2008/03/27 - English Montreal School Board

The monthly news bulletin of the EMSB
Vol.10. No. 8
EDITOR: MICHAEL J. COHEN
PRINTING SERVICES: L. SHAW, D. D’ORNELLAS
March 27, 2008
PROOFREADING/TRANSLATION: ALINE ZEROUNIAN
∆ Funds for Schools
∆ Successful Science Fair
∆ Impact Night
∆ My Planet
∆ Fred Penner
∆ Minster to Visit
∆ No More Raisins
∆ Hecht Scholarships
∆ East Hill Podcast
∆ Shadd Event
Steven Le Piane and Anthony Scordo of Laurier Macdonald High School won
gold at the Bell Regional Science and Technology Fair for their project on
microbial fuel cells. See mor e on the Fair inside this edition.
EMSB Supports Bill 104 Defence Fund
The English Montreal School Board (EMSB) Council of
Commissioners has agreed to a plan to spend the equivalent of
$1 per student over the next three years to support the legal
defence fund for parents contesting Bill 104, the amendment of
a provincial law that tightened access to English schools.
In August, the Quebec Court of Appeal struck down Bill 104,
the amendment that closed a loophole that had enabled some
students access to public English schools after they had
attended a non-subsidized English private school. The Quebec
government appealed the decision and the Supreme Court has
agreed to hear it.
Ms. Mancini notes that the EMSB alone is losing at least 400
students a year because of this unfair law.
March 31 to April 4 is Adult Learner’s
Week
in good shape following the excessive amount
of snow that fell in the city.
SURPLUS
ALLOCATION
FOR
SCHOOLS: The EMSB recorded a surplus of
$1.5 million in 2006-07. As a result, the
Council of Commissioners has begun
allocating those funds to each schools and
centre in order to carry out physical
improvements to their facilities. An initial
$930,000 has already been approved.
Elementary schools will receive $10,000 or
$15,000, depending upon their student
population. High schools will receive either
$15,000 or $20,000. Adult and vocational
centres are eligible for $20,000 while outreach
schools and others will get $5,000 each.
Another $570,000 will be put towards
washroom improvements across the network.
“This is a good way to reinvest in our schools
and make these building brighter places,”
stated EMSB Chair Angela Mancini.
“Obviously as a result of the position taken by
the Commission scolaire de Montréal
regarding the physical integrity of their
facilities, everyone has been quite concerned,”
EMSB Director General Antonio Lacroce
stated in a message sent out to all schools and
centres. “As for the EMSB, we had started the
inspection of our facilities systematically since
our return from the March break. All of the
facilities had been inspected within a few
days. Obviously we took appropriate action as
the reports came in. The action plan required
that snow be removed from the roofs of some
of our facilities.
Ms. Mancini notes that last year the EMSB
allocated the proceeds of a $500,000 surplus
to schools for renovations and even though the
amount per building was not substantial it
resulted in dramatic improvements.
WASHROOM REPAIRS: Meanwhile, at the
March 26 meeting an additional $550,000
from the 2006-7 surplus was allocated to nine
high schools and two vocational centres to be
spent on the upgrade of washrooms. An
amount of $50,000 each for this purpose will
be provided to: Vincent Massey Collegiate in
Rosemount, Laurier Macdonald High School
in St. Léonard, John Paul Junior High School
in St. Léonard; Rosemount High School and
Rosemount Technology Centre, John F.
Kennedy High School and John F. Kennedy
Business Centre in St. Michel, LaurenHill
Academy Senior Campus in St. Laurent,
Westmount High School, Royal Vale School
in N.D.G., Marymount Academy in N.D.G.,
John F. Kennedy Business Centre
STATE OF THE ROOFS: The EMSB
devoted a lot of time and energy recently
making sure that the roofs at its facilities were
“The Ministry of Education, Leisure and
Sports issued a circular that acceptable levels
of snow accumulation are in the order of 70
centimetres. Most of our facilities were below
that level. In the facilities where there were
additional concerns, we had the building
inspected by structural engineers. I am pleased
to report that there is no cause for concern in
any of our facilities and that the roof
structures are sound. We accelerated the
removal of the snow on the weekend of
March 14.”
Award winning Marymount teacher Steven Erdelyi (left)
with his students.
SCIENCE FAIR: The EMSB hosted the
Bell Montreal Regional Science &
Technology Fair (BMRSTF) at Lester B.
Pearson High School (LBPHS) in Montreal
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North March 16-18. More than 250 students
from 30 schools participated in the three day
event which attracted over 4,000 visitors.
Gio Spina, a semi-retired science teacher at
LBPHS, chaired the event. Former principal
Dominic Furfaro, who retired last year,
served as the chief judge. EMSB students
won 27 medals. Here is the breakdown by
school: Royal West (8), FACE (6),
Marymount (5),
LBPHS (3),
Laurier
Macdonald (2), Royal Vale (2) and Vincent
Massey Collegiate (1). For the complete list
go to the press release section of the EMSB
website.
Steven Erdelyi, who has headed the Science
Department at Marymount Academy for the
last five years, received the Educational
Alliance for Science & Technology Science
Teacher Recognition Award.
It's the
cumulative result of a closed nomination
process that recognizes individuals who have
contributed to the science fair movement
within their schools and the community. The
plaque read "A role model to those who
encourage today's young scientists.”
HEAL EMRU: The EMSB is helping to
reach out to the community to help Emru
Townsend, the son of retired Principal
Beverly Townsend. In mid-December, Emru
was diagnosed with leukemia, and a condition
called monosomy 7. Due to the monosomy 7,
he has an increased risk of the leukemia
coming back, no matter how successful
chemotherapy
is.
Log
on
to
www.healemru.com. The goal is to encourage
as many individuals who are aged 18 to 50 to
register here in Quebec and Canada. Other
countries have differing age ranges and are not
to be excluded.
FOCUS SCHOOLS: The EMSB Committee
on Focus Schools will hold hearings in May to
hear from parents who presently have children
in the system, in daycare or attending private
schools. The question being asked is as
follows: If you could have the ideal kind of
school – primary or secondary – what would
that be? “As we prepare to celebrate the 10th
anniversary of linguistic school boards in
Quebec this represents an excellent
opportunity to look at what else the system
can offer in order for us to better serve the
community,” commented EMSB Chair
Angela Mancini. “We are proud to become
the first public school board in Quebec to
initiate such a process.”
In conjunction with the Central Parents
Committee and its regional counterparts, the
EMSB will be calling for submissions to the
committee, chaired by Commissioner Syd
Wise. The dates and locations of the hearings
are as follows: Region 1, Tues. May 6, Laurier
Macdonald High School in St. Léonard;
Region 2, Mon. May 26, Dunrae Gardens in
TMR; and Region 3, Tues. May 27,
Hampstead School. The meetings will begin
at 7:30 p.m. Other commissioners on the
committee are Bernard Praw, Joseph Lalla,
Angela Mancini, Anne Williams and Viky
Keller.
IMPACT NIGHT: 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
Metro Viau) will be the third annual EMSB
Night.
In each of the last two years the
EMSB has sold over 3,500 tickets per game.
The Impact are making a limited number of
tickets available for the EMSB at only $5
each.
Students, parents and staff are
encouraged to take part, but this program is
not mandatory. Order forms have gone out to
the schools.
The Canadian Corporate Soccer League
(www.corporatesoccer.ca), which counts
among its players graduates from a number of
EMSB schools, has signed on a partner in this
venture. They will also be selling tickets and
offering clinics for EMSB students.
Schools will bring their own banners and signs
to the game. There will be reserved seating,
also a new feature, and everyone will sit in a
special EMSB section. Prior to the game two
4
students will be presented with Tony Licursi
Bursaries. Some students may also be given
the opportunity to perform musically on the
field. The school that sells the most tickets
will be invited on to the field to greet the
players as they are introduced. The deadline
for ticket orders will be Wed. April 23.
THE BURSARIES: Submissions are now
being accepted for
the Tony Licursi
Bursaries.
Please submit your entries in the form of an email message to Mario Bentrovato at
[email protected],
stipulating
the name and age of the candidate, the school
and grade he/she attends, the main reasons
why his/her candidature should be considered,
accomplishments, and how the student's
performance meets the criteria (excellence in
school, excellence in sports, preferably soccer,
and socio-economic background).
and three PSAs targeted to parents about the
risks in the online world. News-talk hosts Roy
Green and Charles Adler will also be
tackling the topic with guests and experts
discussing the issues and prevention.
In addition to airing Michelle Boden’s
documentary, 940Montreal will broadcast
three special reports on cyber bullying on
March 25, 26 and 27 during The Dennis
Trudeau Show, 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and
The Drive with Duff, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The
station will also have a special broadcast
dedicated to discussion on cyber bullying
during the March 28 edition of The
Aphrodite Salas Show from 12:30 p.m. to 2
p.m. featuring representatives from the
EMSB. This will include pedagogical
consultant Maureen Baron, behaviour
management specialist Lori Rubin and
students Lianne Barile and Jason Santos
from John F. Kennedy High School.
EMSB EXPRESS: The spring edition of the
EMSB Express newspaper has been sent to
schools. It is also available online at
www.emsb.qc.a. Go to the press room section.
CYBERBULLYING: Corus Radio and its
network of news-talk stations, which includes
940Montreal, want to make the Internet a
safer place for children and youth and curb the
rise in cyber bullying with an anti-cyber
bullying campaign during March and April.
Each station will host their own on-air town
hall forums and discussions with local police,
school administrators, parents and child
welfare groups on the growing trend of cyber
bullying and the negative aspects of online
and mobile social networking. In support of
the campaign, each news-talk station will air
Cyber Bullying – Is Your Kid a Target?, a
one-hour documentary produced by 630
CHED’s Michelle Boden, profiling recently
publicized cases of cyber bullying and its
effects on the victims and their families.
Along with the documentary, four 30-second
public service announcements will also air on
Corus Radio news-talk stations: two PSAs
featuring a young girl’s message to bullies,
Global anchor Jamie Orchard dropped by HonoréMercier to meet with the students and staff working on
the My Planet presentation.
MY PLANET: Honoré-Mercier Elementary
School in St. Léonard will be the second
EMSB school to be featured on the Global
Television My Planet series focusing on
environmental concerns. Their student
produced report will appear on the Friday
evening 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts. Last
visited the
week anchor Jamie Orchard
school for her first of two visits. She met with
the two Grade 5 reporters, Nicolas Kiss and
Emma Baggio, along with their teachers
5
Jimmy Trevisonno and Réal Heppelle. She
took the time to speak with the students and
gave them tips and suggestions for when they
will be filming the actual segment next week.
Finally, the two star reporters got a taste of
being in the media spotlight as the filmed a
snapshot for Global and The Gazette.
GENERATIONS
BREAKFAST:
940Montreal and Q92 will be broadcasting
live from La Stanza Buffet (1132 Marcel
Laurin) in St. Laurent on Friday morning
March 28 for their annual La Stanza Camp for
Kids Breakfast. Tickets are available at the
door for $10 each for a full buffet. Proceeds
send poor children to summer camp. Many
EMSB students are beneficiaries.
BOOK LAUNCH: This May 100 students at
Lester B. Pearson High School in Montreal
North will launch their very own book titled
Down to Earth. The collection of literature is
an emotional response to global warming,
environmental change and, most generally,
Mother Nature's plight. The book features
poems, essays and short stories which take an
in-depth look at what our world might become
if we do not act now to change the way we
live. Justin Trudeau, son of Canada's 15th
Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, will speak at
the launch. Trudeau wrote one of the two
introductions to the collection along with
Canada's first woman in space, Roberta
Bondar.
The publication is a project of the awardwinning non-profit educational organization
Learning for a Cause founded by Montreal
educator and writer Michael Ernest Sweet.
Learning for a Cause aims to engage students
morally and socially through the act of
creative writing. The organization holds a firm
belief in the idea that the quill is mightier than
the sword.
Down to Earth is a different kind of book
about the environment. It is not filled with
facts and figures, with reports and graphs...
Down to Earth is packed with emotion,
passion and vision. It is a book which
poignantly illustrates our feelings in the face
of change.
Down to Earth will be launched at Lester B.
Pearson High School (11 575 PM Favier) on
May 14 (7 p.m.). The public and press are
invited to attend. RSVP is required by leaving
a message for Michael Sweet at (514) 3284442 or fax (514) 328-4443.
411 INITIATIVE: Secondary III and IV
students at Lester B. Pearson High School
were recently visited by the 411 Initiative and
watched
an
interactive,
multimedia
presentation about HIV & AIDS.
The
performance was well received by all of the
students, many of whom requested autographs
and photos from the presenters. The students
learned about safety and the biases and
stereotypes that surface when someone is said
to be HIV-positive or have AIDS.
TOP PRINCIPAL: Ivana Colatriano,
principal of Willingdon Elementary School in
N.D.G., recently returned from a conference in
Toronto
where
she
was
officially
acknowledged as one of 33 exceptional
leaders in education from across the country
as Canada’s Outstanding Principals for 2008.
“It was exhilarating!” stated Ms. Colatriano,
who was one of only two Quebec receipients.
“In fact it was
the best professional
development I have ever attended. We worked
hard from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, but the
speakers and the participants exchanged a
wealth of information. The gala dinner sported
seven education ministers. We were each
introduced to the 300 guests. But, most
importantly we were shown a level of respect
rarely seen. They see us as CEOs who do so
much with so little. They also refused to call
us administrators, but preferred to call us
leaders.”
CITIZENSHIP CEREMONY: Willingdon
Elementary School in N.D.G. hosted its first
Canadian Citizenship Ceremony on Thurs.
March 20 with Judge Gordana CaricevicRakovich presiding.
6
MP Marlene Jennings and Judge Caricevic-Rakovich pose
with Principal Ivana Colatriano, students and some new
Canadians.
Thirty new citizens were sworn in from 12
countries. Federal Liberal MP Marlene
Jennings was on hand.
The students
prepared a number of songs for the new
citizens, including an original bilingual
version of This Land Is My Land. On May 8,
such a ceremony will take place at Edinburgh
Elementary School in Montreal West.
.
NUTRITION
MONTH:
March
was
Nutrition Month. EMSB staff have been
visiting
schools
for various
nutrition
workshops which focused on evaluating foods
and beverages according to the nutrition label
and ingredient lists. These activities help
students to develop appropriate skills in
making healthier food choices. In addition,
many schools have taken part in this year’s
Nutrition Month Campaign. The objective of
the program is to encourage students to take a
closer look at the new Canada’s Food Guide
which was launched in February 2007 by
Health Canada.
FRED PENNER VISITS: Fred Penner, one
of the most popular children’s entertainers in
the world, visited Hampstead and Coronation
Elementary Schools where he gave special
performances for students. To see the video
and photos from his performance go to the
EMSB website at www.emsb.qc.ca.
In a new world of consumerized children’s
entertainment, Penner stands apart from the
mass marketed entertainers now targeting
younger audiences. The Quebec born singer,
songwriter and guitarist, who now lives in
Winnipeg, continues to offer families a clear,
simple message that emphasizes strong
values. Recognized internationally as an
exceptional artist whose powerful music
resonates with family values and imaginative
style, his television program Fred Penner’s
Place aired for many years on CBC and the
United States on the Nickolodeon Network.
He is a member of the Order of Canada, a past
Juno Award winner. Penner has recorded
countless albums of children’s music.
Fred Penner meets some Hampstead students.
“We had a great time,” commented Paul
O’Neill, Penner’s production manager. “We
received a lot of interest from many schools
wishing to have Fred perform for the students.
So many so, that we had to turn down at least
four, but the requests were numerous. In the
past we have been able to accommodate many
schools by having a central location and
busing in the children as a special event.
Performances can cater between 800 and
1,000 children at a time in the right venue. We
would do three shows a day for two or three
days as demand allows. This requires some
organization but is very doable as we have
done in the past.” O’Neill can be contacted at:
[email protected].
MINISTER TO VISIT: Quebec Minister of
Education, Leisure and Sports
Michelle
Courchesne will make a special visit to
Merton Elementary School in Côte Saint-Luc
on March 31 (12:30 p.m.). Principal Raizel
Candib will greet her. Teachers
Gloria
Chalupovitsch and Sara Abudarham will make
7
a special presentation on the pedagogical
mission of the school. The Minister will then
visit the various classrooms while school is in
session.
MS-READ-A-THON: Merton
held its
second Multiple Sclerosis Read-a-Thon
recently. It was kicked off with a school
assembly at which time 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 "Read-a-pillar" went
from the lockers just outside room 19 to the
end of the lockers of room The total raised
was $2,687. Congratulations to the following
students for their exceptional contributions:
Gabriel
Isabella,
$372.0;
Francesco
Isabella, $352; Emanuel Brazil, $232; and
Kirsten Gauthier, $212.
FRENCH FOR THE FUTURE: The
Bibliothèque National du Québec (475,
boulevard De Maisonneuve Est) will be the
site of the 2008 French for the Future
Montreal Conference on Tuesday, April 29
(9:45 a.m). Aimed at promoting bilingualism
amongst Canadian youth, the theme is
Respect, Culture and Integration into
Québécois society.
From the EMSB, students from four schools
will be participating - John F. Kennedy in St.
Michel, Westmount, LaurenHill Academy in
St. Laurent and Royal Vale in N.D.G. The
program will begin with students taking part in
a game show based on Canadian and
Quebecois culture. It will be moderated by
noted French television personality Malik
Shaheed, a graduate of Westmount High
School. John F. Kennedy students, who will
also be working as volunteers during the day,
helped in the planning for the game show
which serves as an excellent ice breaker.
This will be followed at 11 a.m. by a half hour
debate between the French for the Future
Ambassadors – two from Halifax, two from
John F. Kennedy and two immigrants from
Brazil and the Carribean. At 11:30 a.m.
filmmaker Nadine Valcin will discuss her
documentary called A School Without Borders,
which delves into her questions about the
education system and the process of
integrating cultural minorities. After lunch, at
1:30 p.m., La Ligue D’improvisation de
Montréal will take over and allow the students
to engage in some more interaction.
ENTREPRENEURS: Royal West Academy’s
young entrepreneurs scored a big victory at
the third annual “Rise Entrepreneur
Competition,”
which is sponsored by
Concordia University’s John Molson School
of Business. Students were put under pressure
to produce a business plan in a course of four
hours and pitch their business idea to a panel
of judges. Royal West’s winning team madeup of David Gian, Zhi Hao Huang, Keith
Macorin and Radhika Chandra came in first
with the unique service of an in-school
bartering system. The winning participants
were all awarded $100 each and the honour to
house the “Rise” trophy for a full year at
Royal West Academy.
Teacher Erin Tevel and her team of students.
SUPPLIES FOR TANZANIA: On February
2, Secondary II and IV students at Rosemount
High School were busy ensuring that hundreds
of students in Tanzania will have better access
to education. They worked together preparing
four hundred Project Love kits containing
basic school supplies which many Canadian
children take for granted. Each Project Love
Kit included one notebook, one ruler, one
8
pencil, one eraser, one personal note in the
shape of a heart, one Canadian flag and one
Canadian pin. The flags and pins were
donated by Judge Barbara Seal, Citizenship
and Immigration judge. Project Love is part of
the organization CODE and is a national
program which supports literacy and global
education.
The project was organized by Erin Tevel,
Secondary IV English teacher. In her class, the
students learned about the educational
challenges faced by their peers around the
world. In particular, the plight of students in
Tanzania. The students were also shown a
short DVD titled “The Power of Children” in
which Rosemount students got a glimpse into
the lives of others in countries where simple
learning tools such as paper and a pencil can
be difficult to obtain. Rae Kishfy’s
Secondary II geography/history class also
participated in the project.
DI GIOVANNI FOUNDATION: The fifth
year of fundraising for the Franco Di Giovanni
Foundation, supporting the Brain Tumour
Research Center at the Montreal Neurological
Institute and Hospital, continues. This year
three major events are planned. The first is a
fundraising campaign in all schools and
centres, whereby they are being called upon to
organize dress down days, bake sales, raffles
or anything else they choose. To facilitate this
fundraising, organizers are offering two items:
a grey metal ribbon for a $2 donation and an
EMSB dog tag for a $3 donation. Over the
four years more than $118,000 dollars has
been raised for the Brain Tumour Research
Centre.
GALA EVENING: The
fourth annual
Franco Di Giovanni Foundation Social Night
Fundraiser took place March 15 at the Prima
Luna Reception Hall. Music was provided by
Goldstarr Entertainment. There were door
prizes and auctions of gift items and sports
memorabilia, such as a personalized Sydney
Crosby Hockey Stick and personalized hockey
jerseys of Sydney Crosby, Alexander
Ovechkin, Robert Luongo, Wayne Gretzky,
Saku Koivu, Martin Brodeur, Maurice
Richard, Guy Lafleur, and Gump Worsely.
The soccer memorabilia will include an
autographed and framed Buffon picture and
glove, autographed soccer jerseys of Del
Piero, Cannavaro, Totti and Beckham. There
was also a grand prize of an all inclusive trip
for two to Acapulco, Mexico. The special
guest was Dr. Rolando Del Maestro, Clinical
Director of the Brain Tumour Research Center
at the Montreal Neurological Center.All
proceeds went to support the Montreal
Neurological Institute and Hospital Brain
Tumour Research Center.
NO MORE RAISINS: Students from seven
EMSB schools accepted an invitation from the
Segal Centre for the Arts at the Saidye in
Snowdon to see performances of the critically
acclaimed show No More Raisins No More
Almonds: Children’s Ghetto Songs. In this
presentation more than 40 Montreal teenagers
raise their voices to sensitize their peers to the
plight of young people facing racism,
genocide and anti-Semitism. It is presented by
Young Actors for Young Audiences (YAYA).
No More Raisins, No More Almonds is an
hour-long play, based on songs, written during
the Holocaust, about the experiences of
children and teenagers living in the ghettos of
World War II Europe. It is presented in
English with the songs in their original
Yiddish. Most of the performers are students
at Bialik High School in Côte Saint-Luc,
which has engaged in exchange programs with
the EMSB. Students from Royal West
Academy in Montreal West, St. Raphael High
School, Philip E. Layton School for the Blind
and four elementary schools –Our Lady of
Pompei in Ahuntsic, Michelangelo in RDP
and Pierre de Coubertin and Honoré Mercier
in St. Léonard –attended the special student
performances. Each presentation is followed
by discussion.
HECHT SCHOLARSHIPS: Two EMSB
teachers have been selected as winners of the
2008 Riva and Thomas O. Hecht Scholarship,
Teaching of the Holocaust for Educators
Program
to
take
place at
Yad
9
Vashem, Jerusalem, Israel July 13-31 “Most
of the candidates this year were exceptional
and our task of selecting only three winners
was extremely difficult,” said Riva Heft
Hecht. M. Xavier Désilets of Royal West
Academy in Montreal West and one other
teacher who has yet to confirm her
participation are the EMSB recipients. They
will be joined by Sylvie Pelletier from Pointe
Claire’s John Rennie High School.
These three teachers can now look forward to
taking part next summer in a professional
development program under the direction of
the Faculty of the Yad Vashem Seminars for
Educators from Abroad, International School
for Holocaust Studies. The goal of the
program is to provide professional
development activities to teachers for teaching
about the Holocaust and anti-Semitism to
students in the youth Sector. The teacher will
receive both pre-training and follow-up
activities sponsored by the Montreal
Holocaust Memorial Centre and the Bronfman
Jewish Education Centre. An orientation
program is available prior to leaving for
Israel. Each teacher will be asked to create at
least one teaching unit or module developed
within the context learned at the Yad Vashem
experience for implementation in the
classroom. The unit/module has to be
incorporated into the Quebec project-based
curriculum and be considered for integration
into the areas of cultural, language, history,
literacy or art-based activities.
Karine
Lajeunnesse, a teacher at Rosemount High
School, represented the EMSB last year. Log
on to www.t-h-e-program.org.
SENSITIZATION PROGRAM: General
Vanier Elementary School in St. Léonard will
be conducting a sensitization program on the
Holocaust and Jewish tradition, coordinated
by Spiritual Community Animator Vince
Lacroce and music teacher Jason Lipstein.
The goal of this cross-curricular project is to
bridge the gap between cultures and people
and promote the virtues of respect, tolerance
and compassion. This sensitization program
will commence with a basic history lesson
given by me of the start of World War II; it
will include the persecution of the innocent
men, women and children who were tragically
affected by the war as well as the liberation of
these individuals. The program will be
followed by a testimonial from a Holocaust
survivor, Ernest Ehrmann, who shared
heartbreaking memories of his life in a
concentration camp on March 27. The
sensitization program will be culminated by a
visit to Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue in
Westmount on April 9 (6 p.m.)
where
students will have an opportunity to dialogue
with the Rabbi and speak about the
importance of music to the Jewish people as
well as being witness to the singing of a
Jewish choir.
GRANDPARENTS: On the EMSB website a
new section of links for Grandparents has
been added, beginning with CANGRANDS.
This organization represents many Canadian
grandparents raising their grandkids. There are
70,000 people in Canada doing so, 8,000 in
Quebec and 4,000 in the Montreal area alone
according to Statistics Canada. In order to
network with these grandparents/ kin, an online daily form has been established at
www.cangrands.com. “We would like to
reach out to them and let them know that
they are not alone,” says Montreal chapter
president Linda Turner. Go to the EMSB
website and follow the link to the recent CTV
W5 report. Linda can be emailed at
[email protected].
BRAIN WAVES: Plans are moving ahead for
the fourth Brain Waves Gala at the Leonardo
Da Vinci Center on Wed. May 7. The gala
will highlight talented students from 10
secondary schools. Tickets are $25 each and
will go on sale soon. For more information
and for tickets please contact Lina Di
Giovanni
at
514-494-6931
email:
[email protected]; Vince Lacroce at
5365 or email: [email protected] or Mike
Talevi at 2004 or email: [email protected].
There is a link to the Brainwaves website on
the EMSB home page.
10
ITALIAN IDOL: Dante Elementary School
in St. Léonard’s Chorale of 45 students has
been selected to do the background chorus for
the Superfantastico Show (Italian Idol) at
Place Des Arts on April 13 (5:30 p.m.) .The
students will also record the chorus to be used
as the promo for the show. Dante will be
announced on the radio along with the promo.
American Idol judge Randy Jackson is
expcted to be at the event, as will some
Canadian Idol personalities. Adults who wish
to attend can get tickets for $30. Log on to
www.cfmb.ca/content.asp?key=22.
CBC SCHOOL NEEDS: Two EMSB
elementary schools - Carlyle in T.M.R. and
Westmount Park – took part in last year’s
Youth in Philanthropy School Needs
Fundraising Project, a joint program
organized by CBC Montreal and the
Foundation of Greater Montreal (FGM). The
Lester B. Pearson (LBPSB) School Board
was also represented. Three of the schools
received grants, including Westmount Park
which was awarded $1,400 for its proposal to
provide cycle one students with skills,
knowledge and attitudes to successfully
participate and enjoy small group cooperative
games and activities during the recess and
lunch play periods. But nobody walked away
disappointed. The FGM and the two school
boards agreed to provide $500 to Carlyle and
the other LBPSB school which did not get
funding. Carlyle had been seeking $1,800 to
teach the game of cricket by having students
engage in play with other schools, featuring
active and continued involvement by parents.
In addition to the $500, the Pirates of St.
Lawrence Cricket Club have agreed to provide
free coaching for the Carlyle children. Among
the aims of the project was to help meet a
need at an elementary school as defined by
the students and for their benefit, with the
counsel of a teacher or staff member at the
school, that could not be met through its
normal operating budget. A total of $5,000
was
made available from FGM. Each
school had to propose projects of between
$1,000 and $2,500.
Students from each
elementary school presented a short case for
support for their project on-air and the
supporting staff member did the same for the
project website and judges panel. Taping took
place in June with video reporter Andrew
Chang and for two weeks the projects aired
on the CBC News at Six and on CBC Radio
88.5 FM’s Home Run, which broadcast live
from the awards ceremony Sept. 19.
A similar project is now underway, this time
focusing on the environment. Two elementary
schools – East Hill in RDP and St. Monica in
N.D.G. – will represent the EMSB. Two
schools each from the LBPSB, Sir Wilfrid
Laurier School Board and Riverside School
Board will also participate. Grant money will
come from both the FGM
Youth in
Philanthropy program and the Alexander
Dworkin Family Foundation /Canadian Jewish
Congress. Each school selected will get $500
up front and a bit less will be spent on visits to
each school by Earth Values Institute/
Equiterre / the National Film Board of Canada
/ CBC. All schools will submit proposals of
between $1,000 and $2,500 for the remaining
amount. In the first two weeks of June CBC
will visit each participating school to record
their one minute pitch for support. Judges
from the FGM Youth in Philanthropy program
will deliberate and be recorded in June. As in
last year's edition, all the items would air on
radio and television in the first half of
September. There will also be an event in
mid-September at La Maison Radio-Canada
for grant announcements.
BLACK HISTORY: On Feb. 28, Sinclair
Laird Elementary School in Park Extension
had a brief, yet thorough historical lesson in
Black History. In an assembly, the students
from Kindergarten to Grade 6 cited speeches,
quotes and different stories of famous black
people. Spiritual Animator Puynung Choy
said that by learning about these famous
people, one would come to know the
value and importance of leadership, courage,
hope, respect and peace. Two distinguished
people who have been an active leading force
in the community were invited to speak.
Tyrone Benskin, the artistic director of
11
Black Theatre Workshop enticed the students
by his positive speech. He has been in over 40
TV shows and films. Ms. Puynung welcomed
Melissa Blackette, a graduating engineering
student from McGill who collected well over
16 awards for her scholarly achievements.
They are some of the many good role models
of the black community who became a
success.
AT CARLYLE: Carlyle Elementary School
in T.M.R.’s Black History Assembly was
celebrated with great enthusiasm. Two
university students, Melissa Blackette and
Ukpong
Etang,
presently
studying
engineering, spoke about their achievements
and what it meant to "rise above one's past
circumstances." Spiritual Animator Puynung
Choy and the students gave short bios of
famous black writers, inventors, leaders and
artists which included Montreal's Oscar
Peterson who recently passed away.
A dance troupe, Mapou Ginen, performed a
traditional Haitian Folklore dance. Prior to a
Mapou Ginen performance, the dance troupe
taught the students historical symbols of their
dance. Shortly after, several children danced
with them! One of Carlyle's many hidden
talents came out! “We were mesmerized by a
talented kindergarten student singing a Haitian
song duet with a Mapou Ginen singer and it
was impromptu!” says Ms. Choy.
Meanwhile, Caryle's Chinese & Vietnamese
New Year started with a marriage reunion
amongst two Pre-K's. The mini-marriage
ceremony was conducted ever so elegantly by
the Pre-K's dressed in traditional Chinese
costumes. Red envelopes were formally given
as tea was served with a bow of respect to the
newly married couple. Spiritual Animator Ms.
Puynung had students from Pre-K to Grades 5
perform other nuances of Chinese traditions
such as citing the different animals and their
personality types associated with the calendar.
The youngest storyteller was only in Grade 2
and he was able to capture every little detail of
how the calendar was made!
VENTURE INITIATIVES: Venture High
School in Ville Émard was involved in some
exciting things during Black History Month.
A choreographer from the Cirque de Soleil ,
came to the school and taught the students the
proper way to hip hop and some other dances
that are in his repertoire. The students and
staff enjoyed his selection and knowledge. He
also explained to them the importance of
staying in school, regardless of what you
wanted to achieve later in life. Black History
Theatre joined the students for a one man play
called Come Good Rain. The students were
fascinated with the way he was able to play so
many different roles and to show them you
can do what you set out to do.
They
concluded the month by having a Caribbean
luncheon at the school.
ST. DOROTHY FLYERS: During a recent
two week period,
Grade 6 students and
teachers at St. Dorothy Elementary School in
St. Michel experienced the intricacies of
building and flying their own styrofoam and
propeller- based paper and balsam wood
airplanes. A team of three post-graduate
engineering
students
from
Concordia
University ran these hands-on workshops.
Through experimentation students discovered
how mathematics and the laws of physics
come into play in aerodynamics. What better
way to foster a love of mathematics in kids!
The Grade 5 students participated in similar
workshops in March.
EAST HILL PODCAST: Media Awareness
Network has announced that a podcast
submission by East Hill Elementary School in
RDP entitled Be Yourself is a recipient of an
Honourable Mention Award in the 2007
MyMedia Video Podcast Contest! “We were
very impressed with the creativity and the
compelling message that was expressed in
your students’ podcast,” the Network’s Cathy
Wing wrote to the school.
In recognition of International Day to
Eliminate Racism on March 21 2008 the
podcast winners were placed on the MyMedia
12
website
http://www.mediaeducationweek.ca/mymedia,
as well an announcement was posted at
www.media-awareness.ca. You can also view
the podcast at www.emsb.qc.ca/easthill.
“While eligibility is for Grades 7 to 12 across
the country, we were upfront about not being
eligible for the contest but maybe they should
reconsider their age criteria in future years,”
said Principal Maria Di Perna. “This is
wonderful recognition for the students and
especially the two teachers who spearheaded
the entire effort - Nadia Barrafato and Rocco
Simone.The podcast has a great message
about media, its power and the need to be
critical.”
The students received Honourable Mention
Award certificates.
STUDY SKILLS WORKSHOP: The Laurier
Macdonald High School Community Learning
Center (7355 Viau) will present their second
parent’s workshop entitled “Helping your
child with Organizational & Study Skills” on
Tuesday, April 8 through video conferencing
from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Who should attend?
Parents and guardians of children in
elementary or high school who want to: help
their children achieve higher grades, motivate
their children to want to learn and teach
children how to become independent learners
and more successful students. This second
workshop will provide your children with
strategies to: organize their time, material and
information (review of first workshop and
establish an effective learning routine .
Workshop leader Carolyn Melmed is a
founding member of the Lansdowne Centre –
a school for children with learning difficulties.
Carolyn pioneered courses in organizational
and study skills for students, parents and
teachers and conducted workshops for
McGill’s Faculty of Education on these
subjects. She is a certified mediator and has 35
years of teaching experience both in the class
room and on a one-to one basis. Log on to
www.carolynmelmed.
The
registration
deadline is April 2. See the EMSB website for
details.
St. Gabriel students on their float.
ST. GABE’S/ST. PADDY’S: Cycle 2 & 3
students from St. Gabriel Elementary School
in Point St. Charles worked collaboratively
with neighbouring French schools to create a
float for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. This
was an excellent exercise in bringing the two
communities together. They put in over 40
hours, after school and during March break, to
learn fencing, make costumes, props and other
decorations for the float. The theme of the
float was based on an old Irish Tale that was
told to them by storyteller Mike Burns. The
big payoff was riding on the float down St.
Catherine Street. Everyone had a great time!
Lester B. Pearson High School students show off their
poster from the anti-tobacco campaign.
ANTI-TOBACCO AWARDS: Two EMSB
students have been recognized for their
contributions to the Coalition Against
13
Smoking poster contest. The winning posters
will be used in the Coalition’s anti-smoking
campaign.
Roberto Crocitti (Lester B.
Pearson High School) received an honourable
mention while Sikhumbuzo Dionne (John F.
Kennedy High School), was among the
finalists. The contest, which was launched in
January, invited Cycle II high school students
on the island of Montreal to show their
creativity around the theme of how youth react
to tobacco advertising in stores. There were
more than 600 submissions from students
from 15 schools. La Direction de santé
publique de l’Agence de la santé et des
services sociaux de Montréal (DSP) and le
Conseil québécois sur le tabac et la santé
(CQTS) announced the winning entries on
March 14 on the occasion of a forum on this
theme. On May 31 a new law limiting the
promotion of tobacco sales in stores will come
into effect in Quebec.
VOLUNTEER NIGHT: The EMSB will hold
its seventh Volunteer Appreciation Evening on
Wednesday, April 30 at Le Baron Royal (
6020 Jean Talon East) in St. Léonard. This
year’s event is being held during National
Volunteer Week.
This year’s Volunteer of Distinction is Irene
Berry, who has been volunteering 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 will not allow the EMSB to
honour all of its nearly 1,500 volunteers in
person. Therefore, only those individuals who
have volunteered for more than five years will
attend the reception, representing some 500
people. However, several thousand copies of a
commemorative program book will be
distributed to each school.
Dante Elementary School’s choir will be the
musical guests. Global Television anchor
Jamie Orchard and Luciano Pipia of CBC
Radio will return as the emcees. This year’s
corporate sponsors for Volunteer Appreciation
Evening are First Canadian Financial
Services/TransAmerica, PBL Photography,
and Steve’s Music Store.
ASTRONAUT VISIT: Astronaut Dave
Williams will be visiting LaurenHill Academy
on April 24, 2008.
Williams set Canada's record for spacewalks,
hovering in the inky sky for 17 hours and 47
minutes. He just recently retired. Since
being selected as an astronaut in 1992,
Williams flew on two space shuttle missions.
His first mission was in 1998 aboard
Columbia. He spent 16 days on experiments
focusing on the effect of weightlessness on
the brain. He acted as scientist and subject in
26 experiments. Williams completed his
second space flight as a mission specialist in
August 2007 to assist in construction of the
International Space Station. He spent a total
of 28 days, 15 hours in space during his
missions.
"You really can't see your feet at all but all
around you, you've got this panoramic view
of the Earth beneath you," he said in an
earlier
interview.
"It's
absolutely
spectacular."
Williams, who also worked with NASA in
Houston, Texas, as director of the space and
life sciences directorate, is married to Kathy,
an Air Canada pilot, and they have two
children. A specialist in emergency
medicine, he did research into patient
survival of heart attacks outside hospitals
and identification of trauma patients at high
risk.
Born in Saskatoon, Sask., Williams holds a
doctorate of medicine and a Master of
Surgery from McGill University in Montreal.
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
14
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].
Over the past decade the EMSB
Administration Office and its schools and
centres have raised over $200,000 for this
cause. Denim Day this year will take place on
Tuesday, May 13. Forms will be sent to
schools and centres shortly.
JAMES LYNG ALUMNI:
James Lyng
High School (JLHS) in St. Henri will hold its
second annual Hall of Fame inductions April
26 (3 p.m.) to honour the contributions made
by Wayne Commeford, Michele Ciampini,
Don Belec and Ursula Moskal. Proceeds will
go towards LHS student activities.
The FACE Orchestra performs.
FACE
ORCHESTRA:
The
FACE
Symphony Orchestra, under the direction
Theodora Stathopoulos, performed a concert
at St Jean Baptiste Church March 21. The
church was filled to capacity , with 3,000
people. A positive review followed in La
Presse. Log on to the Arts & Culture magazine
on the MELS website to read an interview
with Theodora at
http://www.mels.gouv.qc.ca/sections/artEtCult
ure5/index_en.asp?page=portrait.
DENIM DAY: In May 1997, the CURE
Foundation inaugurated NATIONAL DENIM
DAY, its main fundraiser. This event is held
on the Tuesday following Mother's Day.
Company employees across Canada join
together in wearing denim and/or a "pink
flower ribbon" for a suggested donation of $5
to the CURE Foundation. CURE will provide
a Dress for CURE Kit, which will include
posters and enrollment materials to ensure
easy implementation of this program at no
charge. According to statistics from the
Canadian Cancer Society, 22,300 new cases of
breast cancer in women and 170 new cases in
men were diagnosed in 2007. Of these, 5,345
proved to be fatal.
EXPLORATIONS CAMP: Explorations
2008 is an enrichment day camp for all
students aged four to 18. It takes place at
Royal Vale School in N.D.G. and is a project
of McGill University and the EMSB. The
program provides interesting and challenging
activities for kids by professionals in the areas
of science, drama, art, computers, tennis,
fencing, debating, comedy, cooking, guitar,
radio, origami, band, robotics, etc. The dates
are June 30 to July 11 and July 14-25.
Registration has now started for this year's
session. For details, call co-director Bertha
Dawang
at
514-398-4252,
email
[email protected] or log on to
www.education.mcgill.ca/explorations
for
more information.
FREE CRICKET AVAILABLE: The
Cricket Program at Carlyle Elementary
School, sparked by CBC's School Needs
Project, has been a huge success, with boys
and girls aged eight to 12 playing the sport in
gym class every week. The Carlyle Cricket
Squad outplayed the staff in its first
tournament, and will be facing off against
the Parents in April. Coach Angus Bell is
available to teach cricket in more schools, in
conjunction with gym teachers. Through a
variety of short, fun exercises and games, the
kids will learn the world's second most
popular sport. The game can be played yearround, and there's an opportunity for an interschool league here. The Royal Bank of
Canada has just launched a national RBC
15
Wicket Cricket program. It is offering FREE
junior cricket sets to any school that registers
through its website. For more details please
visit: www.rbc.com/cricket For more info,
please call Angus Bell on 514-680-7855 or
email [email protected].
EMSB WEBSITE UPDATE
NEW LINKS: The Atwater Library and
Computer Centre (ALCC) represents the
newest addition to the EMSB website Links
section. Log on to www.atwaterlibrary.ca
to learn more. The Atwater Library works
with EMSB schools in its area, such as
Westmount High and Westmount Park.
VIDEOS: Go to the Press Room section
where you can see recent school videos,
including the Montreal Impact launch at
Gardenview Elementary School in St. Laurent
and Heart Week at John Paul I Jr. High School
in St. Léonard.
WEBMASTER: The new webmaster for the
EMSB is Yibing Shen. She can be reached at
[email protected].
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
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 the admissions 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
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.
RWANDAN GENOCIDE: In Their Shoes is
offering all high schools in Montreal free 50
minute presentations in either English or
French on the Rwandan genocide, as well as
other services designed to foster awareness of
human rights amongst adolescents. In Their
Shoes was founded by a group of Montreal
university students in 2007. The organization
is committed to bringing awareness of
16
poverty, conflict and genocide to Canadian
adolescents through interactive and engaging
presentations
that
emphasize
global
citizenship and respect for universal human
rights. In Their Shoes also focuses on creating
a mentor-relationship between interested high
school students and university student
volunteers. The local aspect of In Their Shoes
means that volunteers who present in classes
are always available on an extra-curricular
basis to talk to high school students.
By offering other means for adolescents to get
involved - from helping students organize
their own fundraisers to hosting a monthly
conference on human rights - In Their Shoes
hopes to further engage student interest. For
more
information
log
on
to
www.intheirshoescanada.org,
email
[email protected] or call 514-586
3354.
BARONESS AND THE PIG: Imago Theatre
is welcoming schools to purchase tickets for
its upcoming production of The Baroness and
The Pig. As they re dedicated to building
young theatre audiences and encouraging their
participation, special group rates for school
matinee performances are being offered. To
further enrich the students’ theatre
experience, an educational package about the
play has been prepared. Guest speakers are
available to come to the school to talk about
the play as are a guided tour of the theatre to
highlight design aspects of the production and,
immediately following the play, a Q&A
session with the artists.The performance will
take place at Théâtre La Chapelle ( 3700 rue
Saint-Dominique). The story takes place in at
the end of the 19th century. An idealistic, and
well-meaning Baroness searches for an enfant
sauvage to ‘tame’ like that of her hero, JeanJacques Rousseau. The Baroness removes a
wild-child raised in a pig-sty to live with her,
following Rousseau’s formula, educates her to
‘fit into society’ as her maid, Emily. The
Baroness is smitten with all the innovations of
her time. Her world is based on social
appearances, higher education and science. On
the other hand, Emily, who has been raised by
pigs, is so unsophisticated that she has never
even seen a mirror! She satisfies her desires in
a spontaneous – at times barbaric – manner.
For more information, call 514-274-3222 or
email [email protected].
STORYTELLER-PUPPETEER:
Sheila
Pinsky, a storyteller-puppeteer, animates
imaginative and interactive fun-filled puppet
stories to children from pre-K to Grade 3.
While she has done animations up to Grade 6,
her specialties are with the younger grades.
Her adorable puppets and props are creative as
well as being handmade from recycled
materials! The suspenseful stories and the
animated puppets always fascinate the
children. Her topics cover an extensive range
of all of the prominent holidays and seasons,
and use animal puppets to depict stories
covering themes of friendship, sharing,
adventures, as well as dealing with important
topics of bullying and sibling rivalry.
She charges a fee of $60 an hour.
Info:
(514)
484-2730
or
[email protected].
DINER’S DECK: Montreal has become the
first Canadian city to offer the Diner’s Deck
(www.dinersdeck.com). Linda Gal of
Gourmet Promotions notes that when you buy
a Diner's Deck you get 52, $10 off restaurant
coupons. Given the fact the cost is only
$27.50, that represents a saving of $520. The
program originated in the United States and
represents a great fundraising vehicle for
schools, particularly because it has no expiry
nor black-out dates. Should a restaurant go
out of business, customers need only mail
back the card and it will be replaced by a new
one. For more details, call Linda at 514-6263555, email [email protected].
FAMILY CONCERT: The Musicians of the
World Symphony Orchestra, conducted by
Joseph Milo, will present a concert called
Fantasia Live on Sunday, March 30 (2:30
p.m.) at the Salle Claude Champagne at the
Université de Montréal (210 rue Vincent
D’Indy) in Outremont. Featuring the talent of
Destination Danse, tickets are $25 for
17
general admission and $10 for children aged
12 and under. With music from Disney
movies, the Nutcracker’s Suite, the Sorcerer’s
Apprentice, Night on Bald Mountain and
many more favorites it is an event for the
entire family to enjoy. See the EMSB website
Press Room Section (Information Flyers) for
more details, call 514-484-7428 or log on to
www.musiciansoftheworld.ca.
ADULT AND VOCATIONAL SERVICES
BLACK HISTORY MONTH: The EMSB’s
Shadd Business Centre in N.D.G was an
active participant in Black History Month,
which served as an excellent opportunity for
students to learn about the experiences and
contributions of Black Canadians and the vital
role this community has played throughout
our history. Student Judy Bridgemohan
formed a committee with the support of her
teachers and peers and organized an event that
included song, music, awareness and words
of inspiration. Special guests included
Reverend Darryl Gray (senior pastor of the
Imani Family& Full Gospel Church), singer
and
Staff, guests and students at the Shadd Business Centre.
entertainer Ce Ce Walker, violinist Chris
Vaughn, Maureen Gittens (of the Canadian
Space Agency), N.D.G. Lachine Liberal MP
Marlene Jennings
and the Marymount
Academy Steel Pan Band.
CHAPEAU LES FILLES: Jennifer Kaszel
from the Furniture Finishing program at
Rosemount Technology Centre (RTC) won at
the local level of the Chapeau Les Filles
competition, recognizing women who have
excelled in non-traditional roles in vocational
training programs.. She will go on to represent
the EMSB at the regional gala April 10
(10:30 a.m.) at the Centre de formation des
métiers de l’acier in Anjou.
REGIONAL OLYMPIADES: At the last
EMSB Council meeting, medal winners from
the recent Regional Olympiads were
recognized.
Students Nadia Corallo, Wolfgang Thaler and Duy Long
Ngo are congratulated at the last Council meeting.
From Laurier Macdonald Career Centre in St.
Léonard: Stefania Simone, hairdressing,
silver and Nicholas Branco, automovile
mechanics, bronze; from St. Pius X Culinary
Institute, Nadia Corallo, professional
cooking, silver, Steven Lavoie, restaurant
services, silver and Anouch Mansourian,
bronze; from John F. Kennedy Business
Centre, professional sales, Johnny Zeffiro;
from Rosemount Technology Centre, Marek
Berube-Klis,
silver,
cabinet
making,
Wolfgang Thaler, gold, machine techniques
and Duy Long Ngo, bronze, numerical control
machine tool operation.
DATES OF NOTE
April 8, 2008
Study Skills Seminar
Laurier Macdonald High School
Linda Moro Community Learning Centre
7355 Viau
18
7 p.m.
April 22, 2008
Earth Day
April 23, 2008
EMSB Council of Commissioners Meeting
6000 Fielding Ave.
7:30 p.m.
April 24, 2008
Astronaut Dave Williams visits LaurenHill
Academy
2505 Cote Vertu
April 25 and 26, 2008
Junior Robotics Competition
Mother Theresa Elementary School
April 27 to May 3, 2008
National Volunteer Week
April 29, 2008
French for the Future Conference
The Bibliothèque National du Québec
475, boulevard De Maisonneuve Est
9:45 a.m.
April 30, 2008
Secretary’s Day
EMSB Volunteer Appreciation Evening
May 3, 2008
EMSB Chorale
Spring Concert
Oscar Peterson Hall (7141 Sherbrooke Street
West)
Loyola Campus, Concordia University
7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $10 for adults and $5 for students
and seniors.
Info: 514-483-7200, ext. 7234
May 6, 2008
Region 1 Focus Schools Hearing
Laurier Macdonald High School
7355 Viau
St. Léonard
7:30 p.m.
May 8, 2008
Citizenship Ceremony
Edinburgh Elementary School
500 Hudson Ave.
Montreal West
May 13, 2008
National Denim Day
May 14, 2008
Lester B. Pearson High School Book Launch
11 575 PM Favier
7 p.m.
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.
May 27, 2008
Region 3 Focus Schools Hearing
Hampstead School
83 Thurlow
7:30 p.m.
June 4, 2008
EMSB Impact Night
at Saputo Stadium
7:30 p.m.
.
PLEINS FEUX SUR FIELDING
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
19
3 mai 2008
Chorale de la CSEM
Concert du printemps
Salle Oscar Peterson
7141 Sherbrooke ouest
Campus Loyola, Université Concordia
19 h3 0
Billets : Adultes 10 $, élèves et aînés 5 $
Informations (514) 483-7200, poste 7234
En août, la Cour d’appel du Québec a rejeté la
Loi 104, l’amendement qui annulait
l’échappatoire qui permettait à quelques
élèves l’accès aux écoles publiques
anglophones après qu’ils aient fréquenté une
école privée anglophone non subventionnée.
Le gouvernement du Québec en a appelé de
cette décision et la Cour Suprême a accepté
d’examiner son objection.
25-31 mai 2008
Semaine des services de garde
Mme Mancini souligne que la CSEM, à elle
seule, perd au moins 450 élèves par année à
cause de cette loi inéquitable.
ALLOCATION DU SURPLUS AUX
ÉCOLES : En 2006-2007, la CSEM a
enregistré un surplus de 1,5 million $ et, par
conséquent, le conseil des commissaires a
commencé à allouer ces fonds à chaque école
et centre afin de leur permettre d’entreprendre
des améliorations à leurs bâtiments. Un
montant initial de 930 000 $ a déjà été
approuvé. Les écoles primaires recevront 10
000 $ ou 15 000 $ dépendant de leur effectif
tandis que les écoles secondaires recevront de
15 000 $ à 20 000 $. Les centres d’adultes et
de formation professionnelle ont droit à
20,000$ et les écoles innovatrices et autres
recevront 5 000 $ chacune. Un autre montant
de 570 000 $ sera consacré à l’amélioration
des salles de toilette du réseau. « C’est une
bonne façon de réinvestir dans nos écoles et
de transformer ces bâtiments en lieux plus
agréables » déclare Mme Angela Mancini,
présidente de la CSEM.
L’association qui représente près de 9 000
membres qui enseignent dans des écoles
anglophones du Québec tentera d’intervenir si
la cause est soumise à la Cour Suprême du
Canada.
Mme Mancini souligne que l’an dernier la
CSEM a alloué un surplus de 500 000 $ pour
les rénovations des écoles et, bien que le
montant par bâtiment n’ait pas été substantiel,
les améliorations ont été dramatiques.
LOI 104 : Le conseil des commissaires a
approuvé un plan visant à dépenser
l’équivalent de 1 $ par élève au cours des trois
prochaines années en vue d’appuyer le fonds
de défense légale des parents qui contestent la
Loi 104, l’amendement à une loi provinciale
qui restreint l’accès aux écoles anglophones.
ÉCOLES À THÈME PARTICULIER: Le
comité des écoles à thème particulier de la
CSEM tiendra des audiences en mai pour
entendre les parents qui ont des enfants
présentement inscrits au réseau, en services de
garde ou qui fréquentent des écoles privées.
La question qui est posée est la suivante :
« Alors que nous nous préparons à célébrer le
10e anniversaire des commissions scolaires
linguistiques du Québec, c’est une excellente
occasion d’examiner ce que le réseau peut
nous offrir pour nous permettre de mieux
desservir la communauté » commente la
présidente de la CSEM, Angela Mancini. »
Nous sommes fiers d’être la première
commission scolaire publique du Québec à
entamer ce processus. »
En collaboration avec le Comité central de
parents et ses comités régionaux, la CSEM
demandera des soumissions à présenter au
comité présidé par le commissaire Syd Wise.
Les dates et les lieux des audiences sont les
suivantes : Région 1, mardi 6 mai, École
secondaire Laurier Macdonald, Saint-Léonard;
Région 2, lundi 26 mai, école primaire Dunrae
Gardens, Ville Mont-Royal; Région 3, mardi
27 mai, école Hampstead. Les audiences
débuteront à 19 h 30. Les autres commissaires
qui siégent au comité sont : Bernard Praw,
20
Joseph Lalla, Angela
Williams et Viky Keller.
Mancini,
Anne
BOURSES D’ÉTUDES : Les soumissions
sont acceptées pour les bourses d’études Tony
Licursi. Veuillez soumettre votre demande,
sous forme de message courriel adressé à
Mario
Bentrovato,
à
[email protected], stipulant le
nom et l’âge du/de la candidat(e), l’école
qu’il/elle fréquente, les raisons pour lesquelles
sa candidature devrait être considérée, ses
réalisations et la façon dont le rendement de
l’élève satisfait les critères (excellence à
l’école, excellence en sports, soccer de
préférence, et l’antécédent socio-économique).
LANCEMENT DE LIVRE : En mai, 100
élèves de l’école secondaire Lester B. Pearson
de Montréal-Nord, lanceront leur propre livre
intitulé « Down to Earth ». Ce recueil est une
réaction émotive au réchauffement de la
planète, aux changements de l’environnement
et, plus en général, à l’état de Mère Nature. Le
livre présente des poèmes, des essais et de
courtes histoires qui examinent en profondeur
ce que notre monde pourrait devenir si nous
n’agissons pas maintenant pour changer notre
mode de vie. Justin Trudeau, fils du 15e
Premier ministre Pierre Trudeau, prendra la
parole lors du lancement. Justin Trudeau a
écrit l’une des deux introductions de la
collection ainsi que Roberta Bondar,
première femme canadienne astronaute.
La publication est un projet de l’organisation
sans but lucratif Learning for a Cause fondée
par l’éducateur et écrivain Michael Ernest
Sweet. Cet organisme vise à engager les
élèves, moralement et socialement, à la
création littéraire et elle croit fermement que
la plume est plus forte que l’épée.
Down to Earth est un livre qui aborde
différemment l’environnement. Il ne contient
pas une grande quantité de chiffres et de faits,
de rapports et de graphiques…Down to Earth
déborde d’émotion, de passion et de vision.
C’est un livre qui illustre, de façon poignante,
nos sentiments envers le changement.
Down to Earth sera lancé le 14 mai à 19 h à
l’école secondaire Lester B. Pearson (11575
PM Favier). Le public et la presse sont invités
à y assister et leur réponse devrait être
adressée à Michael Sweet au (514) 328-4442
ou par télécopieur au (514) 328-4443.
NUTRITION : Nous avons visité les écoles
pour divers ateliers de nutrition qui visent
l’évaluation des aliments et des boissons selon
l’étiquette de nutrition et les listes
d’ingrédients. Ces activités aident les élèves à
développer les habiletés appropriées à de
meilleurs choix alimentaires. En outre,
plusieurs écoles ont participé à la campagne
du Mois de nutrition de cette année. L’objectif
du programme est d’encourager les élèves à
examiner plus attentivement le nouveau Guide
alimentaire canadien qui a été lancé en février
2007 par Santé Canada.
VISITE DE MINISTRE : La ministre de
l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport du Québec,
Michelle Courchesne, visitera le 31 mars
à 12 h 30, l’école secondaire Merton de CôteSaint-Luc.
CÉLÉBRATION MULTICULTURELLE :
Pour souligner la Journée internationale de
l’éradication de la discrimination raciale, qui a
eu lieu le jour suivant, l’école secondaire
Westmount a présenté un spectacle
multiculturel le 20 mars incluant une parade
de drapeaux, des représentations musicales et
un défilé de mode, activités qui avaient un
thème multiculturel.
GRANDS-PARENTS : Une nouvelle section
de liens avec les grands-parents a été ajoutée
au site Web de la CSEM. En commençant par
CANGRADS. Cette organisation représente
un grand nombre de grands-parents canadiens
qui élèvent leurs petits-enfants. Au Canada,
selon Statistiques Canada, il y a 70 000
personnes de cette catégorie dont 8 000 au
Québec et 4 000 à Montréal. Afin de pouvoir
maintenir un lien avec ces grands-parents, un
21
formulaire en ligne a été créé à
www.cangrands.com « Nous aimerions les
atteindre et leur faire savoir qu’ils ne sont pas
seuls » déclare Linda Turner, présidente du
chapitre de Montréal. Visitez le site Web de la
CSEM et suivez le lien au récent rapport W5
de CTV. Linda peut être rejointe à
[email protected].
HISTOIRE DES NOIRS : Le 28 février,
l’école primaire Sinclair Laird de Parc
extension a assisté à une leçon brève mais
approfondie de l’histoire des noirs. Au cours
d’une assemblée, les élèves de la maternelle à
la 6e année ont présenté des discours, des
citations et différentes histoires de personnes
noires éminentes. L’animatrice spirituelle
Puynung Choy a déclaré qu’en se
familiarisant avec ces personnes célèbres, l’on
apprend à connaître la valeur et l’importance
du leadership, du courage, de l’espoir, du
respect et de la paix. Deux personnes
distinguées qui ont un rôle de leadership actif
dans la communauté ont été invitées à
s’adresser aux élèves. Tyrone Benskin,
directeur artistique du Black Theatre
Workshop qui a pris part à plus de 40
émissions de télévision et de films, a séduit les
élèves par ses propos positifs. Mme Puynung
a accueilli Melissa Blackette, une diplômée
en génie civil de McGill qui a obtenu plus de
16 prix pour ses réalisations académiques. Ces
deux personnes ne sont que quelques
exemples de modèles de la communauté noire
qui ont réussi.
INITIATIVES DE VENTURE : L’école
secondaire Venture de Ville Émard a participé
à d’intéressantes activités au cours du Mois de
l’histoire des noirs. Un chorégraphe du Cirque
du Soleil a enseigné aux élèves la façon
appropriée d’exécuter le hip-hop et quelques
autres danses de son répertoire. Les élèves et
le personnel ont fortement apprécié ses choix
et ses connaissances. Il leur a aussi expliqué
l’importance de poursuivre ses études, quel
que soit ce que l’on veut faire plus tard dans la
vie. Le Black History Theatre s’est joint aux
élèves pour une pièce à un personnage,
intitulée Come Good Rain et les élèves ont été
fascinés par la façon dont il a pu interpréter
plusieurs rôles. Ils ont clôturé le mois en
servant un repas des Caraïbes à l’école.
VISITE
D’UN
ASTRONAUTE :
L’astronaute
Dave
Williams
visitera
l’Académie LaurenHill le 24 avril 2008.
Williams a établi un record de sorties dans
l’espace en se déplaçant dans un ciel d’encre
pendant 17 heures et 47 minutes. Il vient tout
juste de prendre sa retraite et depuis avoir été
choisi en 1992, Williams a participé à deux
missions de navette spatiale. Sa première
mission a été en 1998 à bord de la navette
Columbia. Il a consacré 16 jours à des
expériences visant l’effet de l’impesanteur sur
le cerveau. Il a tenu le rôle de scientifique et
de sujet dans 26 expériences. Williams a
complété sa seconde mission spatiale en août
2007 en tant que spécialiste aidant à la
construction
de
la
station
spatiale
internationale. Il a passé 28 jours et 15 heures
dans l’espace au cours de ses missions.
« Vous ne pouvez pas vraiment voir vos pieds,
mais tout autour de vous, vous avez cette vue
panoramique de la Terre en-dessous de vous.
C’est
une
sensation
absolument
spectaculaire » a-t-il déclaré au cours d’une
récente entrevue.
Williams, qui a aussi travaillé avec la NASA à
Houston, Texas, en tant que directeur du
directorat des sciences de la vie dans l’espace,
est marié à Kathy, une pilote d’Air Canada, et
ils ont deux enfants. Un spécialiste en
médecine d’urgence, il a effectué des
recherches sur la survie de patients ayant eu
des crises cardiaques en dehors des hôpitaux
et l’identification des patients à risque élevé.
Né à Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Williams
détient un doctorat en médecine et une
maîtrise en chirurgie de l’Université McGill
de Montréal.
TOURNOI DE GOLF : Le cinquième
tournoi annuel de golf des bouses d’études de
22
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].
WEBMESTRE : La nouvelle webmestre de
la CSEM est Yibing Shen. Elle peut être
rejointe à [email protected].
GÉNOCIDE DU RWANDA : In Their Shoes
offre à toutes les écoles secondaires de
Montréal des présentations gratuites de 50
minutes, en français ou en anglais, sur le
génocide du Rwanda, ainsi que d’autres
services conçus pour renforcer parmi les
adolescents la sensibilisation aux droits de la
personne. In Their Shoes a été fondé en 2007
par un groupe d’étudiants universitaires de
Montréal. L’organisation est engagée à
sensibiliser les adolescents canadiens à la
pauvreté, au conflit et au génocide par le biais
de présentations interactives qui soulignent la
citoyenneté globale et le respect pour les
droits universels de la personne. In Their
Shoes vise aussi la création de relations de
mentors entre les élèves intéressés du
secondaire et des étudiants universitaires
bénévoles. L’avantage local de In Their Shoes
est que les bénévoles qui font des
présentations en classe sont toujours
disponibles pour parler aux élèves du
secondaire. En offrant aux adolescents
d’autres moyens de s’impliquer- à partir
d’aider les élèves à organiser leurs propres
levées de fonds jusqu’à organiser un colloque
mensuel sur les droits de la personne- In Their
Shoes espère engager plus profondément
l’intérêt des élèves. Pour plus de
renseignements,
visiter
www.intheirshoescanada.org, ou par courriel à
[email protected], ou téléphoner
au (514) 586-3354.
SERVICE DE L’ÉDUCATION DES
ADULTES ET DE LA FORMATION
PROFESSIONNELLE
SHADD SOULIGNE LE MOIS DE
L’HISTOIRE DES NOIRS : Le Centre
d’études commerciales Shadd de la
Commission scolaire English-Montréal de
NDG a participé activement aux activités du
Mois de l’histoire des noirs. Ce fut une
excellente occasion pour les élèves de se
familiariser avec les expériences et les
contributions de canadiens noirs et le rôle vital
que cette communauté a tenu au cours de
notre histoire. L’élève Judy Bridgemohan a
formé un comité avec l’appui de ses
enseignants et de ses pairs et a organisé un
évènement qui a présenté des chansons, de la
musique, de la sensibilisation et des mots
d’inspiration. Les invités spéciaux incluaient
le Révérend Darryl Gray (pasteur senior de
l’église Imani Family & Full Gospel) le
chanteur et artiste Ce Ce Walker, le violoniste
Chris Vaughn, Maureen Gittens (de l’Agence
spatiale canadienne), la députée libérale de
Lachine, Marlene Jennings et l’orchestre de
percussion de l’Académie Marymount.
CHAPEAU, LES FILLES : Jennifer
Kaszel, du programme de finition de meubles
du Centre de technologie de Rosemont (CTR)
a remporté le niveau local du concours. Elle
représentera la CSEM au gala régional du 10
avril (10 h 30) au Centre de formation des
métiers de l’acier à Anjou.
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