The monthly news bulletin of the EMSB The monthly news bulletin of

The monthly news bulletin of the EMSB
Vol. 6 No. 9
EDITOR: MICHAEL J. COHEN
PRINTING SERVICES: L. SHAW, D. D’ORNELLAS
March 31, 2005
PROOFREADING/TRANSLATION: ALINE ZEROUNIAN
OTIS GRANT VISIT: World Boxing
Council International super-middleweight
champion Otis “Magic” Grant visited his
old high school, LaurenHill in St. Laurent on
March 22, talking to a packed auditorium of
students, staff and media about his career. He
also reconnected with some of his former
teachers, including current vice-principal
Harry Weiner who showed a slide show
containing some candid shots of Grant on
campus.
Grant
(36-2-1)
and
his
brother/manager Howard were active in a
number of sports when they attended the
school, then known as Sir Winston Churchill.
On March 12, Grant successfully defended
his title against Nader Hamdan
of
Australia. He will box next June 18, possibly
against American Scott Pemberton.
Dan Sipos, Otis Grant and Harry Weiner
Seven years ago Grant’s boxing career was
halted indefinitely when he was seriously
injured in a car wreck, remaining in a coma
for seven days. After a five year layoff he
made one of the biggest comebacks in
Montreal sports history. LaurenHill Principal
Dan Sipos, who gave Grant his first job in
the public school system a decade ago at the
former Argyle Academy, presented him with
a special EMSB super-middleweight
championship belt. Grant displayed his real
WBC belt to an adoring audience, passing it
down each row so they could get a close look
at it. Grant emphasized the importance of an
education. “I had a wonderful experience at
this school,” he said.
Log on to
www.emsb.qc.ca (Photos and Press Releases)
for more details.
PIERRE PETTIGREW: Foreign Affairs
Minister Pierre Pettigrew, the Member of
Parliament for Papineau, will visit John F.
Kennedy High School (3030 Villeray) in St.
Michel on Friday, April 8 (11:30 a.m.). The
purpose of the visit is to talk to students
about his recent trips to foreign countries,
notably the tsunami ravaged areas in South
Asia and the Middle East.
WAGAR BUILDING: The Council of
Commissioners voted to relocate the
Marymount Adult Centre to the Wagar High
School facility for the 2005-2006 academic
year.
This followed a two-month
consultation process in which two other
proposals were considered: relocating Royal
Vale to the
Wagar facility, moving
Marymount Academy (youth sector) to Royal
Vale and switching John Grant High School
2
to Marymount; or, having Marymount
Academy and John Grant switch places.
VOLUNTEER NIGHT: The EMSB will
hold its fourth Volunteer Appreciation
Evening on Wednesday, April 20 at the
Oscar Peterson Hall (7141 Sherbrooke St. W)
of Concordia University in N.D.G. This will
occur during National Volunteer Week under
the theme “You’re An Essential Piece.”
Media personality Eramelinda Boquer will
serve as the master of ceremonies. She’ll be
joined on stage by American standup comic
Basile, who headlined two sold-out one-man
shows at the 2003 and 2004 Just For Laughs
Festival. He has a special performance
planned. The Steel Pan Band from
Coronation Elementary School in Côte des
Neiges will be the musical guests. First
Canadian Financial Services (www.fcfsinc.com), specialists in Registered Education
Savings Plans (RESPs), will once again be
the title sponsors of the event. First
Canadian’s president, Joseph Afshar, will
serve as the evening’s honourary chairman.
Dominos Pizza will be supplying slices of
pizza to guests as they arrive.
Standup comic Basile
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 event, representing some
500 people. However, several thousand
copies of a commemorative program book
will be distributed to each school.
A
highlight of the evening will be the
presentation of the Volunteer of Distinction
Award. This year’s recipient is Theodora
Dafniotis (popularly known as Roula). For
the past 34 years, she has been the backbone
of Carlyle Elementary School in Town of
Mount Royal, spending countless hours there
and stepping into to any job necessary.
Please log on to www.emsb.qc.ca and go to
the press release section for more details.
And, on the Parent Information section, a
complete list of volunteers is provided.
EMSB EXPRESS: The spring edition of the
EMSB Express Newspaper has been
delivered to schools. It includes articles on
tsunami relief, hockey at Holy Cross
Elementary School, a focus on math, science
and technology, the new Child Development
Room, Peter Mansbridge’s recent EMSB
visit and details on Volunteer Night. The
Express can be viewed in PDF format at
www.emsb.qc.ca (In The News section).
CAREER FAIR: The 2005 Career Fair will
take place at St. Pius X Oct. 25-27, 2005.
Jack Dym of Pipe and Pilings Supplies will
be the title sponsor. Mr. Dym, a successful
Montreal businessman and philanthropist, is
a product of the public system.
LIVE VIDEO FEED: St. Dorothy
Elementary School in St. Michel hosted the
Region II Storytelling Event March 23. The
event was broadcast on the internet via a live
feed from the St. Dorothy School gym.
Principal Dominic Furfaro notes that this
was the second such initiative. On Feb. 25,
there was a broadcast of a lip synch contest.
He lauded the efforts of the EMSB
Information Technology Services (ITS) team.
“This shows once again how the EMSB is at
forefront of the technology movement,” he
said.
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SPECIAL ED POLICY: Following
extensive consultation, the EMSB has
adopted a new Special Education Policy, in
which its objective is to provide and organize
educational services to students with special
needs – whether they have handicaps, social
maladjustments or learning disabilities – with
the hope of integrating them into regular
classroom settings. The Student Services
Department will be responsible for the
implementation, dissemination, monitoring
and evaluation of the policy which is geared
towards all eligible special needs students at
the pre-school, elementary and secondary
levels. Students will be placed in schools as
close as possible to their homes. The
organization of the required special needs
educational services shall be based on the
individual evaluation of the abilities and
needs of the student in question, as well as
the available financial resources. This policy
has been adopted in accordance with section
235 of the Education Act, which prescribes
that every school board adopt a policy to
ensure the harmonious integration of special
needs students into regular classroom settings
and school activities. For complete details on
the policy, log on to www.emsb.qc.ca and go
to the press release section.
SEX EDUCATION: Curriculum reform is
changing the way many things are done in
EMSB schools.
Sex education will be
integrated into a range of subject areas,
anchored in the broad areas of learning and
taught by a partnership of educators and
community groups. Linda Henderson has
been temporarily assigned to Pedagogical
Services as a personal development
consultant in order to facilitate this new
approach to sex education.
For more
information she can be reached at 483-7200
Ext.
7358
or
via
email
at
[email protected].
She
was
interviewed for a CFCF TV On Assignment
program on this subject to air Sun. April 3
(6:30 p.m.).
PATHS TO PORTAL: The EMSB and
RÉCIT hosted a seminar on Paths to Portal
Implementation. Representatives from all
nine Quebec English school boards attended.
The Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Eastern
Townships
School
Boards
made
presentations on portals that are in progress.
A portal is an integrated and personalized
web-based
interface
to
information,
applications and collaborative services. It can
be used to connect individuals or groups with
similar interests or goals into a community
SENSITIZATION:
The
Holocaust
Sensitization Program, a joint initiative of the
EMSB and the Montreal Holocaust Memorial
Centre Museum, is taking place for the
second consecutive year. The program,
which runs until April 30, has involved
EMSB students from Grades Six to 11 taking
guided tours of the museum. Students from
Edinburgh, Laurier Macdonald, Vincent
Massey Collegiate, the LaurenHill Academy
junior and senior campus, Vezina High and
McLearon have gone thus far. As well,
follow-up programs are going to be
incorporated into the visits, so that the
students can get an idea of what kind of
effect this experience had on them. It could
involve some group discussions in class or
with their spiritual community animator,
inviting a Holocaust survivor as a guest
speaker, reading Holocaust-related books
and/or Holocaust-related movies and
documentaries or engaging in a cultural
exchange with a Jewish day school. The
program is being subsidized once again by
the Jewish Community Foundation of
Montreal. This program was a major success
last year.
TO-BACC-OFF: Vincent Massey Collegiate
in Rosemount was described by Jewish
Family Services (JFS) as its “model school”
at the formal launch of TO-BACC-OFF, an
anti-smoking program funded by Health
Canada and presently in place at nine
Montreal high schools. Federal Minister of
4
Health Ujjal Dosanjh was on hand for the
announcement at the Montreal headquarters
of JFS.
The EMSB has a successful
partnership with JFS. It is now in the third
year of the B.E.A.T. (Building Educational
Assets Together) program, aimed at lessening
the risk factors conducive to such problems
as drug abuse, violence, sexual promiscuity,
self-destructive behaviours, gambling and
now smoking. JFS Executive Director Gail
Small noted that Vincent Massey students
and staff played an important role in the
development
of
TO-BACC-OFF
by
participating in different focus groups. John
Paul I Junior High School and Laurier
Macdonald High School in St. Léonard,
Marymount Academy in N.D.G. and Wagar
High School in Côte St. Luc are also part of
the project this year. The others are from the
private sector.
Minister Dosanjh (top row, fourth from left) meets
Vincent Massey and JFS officials.
Minister Dosanjh wanted to hear from the
Vincent Massey students about the success of
the program. Secondary IV student Amanda
De Melo, who was part of the initial
brainstorming process, credited JFS for
bringing an aspect of stress management into
the process. In her opinion, if one learns how
to deal with stress it is less likely they will
turn to smoking.
TO-BACC-OFF is being geared towards
Secondary I (Grade 7) students. While
research has shown that overall rates of
smoking are decreasing, the rates of
adolescent tobacco use are alarming.
Between 70 and 90 percent of high school
students have tried at least one cigarette by
age 17 and almost 25 percent have smoked
by the age of 13. The goal of JFS, with the
TO-BACC-OFF program, to address these
factors. JFS has assigned staff to each of the
schools. Significant follow-up is planned and
nine new schools will be added next year.
Mount Sinai Hospital in Côte Saint-Luc will
also be implicated in the project and help
organize workshops. Dosanjh expressed his
hope that the results from this program can
be shared with other groups across the
country.
FILM PREMIERE: JFS of the Baron de
Hirsch Institute (JFS) and Jewish Immigrant
Aid Services (JIAS) of Montreal will present
an evening to remember with the Montreal
premiere screening of the internationally
acclaimed film, Gloomy Sunday. This event
will take place Wed., April 13 (7:30 p.m.)
sharp, at the Centre Cinéma Impérial (1432
Bleury Street). Admission is $75 per ticket,
and seating is open. The EMSB’s Spiritual,
Religious and Moral Education service will
be represented by Father Gerald Westphal.
The EMSB works closely with JFS and
meetings are planned with JIAS soon to
discuss mutual interests. Subtitled in English,
Rolf Schabel's film Gloomy Sunday is set
circa 1940 in Budapest, Hungary. The movie,
adapted from the book by Nick Barkow,
builds a drama around the famous song of
the title and the curse it supposedly carries.
With the Holocaust looming, a cast of four
individuals is plunged into an emotional
whirlwind that overwhelms and mesmerizes.
As an added attraction at this exclusive
showing, the star of Gloomy Sunday Erika
Marozsán will be in attendance. Father John
Walsh will help introduce the film.
5
ART WINNERS: Teacher Julie Etheridge,
who is on leave of absence, has passed on
some exciting news related to some of her
2003-2004 students at Vincent Massey
Collegiate in Rosemount. The group from
Secondary III worked with professionals at
the Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery on
special art display which has since won some
awards.
FOREIGN STUDENTS: John F. Kennedy
High School in St. Michel and Marymount
Academy in N.D.G. opened their doors to
foreign students (Grades 8 and 9) from
Korea in January -- and it's been a
resounding success for the school and the
community. More such visits are planned for
next fall at these two schools and several
other schools in the EMSB including:
LaurenHill, Westmount, Laurier Macdonald
and Rosemount. To help these foreign
students get a taste of what it is like to live in
Canada, an organization called Study English
in Quebec (SEIQ) will be looking for
English-speaking families to act as “hosts”
while the students stay here and study in
high school for the 2005-2006 academic year.
Host families will be paid. If you are
interested, please call Brian Polan at (514)
217-7369 or email him at [email protected].
ROCKING PERSPECTIVES: Rock star
Frank Marino of Mahogancy Rush visited
Perspectives II High School in Montreal
North recently to talk with students about his
experiences in the music world. He shared
his own life story and talked about what it
meant to have a passion. He also invited
students Frank Guzzi, David Barbaccia,
Manny Nicholanos and teacher Rodney
Handelsma to demonstrate their exceptional
music skills.
Marino then gave a
demonstration of his own.
TALENT SHOW: Westmount High School
(4350 St. Catherine Street West) will present
a concert/talent show on April 1 (7 p.m.). The
high school music bands and the students will
be playing, dancing and singing. Tickets are
$5 at the door.
Heather Payne is
coordinating the event with music
teacher/band conductor Julia Tripia. And ,
on Fri. April 15 (7 p.m.) students will present
a performance of the stage musical Grease.
Rocker Frank Marino at Perspectives.
GREEK
PARADE:
Sinclair
Laird
Elementary School in Park Extension took
part in the annual Greek Parade on Jean
Talon Street March 27. Students carried a big
school banner. The school also held a Career
Fair recently for Grade 5 and 6 students. This
event was planned and organized by final
year McGill Nursing students. There were
professionals on hand from different fields
CANADIAN IDOL: Canadian Idol returns
to Quebec for auditions at the Palais des
Congrès de Montréal on Tuesday, April 19
(201 Rue Viger Ouest). CTV has announced.
Canadian Idol's four-member judging panel
(Farley Flex, Jake Gold, Sass Jordan and
Zack Werner), host Ben Mulroney and
correspondent Jon Dore will visit Montreal
for the three-day audition. Doors to the Palais
will open on the evening of April 18 to
accommodate an indoor line-up. However,
hopefuls only need to be in line by 8 a.m. on
the morning of the 19th to be guaranteed an
audition. Last year, a number of EMSB
students
auditioned.
One,
Dina
Koutsouflakis from FACE School, made it
to the top 150. The Canadian Idol team plans
6
to visit FACE School that week. Prospective
competitors are encouraged to visit the
Canadian Idol website (www.idol.ctv.ca) to
RSVP for the auditions. As well, competitors
should download and complete a regional
release form which is required to audition.
SPLASH AND DASH: Last November, 18
students from Westmount High School,
under the guidance of their coach, Angela
Corinthios, participated in the “Splash and
Dash” relay race fundraiser at McGill
University. The theme was kids helping kids.
Students competed in teams of three; the
first running two km, the second swimming
300 m. and the third running another two km.
In order to participate, each student had to
raise a minimum of $20. Collectively, the 18
WHS students raised $726. The event was
organized through the Sarah Cook Fund of
the Cedars Cancer Institute for Children and
through the Montreal Children’s Hospital
Foundation. All money raised from this
event goes toward the Oncology Unit of the
Montreal Children’s Hospital. On March 7, ,
the Westmount students were presented with
a plaque, thanking them for having raised the
most money out of all the schools that
participated in the event. They are proud of
their accomplishment and pleased they could
help some children at the hospital.
MULTICULTURAL DAY: Wagar High
School in Côte St. Luc hosted its final
Multicultural Day celebration on March 30.
This marked the sixth such event at Wagar,
which is slated to close on June 30. Keeping
with the 2005 theme of “Fusion,” the Wagar
committee invited the students of John Grant
High School to be part of the same program.
John Grant is a special needs school which
occupies the ground floor of the Wagar
facility. Ceremonies began with Wagar’s
traditional parade of flags, with students
entering the stage and representing different
countries around the world. The flag of
every country got loud ovations. Students
Rashmi
Silvarajah
and
Thanusha
Ambigaibahan gave a tsunami tribute. There
was gospel music, a stunning performance by
the John Grant Steel Pan Band, poetry, an
electric Gaana Dance, hip-hop and reggae
and tamil dances.
Bjarni Tryggvason (top left) meets students and
Principal Wayne Commeford.
Wagar students celebrate Multicultural Festival.
ASTRONAUT VISIT: Bjarni Tryggvason,
a Canadian astronaut and former Space
Shuttle crew member, recounted his
experiences in space exploration to the grade
7,8, and 9 students of James Lyng High
School in St. Henri on March 30. Born in
Reykjavik, Iceland, he grew up in Nova
Scotia and B.C. Tryggvason said that he first
wanted to become an astronaut when he was
11 years old in 1957, the same year the
Russians launched their Sputnik satellite and
started the space race. He then presented a
7
slide show of how he trained to be an
astronaut, which included survival training
exercises in the Arctic, parachute,
weightlessness and water immersion training,
as well as classes in the engineering and
mechanics of the Shuttle at the Johnson
Space Center in Houston, Texas. It was then
followed by pictures of his 12-day Shuttle
mission in 1997, where he was part of a sixmember crew, and conducted all of the
mission’s scientific experiments. The
students were then shown fascinating pictures
taken from the Shuttle of the Earth, a
hurricane, an oil spill and the International
Space Station. The main argument that
Tryggvason presented was that all of the
knowledge that he gained during his
astronaut training had its basis in his high
school education, especially the three
disciplines of languages, math and science.
He then fielded questions from the students,
dealing with topics ranging from the make up
of the planets, the highly pressurized feeling
an astronaut gets when the shuttle lifts off,
and what it was like to live and work in
space. Tryggvason is currently involved with
the Canadian Space Agency in Laval, and
with NASA’s Shuttle Avionics Integration
Laboratory (SAIL) program, which tests and
verifies Shuttle flight software before it is
used in space.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT ROOM: Nesbitt
in Rosemount has become the second EMSB
primary school, following Westmount Park
last fall, to get a Child Development Room.
Speech and Language Therapist Andrea
Rich helped turn this project into reality,
securing grants from the Unicorn Children’s
Foundation. The latter group also provided
volunteers to help set up the room. Ms. Rich
gave an in-service session regarding the new
programs available in the room, including
items for social pragmatic language, sensoriintegration, reading programs and fine motor
programs such as "Handwriting Without
Tears" and different computer programs.
SCIENCE FAIR: Dante Elementary School
in St. Léonard held its annual Science Fair
with 64 projects and 102 participants. Over
65 judges evaluated the projects based on
visual, oral and written presentations. Each
project was viewed by four different judges.
As a joint project with Laurier Macdonald
High School and the assistance of Principal
Pat Buttino and Vice-Principal Joe Harty,
21 Secondary V chemistry students, under
the supervision of their teacher Varha
Ahlawat, served as judges for this event also.
Many of the students are former Dante
School students. Principal Roma Michailuk,
and Vice Principal Rosaria Trupia, are
anxious to see graduates of Dante return as
judges. The Science Fair is organized each
year to promote and foster scientific
awareness. Teachers and administration work
hard to prepare the students. The winning
projects will be announced at a General
Assembly once all the plaques and medals
are engraved.
FRENCH FOR THE FUTURE: On April
26 Laurier Macdonald High School in St.
Léonard will be hosting the French For the
Future Conference. Quebec Minister of
Intergovernmental Affairs Benoit Pelletier
will speak. Astronaut Julie Payette and
Justin Trudeau may attend as well. Two
Secondary V students, Vanessa Gareffa and
Delia Cariello will represent Laurier
Macdonald in Ottawa for the Ambassador
Project where they will be spending three
days April 24-26 and participate in a national
debate at Rideau Hall.
HOME AND SCHOOL: The Quebec
Federation of Home and School Associations
will hold their 61st Annual General Meeting
and Conference April 22 and 23 at the
Montreal Airport Hilton (12505 Côte de
Liesse) Dorval. Touching Minds, Shaping
Futures is the theme. Workshops will focus
on subjects such as child obesity, the correct
balance between work and play and dealing
8
with issues at school. For more information,
call 481-5619.
The Hugs and Kisses project.
HUGS AND KISSES: The Third annual
Hugs and Kisses project for the Montreal
Children’s Hospital was a great success. The
project
originated
at
Michelangelo
Elementary in RDP where
Spiritual
Community Animator Vince Lacroce and
Cycle 1 teacher Sonia Arnoldo came
together to bring some cheer to Sabrina Di
Giandomenico, a brain tumor patient at the
Montreal Children’s Hospital. The project
expanded to four East End schools. The
goal was to create Valentine’s Day gift
baskets for all of the children at the Montreal
Children’s Hospital. The Hugs and Kisses
baskets contained new non-violent toys,
games, books, and personalized Valentine’s
Day cards made by the students. This year,
Laurier Macdonald, Dalkeith Elementary,
Dante
Elementary,
General
Vanier
Elementary, John Paul I High School,
McLearon Elementary, General Mcshane,
and EastHill Elementary continued this
project in memory of Sabrina Di
Giandomenico who passed away from a
brain tumor in the summer of 2003. The
schools’ combined efforts resulted in over
2,000 gifts and over 150 personalized baskets
for the young patients at the hospital, Rocco
Speranza, another spiritual community
animator, spearheaded his cluster of schools
in this tradition and was able to get CFCF 12
and JellyBean (CFCF 12 Mascot) to help in
the distribution of gifts.
LYNX ACTION: LaurenHill Academy had
more than its share of final playoff action the
first week back from March Break. The
Bantam hockey team coached by Kosta
Papoulias, having turned around a
disappointing start in only its second year of
operation, reached the championship game
against College Heritage and lost a close 4-3
decision. In basketball, both the Bantam and
Midget teams won it all, and are headed to
the
Provincial
Championships in April. The Bantam Lynx squad
handled the Lindsay Place Eagles while the
Midget cagers triumphed over St. Thomas
after an incredible fourth overtime period.
Meanwhile, twice a week at lunch hour, the
LaurenHill Junior campus Bob Clement,
who is also a professional disc jockey, sets up
for a karaoke session. “We get about half of
the school turning up to sing, boogey, or just
grove on the tunes,” says Vice-Principal
Solly Gliksman. “ It's really impressive!”
KIDS FESTIVAL: The first annual Kids
Fun Festival will be held on Tues. June 14 at
a location to be determined shortly. Six
different schools from the EMSB and Lester
B. Pearson School Board
will be
participating for a total of approximately
1,200 students. It will run from 9 a.m. until 2
p.m. In the event of rain, it will be moved to
June 15. The Kids Fun Festival will feature
at least 25 inflatable games such as jumper
games and slides, entertainment, and a full
BBQ lunch with hotdogs, hamburgers,
salads, drinks and dessert. Food will also be
available for volunteers and teachers. The
event's completely free. Westmount Park
School, Coronation and Carlyle are
participating. Lisa Dutton, a communications
officer at the Montreal Children’s Hospital of
the McGill University Health Centre is the
chief organizer. She can be reached at 4124400 x23991.
9
pedestrians are involved in a collision with a
motor vehicle in Canada.
Willingdon students focus on pedestrian safety.
PEDESTRIAN
SAFETY:
Willingdon
School in N.D.G. has been selected as one of
five Canadian schools to participate in a
project to promote pedestrian safety amongst
schoolchildren. On March 8, the Pedestrian
Safety Program was officially launched at the
school in a brief presentation in the presence
of Vice-Principal Christina Delaney and the
school’s Grade 3 students. The other schools
that are participating in the program are from
Halifax, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.
A joint effort of Federal Express (Fedex)
Canada and Safe Kids Canada, a national
injury prevention program of Toronto’s
Hospital for Sick Children, the Pedestrian
Safety Program is committed to reducing
pedestrian injuries to children across Canada
through education and creating safer
environments. Fedex employee Greg Carter
presented to CLSC N.D.G./Montreal West
social worker Magida Shatilla a copy of the
newly-launched guidebook Making It
Happen: Pedestrian Safety – A Guide for
Communities
Shatilla will be working
closely with Willingdon School to talk about
pedestrian safety to its students throughout
the year, and not just at Halloween. Fedex
employee Serge Martel then presented the
students with special reflective stickers, each
containing a different pedestrian safety rule.
Pedestrian injuries are the number one cause
of death and serious injury to Canadian
children between the ages of five and nine.
Every week, an average of 80 child
BOOK FAIR: Willingdon held its annual
Book Fair recently. Imogen Brian, Deborah
Wick, Joanne Therien and Bonnie Soutar
were
the
coordinators.
Scholastics
contributed money to the school library based
on the amount sold at Book Fair. This year
that adds up to over $2,000.00! The other
place that benefits from this event is the Step
Room which will receive over $1,500 in
resources. In addition, the second hand book
tables raised over $500 for the NDG Food
Depot and gave students and parents alike the
chance to score some great deals on some
fabulous books.
NUTRITION MONTH: March was
Nutrition Month and this year, "Sunny," the
EMSB mascot launched a contest under the
theme "The Colourful World of Fruits and
Vegetables...Sunny just can't get enough!"
During the month of March, Sunny
encouraged students to eat more fruits and
vegetables and exposed them to different
produces of the world by asking them to
submit a research project on an exotic fruit or
vegetable including a recipe. The winning
class with the most original recipe will win
an exotic fruits and vegetables tasting party
offered by the Board Dietitians.
At LaurenHill, Nutrition Month was marked
at the junior campus. EMSB Nutrionist
Giuliana di Quinzio, provided both
Secondary I and II students with facts and
myths regarding proper eating and
conditioning. She is also in the process of
providing a fuller understanding to all
Secondary I students, through three visits to
each Moral Education class. Throughout the
month, students' names were entered in the
"March is Nutrition Month" contest, by virtue
of their being seen eating nutritious snacks
and meals in the cafeteria. Weekly winners
have come away with gift certificates to fine
restaurants in the area.
10
WINNING THE FOOD FIGHT: Pediatric
nutritionist Dr. Joey Shulman, author of
Winning The Food Fight – Every Parent’s
Guide To Raising A Healthy. Happy Child,
will be speaking at Congregation Beth Israel
Beth Aaron (6800 Mackle Road) in Côte St.
Luc on Sun. April 10 ( 7 p.m.). Tickets are
$10 in advance and $12 at the door. The
event is sponsored by The Special Needs
Network and Yad B’Yad. Info: 736-2273. Dr.
Shulman is a registered holistic nutritionist.
She is an authority on pediatric nutrition and
is highly sought after as a speaker and writer
about children's diets and links to health and
will be addressing such issues as how one
can deal with ADD and ADHD by modifying
a child's diet, Log on to www.drjoey.com.
LEARNING DISABILITIES: The Student
Services Department will hold a workshop
on April 7 for psychologists, guidance
counsellors and special education consultants
on the topic of Understanding Learning
Disabilities. Presenter Dave Ellemberg, a
neuropsychologist, will identify and describe
the different types of learning disabilities (i.e.
dyslexia, dysorthographia, etc.) as well as
their impact on academic achievement and
self-esteem. He also intends to explain how
the neuropsychological assessment is a
valuable tool to better understand and to
define the nature of an individual’s learning
disability. As well, he will describe how the
results of an assessment help one to construct
a personalized intervention and education
plan that integrates accommodations in the
classroom, adapted support at home, and
specialized training programs by qualified
professionals. Dr. Ellemberg is currently the
Director of Neuropsychological Assessment
of Learning Disabilities Clinic of Montreal.
He is also a Professor at Université de
Montréal and Associate Scientist at L’Hôpital
Ste-Justine. He has been involved in several
research projects for over ten years that
investigate the development of the human
brain and its resilience and has presented at
several national and international conferences
in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.
UNDERSTANDING HOMOSEXUALITY: At
the request of many participants from the
last workshop, entitled For A New
Understanding of Homosexuality,
the
Student Services Department is offering Part
II of this theme which will take place on
May 27 at central head office. Social worker
Bill Ryan and psychologist Françoise Susset
will serve as animators. The goal of this
interactive workshop is to provide
participants with strategies for intervention,
as well as counselling youth on the issue of
sexual orientation.
Carol Jazzar,
Martha Adams.
Jackie
Dolson-Shewchuk
and
PROMPT: The Centre of Excellence for
Speech and Language Development hosted
a three-day workshop designed to address the
needs of school-based speech and language
pathologists regarding verbal
speech
production disorders in children. It was held
at the EMSB Central Head Office. Entitled
“PROMPT ( Prompts for restructuring oral
muscular phonetic targets) focused on the
treatment of verbal speech production
disorders in children. Twenty-two speech and
language pathologists
from the EMSB,
Lester B. Pearson School Board, Sir Wilfred
Laurier School Board, Riverside School
Board and Western Quebec School Board
participated. Jackie Dolson-Shewchuk of
New York City and Martha Adams of
11
Austin, Texas were the facilitators. Carol
Jazzar of the EMSB coordinated the
program.
PUBLIC SPEAKING: The annual Public
Speaking Competition for Secondary IV and
V students will take place on Tues. April 26
at Westmount High School (4350 Ste.
Catherine St. W). As in the past, it is likely
that the Rotary Club of Montreal will invite
the Secondary V winner to participate in its
event in May. As well, the Women’s
Canadian Club will award the Secondary IV
winner with an all expense paid week to
Encounters with Canada in Ottawa. Topics
will be of the students’ choosing, but should
be of a social or global significance. For
more information, contact Languages
Consultant Marsha Gouett at 483-7200, ext.
7318 or [email protected].
LIBRARIANS: A Professional Development
Day for Librarians and Library Technicians
will take place April 22 at St. Pius X in
Ahuntsic. Sonia Maltais from Ciné-Fête
will discuss Videos for Elementary and
Secondary School while Dr. Joe Schwarcz
will focus on Humour, Magic and Health - a
talk about wellness in the workplace.
LIBRARY WEEK: Beginning next year,
EMSB Library Week will be held in
conjunction with Family Literacy Day. The
2006 date will be January 23-27.
MADRID TRIP: A total of 57 students from
the IBO programs partnered with John Paul I
Junior High School (Secondary II) and
Laurier Macdonald (Secondary III)) toured to
Madrid, Granada, Costa del Sol, Gibraltar
and Séville. The students study Spanish and
learn the Spanish culture. LMAC VicePrincipal Donna Manos,
teachers Joe
Schembri, Annie Caya and
Andy
D’Alessandro and John Paul I teachers
Nevio Marzinotto, Jésus Garcia and
Veronica Di Ciccio took part.
FASHION SHOW: Laurier Macdonald will
host its second annual fashion show called
Elements on Wed. April 13 (7:30 p.m.) at
Baron Royal (6020 Jean Talon, Suite 200).
The evening will feature many students
modeling some of the latest in adult fashion,
as well as evening and formal wear. Tickets
are $45 for tickets and the show. Donations
of door prizes are welcome. For more
information call Joe Harty at 374-6000 or
[email protected].
EDMONTON CONFERENCE: During the
EMSB Spring Break, Frank Tiseo, Winston
Emery and Audrey Berner represented the
Laurier Macdonald Media Department at the
annual
Greater
Edmonton
Teachers
Association (GETCA) Teachers’ Convention
in Edmonton, Alberta. LMAC had been
invited to speak about The Rainbow of
Dreams Publications as well as other projects
done at Laurier Macdonald. The presentation,
titled “Beyond the Journey: Project Based
Learning with Technology.” addressed the
cross curricular nature of the school’s
teaching. “We shared our philosophies of
teaching, using student centred, project based
methods in all our assignments,” said Ms.
Berner. “We showed the Alberta teachers
how we, as a department, have already
embraced the Reforms of the MEQ. During
each three hour session, we talked about our
book project, sharing the whole process from
how the students select old family
photographs, through to how the students
prepare the books for publication. We talked
about other projects as well: the Secondary
III project on a built environment, the
Secondary V magazine cover assignment and
the Secondary IV Robotics competition.”
FREE DRESS DAY: Occasionally at
Laurier Macdonald, students are permitted
to come to school out of uniform for what
they call "free dress days." Each student is
asked to contribute a toonie, which is
collected by the administration for the benefit
of students. Although the money is often
12
used to help fund student activities, the
students also use it to help support
organizations within the community. On
March 15 Amanda Ferri, a Secondary V
student, presented $300 to the Massimo
Fiorilli Foundation which continues a
relationship the students forged with
Massimo last school year. Massimo has a
undiagnosed genetic disorder, and like hi
sfamily in the past, would be attending
Laurier
Macdonald
if
his
health
permitted. This money not only helps
Massimo receive much needed treatments, it
also helps to educate the students of Laurier
Macdonald, as they have an opportunity to
see first hand, how life is like for others less
fortunate.
On March 17 Michael Sanchez, a Secondary
IV student at Laurier Macdonald presented
Josie Primiani of the East Foundation with
$300 to asssist families with the cost of much
needed physical therapy for their special
needs children. The East Foundation is run
out of the Leonardo Da Vinci Center in St.
Léonard, and not only helps fund therapy but
also helps to hire "shadows" so their special
needs children can be fully integrated into
regular summer camp at Camp Allegria. The
East Foundation helps support families of
children who suffer from conditions such as
Autism, Down Syndrome, Global Delay and
Chromosonal Defficiencies.
John Ryan, Terry Saba and Caroline SturgesSparkes
EBS ROUNDTABLE: The governing board
of Elizabeth Ballantyne Elementary School in
Montreal West held Quebec a Education
Program - Parent Round Table Session
recently. More than 50 parents and staff
attended, as well as Region 3 Director Mario
Tirelli and some other school principals. The
evening began with introductory remarks by
EBS Governing Board Chair Ian Stronach,
and the school’s principal, Katherine Snow.
Next, selected video segments from The
Learner-centred
Classroom,
a
DVD
produced by Télé-Québec in collaboration
with the CBC, provided an overview of the
general philosophy of the Quebec Education
Program (QEP), and some of the reasons for
moving towards to a more “student-centred”
as opposed to a “teacher-directed” classroom.
Video segments were followed by brief
speeches by John Ryan (EMSB Director of
Pedagogical Services), Caroline SturgeSparkes (EMSB Pedagogical Consultant,
School Success Plans), and Terry Saba
(EMSB Pedagogical Consultant, English
Language Arts and Cooperative Learning)
who linked the piloting of the new report
cards, student-led conferencing, school
success plans to the implementation of the
QEP. Participants also learned about student
competencies--how these can be applied in
different contexts, and how student portfolios
can be used to support the process of learning
and assessment. The evening ended with
lively and informative round table
discussions by topic area.
A
WRITER
AND
BALLERINA:
Edinburgh Elementary School in Montreal
West is pleased to announce that Grade 5
student Michael Hutchison has been chosen
as the winner of the Imperial Oil Foundation
Writing Contest for his story called “Treasure
in B.C.” His story incorporated information
about Nelson, B.C. into an exciting piece of
fiction about two boys on a treasure hunt.
You can read the complete story at
www.bookweek.ca. Meanwhile, student
Emily Michelin successfully earned a role in
the Ballet Ouest’s classic ballet production
Sleeping Beauty which will take place April
16 and 17 at the Leonardo Da Vinci Centre in
St. Léonard.
13
CEDARCREST CAMP: Students from
Cedarcrest Elementary School recently
enjoyed a three-day winter camp experience
at Camp Edphy in Ste Adéle for 3 days.
Senior students enjoyed outdoor activities.
“ Because of their culture and being from the
inner city for most of them, it may be their
only exposure to the “Great Canadian
Wilderness,” said Principal Bev Townsend.
“And for many it was their first time away
from home.”
CHIEF TOP LEAF:
The students of
Honoré Mercier Elementary School in St.
Léonard got a rare treat recently when Chief
Top Leaf came to speak. He took them back
in history, teaching them how Natives lived
500 years ago. Using beautiful Native
artifacts, he taught them about their teepees,
their canoes, their drums and their toys. They
learned about Native Spirituality and how it
is so closely connected with nature. As one
student said: "Natives had a lot of advanced
past knowledge."All of the students were
very fortunate to have received some of this
knowledge from Chief Top Leaf.
Royal Vale kids take a water break.
JUMP ROPE: Royal Vale School in N.D.G.
took part in the Heart and Stroke Jump
Rope for Heart event on Wed, March 30.
Loblaw’s N.D.G. provided students with fruit
and bottled water for the event. This annual
event is a unique program that combines
physical fitness (through the use of jump
ropes) and cardiovascular education while
raising funds to support the Heart and Stroke
Foundation of Quebec. For the past 16 years,
the Jump Rope for Heart Program has
reached over 50,000 school children each
year in Quebec. Last year, Royal Vale
Elementary School raised a total of $9,691.86
for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of
Quebec. Their objective was to raise over
$10,000 this year. The fundraising part of
Jump Rope for Heart consists of staff and
students participating in a skipping challenge.
Prior to the event, participants secured
pledges. Students received fabulous thankyou prizes based on the pledges they collect
individually. This year, Royal Vale High
School joined in on the fun and fundraising
with their own “Hoops for Heart” which
followed the next day, March 31.
Phys Ed teacher Norman Katz taught the
required skills and prepared the students in
their Physical Education classes leading up to
March 30. The Jump Rope for Heart event is
a fun, non-competitive and dynamic event in
which children can participate to raise money
for the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s
research, education and prevention programs.
MERCHANT OF VENICE: The Royal
West
Academy
Bardolators
recently
presented a sparkling dinner theatre rendition
of William Shakespeare’s controversial play
The Merchant of Venice to an audience of
110, complete with fine wine and pasta. This
modern dress version of the play, set in
1930’s fascist Italy, was the third production
of the Bardolators, a Shakespeare troupe
started lasted year by Royal West teacher
Doug Floen. The group is composed of
students from Grades 8 to 11. They not only
perform in the plays, but also direct the
scenes, design the lighting, select the music,
produce, decorate the set, procure the props,
sell advertising for the program book and
create the advertising for the play that’s
posted in the school. The program book and
the cooking of the pasta dinner were done by
14
many of the school’s parent volunteers while
dinner was served by the Ukraine Exchange
students. The next endeavor for the
Bardolators is Shakespeare’s slapstick play
The Taming of the Shrew, which will be
performed during the week of May 23, with
a dinner theatre presentation on May 27. All
are welcome. For more information, please
call Royal West at 489-8454.
MAPLE TRUDEAU: The sixth grade
students of Pierre Elliott Trudeau School in
Rosemount, under the guidance of teacher
Rola Soueidan, participated in a contest
entitled Dessine-moi Noël dans une érablière
in December 2004. La Fédération des
producteurs agricoles du Québec, in
collaboration with le ministère de
l’Agriculture,
des
Pêcheries
et
de
l’Alimentation du Québec invited elementary
school students to participate. The proposed
theme was to depict how Christmas could be
celebrated by children in a sugar camp. As of
Christmas 2005, the traditional design found
on maple syrup products will be replaced by
winning drawings sent in by children.
Two drawings from students, Mina
Elizabeth (6A) and Vanessa Chiazzese (6B)
were among the selected drawings. The
students and their school will receive prizes.
As well, for all products sold,bearing the
new images, a donation will be made to Ste.
Justine’s Hospital.
TSUNAMI UPDATE: The EMSB youth and
adult sectors have now raised an
extraordinary $50,828.23 for tsunami relief.
The breakdown is as follows: Region 1,
$22,136.79; Region 2, $10,829.32; Region 3,
$12,327.54 ;Adult Education and Vocational
Services, $4,455.58; and Central Head
Office, $1,079.00
Some recent tsunami news from the schools
includes:
•St-Gabriel Elementary School in Point St.
Charles, through its “Spirit Club” (a club
developed to enhance student’s spiritual
growth and community involvement), held a
highly successful penny drive for tsunami
relief. The theme was “Give a Penny, Save a
Life.” In just two weeks time, the school
brought in over 30 000 pennies, raising
369.75$ for the Canadian Red Cross Tsunami
Relief Fund.
•Cyle 2 and 3 students from Dante
Elementary School in St. Léonard were
witness recently to a beautiful memorial for
all of the victims of the tsunami tragedy.
The Dante Art Club created an attractive map
of the world that was placed in the center of
the gymnasium. Each of the 12 Southeast
Asian countries were represented by their
country’s flag and a white candle. The
Spiritual and Community Student Council
read reflections and prayers for the men,
women, and children affected by this horrible
disaster. The names of the countries affected
by the Tsunami were read aloud while Vince
Lacroce,
Spiritual
and
Community
Animator, lit a candle for each. Many of the
students and teachers had to hold back the
tears as twelve white roses were laid to rest
on each of the countries on the map. A
powerpoint presentation captured the extent
of the devastation, both human and monetary,
left in the wake of the tsunami.
Two Laurier Macdonald students, Amanda
Monaghan and Stephanie Lomuto, sang
three beautiful songs during the service.
At the end of the memorial, the students were
asked to reflect for a moment on how
fortunate they were to still have their loved
ones to go home to. They were asked to think
of a way that they could show their thanks for
this gift of family through simple acts of
kindness.
YOUR TEEN AND SEX: Dr. Franziska
Baltzer, a pediatrician and director of the
Adolescent Medicine and Gynecology
Program, will give a talk on What you need
to know about sex-bracelets, the cute Playboy
bunny and sexy fashions. It will take place on
15
Wed. April 6 (7:30 p.m) at The Amphithéâtre
of The Montreal Children's Hospital, D-182.
2300 Tupper St. (corner Atwater Ave.) For
more details call Marcie Scheim at (514)
412-4400 ext. 22388.
POLICE WORKSHOPS: Montreal Police
Station 9, which covers Côte St. Luc,
Hampstead and Montreal West, recently
invited parents to a safety tip workshop with
their children (aged four to eight). who
learned more about important phone
numbers, routes to take and a meeting place
if they get lost. There was also information
sessions devoted to drug prevention,
observation techniques, witnesses, the court
process and the citizen arrest, reports
Constable Julie Prince Dagenais.
DENIM DAY: Schools will soon be sent
their 2005 packages for National Denim Day,
which takes place on Tues. May 10. EMSB
schools have been exceptionally successful in
this fundraiser for breast cancer education
and research. The CURE Foundation has
announced that for a sixth consecutive year,
fashion footwear retailer, PEGABO will act
as title sponsor of National Denim Day. This
year hundreds of thousands of Canadians will
take part in National Denim Day, showing
their support by wearing denim in exchange
for a suggested donation of $5. Since its
inception in October of 1996, the CURE
foundation has raised in excess of $8 million.
The funds raised will enable the CURE
Foundation to raise breast cancer awareness
and support research and technology to
provide the means for earlier breast cancer
detection, prevention and, one day, a CURE.
Info: 1-888-592-CURE.
LOONIE CARNIVAL: Yann Deville, the
physical education teacher at Dunrae Gardens
Elementary School in T.M.R., organized a
Loonie Carnival to raise funds to benefit the
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
(JDRF) .The Grade 4 students in teacher
Litsa Pelonis’ class made holiday cards and
sold them to raise money for JDRF.
The sum collected from the carnival and the
cards was $542.!
FREE CONCERT: Westmount Park
Elementary School recently had a fabulous
free concert featuring LP Camozzi and his
group singing Even Kids get the Blues. Lucie
MacDonald was the featured speaker. The
children were invited to dance in the aisles
and received free copies of his CD. The
invitation was extended to mothers and sons
only.
PAUL VI DANCE: The annual Paul VI
High School Fundraiser Dinner Dance 2005
will take place on Sat. April 23 at Buffet
Châteaubriand (7985 Maurice Duplessis) in
RDP. The evening will be filled with
dancing, good food, wonderful prizes, and
the great company of friends and family!All
funds raised from this event will go towards
subsidizing many activities for the school’s
special needs students. Please visit their
website at www.emsb.qc.ca/paulvi for
additional details.
ONE-ACT MUSICALS: The Choeur des
Enfants de Montréal, under the direction of
former FACE School faculty member Iwan
Edwards, will present two staged one-act
musicals April 15 (7:30 p.m.) and April 16 (3
p.m) at St. George Anglican Church (1101
Stanley). Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for
students and seniors and $6 for children 12
and under, The first, “100% Chance of Rain”
by Walter S. Horsley, tells the story of Noah
and the Ark. The chorus acts as narrator
while Noah struggles to convince his family
that God has ordered him to build an ark. The
second musical, by Montreal song-writer and
former EMSB speech and language therapist
Paula Rosen, recounts three famous
Shakespeare plays in an unexpected (and
hilarious) way: from the point of view of a
flower (Midsummer Night’s Dream), an
eyeball (King Lear) and a Damned Spot
16
(Macbeth).
These are Shakespeare’s
“Unsung Heroes,” who are now, at last, his
sung heroes. . The Choeur des Enfants de
Montréal is an outstanding treble choir that is
not affiliated with any religious group, school
or organization, open to children from the
greater Montreal area. David Paterson,
another former FACE teacher, is the stage
director. For more details call 489-5936.
Tickets will be available at the door or in
advance at the NDG Community Center
(3757 Prud’homme).
WIZARD OF OZ: Administrators by day,
actors by night.
Regardless of which,
Entertainment is the Name of the Game!
Take part in an evening of fun and enjoyment
on Tues. May 31 (7 p.m.) at Westmount High
School (4350 St. Catherine Street West) as
you watch you
favourite EMSB
administrators and consultants perform in a
modern fairy tale (partly surreal and partly
humoristic) written for an adult audience.
This production will includes many different
fairy tale characters such as Dorothy, The
Wizard of the EMSB, Scarecrow, Celine
Dion and many others and is based on The
Wizard of Oz theme. The opening act will be
provided by Ernie Butler from the Comedy
Nest. Tickets are $20. Proceeds from the
show will benefit Cystic Fibrosis. For years,
this dreadful disease has robbed children of
the many pleasures of childhood and has
terminated young lives. For tickets contact
Tina Lavranos at EMSB extension 2014, or
Connie Primiano at EMSB extension 2018.
Other planning committee members include
Paul Saunders, Don Houston, Sandra
Furfaro,
Phyllis
D’Amato,
Ivana
Colatriano, Evelyne Alfonsi and Judy
Simpson.
PEOPLE: Joseph Lalla has retired as
principal of Gerald McShane Elementary
School in Montreal North. He will be
succeeded on an interim basis by Maria
Palmieri, the vice-principal at St. Pius X
High School … Felishea Quattrociocche, a
13 year old student in the Sports-Études
Program at the Lester B. Pearson High
School, recently captured gold medal in
archery at a competition in Trois-Riviéres.
ADULT AND VOC ED
CURTIS GEORGE: The EMSB mourns
the passing of Curtis George, the devoted
and longtime assistant director of
Rosemount Technology Centre.
A
memorial service is being planned at the
school on Friday, April 8 (12:45 p.m.).
HATS OFF: Two EMSB students were
chosen as winners in the local competition
for Chapeau Les Filles (Hats Off), which
pays tribute to women in non-traditional
trades. Jodie Jewel Bard from Rosemount
Technology Centre (RTC)
(Cabinet
Making) and Martha Almendariz from
Laurier Macdonald Career Centre in St.
Léonard (Automobile Mechanics) are now
candidates for the regional competition.
Winners will be announced at a Gala to be
held April 13 (10:30 a.m.) at CEGEP
Rosemount.
SUGARING OFF:
Forty-two students
from the hairdressing classes at Laurier
Macdonald Vocational Centre were the very
first clients at “Aux Délices des Sucres” in
Saint-Lin Laurentides. Students and teachers
enjoyed a hardy traditional meal and Quebec
folklore in an authentic “Cabane a Sucre” of
days gone by. “For our ethnic students in the
group, this first time outing was both a
sweet experience and a cultural discovery,”
says Assistant Centre Director Agostino
Porchetta.
BIG CONFERENCE: The EMSB is playing
a critical role in the planning and
organization of an adult education conference
for teachers from all board on May 12 and 13
at the Sheraton Laval Hotel. More details to
come.
17
LIVE TV: Global Television’s This Morning
Live reported live from Rosemount
Technology Centre recently and interviewed
teacher Tony Leone and a couple of
students.
Volunteers urgently needed!
The Canadian Cancer Society
is in search of volunteers for
the Daffodil Days
from April 7th to April 10th, 2005
April 19, 2005
Brain Waves Gala II
Leonardo Da Vinci Centre
St. Léonard
6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
April 20, 2005
Parent Volunteer Appreciation Evening
Oscar Peterson Hall
Concordia University
Sponsored by First Canadian Financial
Services
(www.fcfs-inc.com)
April 22, 2005
Earth Day
Join our team and help us win
the fight against cancer
If you have an afternoon or a day to spare
We need you as solicitors, drivers…
An information session will be held
soon
For more information, please call
Andréa Monette at (514) 255-5151,
ext. 2719
IMPORTANT DATES
April 7 – 10, 2005
Daffodil Days
April 8, 2005
Citizenship Ceremony
Carlyle School
109 Carlyle, T.M.R.
10 a.m.
April 13, 2005
Laurier Macdonald Elements Fashion Show
Baron Royal , St. Léonard
6020 Jean Talon, Suite 200
Tickets, $45
Info: 374-6000 or [email protected].
April 22 & 23, 2005
Quebec Federation of Home and School
Associations
Annual
Meeting and
Conference
Montreal Airport Hilton
12505 Côte de Liesse
Info: 481-5619
April 26, 2005
High School Public Speaking Finals
Secondary IV and V
Westmount High School
9 a.m.
4350 St. Catherine Street West
May 1, 2005
EMSB Chorale
25th Anniversary Spring Gala Concert
3 p.m.
Oscar Peterson Hall
7141 Sherbrooke Street West
Tickets: $10 for adults; $5 for students and
seniors)
Info: 483-7200, ext. 7234
May 10, 2005
National Denim Day
May 11, 2005
Curriculum Fair
Carlyle School
18
109 Carlyle, T.M.R.
6:30 p.m.
May 31, 2005
De-tensionThe Wizard of Oz
7 p.m.
Presented by EMSB Staff
Westmount High School
(4350 Ste. Catherine Street West)
June 3 and 4, 2005
Willingdon 75th Anniversary
Info: 484-2881
June 28 and 29, 2005
Summer School Registration
John F. Kennedy High School
303 Villeray
LaurenHill Academy
2505 Cote Vertu
9 a.m. to Noon and 1 pm. to 5 p.m.
(Classes begin July 4)
des bénévoles le 20 avril à la salle Oscar
Peterson (7141 Sherbrooke ouest) de
l’Université Concordia. Cet évènement aura
lieu au cours de la Semaine Nationale de
l’Action Bénévole, dont le thème de cette
année est « Les bénévoles font grandir la
communauté ». Eramelinda Boquer,
personnalité des médias, tiendra le rôle de
maîtresse de cérémonie et elle sera
accompagnée sur scène par le comédien
américain Basile qui a donné deux spectacles
à guichets fermés au Festival « Juste pour
Rire » de 2003 et 2004. L’orchestre
percussionniste
de
l’école
primaire
Coronation de Côte-des-Neiges offrira le
divertissement musical. Les Services
Financiers First Canadian (www.fcfsinc.com), spécialistes en Régimes enregistrés
d’épargne éducation (REÉÉ) seront à
nouveau les commanditaires principaux de la
soirée. Le président de First Canadian,
Joseph Afshar, tiendra le rôle de président
honoraire de l’évènement.
RÉUNION DU CONSEIL : Des audiences
ont eu lieu au 6000 Fielding au sujet des
propositions de disposition de l’école
secondaire Wagar de Côte Saint-Luc. Les
options considérées sont le transfert de
l’école Royal Vale au bâtiment de Wagar et
de celui de l’Académie Marymount au
bâtiment de Royal Vale.
Le temps et l’espace ne permettront pas à la
CSEM d’honorer en personne tous les 1 500
bénévoles. Par conséquent, seules les
personnes qui ont fait du bénévolat pour plus
de cinq ans, soit près de 500 personnes,
seront présentes. Cependant, plusieurs
milliers de copies du programme-souvenir
seront distribuées à chaque école. Un des
points saillants de la soirée sera la
présentation du prix de Bénévole de
distinction qui sera décerné cette année à
Theodora
Dafniotis
(connue
affectueusement sous le nom de Roula). Au
cours des 34 dernières années, elle s’est
dévouée à l’école primaire Carlyle de Ville
Mont-Royal en y consacrant de très
nombreuses heures et en effectuant toute
tâche
nécessaire.
Veuillez
consulter
www.emsb.qc.ca
et
la
section
« Communiqués de presse » pour plus de
détails. À la section « Informations sur les
parents » vous trouverez la liste complète des
bénévoles.
SOIRÉE DES BÉNÉVOLES : La CSEM
organisera sa quatrième Soirée d’appréciation
POLITIQUE
D’ADAPTATION
PLEINS FEUX SUR FIELDING
PIERRE PETTIGREW : Le ministre des
Affaires étrangères, Pierre Pettigrew, député
fédéral de Papineau, visitera l’école
secondaire John F. Kennedy (3030 Villeray)
de l’arrondissement de Saint-Michel, le
vendredi 1er avril (13 h 45). Le but de cette
visite est de s’entretenir avec les élèves de la
Commission
scolaire
English-Montréal
(CSEM) de ses récents voyages à l’étranger,
notamment dans les régions ravagées par le
tsunami en Asie du Sud-Est et au MoyenOrient.
EN
MATIÈRE
SCOLAIRE : Après
19
d’intensives consultations, la CSEM a adopté
une nouvelle politique en matière
d’adaptation scolaire dont l’objectif est de
dispenser et d’organiser des services
éducatifs pour les élèves aux besoins
particuliers – qu'ils aient des handicaps, des
difficultés d’apprentissage ou sociales – dans
l’espoir de les intégrer aux classes ordinaires.
Les Services aux élèves assumeront la
responsabilité de la mise en œuvre, la
diffusion, le suivi et l’évaluation de la
politique qui vise tous les élèves aux besoins
particuliers admissibles du primaire et du
secondaire. Les élèves seront placés dans des
écoles aussi proches que possible de leurs
domiciles. L’organisation
des
services
éducatifs requis sera basée sur l’évaluation
individuelle des habiletés et des besoins de
l’élève en question ainsi que sur les
ressources financières disponibles. Cette
politique a été adoptée conformément à
l’article 235 de la Loi sur l’instruction
publique qui précise que chaque commission
scolaire doit adopter une politique s’assurant
de l’intégration harmonieuse des élèves aux
besoins particuliers aux classes et aux
activités ordinaires de l’école. Les détails
complets de cette politique se trouvent à la
section « Communiqués de presse » de
www.emsb.qc.ca.
ÉLÈVES
ÉTRANGERS :
L’école
secondaire
John
F.
Kennedy
de
l’arrondissement
de
Saint-Michel
et
l’Académie Marymount de N.D.G. ont ouvert
leurs portes en janvier à des élèves coréens
(8e et 9e année) et cette initiative a été
couronnée de succès pour les écoles et leurs
communautés. Plusieurs autres de ces visites
sont prévues aux deux écoles pour l’automne
prochain ainsi qu’à plusieurs autres écoles de
la CSEM : LaurenHill, Westmount, Laurier
Macdonald et Rosemont. Afin d’aider ces
élèves étrangers à apprécier la vie au Canada,
une organisation nommée Study English in
Quebec (SEIQ) est à la recherche de familles
« hôtesses » qui recevront ces élèves qui
suivront des cours au secondaire pendant
l’année scolaire 2005-2006. Ces familles
seront rémunérées. Les personnes intéressées
sont priées de communiquer avec Brian
Polan au (514) 217-7369 ou de lui adresser
un courriel à [email protected].
JOURNÉE
MULTICULTURELLE :
L’école secondaire Wagar de Côte Saint-Luc
organisera sa dernière journée multiculturelle
le 30 mars. C’est le sixième évènement de ce
genre tenu à Wagar qui doit fermer ses portes
le 30 juin. Dans le cadre du thème de 2005 «
Fusion », le comité de Wagar a invité les
élèves de l’école secondaire John Grant à
participer au même programme. John Grant
est une école fréquentée par des élèves aux
besoins particuliers qui occupe le rez-dechaussée de Wagar. Les cérémonies à Wagar
ont débuté avec le défilé traditionnel de
drapeaux de divers pays du monde portés par
les élèves.
FOIRE DE SCIENCES : L’école primaire
Dante de l’arrondissement de Saint-Léonard
a tenu sa Foire annuelle de sciences, au cours
de laquelle 102 participants ont présenté 64
projets. Plus de 65 juges ont évalué les
projets de présentations visuelles, orales et
écrites. Chaque projet a été examiné par
quatre différents juges. Dans le cadre d’un
projet conjoint avec l’école secondaire
Laurier Macdonald et avec l’aide du directeur
Pat Buttino et du directeur adjoint Joe Harty,
21 élèves en chimie du Secondaire V, sous la
supervision de leur enseignant, ont aussi tenu
le rôle de juges. Un grand nombre de ces
élèves étaient d’anciens élèves de Dante. La
directrice Roma Michailuk et la directrice
adjointe Rosaria Trupia ont hâte de voir
leurs élèves de Dante assumer, à leur tour, le
rôle de juges. La Foire de sciences est
organisée annuellement dans le but
d’encourager et d’entretenir la sensibilisation
aux sciences. Les enseignant(e)s et
l’administration travaillent d’arrache pied
pour préparer les élèves. Les projets primés
seront annoncés lors d’une assemblée
générale lorsque toutes les plaques et
médailles seront prêtes.
HUGS AND KISSES : Le troisième projet
annuel Hugs and Kisses pour l’hôpital de
20
Montréal pour enfant a remporté un grand
succès. Ce projet a pris naissance à l’école
primaire Michelangelo de Rivière-desPrairies où l’animateur spirituel Vince
Lacroce et l’enseignante du 1er Cycle Sonia
Arnoldo ont décidé d’apporter un peu de joie
et de réconfort à Sabrina Di Giandomenico,
patiente de l’hôpital de Montréal pour enfants
atteinte d’une tumeur au cerveau. Le projet
s’est étendu à quatre écoles de l’est de la
ville. Le but du projet était de créer des
paniers de la Saint-Valentin pour tous les
enfants de l'hôpital. Les paniers Hugs and
Kisses contenaient de nouveaux jouets non
violents, des jeux, des livres et des cartes de
la Saint-Valentin personnalisées créées par
les élèves. Cette année, Laurier Macdonald,
les écoles primaire Dalkeith, Dante, Général
Vanier, McLearon, Gerald Mcshane et East
Hill ainsi que l’école secondaire John Paul I
ont poursuivi ce projet en mémoire de
Sabrina Do Giandomenico qui est décédée
à l’été 2003 des suites d’une tumeur au
cerveau. Les efforts combinés des écoles ont
produit 2000 cadeaux et 150 paniers
personnalisés pour les jeunes patients de
l’hôpital. Rocco Speranza, un autre
animateur spirituel, a engagé son groupe
d’écoles à cette tradition, et il a pu obtenir
l’appui de CFCF 12 et Jelly Bean (la
mascotte de CFCF 12) pour aider à la
distribution de cadeaux.
DIFFICULTÉS
D’APPRENTISSAGE :
Les Services aux élèves tiendront un atelier le
7 avril à l’intention des psychologues,
conseiller(ère)s d’orientation et d’adaptation
scolaire, dont le sujet sera « Comprendre les
difficultés d’apprentissage. » Le présentateur,
Dave
Ellemberg,
neuropsychologue,
identifiera et décrira les divers types de
difficultés d’apprentissage (ex : dyslexie,
dysorthographie, etc.) ainsi que leur impact
sur le rendement académique et l’estime de
soi. Il a aussi l’intention d’expliquer
comment l’évaluation neuropsychologique
est un outil qui sert à mieux comprendre et
définir
la
nature
des
difficultés
d’apprentissage de l’individu. Il décrira aussi
la façon dont les résultats d’une évaluation
aident à élaborer un plan d’enseignement
personnalisé et d’intervention qui intègre
l’adaptation en classe, le soutien adapté à la
maison et des programmes spécialisés de
formation par des professionnels qualifiés. Le
Dr Ellemberg est actuellement directeur de la
Clinique d’évaluation neuropsychologique
des difficultés d’apprentissage de Montréal.
Il est aussi professeur à l’Université de
Montréal et professeur associé à l’Hôpital
Sainte-Justine. Au cours d’une période de dix
ans, il a participé à un grand nombre de
projets de recherche qui étudiaient le
développement du cerveau humain et sa
résilience et il a fait des présentations lors de
plusieurs congrès nationaux et internationaux
aux États-Unis, en Europe et en Asie.
CONCOURS D’ART ORATOIRE : Le
concours annuel d’art oratoire pour les élèves
du Secondaire IV et V aura lieu le mardi 26
avril à l’école secondaire Westmount (4350
Sainte-Catherine ouest). Comme par les
années passées, il est probable que le Club
Rotary de Montréal invite le/la lauréat(e) du
Secondaire V à participer à un évènement en
mai. Le Club des femmes canadiennes
décernera aussi au/à la lauréat(e) du
Secondaire IV une semaine, tous frais payés,
aux « Rencontres avec le Canada » à Ottawa.
Les élèves choisiront leurs sujets qui
devraient avoir une portée sociale ou globale.
Pour plus d’informations, communiquez avec
la conseillère Marsha Gouett au 483-7200,
poste 7318 ou à [email protected].
LE FRANÇAIS POUR L’AVENIR : Le 26
avril, l’école secondaire Laurier Macdonald
sera l’hôtesse du congrès « Le Français pour
l’Avenir ». M. Benoit Pelletier, ministre des
affaires gouvernementales du Québec,
s’adressera aux participants. L’astronaute
Julie Payette et Justin Trudeau pourraient
aussi être présents. Deux élèves du
Secondaire V, Vanessa Gareffa et Delia
Cariello, représenteront Laurier Macdonald à
Ottawa où elles passeront trois jours, du 24
au 26 avril, pour le projet Ambassador et
participeront à un débat national à Rideau
Hall.
21
SAUTONS EN CŒUR : L’école Royal
Vale de NDG à pris part à l’évènement
Sautons en cœur le 30 mars dernier. Cette
activité annuelle est un programme unique
qui combine la forme physique (par le biais
du saut à la corde) et l’éducation
cardiovasculaire, tout en recueillant des fonds
pour la Fondation des maladies du cœur du
Québec. Au cours des 16 dernières années, le
programme « Sautons en Cœur » a atteint
plus de 50 000 élèves au Québec. L’an
dernier, Royal Vale a recueilli 9 691,86 $
pour la Fondation des maladies du cœur du
Québec. Leur objectif a été de recueillir plus
de 10 000 $ cette année par le biais d’un
concours de saut à la corde auquel participe
les élèves et les enseignant(e)s. Avant la
tenue de cet évènement, les participants ont
obtenu des promesses de dons. Les élèves ont
reçu des fabuleux cadeaux de remerciements
selon les promesses de dons qu’ils ont obtenu
individuellement. Cette année, l’école
secondaire Royal Vale a organisé son propre
programme de « Sautons en cœur » qui a eu
lieu le 31 mars.
FOIRE DE LIVRES : L’école primaire
Willingdon de NDG a tenu récemment sa
Foire annuelle de livres. Imogen Brian,
Deborah Wick, Joanne Therien et Bonnie
Soutar ont coordonné l’évènement. Les
contributions monétaires à la bibliothèque de
l'école se sont élevées cette année à plus de 2
000 $. La salle de ressources (salle 31) a
aussi profité de cet évènement et recevra plus
de 1 500 $ en ressources. En outre, les tables
de livres de seconde main ont permis de
recueillir plus de 500 $ pour le Dépôt
d’Aliments de NDG et elles ont donné
l’occasion aux élèves, ainsi qu’aux parents,
d’obtenir de très bons prix pour quelques très
bons livres.
TSUNAMI : Les secteurs des jeunes et des
adultes de la CSEM ont recueilli la somme
extraordinaire de 50 828,23 $ pour les
sinistrés du tsunami. Cette somme se répartit
comme suit : Région 1, 22 136,79 $; Région
2, 10 829,32 $; Région 3, 12 327,54 $;
Service de l’éducation des adultes et de la
formation professionnelle, 4 455,58 $; centre
administratif, 1 079,00 $.
L’école primaire St. Gabriel de Pointe-SaintCharles, par le biais de son « Club spirituel »
(un club qui vise à rehausser la croissance
spirituelle et la participation communautaire
de l’élève), a organisé une levée de fonds
couronnée de succès pour les victimes du
tsunami, dont le thème était « Donnez un sou,
sauvez une vie ». En tout juste deux
semaines, l’école a recueilli plus de 30 000
sous et a remis 369,75 $ au Fonds de soutien
au tsunami de la Croix-Rouge.
Les élèves du Cycle 2 et 3 de l’école primaire
Dante de l’arrondissement de Saint-Léonard
ont assisté récemment à une belle cérémonie
commémorative de toutes les victimes de la
tragédie du tsunami. Le Club d’art de Dante a
produit une attrayante carte du monde qui a
été placée au centre du gymnase. Chacun des
12 pays de l’Asie du Sud-Est était représenté
par son drapeau et une bougie blanche. Des
prières ont été offertes pour les hommes,
femmes et enfants qui ont été affectés par ce
terrible désastre. Le nom des pays affectés
par le tsunami a été prononcé à haute voix
tandis que l’animateur de vie spirituelle et
d’engagement
communautaire,
Vince
Lacroce, allumait une bougie pour chacun
d’entre eux. Un grand nombre d’élèves et
d’enseignant(e)s avaient les larmes aux yeux
alors que douze roses blanches étaient posées
sur chaque pays de la carte. Un diaporama
électronique a présenté l’étendue du désastre,
humain et monétaire. Deux élèves de Laurier
Macdonald,
Amanda
Monaghan
et
Stephanie Lomuto ont chanté trois très
belles chansons au cours de la célébration. À
la fin de la cérémonie commémorative, il a
été demandé aux élèves de réfléchir à la
chance qu’ils avaient d’avoir des parents qui
les aimaient et qui les attendaient à la maison.
Il leur a été demandé de réfléchir à une façon
d’exprimer leurs remerciements pour ce don
qui est la famille, par de simples actes de
gentillesse.
22
ATELIER DES SERVICES DE POLICE :
La Station 9 de la Police de Montréal qui
couvre Côte-Saint-Luc, Hampstead et
Montréal-Ouest a récemment invité les
parents et leurs enfants, (âgés de 4 à 8 ans) à
un atelier traitant de conseils de sécurité. Au
cours de cette session, les enfants ont appris
qu’ils devaient retenir d’importants numéros
de téléphone, de savoir quel parcours suivre
et quel était le lieu de rencontre au cas où ils
se perdraient. Il y a eu aussi des sessions
d’information consacrées à la prévention de
la toxicomanie, les techniques d’observation,
les témoins, le processus judiciaire et les
arrestations par un citoyen.
JOURNÉE DU DENIM : Les écoles
recevront bientôt leurs trousses 2005 de la
Journée nationale du denim qui aura lieu le
mardi 10 mai. Les écoles de la CSEM ont
remporté d’exceptionnels succès lors de ces
campagnes sur la recherche du cancer du
sein. La Fondation CURE a annoncé que,
pour une sixième année consécutive, le
détaillant de chaussures de mode PEGABO
sera le commanditaire en titre de la Journée
nationale du denim. Cette année, des
centaines de milliers de canadiens et de
canadiennes participeront à cet évènement et
afficheront leur appui en portant du denim et
en faisant un don suggéré de 5 $. Depuis sa
création en octobre 1996, la Fondation CURE
a recueilli plus de 8 millions $. Ces fonds
aident la Fondation CURE à appuyer la
recherche et la technologie qui offrent les
moyens de détecter et de prévenir le cancer
du sein et, un jour, de découvrir une CURE.
Info : 1-888-592 CURE.
ÉDUCATION DES ADULTES ET
FORMATION PROFESSIONNELLE
CHAPEAU LES FILLES : Deux élèves de
la CSEM ont remporté le concours local de
Chapeau Les Filles (Hats Off) qui rend
hommage aux femmes qui pratiquent des
métiers non-traditionnels.
Jodie Jewel Bard du Centre de technologie de
Rosemont (CTR) (ébénisterie) et Martha
Almendariz du Centre de carrières Laurier
Macdonald (mécanique automobile) sont
maintenant candidates au concours régional.
Les lauréat(e)s seront proclamé(e)s au Gala,
qui aura lieu le 13 avril (10 h 30) au CÉGEP
Rosemont.
PARTIE DE SUCRE : Quarante-deux
élèves des classes de coiffure du Centre
Laurier Macdonald ont été les premiers
clients d’« Aux Délices des Sucres » de
Saint-Lin dans les Laurentides. Les élèves et
les enseignant(e)s ont apprécié un mets
traditionnel et le folklore québécois dans une
authentique cabane à sucre du passé. « Pour
nos élèves ethniques qui faisaient partie du
groupe, cette sortie a été une belle expérience
et une découverte culturelle » déclare le
directeur adjoint du Centre Agostino
Porchetta.
IMPORTANT CONGRÈS : La CSEM tient
un rôle critique dans la planification et
l’organisation d’un congrès pour les
enseignant(e)s d’éducation des adultes de
toutes les commissions scolaires, qui se
tiendra à l’hôtel Sheraton, Laval, les 12 et 13
mai. Plus de détails suivront.
DATES INPORTANTES
7 au 10 avril 2005
Journées des jonquilles
19 avril 2005
Gala II Brain Waves
Centre Leonardo da Vinci
Saint-Léonard
18h 30 à 22h 30
20 avril 2005
Soirée d’appréciation des parents bénévoles
Salle Oscar Peterson
Université Concordia
Parrainée par les Services financiers First
Canadian
(www.fcfs-inc.com)
22 avril 2005
23
Journée de la Terre
26 avril 2005
Finales du concours d’art oratoire
du Secondaire IV et V
École secondaire Westmount
4350 ouest, rue Sainte Catherine
10 mai 2005
Journée Nationale du Denim
31 mai 2005
The Wizard of Oz
19 h
Présenté par le personnel de la CSEM
École secondaire Westmount
4350 ouest, rue Sainte Catherine
3 et 4 juin 2005
75e anniversaire de l’école Willingdon
Informations : 484-2881
Submissions for the Fielding Focus should be
made to Michael J. Cohen by e-mail
([email protected]), fax (483-7213) or drop
it by room 109.