHA
Junior Campus by a committed team of
teachers, administrators and support staff who
have formed the “Pop Culture Committee.”
The goal of this team is to help create
opportunities to understand, build upon and
learn through current issues, historically
significant
events/people,
and
very
importantly, “popular culture” today. The
event capped off a series of activities and
education regarding “gangs,” “drugs,” “street
poverty” and other issues from a “come and
see” perspective. “Looking at all the people
coming for their food made me realise how the
other side of Montreal have to live,” said
LaurenHill student Torri Kennedy.
MS READ-A-THON: Merton Elementary
School in Côte Saint-Luc held its second
Multiple Sclerosis Read-a-Thon recently. It
was kicked off with a school assembly in
which Trudy Pilon from the MS Association
spoke about her own experiences and showed
the students a film about this crippling
illness. During the two Read-a-thon weeks,
the 240 students read a total of 633 books. The
15
"Read-a-pillar" went from the lockers just
outside room 19 to the end of the
lockers of room 4. The total amount raised
was $2,687. Congratulations to the following
students for their exceptional contributions:
Gabriel Isabella, $372; Francesco Isabella,
$352; Emanuel Brazil, $232.00; and Kirsten
Gauthier, $212.
Meanwhile, Merton did
exceptionally well at the Quebec Junior
Robocup Competition. They won first and
second place in the two on two
soccer
competition and first and third in the Dance
Competition. Congratulations are due to the
following students: Soccer first place, Ariel
Barchechat, Jean-Luke Ogden-Rivard,
Michael Oiknine; Soccer second place, Peter
Krejcik, Michael Paknys, Adamo Foglietta,
Sara Gifun, Alessia Canci; Dance first place,
Under the Sea,
Lennyx Craig, Catia
Lecchino,
Emma
Loerick,
Victoria
Musacchio; Dance third place, Merton Circus,
Jeremy Abisdris-Schaefer, Russel Brecher,
Justin Masella, Noah Petkau. Principal
Raizel Candib wishes to commend teachers
Lisa Triestino and Sara Iatauro. Finally,
Merton held its Science Fair April 29. It was
fabulous to see so many different displays,
skyscrapers, elevators, physics and biology
experiments.
SCIENCE FAIR WINNERS: The Bell
Regional Science Fair took place on May 8 to
10. Honoré Mercier Elementary School in St.
Léonard is proud to announce that a project by
students Niki Angelis and Mikaela
Piccirelli’s called 'The Science Behind
Magic' won the bronze medal at the cycle one
level, and Simona Mignacca and Valerie
Mazur’s project 'In a Heartbeat' won the gold
medal at the cycle one level as well as le Prix
Creo. In addition, Amanda Lauren Cicero
and Dahlia Piccirelli’s project 'Flower Power'
won the Prix Historica and Emilie Malatesta’s
project ‘Peut-on faire du plastique avec du lait'
won the Prix Creo at the cycle 3 level.
Meanwhile, on May 2 Honoré-Mercier held
their Fundraiser Day. The students
participated in martial arts activities,
Jazzercise, dancing and much more, raising
$7,850.10 to buy new gym equipment and to
fix up the gymnasium.
Honore-Mercier students get into the Jazzercise
spirit.
On May 15, the Honoré Mercier Choir which
is directed by Joanne Wieczorek, travelled by
coach bus and went to perfom at the Chateau
Frontenac in Quebec City for the AAESQ
Spring Conference. The choir is composed of
students in Grades 3 to 5 and they wowed the
audience of administrators, commissioners
and representatives of the various English
school boards of the province of Quebec.
Honore Mercier students perform in Quebec City
(photo by James Kromida).
HISTORY
OF
DANCE:
Bancroft
Elementary School (4563 St. Urbain) in the
Plateau will present a show called History of
the Dance on Thursday, May 29 (7 p.m.) in
the gymnasium. The students will not only
showcase different dances, but also share
information on them. There will also be a
16
traditional folkloric Quebecois dance to mark
Quebec’s 400 anniversary, says head teacher
Carla Batista.
CIRCUS TIME: Merton will present the
annual Molo Magnificent Circus June 3
(12:45 p.m.) and June 4 (10 a.m.) in the gum
(5554 Robinson) in Côte Saint-Luc. Molo is
the school physical education teacher who
specializes in teaching different circus acts,
from juggling to acrobatics.
REVERSE INTEGRATION: The Toronto
Star newspaper recently ran a feature story on
a reverse integration program at Sunny View
School in Toronto. It is modelled around the
EMSB’s Mackay Centre School. Go to our
website at www.emsb.qc.ca (press room,
media clippings) to get the link to the full
story. Instead of having disabled children join
mainstream classrooms, this program brings
mainstream students into the classrooms of
children with profound physical and
developmental challenges – those for whom
integration is not normally an option – and lets
them learn together, as well as from each
other.
LEADERSHIP PROGRAM:
This year
there are 19 playground leaders (10 boys and
nine girls) taking part in the St. Dorothy
Elementary School Leadership Program.
Playground leaders have a lot of responsibility
at St. Dorothy. They set up games on the
playground and in the gym, they facilitate and
research games, they help the younger
children to resolve conflicts and they keep
track of the inventory. As a result, the leaders
are recognized for their hard work in various
ways. Leaders who demonstrate the virtue of
the month are awarded a certificate and have
their picture placed on the bulletin board at the
entrance of the school. Just recently the local
police station awarded them personal notepads
and pens and Principal Alice Buchanan gave
them tote bags and baseball caps. Also at the
end of every month they receive a pizza party!
MATH MATTERS: Math is exciting because
St. Dorothy Elementary is making math come
alive! Students have been earning points in
their math classes. They are able to use these
points as a monetary value in order to
purchase items at the St. Dorothy math store.
As a customer or employee of the math store,
students are using addition, subtraction,
multiplication and estimation skills. They are
even putting their interpersonal skills to the
test as they participate in the operation of the
store or as a client. Kudos to the teachers
involved and to Tara Kirschner, the outside
math coordinator! Their creative thinking and
collaboration resulted in this special math
initiative.
GOLF TOURNAMENT: On Friday, June 27
the EMSB’s fifth annual Golf Scholarship
Tournament will take place at Saint Raphaël
Golf Club in Île Bizard. Joey Saputo will
return as honourary chair. For profiles on the
students who received scholarships at a
banquet last fall, go to the Foundation section
of the website and click on Scholarship
Recipients. To book a foursome for the 2008
tournament, call 514-483-7200 ext. 7434 or
email [email protected].
HOLY CROSS PLANTING: On a warm and
pleasant day in early May, the Grade 2 class
of
Charlene Badour at Holy Cross
Elementary School in St. Laurent ventured out
into the front flower border and began to
ready the earth for plants and trees.
Encouraged by the support of Principal
Michelle Stein,
Spiritual Community
Animator Mike Shaw brought to the school
various plants, trees and flowers together with
rich bags of earth and mulch to keep the earth
moist in the hope for a hot summer! Armed
with trowels, watering-cans, rakes and shovels
the 20 students of Ms. Bradour’s class soon
had the border looking neat, clean and more
importantly attractive. The shouts of glee and
“What’s this?” (As the student held a
watering-can), “Isn’t this dirty!” (As a bag of
earth was poured out)” made the experience
one of joy, fun and learning. More
importantly, the children created a little place
of beauty and ecological harmony.It is hoped
17
to have a bigger project next year using the
sand pits of the daycare centre in the school.
INTERCULTURAL MURAL: In St.
Laurent the Holy Cross Intercultural Mural,
featuring dancing children was presented on
May 22 prior to the yearly concert. The
complete Holy Cross student body
participated in the creation and completion of
this large acrylic mural for the foyer of the
school. First, students celebrated their
differences during an International Children’s
Day Festival held in November during which
lively songs and dances were performed by
students. On that day, Cycle 3 students took
several roll of pictures. These pictures were
printed, and then posted in the art room. The
pictures served as the basis for the numerous
sketches done during art classes.
Deidre
McCay, the artist in the school, and Pascale
Finet, the art teacher, helped students select
the sketches that were reproduced life-size on
the mural, as well as guided them through the
process of enlarging sketches.
Students
enthusiastically came during their free time to
participate in the painting of the mural.
Students’ satisfaction and pride were evident
when the mural was inaugurated.
ROSEMOUNT GREEN: During Earth
Week, last month, Rosemount High School’s
Green Team
and Teen Green Team
organized many activities to sensitize both
students and staff on the need to protect our
environment.
A
representative
from
Greenpeace addressed Secondary I and II
students the week before, and this set the stage
for the week to come. Activities included
daily recycling of plastic, paper and batteries;
an outdoor clean-up of part of the school
grounds, and classroom clean-up; a meatless
meal day in the cafeteria; a lights-down day,
when only essential lights and electricity
were used; a dress-down day, when green was
worn; a workshop showing how old T shirts
can be recycled to make rugs, and on the final
day of the week, a Pedagogical Day,
everyone concerned re-painted an area of the
school which badly needed to be cleaned up.
“We’re quite satisfied that we’ve all learned a
lot from this week, and are already thinking of
ideas for next year,” said librarian Kay
Turner, a key player in this initiative.
Ted Bolgar meets the students.
VISIT FROM SURVIVOR: Students in
Erin Tevel’s Grade 10 English class at
Rosemount High School were given the
opportunity to listen to Holocaust Survivor
Ted Bolgar recently. Mr. Bolgar survived
Auschwitz, the largest of Nazi Germany’s
concentration camp.He recounted his story in
detail in an attempt to help students
understand the atrocities that took place some
60 years ago. Prior to Mr. Bolgar’s visit,
students in Ms. Tevel’s learned about the
Holocaust while reading the book Hana’s
Suitcas
DESSERT EVENING: More than
60
parents and staff recently attended Cedarcrest
Elementary School’s first International
Dessert Evening in St. Laurent
The
celebration was organized to promote the
many interesting activities happening at
Cedarcrest. It was also designed to provide an
opportunity to strengthen links between
Cedarcrest and its parent community. During
the evening Cedarcrest dance teams
entertained the crowd as they went through
their routines with energy and precision. Even
a glitch in the sound system couldn’t ruin the
show. The Grade 6 I-movies (Language Arts
claymation projects) were also enjoyed by the
gathered guests. As it turned out, all that was
missing was buttered popcorn. The evening
18
also included an opportunity for parents to
meet, and hear from the Cedarcrest Governing
Board, learned about its various functions
and responsibilities.
MOVIE FESTIVAL: Dunrae Gardens
Elementary School in TMR recently hosted
the second Annual EMSB Movie Festival.
This years’ event was organized by Brian
Seltmann
and
Sara
Iatauro
from
Pedagogical
Services.
Nine
schools
participated, including host Dunrae Gardens,
Cedarcrest, East Hill, Gardenview, General
Vanier, Leonardo Da Vinci, Our lady of
Pompei, St. Raphaël and Westmount Park.
The theme this year was Global
Environmental Issues. The student created
movies dealt with pollution, recycling, water
consumption and general respect for the
environment and natural resources. In
attendance were all participating schools,
Director General Antonio Lacroce, Deputy
Director General Mario Tirelli. Students were
served popcorn as they watched the movies.
VARIETY SHOW: John Paul I Junior High
School will be hosting its variety show on
Saturday May 31 ( 7 p.m.) at the Laurier
Macdonald High School Auditorium (7355
Viau). The price of tickets are 15$ for adults,
10$ for high school students and 7$ for
elementary students. Proceeds will go to the
Montreal Children's Hospital. For info, please
call Mrs Scott-Campbell at 514-328-7171.
BENTLEY
QUIZ
WINNERS:
Congratulations go out to the following
students, who were the grand prize winners of
the EMSB Quiz contest, which was featured
in the Spring 2008 edition of the EMSB
Express newspaper: Kelsey Reano Reyes and
Shirley Fong (Nesbitt School); Kaushik
Baria (Royal Vale High School); Abera
Sabaratnam (Vincent Massey Collegiate);
Angelica Francavilla (Our Lady of Pompei
School); David Whitney (Royal Vale
School); Domenico Lopez (Leonardo Da
Vinci School); and Rakheim Hudson (James
Lyng High School). They correctly answered
five questions based on the content that was
found in this edition of the Express, and won
prizes from the Bentley Group, ranging from
knapsacks, sports bags and thermal lunch
boxes. Over 90 entries were received from
our schools for this contest. If your school or
centre is looking to purchase some
promotional supplies, call Joel Barbarush at
514-341-9333,
ext.
345
or
email
[email protected].
John McCluskey
PUBLIC SPEAKING: Thirty Secondary I to
V students took part recently in the 2008
EMSB Public Speaking Contest at Westmount
High School.
The students provided a wide range of
interesting stories, ranging from a personal
experience in the Israeli-Lebanon war, a close
encounter with death at a young age, body
image issues and the fear of a La Ronde rollercoaster. EMSB Secondary English Language
Arts consultant Marsha Gouett chaired the
event. She began the morning by saying that
the allure of narrative is common to all
cultures.
At the Secondary Cycle I level (Grades 7 and
8), the winners were both from Royal West
Academy in Montreal West:
Laura
Loebenberg, for her story of living in fear
while in Israel when the Israel-Lebanon war
broke and Connor Macorin’s description of a
flawed cottage.
19
While the Cycle I students focused on
storytelling, the Cycle 2 (Grades 9, 10 and
11) participants delivered persuasive speeches
on controversial topics such as abortion,
depression, population control, reasonable
accommodation, euthanasia, and autism rights.
At the Secondary III level, Alex KooimanSuissa of Royal West finished first for his
story about population control. The Secondary
IV winner was Tiffany Le from LaurenHill
Academy in St. Laurent who spoke about how
new technologies are reducing human contact.
Tiffany Le and Alex Weiner of Royal West
Academy will be attending the Encounters
with Canada conference in Ottawa next year,
courtesy of the Women’s Canadian Club of
Canada which annually presents this prize to
the top two Secondary IV finishers.
The Secondary V competition saw a tie for
first place between John McCluskey of
Vincent Massey Collegiate in Rosemount and
Greg Sheppard of Royal West. McCluskey
focused on the Ethical Treatment of People
with Autism. McCluskey is autistic and used
his speech to persuade the audience that
people with autism deserve equal treatment.
“Just because some people with autism can’t
speak, it doesn’t mean we can’t think, or have
emotions like anyone else,” he stated.
Sheppard spoke about religious conflict. Both
of these students will now go on to represent
the EMSB at the Montreal Rotary Club finals,
which will be held on May 13 at the St. James
Club in downtown Montreal.
All participants received a certificate attesting
their accomplishments, while the top three in
each division were presented with medals.
One of the competition’s judges, Dr. Anthony
Paré, Director of the Writing Centre at
McGill University’s Faculty of Education,
explained the importance of passion. Dr. Paré
stated that, even if he and the other judges
might not agree with a speaker’s views, their
passion must be acknowledged. Retired
principals
Richard Meades and Anne
Peacock also served as judges.
SPORTS DAY: Laughter, fun and sun were
in the air as Edward Murphy School
participated in their third nnual Journée
Ecole-Communauté. Organized by Centre
Communautaire St-Donat,
three CSDM
schools and Edward Murphy, this activity day
was another great success. Sports, inflatable
games and various physical challenges filled
the day and brought a smile to all the children,
from kindergarten to Cycle 3. This annual
event is a great opportunity for the students
from these four chools to get together and feel
a sense of community.
HEART OF THE CITY: On May 6, 12
students from St. Gabriel Elementary School
in Point St. Charles performed at McGill's
Schulich School of Music as part of the ‘Heart
of the City’ piano program which has been
running at since last November. Bettina
Choo, a McGill medical student organized the
event. The students were outstanding playing
pieces such as the theme from Pink Panther,
Ode to Joy and Sneaky Business.
ART EXHIBIT AT JFK: With support and
encouragement from John F. Kennedy High
School administration teacher Simone Nichol
and Spiritual Community Animator Frank
Lofeodo worked with Secondary I and II
English students to produce an art exhibit
entitled “Cultivating Peace.” The exhibit is
the culmination of a themed study of “What
Peace Is?” These classes have been a hive of
activity over the last several weeks. After an
initial period of research investigating the
nuclear bomb and its effects at Hiroshima and
Nagasaki, learning about the United Nations
Charter for Human Rights, reading a Peace
Charter as developed by the people of
Nagasaki, and the moving story of Sadako,
students have produced a number of artsbased items such as origami paper peace
cranes as inspired by the Sadako story, as well
as making life size soul shadows. The soul
shadows were inspired by human shadows
burned into concrete during the Hiroshima and
Nagasaki nuclear bombings at the end of the
Second World War. Therefore all the work the
students have done are visual and written
20
reflections of what peace means to them
which also include class reflections, poetry
and student writings.
Although the classes out of necessity
examined war, the project’s focus was for the
students to reflect on peace and to understand
what makes for a just humanity. The exhibit is
a creative and powerful reminder for us as
individuals in our global community to
cultivate peace and be aware of the issues
around security, human rights, cultural
diversity and active citizenship. The exhibit
began Wednesday and conclude Friday, May
30.
Photos of the students in action are
available through the following link,
http://www.emsb.qc.ca/jfk/studentshowcase.p
hp.
PETER PAN: Grades 4, 5 and 6 students at
Cedarcrest Elementary School in St. Laurent
will present a production of the classic of
Peter Pan on Friday, June 12 (7 p.m.) at the
school (1505 Muir) This extra-curricular
activitiy involves approximately 40 students,
involved in all aspects of the production
including acting, singing, set design, lighting,
sound, video and stage management .
“It has enhanced language arts skills such as
listening,
communicating,
following
directions, speaking, and reading while
contributing to the School Success Plan,” says
teacher
Abla
Ismail.
“Taking
into
consideration the school’s mission statement
the production encourages students to shine
and reach their fullest potential.”
The story of Peter Pan, of course, is about a
little boy who would not grow up. The
Darling children, Wendy, John, and Michael
meet Peter Pan and Tinkerbell and are invited
to Neverland where they encounter many
wonderful and scary things. They see Pirates,
Indians, Mermaids, Lost Kids and even a
crocodile. They have great adventures there
and when they are captured by the evil
Captain Hook, Peter comes to their rescue. For
more information call 514-744-2614.
The choir performs.
INTERLINK CHOIR: Westmount Park
Elementary School recently held its 13th
Interlink Choir concert. It was a huge success
with a packed house. This year
Alana
VonBlerk's Grade 4 class partnered with the
seniors of the area at Place Kensington to
form this magical choral. They presented
songs from across the decades to a delighted
audience. The concert was followed by a
reception during which the children
introduced their senior penpals and fellow
choralists to their families.
VANGUARD OF CHANGE: Mountainview
Project Centre, a social affairs high school in
Côte Saint-Luc jointly run by the EMSB and
Batshaw Youth and Family Centers, continues
to be on the vanguard of change notes
Principal Felix Gelbart.
Mountainview is a highly structured program,
as it must be, but this year, under the
leadership of
head teacher Danny
Olivenstein, it has embarked upon a
courageous new journey in education. While
every student registered here has an Individual
Education Plan, the school has moved
beyond this and incorporated it as a part of a
new strategic maneuver, the Personal
Intervention Plan (PIP).
The PIP, worked out in conjunction with all
the teachers, the social workers, and the
Batshaw staff at Mountainview is an attempt
to deal with the whole child, as opposed to
21
dealing with the academic piece one way, and
the behavioural another. While it is a long
and laborious process to go through, the entire
staff is better equipped to deal with each
individual student on the student list as a
result of this method. Results thus far are
encouraging, and refinements are constantly
brought in as we learn more about each
student in our care. Roseanne Peters has
created a personal project for every student in
the school, where they choose to express an
element of themselves or their culture utilizing
various media.
Rogelio Pabros has
incorporated film making and video creation
as part of his computer program. Alain
Turgeon has combined the French and Art
programs by doing cross curricular projects
with students, as well as leading them in a
program at the Montreal Museum of Fine
Arts. Lucinda Lamontagne has introduced
international cuisine and cooking in her Home
Economics program.
Another element that puts Mountainview in
the vanguard is its small, but fully functional
woodshop. Here there is one teacher, Brian
Ulric, and six students who are with him
throughout each day while two other students
are on work stages. He teaches the remedial
academic courses along with woodshop
techniques and works almost exclusively with
this group. Caretaker Wayne Franks, like all
Mountainview staff, goes beyond the call of
duty to assist Brian when called upon. They
build, among other things, Adirondack chairs,
conference tables, cabinets and bookcases of
all sorts, as well as beautiful, hand turned pen
sets, ideal items to give as gifts. If it can be
made of wood, and you can describe what you
need, they can and will build it to order.
Mountainview students presently have an art
and writing exhibition called Teens in Spirit
on display at The Batshaw Centre (6 Weredale
Park) in Westmount.. There is no admission
charge. It is being supported by the CIBC
World
Markets
Miracle
Children’s
Foundation.
SCHOOL NEEDS: CBC Television’s CBC
News at Six, CBC Radio One's Homerun (88.5
FM), the Foundation of Greater Montreal
(FGM), the Alexander Dworkin Foundation
(ADF), the EMSB, the Lester B. Pearson
School Board (LBPSB), the Riverside School
Board, the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board,
the National Film Board of Canada (NFB),
Equiterre and the Earth Values Institute (EVI)
are proud partners in the CBC School Needs
Project 2008. This partnership demonstrates
our continued commitment to involving
Montrealers in building our schools for the
benefit of our children and the future of our
community.
The CBC School Needs Project was created in
2007 out of the CBC Montreal Matters project
to help meet a need at an elementary school
that could not be met through its normal
operating budget. Each year, the CBC School
Needs project follows up on the previous
year’s Montreal Matters topic. This means that
for 2008, students will be developing projects
related to the environment. Two schools are
selected to participate by each school board.
East Hill in RDP and St. Monica in N.D.G. are
the EMSB representatives. Subsequently, each
school receives a visit from either Equiterre or
the Earth Values Institute, as well as the NFB
and CBC to help educate and motivate the
student in the possibilities of an environmental
project in their school and community.
The projects for participating schools are
determined by the students themselves with
the support of a teacher. Students benefit from
this project on many levels, from the
educational,
community
and
growth
experience, to the concrete results of receiving
services or equipment that help them as well
as leaving a legacy for future students. The
total cost of each proposed project is limited
to between $1,000 and $2,500.
In terms of the proposal judging process,
students are selected from secondary schools
of each school board to join the FGM’s Youth
in Philanthropy program and serve as judges
for School Needs. The FGM and ADF have
each committed $5,000 for this project. This
will fund school environmental visits, provide
22
$500 in up-front funding for project
development to each school and grant funds
for the most compelling projects, as identified
by the project judges.
Students from each elementary school will
present a short case for support at the end of
May 2008 which will air on CBC News at Six
and Homerun in September 2008 (the
intervening period is also for judges to discuss
and deliberate on the various projects over the
summer). All media items will also be
available online. In September, CBC will host
a celebration event for students, teachers,
principals and partners to announce the final
grants as determined by the judges. Go to
http://www.cbc.ca/montreal/features/schoolne
eds for more details.
REUNION: A 25th anniversary reunion is
currently being organized for the Outremont
High School class of 1983. For details email
[email protected].
have adopted the use of the Secondary School
Admission Test (SSAT) exam and a growing
number of public high schools have also
introduced their own exams. Interviews are
also a common part of the admission process.
“Having had children of our own go through
this process, we understand that it can be a
very stressful experience for your children, as
well as for yourselves as parents,” state Gary
and Ingrid Poupart, who run the program.
“Our goal is to help your child to better
understand the high school admissions
process, whether in the private or public
sector. We have discovered that most children
are unaware of what is expected of them
during this process, and this is a huge cause of
stress. We believe that we can help reduce this
stress by instilling the understanding and
confidence needed so that they will be able to
better perform when it comes to writing
admission exams and being interviewed. We
offer a wide range of options to help your
child build the skills needed to perform their
best on these demanding exams and
interviews.”
TIP CORNER
Editor’s
Note:
The
Communications
Department of the EMSB is contacted
regularly by organizers of different
conferences, facilitators of interesting
workshops and developers of innovative
fundraising opportunities. We screen these
requests and make the information available to
schools and centres. From this point on, we
will group these in our Tip Corner and give inschool administrators, teachers, other staff,
parent groups and even students of making
contact directly.
STEPPING UP: The Stepping Up program,
which helps demystify the high school
entrance exam process, and answer some
common questions about high school
applications and programs, has launched a
new website at www.steppingup.net. The high
school application process has changed
considerably over the years. Private schools
On the website, visitors can learn more about
Stepping Up and the many products that are
offered. The website will allow you to register
and pay for their popular fall workshops.
They have also introduced their first in a
series of practice exams booklets for parents
to practice with their children at home.
TUTORIAL SERVICES: Alumno is an
education center, which provides tutorial
services to all elementary and all high school
students in all subjects. Our purpose is to work
with students who want to maintain their
grades to remain a level ahead of their studies,
in addition to those who have fallen behind in
their classes.We start by evaluating each
student, to appraise their present acumen to
the fullest extent. We then prepare a
customized tutorial plan for each student that
concentrates on enhancing those aspects of
academia upon which it is considered that the
greatest attention is required. We have
designed and developed effective tutorial
23
programs
with
one-on-one
individual
attention, to assist and guide each student to
achieve success during the course of their
education. We continuously achieve an
advantage over industry competitors by
expanding our professional staff and investing
in
up-to-date
materials
and
allied
resources.Our
highly
qualified
tutors
understand the importance of an exceptional
education and how vital it is in influencing a
student’s future.We invite all students to visit
our website at www.alumnoservices.com to
participate in our annual "100 FREE
TUTORIAL SESSIONS GIVEAWAY" or for
more information at 514.364.0444 or email
[email protected] and ask for Nadine.
SCRATCHCARD BENEFITS: Looking for
a fundraiser?
An organization called
efundraising.com is proposing a scratchcard
option.
- Cards can be personalized for any group.
- You receive 10% free bonus cards.
- Discount with upfront payment (25% off
orders of 50-99 cards, 50% off orders of
100
cards
or
more)
30
day
credit
option
available
- Low donation amounts for your supporters
ranging
from
FREE
to
$2.50.
- Over 30 Scratchcard varieties to choose from
- As a thank you, each of your supporters
receives a coupon sheet of brand names
including Pizza Hut, KFC, Famous Players
and Cineplex Odeon movie theatres, ice
cream and more.
For more details, contact Martin Gendron at
1-888-875-1245
ext.2365
[email protected]
ADULT AND VOCATIONAL SERVICES
JUSTIN TRUDEAU: The St. Laurent Adult
Centre recently welcomed Justin Trudeau as
a special guest speaker. For more details, go to
the EMSB homepage and see the report from
student Alicia Audain.
Alicia Audain meets Justin Trudeau.
YMCA COOKS: Every Monday at the
N.D.G. YMCA, the neighbourhood youngsters
prepare a dinner for themselves This
opportunity is used not only to teach them
about the importance of nutritious food, but
also to encourage proper social interaction
during a meal, a form of etiquette. The St. Pius
X Culinary Institute was recently asked to
prepare a supper all the while informing them
of the opportunity of an exciting career in
professional cooking. Consultant Tony
Mancini, along with Chef Massimo
D’Ascanio and three Pius students made this
interaction a resounding success. Michael
Sitruk from the NDG Y says he is aiming to
involve area high schools in this worthy
activity.
24
DATES OF NOTE
May 25 -31, 2008
Daycare Week
May 26, 2008
Region 2 Focus Schools Hearing
Dunrae Gardens
235 Dunrae, T.M.R.
7:30 p.m.
James Lyng Adult Centre students provide some
information.
BONE MARROW SENSITIZATION:
Some James Lyng Adult Centre students,
under the leadership of their teachers Blace
Mentor and Mark Richards, have been
spreading the word about the importance of
registering to become a potential bone marrow
donor. "hHealemru" posters have been placed
around the building, they have had
discussions with their students and they have
spent two lunch periods running a kiosk
where students came to ask questions. Some
did complete the Hema Quebec registration
form. These students should be commended
for taking the first big step on the road to
trying to help to save someone's life. Emru
Townsend, the son of former EMSB principal
Beverly Townsend, has leukemia and is in
need of a bone marrow transplant. See his
website at www.healemru.com.
DIGGING DEEP: James Lyng Adult Centre
had just begun its fundraising for Breast
Cancer, but then the month of May brought
tragic news about the earthquake in China
and the cyclone in Myanmar. At a time when
everyone is worried about their own financial
problems, the kindness and generosity of the
students came to the surface. They dug deep
into their pockets. Within a week, the students
and staff collected $700 for Breast Cancer
and $2,250 for Myanmar and China. The
donation for the Myanmar and China Relief
efforts was sent to World Vision Canada and
it will be matched by the Canadian
Government for a grand total of $4,500.
May 27, 2008
Region 3 Focus Schools Hearing
Hampstead School
83 Thurlow
7:30 p.m.
May 30 and 31, 2008
Roslyn Elementary School
Centennial Celebration
May 31, 2008
7 p.m.
John Paul I Jr. High
Variety Show
@Laurier Macdonald HS
7355 Viau
Tickets: $15 adults, $10 high schoolers, $7
elementary
Info: 514-328-7171
June 3 and 4
Merton Elementary School Circus
5554 Robinson
Côte Saint-Luc
By Invitation Only
June 4, 2008
EMSB Impact Night
at Saputo Stadium
7:30 p.m.
June 9, 2008
Quilt Presentation
St. John Bosco Elementary
6255 Hamilton
Ville Émard
1 p.m.
25
June 12, 2008
7 p.m.
Production of Peter Pan
Cedarcrest Elementary School
1505 Muir in St. Laurent
Tickets are $5
Info: 514-733-7790
June 19, 2008
Build a Playground Program
Edinburgh Elementary School
500 Hudson
Montreal West
June 27, 2008
EMSB Golf Scholarship Tournament
Saint Raphaël Golf Club in Île Bizard
Foursomes still available.
Info: 514-483-7200, ext. 7434
PLEINS FEUX SUR FIELDING
TOURNOI DE GOLF : Le cinquième
tournoi annuel de golf des bouses d’études de
la CSEM aura lieu le vendredi 27 juin au Club
de golf Saint-Raphaël de l’Île Bizard. Joey
Saputo en sera à nouveau le président
honoraire. Pour les profils des élèves qui ont
reçu des bourses d’études en automne dernier,
allez à la section Fondation et cliquez sur
récipiendaires de bourses. Pour réserver un
quatuor pour le tournoi de 2008, appelez au
(514) 483-7200, poste 7434 ou adressez un
courriel à [email protected].
DATES À RETENIR
27 avril au 3 mai 2008
Semaine nationale des bénévoles
30 avril 2008
Journée des secrétaires
Soirée d’appréciation des bénévoles de la
CSEM
3 mai 2008
Chorale de la CSEM
Concert du printemps
Salle Oscar Peterson
7141 Sherbrooke ouest
Campus Loyola, Université Concordia
19 h30
Billets : Adultes 10 $, élèves et aînés 5 $
Information : (514) 483-7200, poste 7234
25-31 mai 2008
Semaine des services de garde
Submissions should be made to Michael J.
Cohen
preferably
by
e-mail
([email protected]) or fax (514-483-7213).
Deadline for next edition is March 28, 2008
IMPACT : La partie de soccer de l’Impact
contre FC Miami du 4 juin (19 h 30) au
nouveau stade Saputo (4750 Sherbrooke est,
coin Viau et au métro Viau) sera la troisième
soirée annuelle de la CSEM. Cette dernière a
déjà établi son propre record de vente de
billets : plus de 4 800. Lors des deux dernières
soirées, la CSEM avait vendu plus de 3 500
billets par partie.
PENSEZ D’ABORD : Dans le cadre du
thème de « Brain Aware », Nathalie Auclaire
et le conférencier Sean Pothier de la Fondation
« Pensez d’Abord » du Québec ainsi que
l’animateur de vie spirituelle et d’engagement
communautaire, Rocco Speranza, ont visité
l’école
primaire
Edward
Murphy
de Hochelaga-Maisonneuve ainsi que l’école
secondaire du premier cycle John Paul I de
Saint-Léonard. Ils ont présenté leur
organisation ainsi que les objectifs de leurs
présentations détaillées, éducatives et
interactives visant à promouvoir un
comportement sécuritaire et à donner des
conseils et des informations utiles Ces
conseils aideront les élèves à comprendre
pourquoi leur premier choix est de penser
d’abord et de mettre en pratique les habitudes
de sécurité qui minimiseront les risques de
lésion cérébrale ou à la moelle épinière
lorsqu’ils pratiquent des sports ou se servent
d’un véhicule. Sean Pothier a raconté, de
façon émouvante comment il avait survécu à
26
un accident d’automobile qui l’avait laissé
dans le coma pour trois mois.
AUDIENCES SUR LES ÉCOLES À
THÈME PARTICULIER : Les audiences
sur les écoles à thème particulier de la CSEM
ont eu lieu à l’école secondaire Laurier
Macdonald et à l’école primaire Dunrae
Gardens. Des parents présents et futurs, des
représentants de la communauté et des
municipalités et arrondissements locaux ont
participé à ces audiences. Cinq commissaires
siègent à ce comité : Syd Wise (président),
Marvin
Helfenbaum,
Joseph
Lalla,
Bernard Praw et Anne Williams.
NOUVELLE AIRE DE JEUX : Le 12 mai,
l’installation d’une nouvelle aire de jeux a
commencé à l’école Roslyn. La CSEM et le
ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport
ont promis d’investir 25 000 $ au projet, à
condition que l’école Roslyn contribue le
même montant. Une vente aux enchères par
écrit et un tirage en octobre 2007 ont assuré
que non seulement les fonds ont été recueillis,
mais un montant additionnel de 23 000 $ a
permis l’installation d’une aire de jeux plus
élaborée.
Les noms de famille de toutes les personnes
qui ont fait des dons au Fonds d’amélioration
de l’aire de jeux ont été gravés sur des pavés
qui forment un sentier qui longe la nouvelle
aire de jeux. Des pavés sont encore
disponibles pour les personnes qui désirent
contribuer. « La générosité des commerçants
locaux, dont Air Canada et Papeterie
Westmount, nous a grandement aidé à
atteindre notre objectif financier » déclare
Mme Uhthoff.
SEMAINE DE L’ALPHABÉTISATION :
À la fin du mois d’avril, l’école Gerald
McShane a célébré la Semaine de
l’alphabétisation en demandant aux élèves de
participer à plusieurs activités visant à les
aider à développer leurs habiletés de lecture,
d’écriture et d’écoute, en français et en
anglais. Ces activités incluaient « Let’s Go
Bananas » où les élèves lisaient autant de
livres que possible et inscrivaient les titres sur
des formes de bananes qui étaient ensuite
placées sur les murs.
Chaque matin, il était demandé à quelques
élèves de présenter leur livre favori au
système de sonorisation. Un après-midi en
particulier, les membres du personnel et les
enseignant(e)s ont été invités dans des
classes différentes des leurs pour faire la
lecture aux enfants dans le but de démontrer
que « Chacun lit ». Chaque jour, toute l’école
arrêtait ses activités pour lire. En outre, il y a
eu un échange de livres à la bibliothèque.
Finalement, tout le corps étudiant a participé à
la rédaction de deux histoires (une en français
et l’autre en anglais) à partir des classes de la
maternelle jusqu’aux classes de 6e année. Ces
histoires ont été lues et appréciées au cours
d’une assemblée qui a clôturé la semaine
d’alphabétisation.
LE FRANÇAIS POUR L’AVENIR : La
Bibliothèque Nationale du Québec a été le
site, le 29 avril, du congrès Le Français pour
l’Avenir. Le thème du congrès qui vise à
promouvoir le bilinguisme parmi les jeunes
canadiens était Respect, Culture et Intégration
à la société québécoise. Michel Godbout,
animateur bilingue de CBC Television News at
Six, a prononcé l’allocution d’ouverture.
Des élèves de quatre écoles de la CSEM –
John F. Kennedy, Westmount, Académie
LaurenHill et Royal Vale- ont participé à
l’évènement. Le programme a débuté par la
participation des élèves à un jeu basé sur la
culture québécoise et canadienne. Cette
activité a été modérée par la personnalité bien
connue de la télévision francophone, Malik
Shaheed, un diplômé de l’école secondaire
Westmount. Les élèves de John F. Kennedy
ont aidé à la planification du jeu qui a servi
d’excellent brise-glace.
Le jeu a été suivi par un débat de trente
minutes entre les ambassadeurs du Français
pour l’Avenir – deux de Halifax et deux de
John F. Kennedy. La réalisatrice Nadine
Valcin a ensuite discuté de son documentaire
27
intitulé A School Without Borders qui traite de
questions au sujet du réseau d’éducation et du
processus
d’intégration
des
minorités
culturelles.
Plus
tard,
La
Ligue
D’Improvisation de Montréal a pris la relève
et a permis aux élèves de s’engager à plus
d’interaction.
CÉLÉBRATION CULTURELLE :
LEARN (Leading English Education and
Resource Network), en partenariat avec l’école
primaire Westmount Park de la CSEM, a
organisé, le 22 mai, une grande journée
d’échange interculturel qui a réuni 2 500
élèves,
enseignant(e)s,
leaders
communautaires et dignitaires. L’évènement a
eu lieu à l’ancien Collège Marianapolis. Des
élèves d’à travers tout le Québec se sont
réunis pour représenter les diverses
communautés culturelles par le biais de l’art,
la musique, la danse, le récit d’histoires, des
jeux et des sports. Ce projet est basé sur la
prémisse que l’enseignement d’autres cultures
devrait
être
une
vraie
expérience
d’apprentissage pour les jeunes. Le projet
d’échange interculturel permet aux écoles du
Québec, ainsi qu’aux élèves, de s’engager
d’une façon interactive et dynamique en leur
donnant la responsabilité d’assumer le
leadership dans la présentation de leurs
cultures respectives. Des professionnels des
communautés culturelles du Québec ont
collaboré avec les élèves en leur offrant une
multitude d’activités et en soulignant
l’importance de créer des liens entre toutes les
communautés
culturelles.
La
notion
fondamentale de ce projet est que la
compréhension des coutumes et croyances
culturelles des autres est la clé de vivre en
harmonie dans un monde de paix. Audrey
Ottier de l’école Westmount Park a été l’une
des principales coordonnatrices.
CITOYENNETÉ :
L’école
primaire
d’Edinburgh de Montréal-Ouest a été
récemment l’hôtesse de sa première cérémonie
de citoyenneté. Quarante-trois nouveaux
citoyens canadiens de 22 pays différents
incluant la Chine, le Congo, les États-Unis, la
France, Israël, le Maroc, l’Iran, les Philippines
et la Russie ont prêté serment dans le gymnase
de l’école. Les élèves enthousiastes de l’école
Edinburgh ont reçu les nouveaux citoyens
canadiens en leur demandant « allez-vous
obtenir
la
citoyenneté
canadienne
aujourd’hui? »
La directrice d’Edinburgh, Leah Auclair, a
commencé la cérémonie en explorant la riche
histoire de la diversité culturelle de MontréalOuest. Mme Auclair a ensuite félicité les invités
d’être présents à cette journée spéciale où ils
obtiendraient la citoyenneté canadienne.
Le directeur général de la CSEM, Antonio
Lacroce, s’est adressé ensuite aux nouveaux
citoyens. M. Lacroce a partagé son histoire
personnelle de nouvel immigrant italien en
1958. Il a reconnu les défis que les nouveaux
citoyens doivent affronter et qu’ils continueront
probablement d’affronter. M. Lacroce a ensuite
rappelé aux nouveaux citoyens qu’ils font des
sacrifices pour donner les meilleures occasions
possibles à leurs enfants, qui leur en seront
toujours reconnaissants.
Le maire de Montréal-Ouest, Campbell Stuart,
a souligné la nature multiculturelle du Canada et
sa fierté d’être Canadien. Le maire a ensuite dit
aux élèves d’Edinburgh qu’ils devaient être fiers
de participer à un évènement aussi important.
L’assermentation des nouveaux citoyens a été
précédée par l’arrivée de la juge Barbara Seal
qui est entrée au gymnase escortée par un agent
de la GRC. Il a été demandé aux nouveaux
citoyens et aux invités de se lever, de lever la
main droite et de répéter le serment de
citoyenneté en français et en anglais. La juge
Seal a ensuite appelé chaque nouveau citoyen
qui a reçu son certificat de citoyenneté et a été
personnellement félicité par la juge.
LUNDI MUSICAL : Le 7 mai a été désigné
Lundi Musical et des écoles à travers le monde
ont chanté en chœur à 13 h 00 une chanson
créée spécifiquement pour cette journée. Les
écoles Dante de la CSEM et Lambert Closse de
la Commission scolaire de la Pointe-de-l’île (les
deux écoles partagent une cour) ont joint leurs
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mains pour chanter la chanson. La Coalition
d’enseignement musical au Canada a organisé
l’évènement. Établie en 1992, la coalition
préconise l’importance d’offrir des leçons de
musique aux élèves.
PAUVRETÉ ET VIOLENCE :
Occasionnellement,
des
sessions
d’enseignement moral et religieux ont eu lieu à
l’Oasis du campus junior de l’Académie
LaurenHill pour examiner et discuter de divers
sujets pertinents de la vie moderne. La pauvreté
et la violence font partie de ces sujets. Que ce
soit en classe ou à l’Oasis et guidés par les
enseignants Tara Fogel, Peter Saad et M. Shaw,
les élèves ont examiné la façon dont la pauvreté
peut créer la violence ou être un produit de la
violence – particulièrement, pour les enfants et
les femmes. Le fait que un pour cent de la
richesse mondiale est détenue par des femmes et
que chaque année plus d’un million de filles
sont tuées à leur naissance préoccupe les élèves
et soulève de nouvelles questions quant aux
défis posés par la violence et la pauvreté.
INTÉGRATION INVERSÉE : Le journal
Toronto Star a récemment publié un article sur
un programme d’intégration inversée à l’école
Sunny View de Toronto. Ce programme est
inspiré par celui du Centre Mackay de la CSEM.
Consultez notre site Web à www.emsb.qc.ca
(nouvelles, coupures de journaux) pour plus de
détails. Au lieu de placer des enfants handicapés
dans des classes ordinaires, le programme place
des élèves du réseau ordinaire dans des classes
avec des élèves qui ont de graves problèmes
physiques et de développement – ceux pour qui
l’intégration n’est pas normalement une option –
afin qu’ils fassent leur apprentissage ensemble
tout en apprenant l’un de l’autre.
SOIRÉE DE DESSERTS : Plus de 60 parents
et membres du personnel ont récemment assisté
à la première Soirée internationale de desserts à
l’école primaire Cedarcrest de Saint-Laurent. La
célébration a été organisée pour promouvoir les
nombreuses intéressantes activités qui ont lieu à
Cedarcrest. Elle avait aussi pour but de donner
l’occasion de resserrer les liens entre l’école et
sa communauté. Au cours de la soirée, des
groupes de danseurs de Cedarcrest ont charmé
l’auditoire par leur énergie et leur précision. Les
iMovies de la 6e année ont aussi été appréciés
par les invités. La soirée a aussi donné
l’occasion aux parents de se rencontrer et
d’apprendre quelles étaient les diverses
fonctions et responsabilités du conseil
d’établissement de l'école.
SERVICE DE L’ÉDUCATION DES
ADULTES ET DE LA FORMATION
PROFESSIONNELLE
JUSTIN TRUDEAU : Le centre d’adultes de
Saint-Laurent a récemment reçu Justin Trudeau
à titre de conférencier principal. Pour plus de
détails, consulter la page d’accueil de la CSEM
et le rapport de l’élève Alicia Audain.
CUISINE DU YMCA : Chaque lundi, au
YMCA de NDG, les jeunes du quartier
préparent un dîner. Cette activité est utilisée non
seulement pour leur apprendre l’importance des
aliments nutritifs, mais aussi pour encourager
une interaction sociale durant un repas ainsi
qu’une forme d’étiquette. L’Institut culinaire St.
Pius X a récemment préparé un souper à leur
intention tout en les informant de l’occasion
d’une carrière intéressante en cuisine
professionnelle. Le conseiller Tony Mancini, le
chef Masssimo D’Ascanio et trois élèves de St.
Pius ont contribué au succès éclatant de cette
interaction. Michael Sitruk du YMCA de NDG
a déclaré qu’il comptait impliquer les écoles
secondaires à cette activité.
DATES À RETENIR
25 au 31 mai 2008
Semaine des services de garde
26 mai 2008
Audience de la Région 2 sur les écoles à thème
particulier
Dunrae Gardens
235 Dunrae, Ville Mont-Royal
19 h 30
27 mai 2008
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Audience de la Région 3 sur les écoles à thème
particulier
École Hampstead
83 Thurlow
19 h 30
30 et 31 mai 2008
École primaire Roslyn
Célébration du centenaire
4 juin 2008
Soirée CSEM de l’Impact
Stade Saputo
19 h 30