PDF Version (click here) - English Montreal School Board

Miss Teen Canada
returns to
Edinburgh
Page 3
Canadian Idol
Gary Beals
visits EMSB
Page 4
Attention High School Students
Win Point Zero Merchandise
See Quiz on Page 6
Dominic Spiridigliozzi:
new EMSB chairman
Page 6
Profile of a
Child Care
Worker
Page 7
Honouring
Volunteers
Page 8
www.emsb.qc.ca for a comprehensive look at EMSB schools and services log on !
EMSB schools play active role in Terry Fox runs
By Stuart Nulman
In the spring of 1980, 22-year-old Terry
Fox set out to run across Canada to raise
money for cancer research and increase
awareness of the disease that cost him
his leg. Starting in Newfoundland, the
momentum for what he called the
“Marathon of Hope” built more and more
as he made his way across the Maritimes,
Quebec and Ontario, and he hoped to make
it back to his native British Columbia
by November.
But when September rolled around, Fox
was forced to stop his run at Thunder Bay,
Ontario, when he found out that the cancer
had returned. However, the hope and
inspiration that Terry Fox brought to
Canadians during his Marathon of Hope
gave them the motivation to continue the
work to beat cancer. And when Fox died in
June of 1981, a promise was made to keep
his Marathon of Hope alive through the
Terry Fox Run.
“This is an important cause, because
cancer is a disease that touches many
people,” said Peter Sheremeta, the provincial
director of the Terry Fox Foundation, which
raises money for cancer research through
the run.
Since the first Terry Fox Run was held in
September of 1981, it has raised over $330
million. Over 1,000 towns and 4,400 schools
across Canada participated in the event last
year, including 18 schools from the English
Montreal School Board (EMSB). Mr.
Sheremeta believes that so many schools
partake in the run because Terry Fox was a
good role model to students. It is teachers
who generally organize the event and use
the occasion to educate their students about
Terry Fox and his legacy.
Lester B. Pearson High School in
Montreal North has been involved with the
run since its inception 23 years ago, thus
far raising almost $250,000 “Our
involvement began in June 1981, when the
school’s prom night happened around the
same time that Terry Fox died,” said Jessie
DiPaolo, a teacher at Lester B. Pearson who
is also the school’s chief organizer of the
run. “A group of teachers and the principal
at the time made a commitment to carry on
Terry’s dream, because many of their
relatives were afflicted with cancer at
the time.”
Four months later, the school held its
first annual Terry Fox Walkathon. The
Each year students from Westmount High School hold a Terry Fox Run
jointly with the Mackay Centre.
entire school population participates in the
event, and is given pledge forms in order to
get sponsors. On the day of the Walkathon,
the participants walk along a designated
route, along with a police escort, in the
neighborhood near the school. This year’s
edition, slated for April 30, is expected to
amass about $25,000. The Walkathon is the
culmination of a whole series of fundraising
activities that Lester B. Pearson High School
does to benefit cancer research, including
bake sales, variety shows, penny wars and
a musical showcase. DiPaolo notes that the
school also undertakes a variety of teacher
challenges. They range from teachers
willing to have their heads shaved by
students to Principal Terrence Quinn trading
places with a student for a day.
Some other schools involved in the
cause include:
• Dalkeith Elementary School in Anjou
held its 21st Terry Fox Run last October 1.
The entire student population of 354 ran,
jogged or skipped along the 12 km course
around the school building. The students,
who received the gracious support of the
continued on page 7
Respecter les autres
Les élèves et le personnel de l'école
primaire John Caboto ont lancé
récemment une campagne de recueil
de signatures visant à éliminer
l'intimidation. Selon le directeur de
l'école, Keith Imhoff, la campagne a
trois objectifs : s'assurer que l'école est
un lieu sûr pour ses élèves ; que tous
les élèves sont acceptés, quels que
soient leur couleur, race, sexe,
popularité, habileté athlétique,
intelligence, religion et nationalité ;
de stimuler la sensibilisation envers
l'intimidation et de l'éliminer. La
campagne a commencé au mois
d’Octobre et les élèves et le personnel
ont signé leurs feuilles d'engagement
à faire de leur mieux pour respecter
les autres et éliminer l'intimidation.
Le lancement officiel a inclus
la présentation des feuilles
d'engagement signées qui ont
réaffirmé l'engagement profond de
l'école envers ces questions
importantes qui affectent la vie de
l'école. Les parents ont aussi été
encouragés à participer à cette
campagne qui marque la première fois
où l'école a pris une telle initiative en
collaboration avec le CLSC du quartier,
dans le cadre d'un programme de
développement visant à stimuler la
AARON and TASSO in the morning
and
parent volunteers and members of the
Anjou police, raised a total of $3,573.
• Elizabeth Ballantyne Elementary
School in Montreal West held their Terry Fox
Run last September, which also included a
corn roast. The student runners raised
$7,094.98, which was an increase of nearly
$375 from the 2002 total. At an assembly
on October 31, physical education teacher
Stephane Fortin kept a promise he made to
the school if it raised more money; he wore
a dress, a wig and high heel shoes as he
presented the cheque to Mr. Sheremeta.
• The inaugural Terry Fox Run
for Honoré-Mercier Elementary School
in St. Léonard took place on October 10. The
school’s 671 students, from kindergarten to
Grade 6, were quite successful staging their
very first run, and raised a total of $11,651.
When the cheque was presented to
Mr. Sheremeta at the school on November
5, he presented the school with a plaque in
appreciation of their efforts.
• Roslyn Elementary School in
Westmount had an enormously successful
Terry Fox Run on October 3, which raised
$17,150. The students received a unique
“thank-you” from the school for their
efforts, when they were rewarded with no
homework for a week. Caretaker Eddie
Nolan has played a leading role in
this program.
• Hampstead Elementary School
preceded their annual Terry Fox Run by
raising money through the distribution of
coin donation boxes to each classroom and
The Most Music all day
www.q92fm.com
sensibilisation envers la sécurité des
élèves, la tolérance et l'intimidation.
"Nous voulons que les élèves qui
fréquentent l'école John Caboto se
sentent en sécurité et qu'ils sachent
qu'ils seront acceptés par les divers
groupes d'élèves" déclare M. Imhoff.
Le CLSC a délégué un travailleur
social et un technicien en soins à
l'enfance à l'école pour démontrer aux
élèves de 5e et de 6e année ce qu'est
l'intimidation et comment réagir dans
des situations d'intimidation. Daniel
Supp, animateur de vie spirituelle et
d'engagement communautaire, a
coordonné la campagne.
Page 2 EMSB Express Vol. 5 Nº 2 Spring 2004 h t t p : / / w w w. e m s b. q c. c a
APPOINTMENTS
Anne Williams is
this year’s chairperson
of the EMSB Central
Parents’ Committee,
with Michael Benigno
serving as vice-chair.
Regional CPC Chairs
are Fran McIntyre (Region
1), Sam Guglielmi
Anne Williams
(Region 2) and Ms.
Williams (Region 3) …. Dan Sipos was
appointed principal of LaurenHill
Academy, succeeding Angeline
Roumeliotis who is now a central head
office regional director.
Mr. Sipos was the
principal of Rosemount
High School. His
successor was Athina
Galanogeorgos, previously the school’s
vice-principal. Replacing her was
Angeline
Jacquelyne Foster, a
Roumeliotis
teacher at Royal Vale.
Richard Wieczorek became the
principal at McLearon School in Pointe
Aux Trembles. His successor as viceprincipal at Leonardo Da Vinci in RDP
is Anna Della Rocca, most recently a
teacher with the Commisson Scolaire
de Montréal. Phyllis Marinelli moved
from McLearon to Leonardo Da Vinci
as principal. Meanwhile, East Hill
Elementary School teacher Liboria
Amato was promoted to assistant
director of the Galileo Adult Centre in
Montreal North. Terry Bell, a teacher
with the Eastern Townships School
Board, became the new assistant
director of the Rosemount Technology
Centre Campus II in Montreal North.
Agostino Porchetta, a pedagogical
consultant for Science and Technology
at the central head office, became the
assistant director of the Laurier
Macdonald Career Centre in St.
Léonard. He has been succeeded by
EMSB EXPRESS
Produced by the Communications
and Marketing Services Division of
the English Montreal School Board
6000 Fielding Avenue
Montreal (Quebec)
H3X 1T4
Phone: (514) 483-7200, ext. 7245
Fax:
(514) 483-7213
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.emsb.qc.ca
Editor
Michael J. Cohen
Communications &
Marketing Specialist, EMSB
Copy Editor
Stuart Nulman
Translation
Aline Zerounian
EMSB Photos
Michael J. Cohen
Legal Deposit
Bibliothèque Nationale
du Québec
National Library of Canada
ISSN 1488-416X
Layout and design
Ponctu@tion Grafix Inc.
www.ponctuation.com
Imma Ienaro, a science teacher at
Laurier Macdonald High School … In
view of the significant number of new
in-school administrators hired this year
and given the fact this process will
reoccur in 2004-2005, Paul Saunders
has accepted a special assignment from
the EMSB to provide assistance to
principals. He therefore left his post as
principal at Westmount Park
Elementary School and was replaced
by Gail Somerville, the principal of the
EMSB Outreach Schools and MIND High
School. Donald Houston left his post
as principal of Carlyle Elementary
School in TMR to succeed Ms.
Somerville. Itrat Ahmad, a viceprincipal at Sinclair Laird Elementary
School in Park Extension, replaces Mr.
Houston. Solly Gliksman, a teacher
with the Lester B. Pearson School
Board, became the new vice-principal
at Sinclair Laird ... Edith Clarke,
previously a special education
consultant and a teacher, has been
appointed assistant director of Student
Services ... Costa Spyridakos was
promoted to assistant director of
Buildings and Grounds. Mr. Spyridakos
has spent the past five years as a
project manager at the Board … La
CSEM a nommé Dominique Launay au
poste de directrice du Service du
contentieux. Elle succède à Yann
Bernard, qui a quitté la Commission
l'an dernier pour occuper le poste de
secrétaire général de la Commission
scolaire de Laval. Mme Launay était
récemment à l'emploi de l'Association
du Barreau du Québec et elle a aussi
travaillé pour la firme Fasken,
Martineau, DuMoulin … EMSB
Commissioner and Immediate Past
Chairman Dr. John Simms was
honoured recently when the borough
of Côte Saint-Luc-Hampstead-Montreal
West named the Montreal West
Community Centre after him. A
number of EMSB administrators and
commissioners were among the invited
guests for the ceremony … Linda
Henderson, a former teacher at
Rosemount High School, is the interim
pedagogical consultant responsible
for Protestant Moral and Religious
Education … Maria Pizzichemi, a
former teacher at Michelangelo
Elementary School in RDP, is the
new pedagogical consultant for
elementary Mathematics. Tom Booth
is now focusing exclusively on the
secondary level … Felicia Tremblay is
the new receptionist at the EMSB
central head office. She assumes the
post previously held by the late Patricia
Plourde …Stacy Nash, previously the
acting vice-principal at Wagar High
School, is presently the interim
pedagogical consultant for English
Language Arts at the secondary
level … Canjita Gomes-Fernandes,
a former teacher from Coronation
School, will be taking care of the Social
Studies dossier.
HONOURS
An Award of Merit was presented to
the EMSB Express Newspaper at the
annual convention of the Canadian
Association of Communicators in
Education (CACE) in Kingston last
November….
has achieved great success in curtailing
the student dropout rate and
improving academic success as a result
of a special $1.2 million grant it
received two years ago for this purpose
from the Ministry of Education.
ADULT AND VOCATIONAL
EDUCATION
EMSB Communications and Marketing
Specialist Michael J. Cohen (left) accepts an
Award of Merit from Canadian Association
of Communicators in Education President
Simon Leibovitz.
Jessica Paolino, a Grade 2 student at
Michelangelo Elementary School in
RDP, was a winner
in the National
Writing Challenge
sponsored by Business
Depot/Staples (Bureau
en Gros). Children
from all over the
country were asked to
submit a short story
Jessica Paolino
beginning with the
sentence "Isn't it funny when...." Jessica
was invited to a prize presentation and
book signing at Bureau en Gros. A copy
of her story was also put on display at
the Anjou store…Gianluca Masella, a
level 4 student at East Hill Elemenary
School in RDP, participated in the CBC
Radio Christmas / Winter Writing
Contest, and was selected as one of the
winners. As a result, his story was
read continuously on one edition
of CBC Radio One’s (88.5 FM) Home
Run program … Honoré-Mercier
Elementary School in St. Léonard now
has an attractive yellow banner
hanging in its gymnasium, recognition
for winning the Gold School
Recognition Award from the Canadian
Association for Health, Physical
Education, Recreation and Dance
(CAHPERD). This award recognizes
Canadian schools that offer between
90 and 149 minutes of quality physical
education to every student, each week
throughout the academic year … High
School of Montreal
Adult Centre graduate
Patrick Kabongo, 24,
now a nose tackle
for the University
of Nebraska Corn
Huskers, was named
the third annual honouree of the Brook
Berringer Memorial Patrick Kabongo
Endowed Scholarship last fall. Kabongo
attended the High School of Montreal
Adult Centre (presently located in St.
Michel) Winter Semester in the
evenings in 2000. He completed Math
536 and did very well prior to leaving
for Nebraska. “Patrick took Math
536 for self improvement and to
improve his high school average in
order to meet Nebraska's entrance
requirements,” says High School of
Montreal Director Edward Collinson.
Kabongo is a senior on the Husker
team …. James Lyng High School
in St. Henri was showcased on an
extraordinary 20 minute feature report
on the CBC National News. The school
EMSB representatives were on hand
at the Canadian Centre for Architecture
recently for the official launch of a new
government website which focuses on
vocational education at the five
Montreal-island school boards. It can
be accessed at www.clickvoc.qc.ca …
Global Télévision a récemment diffusé
un rapport sur le manque de
mécaniciens qualifiés. Le Centre de
carrières Laurier Macdonald a été mis
en vedette comme l'école qui produit
des diplômés qui sont en grande
demande dans ce domaine …. Le
Centre de technologie de Rosemont
(CTR), qui a des campus à Rosemont et
à Montréal-Nord, a produit un
impressionnant vidéo de 17 minutes
qui est utilisé par les conseillers
d’orientation, les agents d’Emploi
Québec et les candidats qui visitent le
Centre mais qui n’ont pas le temps d’en
faire le tour au complet. Marzia
Michielli, directrice du Centre, a rédigé
le texte du vidéo.
IN MEMORIAM
Morrie Bakerman,
a former science
teacher at Royal West
Academy, passed
away recently. Mr.
Bakerman spent the
final 14 years of his
teaching career at
Royal West, having Morrie Bakerman
began his life in
the classroom at Riverdale High School
on the West Island in 1967 and moving
on to LaSalle High School in 1973.
Upon arriving at Royal West, he
assumed the chairmanship of the
school’s Science Fair, a job he continued
until his retirement in 2000. That year,
the Royal West yearbook was dedicated
to him. It was a way of saying thanks
to a man who went above and beyond
the duties of teaching science. He
developed a photography program for
the school and built a darkroom for the
program. Each year he’d coordinate the
marine biology trips to New Brunswick
and he somehow found time to
participate in the Royal West Ski
program. Not surprisingly, he was the
winner of the Prime Minister’s Award
for Excellence in Teaching.
Une minute de silence a été
observée en mémoire de Claude Ryan,
ancien chef du Parti Libéral du Québec
et ancien Ministre de l’Éducation. Le
Conseil des commissaires de la CSEM a
adopté une résolution officielle de
condoléances. M. Dominic Spiridigliozzi,
président de la CSEM, et Mme Elizabeth
Fokoefs, vice-présidente de la CSEM,
ont assisté aux obsèques nationales de
M. Ryan.
h t t p : / / w w w. e m s b. q c. c a Spring 2004 EMSB Express Vol. 5 Nº 2 Page 3
DATES TO REMEMBER
April 3, 2004
June 1, 2004
Edward Murphy Elementary School
40th anniversary Gala
EMSB in Vogue:
Fashion for Compassion
Auberge Universel
5000 Sherbrooke Street East
Info: (514) 254-3769
E-mail:
[email protected]
Fashion Show Presented by EMSB
Administrators, benefiting
The Shriner’s Hospital
Buffet Le Crystal, 7 p.m.
5285 Henri Bourassa, St. Laurent
Tickets $20 each
Info: (514) 483-7200, ext. 7245
April 16, 2004
EMSB High School Public
Speaking Contest
CBC Television and Radio Headquarters
Info: 483-7200, ext. 7318
April 17, 2004
Paul VI High School
Fundraiser Dance
6 p.m.
Salle de Reception Le Chateaubriand
7985 Maurice Duplessis
(Rivières des Prairies)
Info: 723-2845
April 18 to 24, 2004
June 3 and 4, 2004
Bancroft Elementary School and
MIND High School presentation
of the play Annie
Circonscription/Electoral Division 4
Hampstead - Côte Saint-Luc
MARVIN HELFENBAUM
Last Day of Classes (youth sector)
June 24, 2004
Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day (Québec)
June 26, 2004
June 28, 2004
April 28, 2004
GMAA Halo Road Race
Mount Royal
First EMSB Invitational Golf
Tournament
Lachute Golf Club
To enter: 483-7200, ext. 7271
Details to come on this first-ever
invitational event. Info: Donald A. Reid
at 483-7200, ext. 7271.
Board Meetings
May 6-8, 2004
The EMSB council of commissioners
meet in public once a month. These
sessions begin at 7:30 p.m. and are held
in the Laurence Patterson Conference
Room of the administration building at
6000 Fielding Avenue. Everyone is
welcome to attend. Please note that
occasionally during the year special
meetings are called. Parents are urged
to bookmark the EMSB website
(www.emsb.qc.ca) to access Board
meeting agendas and to be advised
about special meetings. To register for
question period please call 483-7264. The
meetings scheduled for the remainder of
this academic year are as follows:
English Schools of Quebec/Quebec
English School Boards Association
Annual Conference
March 31, 2004 • April 28, 2004
May 26, 2004 • June 23, 2004
April 29, 2004
Curriculum Fair
Carlyle Elementary School
T.M.R.
April 30, 2003
Terry Fox Walk-a-thon
Lester B. Pearson High School
Montreal North
Circonscription/Electoral Division 1
Côte Saint-Luc
SYD WISE
Vice-Président, comité des
affaires pédagogiques et des
services éducatifs
Vice-Chair, Education and
Facilities Committee
Membre, comité exécutif
Member, Executive Committee
June 23, 2004
April 21, 2004
Earth Day
Circonscription/Electoral Division 3
N.D.G.
ELIZABETH FOKOEFS
Vice-Président /Vice-Chair
Circonscription/Electoral Division 2
Montreal West
DR. JOHN SIMMS
National Volunteer Week
April 22, 2004
Circonscription /Electoral Division 16
St. Léonard
DOMINIC SPIRIDIGLIOZZI
Président /Chair
Salle Brebeuf at College Brebeuf
Info: 845-8031
International Day Against Drug
Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
Secretary’s Day
LES COMMISSAIRES DE LA CSEM
EMSB COMMISSIONERS
Circonscription/Electoral Division 5
N.D.G. - St. Henri - Ville Émard
MICHÈLE CIAMPINI
Circonscription/Electoral Division 6
St Henri - Pointe St-Charles Westmount - Downtown
DANIEL ANDRELLI
Président, comité consultatif
du transport
Chair, Transportation
Advisory Committee
Circonscription/Electoral Division 7
Westmount
GINETTE SAUVÉ-FRANKEL
Vice-Président, comité des
affaires financières et législatives
Vice-Chair, Finance and
Legislation Committee
Circonscription/Electoral Division 8
Côte des Neiges - Snowdon - Outremont
ZEV NEUWIRTH
Circonscription /Electoral Division 9
Mount Royal - Saint-Laurent
RON PATERSON
Président, comité consultatif de
l`éducation des adultes et de la
formation professionnelle
Chair, Adult Education and Vocational
Services Advisory Committee
Membre, comité exécutif
Member, Executive Committee
Circonscription /Electoral Division 10
Saint-Laurent
BERNIE PRAW
Circonscription /Electoral Division 11
Saint-Laurent - Cartierville
JAMES KROMIDA
Circonscription /Electoral Division 12
Ahuntsic
JOSEPH PETRAGLIA
Membre, comité exécutif
Member, Executive Committee
Circonscription /Electoral Division 13
Park Extension - The Plateau
GEORGE VOGAS
Circonscription /Electoral Division 14
St-Michel
ROCCO BARBIERI
Circonscription /Electoral Division 15
Montreal North
SYLVIA LO BIANCO
Président, comité exécutif
Chair, Executive Committee
Circonscription /Electoral Division 17
St. Léonard
FRANK VERRILLO
Président, comité des
affaires pédagogiques et
des services éducatifs
Chair, Education and
Facilities Committee
Circonscription /Electoral Division 18
Rosemount
AGOSTINO CANNAVINO
Président, comité des affaires
financières et législatives
Chair, Finance and
Legislation Committee
Membre, comité exécutif
Member, Executive Committee
Circonscription /Electoral Division 19
Rosemount - Hochelaga-Maisonneuve Downtown - The Plateau
ANGELA MANCINI
Circonscription /Electoral Division 20
St. Léonard
FRANK DICESARE
Vice-Président, comité consultatif
de l`éducation des adultes et de
la formation professionnelle
Vice-Chair, Adult Education
and Vocational Services
Advisory Committee
Circonscription /Electoral Division 21
Anjou - Pointe-aux-Trembles - Montreal
East
LUCIANO D’IORIO
Circonscription/Electoral Division 22
Rivière-des-Prairies
ROSA CERRELLI
Vice-Président, comité exécutif
Vice-Chair, Executive Committee
Circonscription /Electoral Division 23
Rivière-des-Prairies
MARIO CAGGIANO
Vice-Président, comité
consultatif du transport
Vice-Chair, Transportation
Advisory Committee
Represéntants des parents
Parent Commissioners
FRAN MCINTYRE
Elementary Schools
GIDEON ROSENBERG
High Schools
Manoir Saint Sauveur
May 8,2004
Spring Gala Concert
EMSB Chorale, 7:30 p.m.
Oscar Peterson Concert Hall
(Loyola Campus of Concordia University)
Tickets: $10 for adults and $5 for students
and seniors.
Info: 483-7200, ext. 7234
May 11, 2004
National Denim Day
May 18, 2004
Board of Trade of Metropolitan
Montreal Outstanding Student
Awards ceremony
Guest Speaker: Université de Montréal
Rector Robert Lacroix
May 21 and 22, 2004
LaurenHill Academy Dance Show
Theatre Denise Pelletier
LOOK AT OUR GRADS NOW!
Alyson Lozoff, who was crowned Miss
Teen Canada Scholarship 2003 in
London, Ontario last summer
returned recently to her former
elementary school, Edinburgh in
Montreal West, where she addressed
the topic of bullying and focused on
her platform of Peer Pressure: Helping
Bombarded Teens Resist and Cope.
During her return to Edinburgh,
Ms. Lozoff was reunited with some
former teachers including Rhona
Feigelson, Claude Saucier, and her
French teacher Denise Nizri. Ms. Nizri,
who taught her French and
Math, fondly remembers Alyson’s
performance as the lead in the school
production of My Fair Lady. While the
18 year old N.D.G. resident captured
the Supermodel award for the
contestant with the most modelling
potential, as well as the fashion wear,
ALYSON LOZOFF
fitness and evening
gown competitions,
Edinburgh Principal
Richard Mason was
most intrigued by the
pedagogical side to
this entire exercise.
“It's quite amazing,” says Mr. Mason.
“Alyson asked me
about a red garbage
container which used Alyson Lozoff meets some of her former teachers and presentto sit beside the school day students at Edinburgh.
and is where the Grade 6 kids hung more serious side to her presentation
out. Well, it's still there and apparently on striving to do your best and not
some of the Grade 6 students still giving-in to the negatives of
use it as their ‘home base,’ peer pressure.”
discouraging away the younger
Ms. Lozoff visited a number of
children who dare venture near. She classrooms, greeting students and
had some great stories about this former teachers. She then proceeded
container and how it is tied into the to the gymnasium and spoke to about
bullying aspect. This supported a 110 Grade 5 and 6 students.
Page 4 EMSB Express Vol. 5 Nº 2 Spring 2004 h t t p : / / w w w. e m s b. q c. c a
EMSB
Notebook
CANADIAN IDOL STAR
VISITS EMSB
Canadian Idol star Gary Beals visited
with the students of F.A.C.E. (Fine Arts
Core Education) High School recently, as
part of a special program arranged by
the Communications and Marketing
Division. F.A.C.E., which has students
from both the EMSB and the
Commission Scolaire de Montréal
(CSDM), fosters student learning
through the creative arts. Instrumental
and vocal music programs are part of
the curriculum. That was quite evident
when Grade 7 student Faith Antoine
and Grade 11 student Dina Koutsoufakis
stood up and auditioned for Beals, both
singing very beautiful songs. As a
reward, they were each given a pair of
tickets for Beals’ performance the
following evening at Concordia’s Oscar
Peterson Concert Hall. Beals also sang
for the students, answered questions,
posed for pictures and signed autographs.
Principal Nick Primiano and VicePrincipal Jim Daskalakis gave him a tour
of the vast building on University Street
which presently houses 1,500 students
at the primary and secondary level.
Beals, a 20 year old native of Dartmouth,
Nova Scotia, was the runnerup to Ryan
Malcolm on last summer’s smash hit
Canadian Idol. Log on to the EMSB
website at www.emsb.qc.ca and go to
In The News to view a short video from
his appearance.
RÉFORME DU
CURRICULUM
Le ministère de l’Éducation a organisé
le 26 février une journée régionale sur
la réforme du curriculum pour les écoles
secondaires et les centres d’éducation
des adultes à la Congrégation Notre
Dame. L’école secondaire Laurier
Macdonald, l’Académie LaurenHill
et l’Académie Marymount ont présenté
des ateliers.
ROBOTICS CHALLENGE
LaurenHill Academy in St. Laurent
hosted Quadrum 2004, the prestigious
Robotics competition involving schools
from throughout the province and even
one from Ontario, which took place from
Feb. 19 to 21.
Gardenview Elementary School
in St. Laurent celebrated Family
Literacy Week in a big way at the
end of January. Read to Succeed/Lire
pour Réussir was the theme at the
school-wide Read-A-Thon, organized
by parent volunteers. During this
stupendous and fun week-long
fundraising event, Gardenview
welcomed many special guests,
including Montreal Mayor Gérald
Tremblay and Gazette Newspaper
editor Peter Stockland who read
stories to the younger students.
Parents Evelyn Koutsaris and Sabine
Kuhr co-chaired this initiative.
CAREER SUCCESS
Plans are already underway for the
fifth annual EMSB Career Fair, Oct. 2628, 2004 at St. Pius X High School in
Ahuntsic. Last fall’s edition was an
unqualified success, attracting more
than 3,000 Secondary IV and V
students. Montreal Gazette Publisher
Larry Smith served as the keynote
speaker at the opening ceremonies
and he enthralled students with
stories about his career as a lawyer,
professional football player, businessman and newspaper publisher. Vincent
Massey Collegiate Guidance Counsellor
Tina Stoupakis has been named chair of
the event, succeeding Shadd Business
Centre Assistant Director John Szuber
who remains as immediate past chair.
Log on to the Student Services section
of the EMSB website (www.emsb.qc.ca)
to view the video of the 2003 Career Fair.
NOUVEAU PLAN URBAIN
Gary Beals meets students at F.A.C.E.
FAMILY LITERACY
Quatre élèves de l'école primaire
Pierre Elliott Trudeau ont été invités à
l'ouverture de l'exposition "Avez-vous
un plan ?" tenue à l'hôtel de ville de
Montréal durant la période des Fêtes.
Les élèves de 5e année, guidés par
l'enseignante Marisa Rondina, ont
répondu à l'appel lancé par le maire au
printemps dernier pour des idées d'un
nouveau plan urbain pour la méga ville.
Cinquante projets de Sciences humaines
ont été soumis par les élèves de
5e année de l'an dernier et les
dessins et les commentaires de quatre
d'entre eux ont été retenus: Josée Di
Benedetto, Laurianne Lauzon, Nicole Lee
et Sandra Patitucci. Les dessins des
élèves ont été montés sur des tableaux
d'affichage et leurs idées pour la Ville
de Montréal ont été incorporées aux
discours prononcés par les conseillers
Robert Libman et Stéphane Harbour. Le
maire de Montréal, Gérald Tremblay, a
utilisé les dessins des élèves, entre
autres, pour ses cartes de souhaits
des Fêtes.
CALENDRIER D'ENFANTS
Pour commémorer son 100e
anniversaire, l'Hôpital de Montréal pour
enfants a produit un calendrier 2004
intitulé Keeping Children Safe and Healthy.
Ce calendrier bilingue est un "cadeau
d'anniversaire" aux enfants et aux
familles du Québec. Des copies ont été
distribuées à tous les élèves des écoles
primaires de la CSEM. Ce calendrier
donne des conseils de prévention et de
santé visant à aider les enfants à jouer
en toute sécurité. Il offre des conseils
sur la façon de prévenir des blessures
en jouant au hockey, comment prévenir
les brûlures ainsi que les rhumes et
la grippe.
Mayor Gérald Tremblay does some reading with the students.
TOMORROW’S SCHOOLS
TODAY
The highly successful Tomorrow's
Schools Today project, which promotes
the increased use of information and
communications technology in the
classroom, has added St. Monica
Elementary School in N.D.G. and Our
Lady of Pompei Elementary School in
Ahuntsic to its list. The EMSB already
has five other schools on board. When
this project was initiated at the primary
level six years ago by the Norshield
Development Foundation, St. Dorothy
School in St. Michel became the first
member. Coronation in Côte des Neiges,
Parkdale in Saint Laurent and HonoréMercier in St. Léonard later joined the
list while John F. Kennedy High School
in St. Michel became the first secondary
level entry in 2002-2003. To date, the
Foundation has contributed more than
$400,000 to the program. Apple Canada
and Concordia University's Centre for
the Study of Learning and Performance
remain as principal partners of
the program.
HOLOCAUST CENTRE
VISITS
The EMSB received a grant from the
Jewish Community Foundation of
Montreal to organize visits by high
school students to the newly renovated
Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre
Museum in Snowdon. In addition to the
tour, they have also met with survivors
and heard first-hand about the horrors
they experienced at the hands of the
Nazis. EMSB spiritual community
animators have been spearheading
these field trips, which began in
late winter.
PROJET DE PAIX
Les élèves de l'école primaire Pierre
de Coubertin se sont engagés
récemment à un projet de paix.
L'animatrice de vie spirituelle et
d'engagement communautaire Maria
Corsini Kelly déclare que tout a
commencé lorsque les élèves du Groupe
501 (l'une des classes) a lu Sadako and
The Thousand Paper Cranes. Ce livre
raconte l'histoire de Sadako qui est
morte à l'âge de douze ans de la
leucémie qu'elle avait contracté suite au
largage de la bombe atomique sur
Hiroshima alors qu'elle avait deux ans.
Lorsqu'elle était malade, elle s'est
rappelé de la légende japonaise qui dit
que si vous pliez mille cigognes avec foi
et espoir, votre souhait sera exaucé. Au
début, elle a souhaité sa propre guérison
mais elle a éventuellement commencé
à souhaiter la paix pour toutes les
nations. Elle a complété 644 cigognes
avant de mourir et ses amis ont
complété le reste. Depuis ce temps, les
enfants d'à travers le monde ont envoyé
1000 cigognes en papier au Monument
de la paix d'Hiroshima, pour exprimer
leur désir de paix.
THE BEAT EXPANDS
The EMSB and the School Services
Department of Jewish Family Services
(JFS) have expanded the B.E.A.T.
(Building Educational Assets Together)
program. Launched last year at six
schools as a pilot project aimed at
lessening the risk factors conducive
to such problems as drug abuse,
violence, sexual promiscuity, selfdestructive behaviour and gambling,
nine more schools have since been
added. Gardenview Elementary and
LaurenHill Academy in St. Laurent, Coronation Elementary in Côte des Neiges,
Marymount Academy in N.D.G. and
Pierre de Coubertin Elementary
and John Paul I Junior High in
St. Léonard were part of the pilot
project, which involved the development of climate surveys. The new
additions are: Frederick Banting,
Gerald McShane and Lester B. Pearson
in Montreal North; Nesbitt, Pierre
Elliott Trudeau and Rosemount High
School; and St. Gabriel in Pointe St.
Charles, Westmount Park and Westmount High. The remaining nonparticipating elementary and secondary
schools have been provided with
a menu of services, which they
can access from JFS, on a fee-for-service
basis.
h t t p : / / w w w. e m s b. q c. c a Spring 2004 EMSB Express Vol. 5 Nº 2 Page 5
CARE DÉMÉNAGÉ
Le Centre d'activités récréatives et
éducatives (CARE), qui se trouvait au
Centre d'éducation des adultes de
Marymount situé sur le chemin Côte
Saint-Luc depuis les six dernières années
a déménagé au Centre d'études
commerciales Shadd de NDG. Les
cérémonies d'inauguration des
nouveaux locaux ont eu lieu le 23
De gauche à droite, Nick Furfaro, Centre
d’éducation des adultes Marymount, Mario
Argiropoulos, Directeur du Centre d’études
commerciales Shadd, Russell Copeman, Député
libéral de N.D.G., Marcel Tremblay, Conseiller
municipal de Montréal et Michèle Ciampini,
commissaire de la CSEM.
janvier. Ce déménagement a été rendu
nécessaire à cause des besoins d'espace
de l'école secondaire à Marymount mais
le Centre est néanmoins toujours affilié
au Centre d'éducation des adultes. CARE
est un organisme à but non lucratif dont
la mission est d'enrichir les vies des
adultes ayant de graves handicaps
physiques. CARE offre un programme
varié d'activités éducatives et récréatives
à ses clients, tout en maintenant leurs
liens avec la communauté. Le Centre est
axé sur la clientèle qui est encouragée
à avoir le maximum d'indépendance
possible, déclare David Applebaum,
directeur du programme. Le financement provient en partie de la CSEM
et du gouvernement du Québec. Le reste
du financement provient des droits
d'inscription et du secteur privé. Nick
Furfaro, directeur du Centre d'éducation
des adultes de Marymount, supervise le
programme et paie les enseignant(e)s et
WHISPERING DREAMS
leurs aides. Les clients sont
recommandés par les hôpitaux et les
agences de services sociaux. Le Centre
offre aussi des classes d'éducation de
base dans 28 locaux à travers l'île de
Montréal. Seize personnes sont
actuellement inscrites à CARE qui offre
des classes en semaine de 8h30 à 15h30.
aired that evening on CBC Canada Now
TV News. “This was right on with the
curriculum reform,” says Ms. Miniaci.
“The reform talks all about ‘authentic’
learning. And for one-week we
integrated the series and the topic of
refugees into a number of different
courses, from history to media.”
MARYMOUNT ON CBC
HEALTH AND HEART
MONTH & DENIM DAY
CBC TV and Radio collaborated with
the EMSB’s Marymount Academy and
Adult Centre on a locally produced
program linked to the network’s recent
six-hour dramatic series called Human
Cargo. Staff arranged for students to
view the series in advance. At the high
school level, the topic of refugees was
integrated into the actual curriculum.
On Tues, Jan. 6, a special “live” edition
of Radio Noon aired on CBC Radio One
88.5 FM direct from the Marymount
library. Host Nancy Wood interviewed
a panel of four current and former
refugees. This included 17 year
old Miriam Saci, the daughter of
Marymount Adult Centre Level IV Basic
English student Fatima Achour. They
came to Montreal from Algeria three
years ago. Marymount students Sally
Rodrigues, Kevin Cruz-Antunes, Sherisha
EMSB schools enthusiastically
participated in 2004 Heart Week. One
child in 100 is born with a heart defect.
The Heart of Life Fund, with the support
of The Montreal Children’s Hospital
Foundation of the McGill University
Health Centre (MUHC), invited students
to wear red on a specific day during the
week of February 9. On that day each
student with a healthy heart was asked
to bring a small donation - a loonie or
toonie - to help a child with a «broken
heart.» Besides their own individual pet
charities, schools and the central head
office will now turn their attention
towards National Denim Day on
Tuesday, May 11. This one-day event
encourages all Canadians to wear denim
and/or a pink ribbon and raise at least
$5 each towards the fight against breast
cancer. The EMSB raised over $24,000
last year.
PASSION FOR
COMPASSION
Administrators from the schools and
head office will become models for a day
on Tuesday, June 1 when they take part
in EMSB In Vogue: Fashion for Compassion
at Buffet Le Crystal (5285 Henri
Bourassa) in St-Laurent. Principals Maria
Di Perna, Connie Primiano and Tina
CBC Radio Noon host Nancy Wood (far right) Lavranos head the planning committee.
All funds raised will go towards the
and Marymount students.
Shriners Hospital. Q92 morning show
Harry, Dianna Gray and Adult Centre host Aaron Rand has agreed to serve as
Pre-Secondary/Secondary I Language the master of ceremonies. He will be
Arts student Juman Hassan from Iraq joined by one of his broadcast partners.
were chosen to ask questions from the Q92 will also be the radio sponsor of the
audience. Highlights of the program event. More details will soon follow. The
organizers are requesting donations in
the form of money, sponsors, free
services and free use of products or
facilities. The names of these supporters
will be published in the event’s program
book. Tickets will cost $20 and be
available as of March 8. Join us for
an evening of fun and enjoyment
as you watch your favorite EMSB
administrators model casual wear,
business clothes and fun ‘n funky
threads. Info: 483-7200, ext. 7245. Cash
donations can be made out to the AMSA
(Association of Montreal School
Administrators) Shriners Fundraiser.
GLOBAL SKY WATCHERS
Students in costume, staff and evening guest host Luciano Pipia (sixth from the right in
top row) of 940 News at the book launch.
940 News anchor Luciano Pipia
was a special guest emcee at the
highly successful launch of
Whispering Dreams, the fourth
publication put out by the media
literacy department of Laurier
Macdonald High School in St.
Léonard. The event took place at the
Centre Leonardo Da Vinci and was
the subject of a feature story on CBC
Canada Now TV News. 940 News
also ran some feature stories on it.
The students put on an extraordinary
theatrical depiction of the book.
There was also a video, produced by
Alan Taylor and Frank Tiseo, which
summarized what has become a
Laurier Macdonald publishing
empire.
Global TV News has relaunched its
popular Sky Watchers program. A
partnership with Environment Canada,
it provides unique teaching resources to
support the science curriculum.
Participating schools receive teaching
material, weather instruments, posters,
newsletters, and more. A comprehensive
teachers guide covers all the basics of
weather, with associated activities that
will have your students graphing
temperatures and building simple
instruments. This interactive program
stimulates their interest in weather by
ALOUETTES VISIT
SCHOOLS
Six EMSB schools (Sinclair Laird, Roslyn, St.
Gabriel, St. John Bosco, St. Monica and Focus
High) are part of the Monreal Alouettes'
Reaching Out to Children program. The
objective is to speak with students about
their future and obstacles that adolescents
face. The Als basketball team then plays
staff and faculty in friendly games. Pictured
above, Quarterback Anthony Calvillo talks
with Grade 1 students at St. John Bosco in
Ville Emard.
encouraging them to take daily weather
observations. A number of EMSB
schools have signed on to Sky Watchers
the past couple of years. Students record
weather information on the school day
and relay it to the Environment Canada
data base, using either the Internet or
a touch-tone phone to call a toll-free
line. Data from the participating schools
are posted to the Sky Watchers website
at http://weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca. Global
TV’s weather forecaster logs on the site
in mid-afternoon (usually no later than
3 p.m.) and selects the data of a
particular school, recognizing their work
on weather updates and reports which
air that evening.
ELECTORAL LIST
INFORMATION
Even though the next school board
elections are not expected to take place
until November, 2008, the EMSB has
received inquiries from some people
who were not on the list last November.
For those individuals who wish to have
their names placed on the permanent
list at this time they may do so by
sending a “notice of choice” to the EMSB
Director General’s office. The elector
will then be entered on the EMSB list as
of September, 2004, along with parents
of children attending EMSB schools.
Entries and corrections will be processed
directly by the Directeur Général des
Élections du Québec. They may be
reached at 1-888-353-2846. An elector
who wishes to have his or her name
removed from the EMSB electoral list
must send a written notice to the EMSB
Director General, who will then inform
the Director General at the French school
board. The notice must include: the
elector’s name at birth, address, sex and
date of birth. It should be noted that
parents who presently have children
enrolled in the EMSB youth sector, but
will not in the next academic year, need
to fill out this form as well. Failing to do
so will result in their name being
automatically taken off the list. You can
download the appropriate notice from
the commissioners section of our website
at www.emsb.qc.ca.
Page 6 EMSB Express Vol. 5 Nº 2 Spring 2004 h t t p : / / w w w. e m s b. q c. c a
CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE
A new beginning
It is an honour and a pleasure to
have this opportunity to address our
grassroots – students, staff, parents
and the community-at-large- through
the pages of our twice annual
publication The EMSB Express.
These are busy times in the public
education system. Since my election as
chairman of the English Montreal
School Board (EMSB) on November 25,
2003, I am pleased to say that we are
making progress on some important
dossiers.
We are here for our students – both
children and adult learners. Let’s make
no mistake about that. But in order to
make this happen in the most efficient
manner we must have the financial
means to do so. The reality is we are
still facing an operating deficit of
several million dollars. And it was the
present-day Quebec government which
forced us into adopting a deficit budget
for the 2003-2004 academic year when
it announced funding cuts last year
which affected our Board to the tune
of $2.9 million. Let us not forget that
in 1998 the then Parti Quebecois
DIRECTOR GENERAL
Antonio Lacroce
Our Strategic
Plan
As the 2003-2004 academic year
heads into its final months, I am
pleased to report that the theme of
“Together We Are Better,” which we
adopted last August, has met with
resounding enthusiasm throughout
the system.
In this my first year as the director
general of the Board, I have spent a
lot of time visiting schools and
centres. It is only by meeting
individually with principals, teachers
and students at their home base do
you really get a feel for how things are
progressing. The implementation of
the curriculum reform is continuing
at an excellent pace. Our Pedagogical
Services Department, led by new
director John Ryan, must be
commended for the professional
development workshops they have
facilitated.
In conformity with recent
amendments to the Education Act, we
have also
embarked upon a
consultation process with the chair of
each school’s/centre’s governing
board, delegates to Regional and
Central Parents’ Committees,
associations, unions, high school
student leadership groups and adult
and vocational education students
regarding the Board’s proposed
Strategic Plan. The consultation
document has been posted on the
EMSB website (www.emsb.qc.ca) to
allow individuals or groups to provide
us with their point of view. A draft
version of the complete strategic
plan will be forwarded for official
consultation very shortly. In the
development of this plan, the school
boards are to reflect the requirements
prescribed by the Education Act as
well as the guidelines and provincial
indicators provided by the Ministry of
Education. The Education Act has
defined the fundamental mission of
an educational institution. It is “to
impart knowledge to students, foster
their social development and give
them qualifications, while enabling
them to undertake and achieve
success in a course of study.” Some of
the major issues and challenges
reflected in the draft version deal with
student success, institutional stability,
budgetary equilibrium, human and
material resources, a commitment to
high standards of employment and to
ongoing professional development of
personnel, reorganization of the
network of schools and centres,
developing appropriate community
links and partnerships.
Enrolment at our schools is slightly
down this year for the first time since
our inception. Youth sector student
numbers had grown by more than
2,000 since 1998, but our final figure
as of September 30, 2003 was 26,849.
That is a drop of 249 students
compared to last year’s figure of
27,098. Much of this is due to Bill 104,
which now blocks access to English
public schools for students who had
the majority of their education in
English in unsubsidized private
schools.
I remain very proud of the services
we provide to our students. With a
dedicated staff, a committed group of
elected officials and a corps of parent
volunteers who are second to none,
I am confident in what the future
will bring.
advantage of this
by bringing matters
of concern to our
MNAs on a regular
basis.
The EMSB has
come a long way in
the last six years. I
think we can be
very proud of the
public image we
have projected. As EMSB Vice-Chair Elizabeth Fokoefs, Director General Antonio Lacroce
the “EMSB,” we and Chairman Dominic Spiridigliozzi display the Board’s new flag.
probably have the
most easily recognized acronym among
leadership that brings people together.
English public school boards in Quebec.
We must ensure that all of our children
Recently, we introduced the Board’s
have the skills, abilities and
first official flag. It presently stands in
competencies that they will need to
the lobby of our central head office and
succeed and flourish in the future. That
at special Board and school/centre
means developing action plans and
functions. Eventually, I hope to see it
making informed decisions regarding
flying in front of all of our facilities.
how we can optimize the use of our
I look forward to working with the
existing facilities and resources. In
22 other commissioners, nine of whom
granting greater financial autonomy
(11 including the two new parent
to our schools and centres, we will
commissioners) are in their first term
have to ensure that all possible
in office. During the next four years,
financial resources are accessed and
as we continue to grow and succeed as
that they are used efficiently and
a family, we will have to establish a
appropriately.
✂
FROM
THE
government stripped us of revenue
from surplus property which was
rightfully ours. Had these buildings
been left in our possession, an
additional $1.8 million would have
entered our coffers per year and
possibly put us in a surplus situation.
Instead, they were handed over to the
already property-rich French school
boards. We have been meeting the
Ministry over the last few months in
an effort to avoid going to court over
this matter. But we are prepared to
proceed with legal action if necessary.
It has been a year since the Quebec
Liberal Party came to power. And I will
say they have been most accessible in
terms of hearing our concerns.
Education Minister Pierre Reid has
already taken the time to visit one of
our elementary schools, General
Vanier in St. Léonard. We’ve also met
with him privately on two occasions
to provide a complete overview of our
specific concerns. The EMSB actually
has a very unique opportunity right
now. Most of our local Members of the
National Assembly are from the
governing Liberal Party. A handful of
them, in fact, are cabinet ministers and
parliamentary secretaries. Regardless,
they have a direct line to the education
minister and the premier. We must take
WIN POINT ZERO MERCHANDISE
THE EMSB POINT ZERO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT QUIZ*
The EMSB Express is pleased to introduce the Point Zero Quiz to our pages. This
edition is for high school students. In order to be eligible to win clothing from
Point Zero (the largest Canadian producer of men’s, women’s and children’s
coordinated sports and street wear) and mouse pads from the government of
Canada’s SchoolNet grassroots program (www.schoolnet.ca/grassroots), please
respond to each of the questions below, fill in your personal information, clip
out the quiz and hand it in to the office at your school. The completed forms
will be sent to the Communications and Marketing Division for tabulation. Log
on to the EMSB website (www.emsb.qc.ca) or read this edition of the Express
for some clues.
1) What do the initials “G.M.A.A.” stand for?
2) What EMSB high school is named after a former President of the United
States?
3) Honoré-Mercier School graduate Miriella Dell’Aquila is a member of what
Canadian pop group?
4) What 2003 comedy movie had some its scenes filmed at St. Pius X High
School?
5) How many elementary schools are in the EMSB? A) 39 B) 42 C) 45 D) 50
6) What does the acronym “MIND” stand for?
7) What EMSB school, when it first opened its doors in 1873, was simply
known as “House”? A) Westmount High School B) Parkdale C) Westmount
Park D) Royal West Academy
8) What year was the EMSB formed? A) 1995 B) 1996 C) 1997 D) 1998
9) What is the address of the EMSB’s administration building?
10) What does the acronym “FACE” mean?
*the quiz questions were compiled by Stuart Nulman
NAME OF STUDENT
SCHOOL
GRADE
HOME ROOM CLASS #
✂
Dominic Spiridigliozzi
h t t p : / / w w w. e m s b. q c. c a Spring 2004 EMSB Express Vol. 5 Nº 2 Page 7
Profile of a Child Care Worker
By Clarice Samuels
Special Education Correspondent
The sign on the door says “Fern’s
Room.” This is where you will find Fern
Davis, a child care worker at Hampstead
School who supervises a cluster of 16
children every day at lunch. Because of
a variety of problems, ranging widely
from hyperactive behaviours to autism,
these kids eat lunch and stay indoors
with Davis. The cafeteria and
playground bombard such children with
too much stimulation, such as noise and
unstructured activity.
Hampstead Elementary School is
known for its emphasis on integrating
children with special needs into its
mainstream population, especially
those with learning disabilities who
benefit greatly from the small groups
set up by the school’s avant-garde
reading program.
“They come here, eat their lunch,
socialize, and play quietly,” says Davis.
“They play checkers, they do lego
blocks, and some of them even write
stories on their lunch break.”
Davis has been at Hampstead School
for 12 years and recently completed a
Master’s Degree in Child Study.
“This isn’t just a paid job,” says Davis.
“It’s a calling.”
In addition to lunchtime duty, Davis
takes the children out to the playground
for the morning recess, a shorter period
outdoors that the children can handle
with supervision. There are also
children she attends to in reading
classes.
“They have to be kept on task in
reading class,” says Davis, “they have
to be cued to stay focused–usually like
this.” She raps her hand three times on
the table to demonstrate.
Q & A:
By Stuart Nulman
For over 50
years,
the
Greater Montreal Athletic
Association
(GMAA), has
believed that
sports is a main
educational
tool, and that it
helps students
grow not only physically, but
emotionally and intellectually, too.
The GMAA coordinates and
promotes school sports across
Montreal, and organizes over 36
sports activities, which service over
60,000 local students in the
elementary, secondary and special
education schools. Its members
include the EMSB, the Lester B.
Pearson School Board and 23
Montreal-area private schools. Roy
Shetler, the GMAA’s executive
director, has been a veteran
educator with the PSBGM and the
EMSB for 40 years, first as a
physical education teacher at
Malcolm Campbell High School for
18 years, then as a vice principal for
five different schools, including
most recently, Royal Vale. Mr.
Shetler spoke to the EMSB Express
about the GMAA and its activities.
Q: How many different leagues are
there?
A: There are 23 different sports
leagues within the GMAA, at six
levels: Boys bantam, midget and
There are two kinds
of child care workers one that provides
support to help
integrate the child into
the regular student
population,
and
another type, called
educational
technicians, who work with
behavioural problems that interfere with
learning. Technicians function as part
of a multidisciplinary team.
“The child care worker plays a critical
role as part of a team process to support
children with special needs,” says
EMSB Student Services Director Lew
Lewis. “The child care worker assists
the teacher in the development
of
autonomy,
learning
and
social integration, and pro-social
behavioural patterns.”
with Roy Shetler of the GMAA
Athletics and the School system
juvenile, and girls bantam, midget
and juvenile. Soccer, basketball, rugby
and volleyball fall under these levels.
There are also 12 levels at Division I
and III, including such sports as
cross-country skiing, curling, touch
football, softball, individual sports,
cross-country running, golf, indoor
track and field, swimming,
badminton, outdoor track and field
and tennis.
Q: How many students overall
compete in the GMAA?
A: In 2002, there were 19,662
students who competed in GMAA
activities, which is an increase of over
1,000 students since 1995. This year
we had 13 soccer teams, and 170
basketball teams, which is up from
164 teams last year. There has also
been an increase in the number of
student participants in hockey, golf
and curling.
Q: What do students like about
school athletics so much?
A: Athletics is a good, healthy
outlet, and it’s an opportunity to
share experiences with other
students and to compete with other
schools. As well, sports complements
academics. If you can excel in
athletics, you can excel in education.
Top athletes can become top
students. It’s like the coming together
of mind and body.
EMSB and the GMAA
Fifteen EMSB high schools
participate in the GMAA leagues:
Weeknights • 6:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.
Weekdays • 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
FACE (basketball, touch football);
James Lyng (touch football, track and
field, volleyball, basketball, indoor
track and field); John F. Kennedy
(soccer, volleyball, basketball, indoor
soccer); John Paul I (cross-country
running, basketball, touch football,
track and field); LaurenHill Academy
(soccer, cross-country running,
volleyball, basketball, swimming,
touch football, badminton, rugby,
track and field); Laurier Macdonald
(soccer, track and field, basketball,
swimming, indoor track and field,
indoor soccer); Lester B. Pearson
(soccer, basketball, indoor track and
field, track and field); Marymount
Academy (soccer, track and field,
cross-country running, volleyball,
indoor soccer); Rosemount (soccer,
indoor soccer, cross-country running,
indoor track and field, badminton);
Royal Vale (soccer, track and
field, cross-country running, golf,
basketball, indoor track and
field); Royal West Academy (soccer,
cross-country running, volleyball,
basketball, hockey, curling, swimming, cross-country skiing, indoor
track and field, touch football,
badminton, rugby, tennis, track and
field); St. Pius X (soccer); Vincent
Massey Collegiate (soccer, golf,
basketball, hockey, indoor soccer);
Wagar (volleyball, basketball, track
and field); and Westmount (soccer,
softball, volleyball, basketball, indoor
track and field, badminton, indoor
soccer, track and field).
Fern Davis (Photo by Mary Lou Holland)
Sometimes children who are getting
frustrated or overstimulated in class
take a break by coming to Fern’s Room,
which they seek out as a quiet refuge.
Davis talks to them, calms them down,
and lets them stay until they are ready
to return to their classroom. Davis
works as part of a team of child care
workers at Hampstead School,
approximately half a dozen in all. Her
philosophy, she says, is to always
remember that children experience the
same feelings and emotions as adults.
“They are smaller versions of us,”
Davis notes. “They need external
validation and acknowledgement. You
have to speak to them, not at them.
They deserve the same respect that you
would give a coworker.”
Davis admits that she has to take care
of her own emotional states in order to
be there for the children. She works out
five days a week to stay balanced. As
she puts it: “This is a job that requires
patience, tolerance, a sense of humour,
the ability to get along with everyone,
and to adjust to the different styles of
every teacher whose classroom you
work in.”
Continued from page 1
EMSB schools play active
role in Terry Fox runs
t-shirt sales. Students and staff
participated in the run on September
19, in which the junior students had a
goal to run 20 laps and the senior
students, 25 laps. Students were
rewarded with a treat for every five laps
that they completed. Teachers were on
hand to run the checkpoints along the
route and a rest area was provided for
tired, weary runners. As a result,
$960.50 was raised for cancer research.
• Dunrae Gardens Elementary
School in T.M.R. raised $1,350 in a onekilometre march that was done by the
entire school.
• Royal West Academy in Montreal
West is currently planning their Terry
Fox Run in conjunction with the
Student Life Association and the
Physical Education Department. It will
take place soon.
If any EMSB school is interested in
starting their own Terry Fox Run, please
contact Peter Sheremeta of the Terry
Fox Foundation at 499-9747.
Coverage of Student
Life and Education
YOU CAN
COUNT ON!
www.canada.com/montreal
Page 8 EMSB Express Vol. 5 Nº 2 Spring 2004 h t t p : / / w w w. e m s b. q c. c a
Thank you Parent Volunteers
Successful
Parent Seminar
“The Gift of Time”
EMSB to Mark
Parent Volunteer
Appreciation
Week
The English Montreal School
Board (EMSB) will hold its third
Parent Volunteer Appreciation
Evening on Wednesday, April 21
at the Leonardo Da Vinci Centre
in St. Léonard. This will occur
during National Volunteer Week.
The award-winning Rosemount
High School Band has been confirmed as special guest perfomers.
First Canadian Financial
Services (www.fcfs-inc.com) and
the Global Education Marketing
Corporation (www.globalresp.com),
specialists in Registered Education
Savings Plans (RESPs), will be
the title sponsors of the event.
The theme is The Gift of Time. First
Canadian’s president, Joseph
Afshar, will serve as the evening’s
honourary chairman. The Global
RESP is sold through First Canadian. An Education Savings Plan
(ESP) is a vehicle generally used
by parents to save for their children's post-secondary education.
Time and space will not allow
the EMSB to honour all of its
nearly 1,500 parent volunteers in
person. Therefore, only those
individuals who have volunteered
for more than five years will
attend the reception, representing
some 600 people. However,
several thousand copies of a
commemorative program book
will be distributed to each school.
Please log on to the Parent
Information section of the EMSB
website (www.emsb.qc.ca) to
review the list of volunteers.
How to deal with Adolescent
Depression and Stress and Enrichment for
All were among the topics addressed at
a special morning seminar for parents
presented by the EMSB on a recent
Saturday morning. The Central and
Regional
Parent
Committees
coordinated the program, which was
sponsored by First Canadian Financial
Services. Subject matter was of
particular interest to Governing Board,
Parent Participation Organization (PPO)
and Home and School chairpersons.
Information sessions for new and
returning governing board members
and on school board/parent structures
were very well received by those in
attendance.
The two workshops, part of the
McGill University Parenting in the New
Millennium series, featured Dr. Lois Colle
talking about Adolescent Depression
and Stress while Bertha Dawang
discussed Enrichment for All. Dr. Colle
Conference participants get some advice from the people at First Canadian Financial Services.
is a psychologist in the Adolescent
Inpatient Unit of the Allan Memorial
Institute. Her presentation focused on
how symptoms of depression express
themselves in adolescents, as well as on
some of the social and academic
consequences of depression. The
different
treatment
options,
psychotherapy and medication, and
when they are indicated, were dealt
with. Ms. Dawang, the director of the
McGill-EMSB Explorations Program,
talked about the concept of the gifted
child in today’s world. What makes
giftedness? What are the criteria for a
definition of giftedness? Is enrichment
only for the gifted? The group looked at
strategies for providing enrichment to
all students.
First Canadian Financial Services
President Joseph Afshar was on hand to
talk about RESPs and planning for a
child’s post-secondary education.
Parents who would like to reach First
Canadian Financial Services directly can
call 484-1867.
This marked the first such weekend
session presented by the Parent
Committees. It is hoped that this can
now become an annual affair.
Volunteer of Distinction: Rachel Bourget
McLearon Elementary School • Pointe aux Trembles
By Stuart Nulman
Rachel Bourget’s dedication to
McLearon School is in her blood. Not
only did her two children attend the
Pointe aux Trembles-based elementary
school, she has also shown her love by
volunteering her time and effort there
for the past 22 years.
It is in recognition of her tireless
volunteer work for McLearon that Ms.
Bourget will be honored with the
Volunteer of Distinction Award at the
EMSB’s annual Parent Volunteer
Appreciation Evening on Wednesday,
April 21 at the Leonardo Da Vinci Centre
in St. Léonard.
“McLearon is a family school, a
community school,” said Ms. Bourget.
“Everybody knows everybody here. And
it runs for generations, because past
students now have their children attend
the school.”
Ms. Bourget began her volunteerism
at McLearon working in the school
library. From there, her involvement
expanded to helping out with clerical
duties in the office, to helping students
in the cafeteria during lunchtime, to
getting involved with the school’s
reading program. As well, she helps
Rachel Bourget
“I enjoy working with
the students, and they
certainly appreciate
what I do for them.”
organize two of the school’s major
fundraisers: the chocolate drive and the
annual Christmas turkey dinner that
benefits a Christmas baskets program
for needy families.
“I enjoy working with the students,
and they certainly appreciate what I do
for them,” she said.
Ms. Bourget is certainly proud of
being a parent volunteer, and her
proudest moments in that capacity were
the two occasions when she fought to
keep the school open. It started 19 years
ago, when McLearon’s high school
section was phased out in stages, and
then again nine years later, when the
school was threatened with closure for
good. “I did everything, from attending
meetings, to participating in picket lines
and demonstrations, to outreaching
towards the parents through publicity,
so they could go out and support the
school,” she said. “Somehow it worked,
because we’re still here! I love this
school, and I will still be here fighting
for it.”
The EMSB wishes to thank Vincent
Morena of Plaza Volare catering for
his assistance in making Parent
Volunteer Appreciation Evening
possible. Plaza Volare is available
for all social and corporate events.
For your catering needs, please call
(514) 735-5150.
At First Canadian Financial Services (FCFS) we believe in education
The government is giving money away
Get a 20 percent return on your money guaranteed
irst Canadian Financial Services, the sponsor of Parent Volunteer Appreciation
Evening, invites you to call us and attend upcoming seminars in May. We will be
talking about what is waiting for your child in educational opportunities. Call us
now to reserve your space. Alternatively, a First Canadian Financial Services representative
will be pleased to come visit your home for a free consultation.
F
For more information call 484-1867
TELEPHONE: (514) 484-1867
FAX: (514) 484-0946
Visit us at www.fcfs-inc.com
Email Joseph Afshar at
[email protected]
Let us make this a real success
for our children.