The monthly news bulletin of the EMSB School Year Comes to an End

T h e m o n t h l y n ew s b u l l et i n o f t h e EM SB
Vol.11. No. 11
EDITOR: MICHAEL J. COHEN
PRINTING SERVICES: L. SHAW, D. D’ORNELLAS
June 18, 2009
PROOFREADING/TRANSLATION: ALINE ZEROUNIAN
∆ New Budget Rules
∆ Strategic Plan
∆ A Piano From Oliver
∆ Trudeau Tour
∆ Impact Night
∆ Jump Rope Record
∆ French Instruction
∆ 10th Anniversary
∆ Healthy Schools
∆ Abi the Science Whiz
∆ Pius X in Italy
Antonio Lacroce (left) will be succeeded on an interim basis as Director
General by Mario Tirelli right. The two are seen here last week
presenting certificates to two students from Our Lady of Pompei
Elementary School who were part of the EMSB Vernissage. For more
details on this project see page 16.
School Year Comes to an End
The last day of school is officially Tuesday, June 23. EMSB primary
and secondary institutions will return to class on Monday, August
31, 2009. Kindergarten children must be five years of age on or
before September 30, 2009 while Grade 1 (Cycle 1) students must
be six years old on or before the same date.
Registration for those not previously enrolled will begin on
Thursday, August 13 for elementary and secondary schools. Parents
are asked to call the school in their neighbourhood to make an
appointment. All pupils registering for the first time are required to
provide a birth certificate and vaccination records to the school the
child will be attending. Parents will be asked to fill out forms which
will allow the school to apply for the certificate of eligibility for
English schooling.
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LACROCE RETIRES: An t on i o Lacr oce
h as an n ou n ced h i s i n t en t i on t o retire
as the Director General of the EMSB,
effective July 10. Mr. Lacroce has served in
this position for six years. Mario Tirelli,
currently the Deputy Director General, has
been appointed Acting Director General .
Mr. Lacroce has 35 years of service in the
public education sector. Prior to assuming his
present duties on June 30, 2003, he served as
deputy director general, director of human
resources and regional director. He also spent
seven years as the principal of Sir Winston
Churchill High School (now LaurenHill) in
Saint Laurent and Rosemount High School.
Mr. Lacroce entered the education system as a
physics teacher. He holds a Bachelor of
Science of Physics (Honours) from Loyola
College (now Concordia University), a Master
of Science of Physics from Université de
Montréal and a Diploma in Secondary
Education from McGill University.
“I have enjoyed every moment of my career in
the public education system,” Mr. Lacroce
stated. “The EMSB will always be very close
to my heart. I am proud to have been part of
this board since its creation on July 1, 1998
and of the years I spent prior to that with the
former Protestant School Board of Greater
Montreal. There comes a time in everyone’s
life when you have to move on. I wish
everyone associated with this Board the very
best of luck. We have accomplished a great
deal in our first decade of existence.”
MARIO TIRELLI: Mr. Tirelli has been the
deputy director general for the past two years.
Prior to that he was an EMSB regional
director for six years, overseeing 30
elementary, secondary, outreach and social
affairs schools. He has also served on a
number of committees, including Long Range
Planning. Before coming to work at the head
office, he spent 12 years as the principal of
three schools in St. Léonard – Honoré
Mercier, Pierre de Coubertin and Laurier
Macdonald. From 1977 to 1986 he served as
the vice-principal of four schools – Napoleon
Courtemanche, Roussin Academy, John Paul I
and Laurier Macdonald. He began his career
in education 37 years ago, in 1972 , as a
mathematics teacher at Laurier Macdonald.
Over the years Mr. Tirelli has held a number
of other positions including vice-president and
member
of the Association of English
Montreal Board Administrators, a member of
the Board of Directors of the Greater Montreal
Athletic Association, the Comité Consultatif
Central de Gestion Commission scolaire
Jerome Le Royer, the Association des
directrices et directeurs d’établissements
d’enseignement de Le Royer and the
Association Régional du Sport Scolaire de
Montréal.
REGIONAL
DIRECTOR:
Angeline
Roumeliotis has announced her retirement as
director of Region 2. Prior to this posting, Ms.
Roumeliotis was the principal of LaurenHill
Academy.
Roma Medwid
She will be succeeded by Roma Medwid
(affectionately known as “Miss Roma”),
presently an assistant director of Pedagogical
Services and prior to that the principal of
Dante Elementary School in St. Léonard.
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NEW BUDGETARY RULES: Beginning in
the 2008-09 academic year, for the first time,
the Quebec government must include in its
financial reporting the financial results of all
Quebec school boards, as well as hospitals and
other public health institutions.
Consequently, for the first time, all school
boards – including the EMSB - must report
their finances in accordance with what are
internationally known as Generally Accepted
Accounting Principles (GAAP). Now, all
school boards must adapt to these new
requirements, which will, on paper, suggest
that we are in a substantial deficit position.
There are two principle changes required by
the adoption of GAAP. The first is the
decrease in the value of land and buildings
from their municipal valuation to their
historical cost less accumulated depreciation.
The second is the recording of the bank of
vacation and sick days owed to employees
upon their cessation of employment. The
result of this changeover is that every Board in
the province will show a substantial
cumulative deficit as of July 1, 2008. At the
EMSB, these accounting changes shift the
accumulated surplus from $16 million to
approximately a $37 million accumulated
deficit as of July 1. 2008.
The EMSB has decided to provide- like many
other school boards- two operating budgets for
the 2009-2010 year. One is the formal
government version and the other is based on
operational activities that can be easily
compared to previous years’ information.
For the reporting requirements of the Ministry
of Education, Leisure and Sports (MELS), the
EMSB has requested authorization from the
Ministry to adopt a budget for which
expenditures exceed revenues by $12.4
million.
For operational activities that can be easily
compared to previous years’ results, the
EMSB adopted a provisional budget whereby
operating revenues of $219.4 million are
exceeded by operating expenditures of $221.9
million resulting in a projected operating
deficit of $2.5 million. In addition, the EMSB
foresees spending upwards of $1.4 million in
2009-10 from previous years’ surpluses for
literacy initiatives, school-based projects and
professional development.
STRATEGIC PLAN: The proposed EMSB
Strategic Plan for 2009-2014 has been
forwarded to the Central Parents Committe for
consultation, with a final document to be
deposited at a regular meeting of the Council
of Commissioners by next December. It will
soon be posted on the EMSB website in
English and French under “Governance.”
At its most simple, the strategic plan is a
document that explains what an organization
is planning to achieve and how it plans to do
it. This then sets the direction for the
organization and enables all those involved to
review periodically how well the organization
is performing and take appropriate action.
TOGETHER … enabling Student Success lays
out the 2009-2014 Strategic Plan of the
EMSB. “It is the blueprint for the next five
years that will guide the Board in its efforts to
increase student success and school
perseverance,” says Chairman Angela
Mancini. “This document may require some
fine-tuning once the MELS establishes its new
Strategic Plan.
From all the available
information at this time, this document is in
concert with the MELS orientations in regard
to the partnership agreements required as a
result of Bill 88 between the MELS and the
Board and our school and centres.”
ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS:
A number of administrative appointments
have been made, effective for the 2009-2010
academic year.
Principals going to new
schools are: Chantal Martin, Royal Vale
(from St. John Bosco); Dorothy Ostrowicz,
Bancroft and MIND (from vice-principal at
Royal Vale); Demetra Droutsas, Rosemount
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High School (from John Grant/Paul VI); John
Wright,
St.
Raphael
Centre/Montreal
Children’s Hospital (from vice-principal at
John F. Kennedy High School);
teaching at Honoré Mercier); and Alan
Simoneau, Galileo Adult Centre (from v-p at
Lester B. Pearson High School.
RETIREMENTS: Among the principals
retiring are: John Roumeliotis (Royal Vale),
Artemis Maravei (Bancroft) and Ginette
Clarke (Rosemount). Vice-Principals retiring
are: Harry Weiner (LaurenHill); and Mario
Di Tullio (James Lyng Adult Centre). Taking
a leave of absence will be Solly Gliksman,
principal of St. Raphael Centre/Montreal
Children’s Hospital.
John Wright
Tony Pita, St. John Bosco (from viceprincipal at Royal West Academy); and
Roland Desloges, John Grant/Paul VI (from
vice-principal
at
Marymount).
Newly
appointed vice-principals are: Rick David,
James Lyng Adult Centre (from v-p at
Marymount Adult Centre); Franca Cristiano,
LaurenHill Academy (from teaching at
Vincent Massey); Daniella Lattanzio,
Marymount Adult Centre (from v-p at Galileo
Adult Centre); Bessie Tsatoumas, Lester B.
Pearson High School (from interim v-p at
Pierre de Coubertin); Dino Vourdousis,
Marymount Academy (from teaching at
Westmount High School); André Vamvakas,
Royal Vale (from leave of absence as principal
of St. Monica);
Dr. Horace Goddard
GODDARD AWARD: Congratulations to
EMSB Director of Community Services Dr.
Horace Goddard who is being recognized by
the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the
Université de Montréal along with eight other
distinguished individuals who received
diplomas in the past. His was in English
Studies in 1985.
Phil Terriaca
André Vamvakas
Antoinette Scrocca, John F. Kennedy High
School (from teaching at Coronation School);
Irini Margetis, Royal West Academy (from
GOLF TOURNAMENT: The EMSB will
hold its sixth annual Scholarship Fund Golf
Tournament on Monday, June 29 at the Club
de Golf St. Raphaël (111 de l’Église) in Île
5
Bizard. Montreal businessman Phil Terriaca
is the honourary chairman.
when Jamie Orchard anchors the broadcast
live from the school. Reporter Paola Samuel
will also have a profile on Ms. Sealey.
Proceeds from the tournament will go towards
the EMSB Scholarship Program, which
benefits a number of current students and
EMSB graduates, so that they can pursue their
post secondary studies in vocational
education, CEGEP studies or undergraduate
studies. Mr. Terriaca is president of TLC
Global Impression.
Action will take place on two courses.
Besides
18 holes of golf (shotgun start,
Vegas style), there will be a brunch, cocktails,
dinner, plenty of fabulous door prizes, plus
prizes for longest drive and closest to pin. .
The organizing committee for the tournament
is chaired by Mario Tirelli, the EMSB’s
deputy director general.
PROPOSED NAME CHANGES: Two
EMSB schools are proposing changes to their
name.
It is being recommended that
Leonardo Da Vinci Elementary School in
RDP become Académie Leonardo Da Vinci
Academy and Holy Cross Elementary School
in St. Laurent become Académie Fraser
Academy. These proposals are being sent to
the Central Parents Committee for
consultation.
SATELLITE CLASSES: Due to a lack of
space in their building, Gardenview
Elementary School in St. Laurent will have to
establish two satellite classes for the
kindergarten level next year at Holy Cross.
The forecast for Gardenview for 2009-10
indicates an increase from 800 to 847
students.
FAVORITE TEACHER: Global Television
ran a contest, asking students and parents to
send in nominations for their favorite teacher.
The winner was Natasha Laye, a Grade 4
student at Willingdon Elementary School, who
put the name of Grace Sealey forward. Watch
Global TV News on Friday, June 19 at 6 p.m.
Oliver Jones sits next to the piano he donated and is
presented with a plaque from Principal Teresa
Germano-Saucier, students and staff.
JONES DONATES PIANO: Wor l d
r en ow n ed j azz p i an i st an d Montreal
native, Oliver Jones was at Coronation
Elementary School in Côte des Neiges on
June 16, at which time the students and staff
formally thanked him for the donation of a
beautiful piano.
Jones visited the school a year ago and
dropped a big surprise, with the announcement
that he would be donating a brand new piano
to the school. The piano arrived earlier this
year. Principal Teresa Germano-Saucier felt
it was important for the students and staff to
thank Mr. Jones in person. Her main goal in
inviting him to Coronation last year was to
get the students to relate to him because of his
Montreal roots.
Oliver Jones plays some piano.
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A child prodigy who at age three could play
from memory songs he had heard once on the
radio, Jones made his piano debut at age five
at Union United Church in Montreal.
Although trained as a classical pianist, Jones
was inspired by his Saint-Henri Neighbor, the
late and legendary jazz musician Oscar
Peterson to learn jazz. It was love at first sight.
“I didn’t choose jazz music, it chose me,”
Jones said.
up the festival, students learned about and
practiced creative writing, photography, drama
and video production. This all culminated with
the preparation of five to 20 minute films.
Students got to participate as producers,
screenwriters,
actors,
cinematographers,
editors, lighting and sound specialists.
Teachers Patrick Charland and Giovanna
Maimone coordinated the reception with their
students. The gym was setup like a jazz bar.
Ms. Saucier introduction told everyone on
hand how important music is at Coronation.
The Yamaha piano Mr. Jones donated has
already gone to good use.
A special film tribute to Mr. Jones, prepared
by Coronation staff and students, was
screened. Students served as rotating emcees.
Mr. Jones was treated to different musical
presentations by students, including a
renditions of the song the song “Georgia on
My Mind,” Megan Waterhouse on piano and
a performance by the wonderful Steelpan
Band. Mr. Jones then came to the stage to a
roaring ovation and played some piano
himself.
“This is a very proud moment for me,” Mr.
Jones said, as he accepted a plaque from Ms.
Saucier. “I will always have a special place in
my heart for Coronation School.”
Mr. Jones promised to return to the school
next year and perform with some of his band
members.
DAYCARE FILM FESTIVAL:
The first
ever EMSB Daycare Film Festival, known as
the EMSBies, took place at the Administration
Building on June 9 and 10. This festival
featured films from 11 different schools,
written, directed, produced and starring more
than 300 daycare students from Kindergarten
through Grade 6. During the process leading
Rosa Fuocco and Lorne Svarc are thanked by the
young student emcees at the Film Festival’s Red
Carpet evening.
“In January, students were told that they
would have the opportunity to create a film,”
said Lorne Svarc, the extra-curricular
activities advisor for EMSB Daycares. “The
only guidelines were to use what was
available at school- classrooms, gyms,
libraries and of course, the most valuable
resource, students. Other than that it was
entirely up to them. The students learned and
got to go through the actual process of making
a film. They got the full filmmaking
experience from conception to finished
product.”
Rosa Fuoco, a manager in the Daycare
Division, said that the project involved the
students doing a lot of brainstorming,
character
and
scene
development,
scriptwriting, storyboarding, Read-throughs
and rehearsals, production and post
production.
“The kids came out with
inventive ambitious ideas, crossing genres and
surpassing the limits of adult imaginations
from horror films to improv comedies to
original music videos.,” she said.
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You can see the CTV report on the event on
the bottom left section of the EMSB website
English home page.
St. Léonard, East Hill Elementary in RDP and
Sinclair Laird in Park Extension had the
pleasure of hosting Liberal Member of
Parliament for Papineau, Justin Trudeau.
And on June 22 he will stop by Michelangelo
Elementary School in RDP.
Pompei’s Daycare celebration.
POMPEI’S ANNIVERSARY: Our Lady of
Pompei Elementary School in Ahuntsic
marked the 20th anniversary of its Daycare
program - appropriately during
Daycare
Week. They began the week with an icecream sundae extravaganza followed by
entertainment from Fredo The Magician, a
renowned artist who has also performed at the
Just for Laughs Festival. On the Wednesday
they had an elaborate relay race set up and all
children cheered on their teammates as they
all worked hard to achieve the finished line.
On Thursday, there was a Drum Fun activity
from the company Rhythm Exchange. Each
child had a chance to try out the Drums and
various shakers (some made by the children)
to create a rhythmic sound and beat. On
Friday, the Dynamix Company set up a
carnival themed day. Different stations of
exciting cooperative tasks were set up and the
children moved freely from one station to
another to get points for tasks completed
which earned them a prize at the end of the
event. The parents were treated to cake
donated by Pasteceria Alati-Caserta and
coffee, while the children finished their
activities. All in all, the children and the
educators had a wonderful fun filled week.
THE TRUDEAU TOUR: Three EMSB
schools, Laurier Macdonald High School in
Amanda Vallelunga and Justin Trudeau.
At Laurier Macdonald, Trudeau spoke to
teacher Amanda Vallelunga’s Secondary IV
and V history students. His appearance, noted
Ms. Vallelunga, was a fitting culmination to
the Canadian History and Citizenship
Education course. “As always, Mr. Trudeau’s
message was both compelling and inspiring to
students and staff alike,” said Ms. Vallelunga.
“Although he touched upon the importance of
getting students/youth involved in Canadian
politics, the majority of the time was dedicated
to a question and answer period concerning
the environment and our impact on it. Mr.
Trudeau’s passion for this topic was evident
and it was reciprocated by the students who
engaged Mr. Trudeau in an intelligent and
thought provoking dialogue.”
Mr. Trudeau’s visit to East Hill coincided
with World Environment Day and he
addressed Cycle 2 and 3 students. He spoke
about the importance of green space and
recycling. “You are growing up in a world
where the behavior you exhibit in the next 15
years will be very important,” he said. “The
work we are doing here to make the world
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greener is essential. People might say you are
the leaders of tomorrow. You are not. You are
the leaders of today.”
Trudeau advised the students on how to
conserve energy: do not let the tap run
continuously when brushing your teeth, turn
the lights off when you leave the room, use
less air conditioning in the summer and less
heat in the winter.
The East Hill Green Team is composed of
Rocco Simone, Nadia Barrafato, Melanie St.
Pierre, Rocco Speranza, Maria Cerone and
Connie Perry.
“camera crew” students got the rare
opportunity of riding the media shuttle
(available only to accredited media personnel)
to Whistler Mountain and gaining admittance
to press conferences reserved for established
media outlets such as NBC, CTV TSN and
CBC. The highlight of the journey was when
LMAC Media was given media accreditation
to cover the prestigious International
Snowboarding Competition at Cypress
Mountain. The incredulous staff had to make
frantic phone calls to their superiors to verify
LMAC’s media accreditation. While the major
outlets had to pay a stipend of 5000 Euros for
the rights to tape the event, the LMAC
students just waltzed-in and took their rightful
places alongside the professionals. The rest of
the day was spent interviewing some well
known Canadian music artists at an outdoor
concert in Whistler and a behind the scenes
tour of the final finishing touches of the
Olympic Games before the LMAC “media
delegation” headed back to Vancouver to
witness the official one-year countdown to the
2010 Olympic Games.
Justin Trudeau addresses students at East Hill.
Mr. Trudeau was at Sinclair Laird to deliver a
Canadian flag and talk about its history. He
will next speak at Michelangelo on June 22 at
9:15 a.m. His topic will be "Internationalmindedness and being good global citizens."
This is all part of pre-inauguration plans for
the school’s planned International program.
OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN: In February,
nine students and two teachers, Ms.
Vallelunga and Mr. Gavard, from Laurier
Macdonald travelled to Vancouver, British
Columbia, to witness firsthand the behind the
scenes “chaos” involved in planning the 2010
Vancouver Olympic/Para-Olympic Games.
Since Laurier Macdonald High School is a
media school, it was a great opportunity for
the students to be on the frontlines,
interviewing both athletes and Olympic
organizers. The teachers as well as the nine
Staff and students in Vancouver.
The footage taped in Vancouver underwent
countless hours of editing and was finally
premiered in May at the Laurier Macdonald
High School Media Festival. The school’s
auditorium was filled to capacity as Principal
Eileen Kelly welcomed the students’ parents
as well as invited guests. The “webisodes” that
were produced offered a slice of what’s to
come at Canada’s very own 2010 Vancouver
Olympic/Para-Olympic Games.
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LMAC AWARD: The Media Department at
Laurier Macdonald High was the recipient of
the Best Directing Award at the Montreal
Expo 3i Exhibit. The Montreal Expo 3i is
about Inspiration … Imagination… and
Invention. The project is entitled “Hand Gun”
and looks at the extremes to which high
school bullying can go. This contest was based
on the premise of inspiration, imagination and
invention while staying within the confines of
a two dimensional work based on the theme
of peace. The project asked the question: How
can one make a lasting impact on the
spectator? Usually in traditional works of art
the viewer is passive and is required to only
passively or silently to react. Here we ask the
viewer to help shape the art work and
therefore its message. In the end peace cannot
be achieved by one person but must be a
collaborative effort.
Anthony Allain seen here with artist Deidre Potash.
Anthony Allain, a Grade 6 student at St.
Brendan Elementary School in Rosemount
won second prize at the elementary level of
the same contest.
MOVIE IN PARK: Michelangelo will host a
movie night in the park (Madagascar) with
Virgin Radio 96 on June 25 ( 7 p.m. activities
and 9 p.m, movie). It will all take place in the
school yard (9360 5th Avenue). Hotdogs and
snacks will be served.
MEDITATION: With the
LaurenHill
Academy “Oasis” available as a quiet room
for sharing and relaxing,
Charmaine
Amarasekera advertised to staff and students
to join her there to meditate for a few
moments for two reasons: to relax before
preparing for examinations and find “inner”
peace. So far, both staff and students have
responded and now every morning, either at 9
a.m. or 11 a.m. there are upwards of 10 to 12
people meditating and finding a rich and deep
down inner peace. Examination results for
those involved should be outstanding.
GAGNER AVEC TA GANG: St. John
Bosco Elementary School students Ryha
Anglade-Larose, Taylor Key, Rosie and
Veronica Lambert-Verrillo captured first
place in a contest called Gagner avec ta
Gang. They produced a cookbook, made
food from their recipes for younger children
and read to them. The Pointe St Charles
YMCA submitted the videotape of their
activities to the competition. We at St. John
Bosco want to recognize their efforts and
congratulate them for their hard work.
AT RISK STUDENTS: EMSB Pedagogical
Consultant for Physical Education and Health,
Sandy Farr notes that there has been a lot of
talk about the dropout rate lately. She had the
pleasure of being involved in a very successful
“stay in school” initiative. It involved nine at
risk boys from three high schools in an elite
basketball program run by the David King,
Hoopster Academy. The program runs before
school, four days a week, and is supported by
weekend tutorial sessions. “The feedback
from the principals and teachers of these
students has been most impressive,” said Ms.
Farr.
IMPACT BURSARIES: The EMSB will
have a very strong and exciting presence at
the Thursday, June 18 (8 p.m.) Montreal
Impact game at Saputo Stadium.
Some 2,000 tickets were sold to EMSB
students and staff for the Impact game
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against Toronto FC, in the fourth and last
game
of
the
Nutrilite
Canadian
Championship. The EMSB enjoys an
excellent partnership with the Impact. For
four years now, the EMSB has teamed up
with the professional soccer team for the
Impact Stay In School Program, in which
players visit the schools. Technical Director
Nick DeSantis, captain Mauro Biello and a
number of players graduated from EMSB
schools.
During the game, the EMSB’s presence will
be recognized and two students who have
shown a love for soccer will be presented with
$500 Tony Licursi Bursaries. Mr. Licursi was
the team’s statistician and a devoted member
of the James Lyng High School Alumni
Association. He passed away three years ago.
This year’s recipients are Dean JutrasOuellette from St. Gabriel Elementary School
in Point St. Charles and Kayley Walsh from
Royal West Academy in Montreal West.
Dean 12, is in Grade 6 an involved in extracurricular sports in the school, both at
lunchtime and after class. He has also taken
part in Greater Montreal Athletic Association
(GMAA) events this year. Dean is the top
student in his class, and does exceptionally
well in math. Due to his family situation and
financial constraints, he is not able to play
any organized sports in his community. He is
also
a
responsible
big brother, walking his younger brothers
home
from
school
every
day.
Kayley is an incredible student and athlete
who has a tremendous passion for soccer. She
has been an honour student at Royal West for
five years and is graduating with an 85 percent
general average. Her course load includes
Physics and Chemistry and she hopes to
continue in the field of health sciences. “She
is a leader in school and on the field and is a
role model for all Royal West students and in
her community,” says Vice Principal Tony
Pita. “Her enthusiasm and work ethic is
infectious. She is reliable and shows
tremendous initiative and leadership. It is an
honour to have Kayley as a member of our
soccer team, our athletic department, and our
school community.”
The students will be presented with their
bursaries during a half time ceremony.
SCHOOL CALENDAR: The EMSB School
Calendar for 2009-2010 are on the website in
the
Schools and Adult and Vocational
sections.
CAREER FAIR DATE: The 2009 EMSB
Career Fair will take place October 28 and 29,
2009 at St. Pius X in Ahuntsic.
JUMP ROPE RECORD: Gardenview
Elementary School in St. Laurent held its first
Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser May 21,
benefitting the Heart and Stroke Foundation,
and set a new event record. More than $31,000
was raised, the highest amount ever in the 27
year history of Jump Rope for Heart.
Due to the large enrolment of more than 800
students, the event took place all day in the
schoolyard.
Congratulations to physical
education teachers Luc Pepin, Silvana
Arcarese and Tatiana Jipa.
GOOGLE
PERSPECTIVES:
Seven
googlers from Google Canada came to
Perspectives I Alternative High School in St.
Michel recently
to demonstrate to the kids
the different Google Applications. Each
student got to work with a "Googler" to learn
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about different programs they can use!
Websites were created, buildings were built,
Jupiter was visited! It was a wonderful
experience for all - really very educational and
exciting for the kids and staff.
WATER PROJECT: Lester B. Pearson High
School in Montreal North is participating in a
fundraiser taking place over two years where
they have to raise $800 to help build and
maintain a water well in a remote village in
the Indian province of Andrah-Pradesh
through the organization SOPAR, as
organized by Spiritual Community Animator
Elizabeth Pellicone.
Two classes have
participated in the fundraiser so far. Sonia
Arnoldo’s Secondary II ERC-06 class and
Antoinette Koranteng’s Secondary 2 SportsÉtudes ERC class have collectively raised
$280.
Arnoldo’s class hosted an Easter
chocolate sale to raise their contribution.
Antoinette Korentang’s class participated in a
“well-athon” where the students asked for
pledges for various aerobic exercises (jumping
jacks, sit ups, pushups, laps, etc).
Both classes were first exposed to the negative
consequences that arise when there is a lack of
clean drinking water in poor communities
around the world and the ills of water
privatization through various classroom
activities, animated by Ms. Pellicone.
Following that, the students began to fundraise
for the cause.
DRAGON BOAT RACERS: On June 11
over 100 Grade 6 students from three EMSB
elementary schools - Royal Vale in N.D.G,
Gerald McShane in Montreal North and
Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau
in Rosemountcompeted in a dragon boat race on the Lachine
Canal. Initiated and coordinated by dragon
boat event specialists Corporate Dragon, this
first-of-its-kind event acted as the last big
outdoors sporting activity of the children’s
elementary school years. The organizers
sincerely believe in the importance of the role
dragon boating can play in the personal
development of the children, and that is why
they have decided to operate this event as a
non-profit initiative. Dragon boating is a sport
in which physical strength, although an
important factor, is not necessary to succeed:
the winning team is the one that best works
together. As Robin Hornstein, founder and
CEO of Corporate Dragon puts it: “This is a
great lesson to pass on to the next generation!”
This event would not have been possible
without the dedication of Norman Katz,
physical education teacher at Royal Vale
Elementary School. He is the one who has
secured the collaboration of other EMSB
schools, thereby making this a community
event the organizers hope is the first of many.
Dragon boat racing is an ancient Chinese
tradition, where up to twenty people, divided
in two rows, paddle in unison to the beat of a
drum with the common goal of outpacing the
boat(s) of the challenging team(s).
SPRING CONCERT: The Spring Concert at
Dunrae Gardens
Elementary School in
T.M.R. was a super production enjoyed by
hundreds of parents, grandparents, invited
guests and the entire community on June 11.
The children showed their talents and
performed international music, songs, and solo
presentations. The Wizard of Dunrae Gardens
was a beautiful presentation included in the
program.
CIRCUS DAY: The kindergarten classes of
Pierre de Coubertin enjoyed Circus Day on
May 29. They prepared games and had a hot
dog lunch prepared by their teachers as well as
some parent volunteers. They also had "Sharon
the Clown" show up to entertain the kids.
TEENS IN SPIRIT: The first impression of
'Teens in Spirit with Art' show is a burst of
color, like a bright sun over the desert. The
paintings, photos and sculptures in this
eclectic gathering of art by Côte Saint-Luc’s
Mountainview Alternative High School
students in bold statements. If the
Mountainview
works on display at the
Batshaw Youth and Family Center (6
12
Weredale) were any indication, there are quite
a few budding artists in the city.
At the annual Teens in Spirit with Art Exhibit,
parents, teens, invitees and staff had the
chance to see the culmination of a year's worth
of work. The show featured powerful images –
from abstraction to figurative art. These were
all created by students ranging in age from 12
to 17 years old. In the midst of so much visual
impact, it turns out that some of the more
somber pieces are the most effective. This
exhibition of the work of the artists and
writers from the Teens In Spirit in Art exhibit
afforded us a special privilege. Because of the
scope and quality of the works selected by
theses artists, they constantly reveal
themselves and in so doing enhance our own
understanding.
Students had the opportunity to develop
personal and professional skills by creating
and displaying their artwork. Various media
such as drawing, painting, sculpture, poetry,
and multi-media are included in the
exhibition. The goal of this event is to provide
youth with the opportunity to: increase self
reliance and decision-making; self-esteem,
self-confidence, social contact, and mutual
support; as well as build a sense of community
belonging and open teens’ eyes to their own
potential through exposure to the visual arts.
Mountainview students had the privilege of
attending workshops at the Montreal Museum
of Fine Arts (MMFA) part of the MMFA’s
sharing the museum program. The Workshops
were open to all interested students. With the
guidance of a Museum educator the students
appropriated the gallery spaces and explored
the world of art and how it affected them. The
visits were followed by practical workshops
where the youths worked on themes that
emerged from the art works that inspired
them. They experimented with a variety of
techniques and materials – including clay,
paint, printmaking, and mixed media.
The students were offered the option to select
or create certain works for public viewing. In
these retrospective works, the artists present
us with face-to-face, compelling, evocative
expressions of experience and reveal thoughtprovoking portrayals of their impressions and
inspirations. The Teens in Spirit with Art
Program is funded by the CIBC’s Miracle
Childrens Foundation.
For those interested in checking out the
artwork, the exibit will be going on until June
27.
FRENCH INSTRUCTION: An information
meeting was held at St. Pius X Adult Centre
June 1 for governing board chairs, regional
delegates and principals to review and
consider the French Second Language
Programs being offered by the EMSB. A
detailed report prepared by the French
consultants from Pedagogical Services was
presented, featuring an historical overview of
the current French language options,
interesting research and possible future
directions for schools.
As a result of the merger of the four school
boards located on the Island of Montréal in
1998, staff members of the then new EMSB
agreed on the need to reduce the models
13
offered for teaching French as a second
language at the elementary level. Following a
consultation and study, three of the 11 existing
models were retained and submitted to senior
management, the council of commissioners,
parent groups, governing boards, teachers and
school administrations for approval. In 1999, a
vast consultation was held where three
teaching models (core, bilingual and
immersion) were retained and defined. These
models are almost similar to those that still
exist today.
It is important to bear in mind that this process
was designed to enable students to evolve in a
school context that fosters bilingualism, both
in being able to perform academically and to
speak fluently. The details of these measures
are found in the document Consultation
Report and Revised Recommendations
released in September 1999.
Subsequently, a survey was conducted in
2005-2006 throughout the school board.
Parents of elementary-school children (46
percent responded) were asked their opinion
on the level of satisfaction with the instruction
time in French in the school that their child
attended. Generally, the survey revealed that
80 percent of parents were satisfied with the
existing model. However, the survey also
indicated that parents whose children attended
schools offering core programs requested that
the instruction time in French be increased as
demonstrated by the following levels of
satisfaction: 68.5 percent for the core program
compared to 82.8 percent for the bilingual
program and 84.5 percent for immersion. It
should be mentioned, however, that despite
the high levels of satisfaction in the bilingual
and immersion schools, parents continue to
request increased French instruction.
In February 2009 a report was released which
provided a general overview of the evolution
in the number of students enrolled in the
schools and centres of the school board. The
report described the ongoing decline in student
enrolment since 2004-2005. In total, a global
drop in student population of 20 percent was
recorded during the last five years.
Specifically, it appears that the decline was
particularly acute in schools offering the core
program; the schools offering a bilingual
program had a decrease of 17 percent
compared with a much lesser percent of five
percent in immersion schools. A report
entitled
Information
Meeting
for
Commissioners on the Network of Schools and
Centres specifies those results and suggests
that potential future declines in enrolment are
also anticipated.
After spending seven years, including
kindergarten, in a school offering a bilingual
program, a student will have received 3 150
hours of French-language instruction.
According to the same calculation, a student
who attended a school with an immersion
model has received a total of 4 248 hours,
namely, the equivalent of 219.6 additional
days. Given that a school year is comprised of
180 days, it appears that a student in the
immersion program will have been exposed to
the equivalent of 1.22 years in French more
than the student in the bilingual program.
At the present time, the EMSB intends to
continue consulting with the schools to
determine if any changes in French instruction
will occur.
SUMMER SCHOOL: The EMSB will once
again run Summer School programs at
LaurenHill Academy Junior Campus in St.
Laurent and John F. Kennedy High School in
St. Michel. The program for Secondary
Cycles I and II students will operate from July
6 to 31 while an intensive eight day session
for Secondary IV and V students will occur
July 20 to 31 and focus on English 416,
French 414, History and Citizen Education
404, Mathematics CS&T, T&S, Science 514,
526, 536, General Science and Technology
and
Environmental
Science.
August
supplementals are set for August 3 to 7. The
purpose of the Summer School program for
Cycle I is to provide continued support for
14
students in year one of English, French and/or
mathematics. It also allows students in year
two the additional time and opportunity to
attain the level of competency necessary to be
promoted to Secondary Cycle II. As for
Secondary Cycle II, the objective here is to
provide a review in the course(s) for which
students need the admission requirement of a
June mark (50 to 59 percent).
NESBITT LITERACY: Nesbitt Elementary
School in Rosemount won third prize in a
French literacy competition called “J'ai la tête
à lire.” In the spring, teacher Luisa
Mercadante’s class attended a lecture which
motivated them to read more. Nesbitt students
worked together with those from St. Brendan.
Nesbitt students interpreted different fables for
their St. Brendan counterparts. The readers
dramatized the stories for the kindergarten and
Cycle I students.
ARTS FESTIVAL: What better way to greet
a new spring season than with a celebration of
the Arts! Music students from EMSB schools
have done their school communities proud by
their performances at the recent annual Fine
Arts Festival, coordinated by Lorraine
Arsenault.
young musicians from the band and orchestral
ensembles of FACE, Rosemount and Royal
West Academy who presented a rich
repertoire of eclectic symphonic and band
pieces. Under the direction of their very expert
and dedicated musical conductors/teachers,
the music students performed with
professional aplomb.
A second festival event held on May 8 at St.
Pius X Adult Centre, was devoted to
showcasing the musical talent of elementary
school students. At that time, students from
Dante, FACE, General Vanier, Honoré
Mercier, John Caboto, Leonardo Da Vinci,
Nesbitt, Our Lady of Pompei, Sinclair Laird,
and St. Dorothy schools presented a variety of
artistic acts. Among those featured were
recorder groups, Orff ensembles, dance
troupes, choirs, bands, and keyboard
ensembles. It is very refreshing to see young
performers take pride in sharing their talent
and their love for the Arts.
A third and final festival event for 2009 was
held on June 12 for additional elementary
schools. Adjudicators from the world of music
- Ri ch ar d Ch ar r on , St ev e Du b i n sk y ,
Er i c Lev asseu r , Al exan d r e Du gu ay
an d Di an e Du gu ay - were present to
reflect on the quality of performances and
provide valuable feedback to each group.
A BOOST FOR JOHN GRANT: In a
time of economic recession and budgetary
cuts, John Grant High School in Côte
Saint-Luc got a great boost during the
2008-2009 academic year thanks to the
generous donations it received from various
foundations.
The first of three festival showcases was held
on April 24 for high school participants and
was hosted by
Rosemount High School.
Acting as master of ceremonies, retired
administrator Richard Wieczorek greeted
John Grant is an alternative learning center
that caters exclusively to special needs
students. Its goal is to meet the specific
needs of each teenager so he or she can
develop the social and work competencies
required to become autonomous adults. The
school motto is “Success for every Student”
15
and they live by it. “This means we are
always seeking new materials and new
means to motivate our students to learn,”
says special education technician Paul
Robichaud. “In order to have the money
required to buy these materials, many of
our staff members have worked together to
write out grant proposals.
Their collaborative effort permitted the
school to receive five grants. For complete
details go to the press release section of the
EMSB website.
NEW ST. DOROTHY FOCUS: St. Dorothy
Elementary School in St. Michel strives to
offer quality programs such as the sports and
music focus within a safe and bilingual
environment. Through a diversified new
program (dance, Orff instruments, and
different family recorders) the students will
strengthen their musical skills and deepen
their appreciation for the art form. Meanwhile,
St. Dorothy School will bring to life a "soccer
focus" program for the students in Cycles 2
and 3. The "soccer focus" will give students
the opportunity to partake in one regular
physical education class per week, and the
privilege to focus on soccer during their
second phys ed class.
ST. DOROTHY CONCERT: For a fifth year
in a row, St. Dorothy students presented their
annual music concert on May 28, 2009. The
evening turned out to be a tremendous
success, as the students sang enthusiastically
from their hearts and kept their audience
entertained. Throughout the year, Mme Esther
Gonzalez, the music teacher, worked
diligently with the classes. The songs were
chosen by the students from a specific
repertoire selected by Mme Esther.
The
spectacular evening began with the prekindergarten class marching to the beat of, ‘La
démarche militaire,’ which followed by them
singing the Haitien song, ‘Bon moin un ti bo’
Kindergarten sang, ‘Tête à claques’ and
disguised themselves as ladybugs to sing,
‘Cibelle la coccinelle.’
Level 1 played
instruments to the tune, ‘Si, la, son,’ and
reminded us of the beauty of our world while
singing, ‘Hymne à la beauté du monde.’ Level
2 performed,
‘Kingston’ with their
instruments and sang beautifully to, ‘Au chant
de l’alouette.’ Level 3A-4A performed, ‘A la
claire fontaine’ and sang, ‘Boomwhack
Attack,’ a song which they composed. Level
4B wore Latin-inspired clothing for their
performance of ‘Conga para bailar’ and later
delighted us with the song ‘C’est toute une
musique.’ Level 5 played instruments to ‘C.C
Rider’ and made us want to get our dancing
shoes on when they sang ‘La fiesta picante.’
‘Inferno’ was performed on instruments by
Level 6 and they later sang ‘Le blues du lundi
matin’. The St. Dorothy choir sang three
songs, ‘Vois sur ton chemin’, ‘I Went to the
Market’ and as a grand finale they amazed us
with a breath-taking performance of the
school’s theme song ‘St. Dorothy Stands’ the
lyrics were written by students from Levels 3
to 6.
We are extremely proud of our students and
very grateful to Mme Esther for the time and
dedication she puts into this school concert!
10TH ANNIVERSARY: The EMSB stood out
among any other board in the province by
making 10th anniversary celebrations a yearlong affair.
Proceedings were launched
appropriately on the 10th day of the first month
of classes. Elementary school students
paraded around their neighbourhood streets,
carrying special 10th anniversary flags while
high school and adult students took part in
walk-a-thons and other special events to mark
16
the occasion.
A special 10th anniversary
committee at the EMSB was co-chaired by
Region 1 Director Marzia Michielli and
Assistant Director of Human Resources
Connie Primiano. A special 10th anniversary
commemorative edition of the EMSB Express
tabloid newspaper was published while a 10th
anniversary song produced and performed by
students from Dante Elementary School in St.
Léonard became the new on-hold message. A
plaque commemorating the 10th anniversary
was unveiled in the foyer of the
Administration Building while a time capsule
was deposited next to the planting of a new
red oak tree donated by Pépinière Jasmin, to
be reopened in 10 years.
Loretta LaRoche signs autographed copuies of
her book.
Other activities included tree-planting
ceremonies at different schools, a Science
Olympiad for elementary students, a
professional development day at the Centre
Claude Robillard attended by every employee
in the system and featuring internationally
renowned speaker Loretta LaRoche, a
vernissage of student drawings, a Student
Showcase musical evening and a gala for
employees featuring the production of TOHU.
VERNISSAGE: In honour of the EMSB’s
10th anniversary, a sub-committee comprised
of Phyllis D’Amato (Chair), Tina Lavranos,
Donna Manos-Palumbo, Roma Medwid,
Ruth Rosenfield and Anne Williams
organized a contest to select artwork in order
to grace the halls of the head office on
Fielding Avenue. They encouraged as many
schools as possible to be represented and
invited students from all grade levels and
programs to participate. The theme for the
artwork posed the question: “What Makes
Our School or Centre Shine?” The art work
was done in any medium and the selected
pieces were framed for a vernissage which
took place on June 10.EMSB Director General
Antonio Lacroce commended the students for
their excellent work. He noted that up until
now it was art work from students of the
former Protestant School Board of Greater
Montreal (PSBGM) which adorned the walls.
An unveiling of representative artwork was
done by Mr. Lacroce and Deputy Director
General Mario Tirelli. The invited students,
together with their principals and guests , were
given the opportunity to view all of the art
work and to enjoy special refreshments.
The
sub-committee
congratulates
the
following students and schools for their
participation and hope their talent will
continue to flourish: Paul Kar from Bancroft,
Thuvaraga Seevratnam from Carlyle,
William Wong from Cedarcrest, Allegra
Spensieri from Dalkeith, Nicholas Adornato
from Dante, Constantinos Souvlos from
Dunrae, Téa from East Hill, Edward Murphy
School, Kane Lee from Elizabeth Ballantyne,
Christina Guluzian from Gardenview,
Matusha Thurairajasingam from General
Vanier, Gerald McShane School, Sydney
Pagliuca from Hampstead, Shaira from Holy
Cross, Roberta Mara from Honoré Mercier,
Ariana Bonarrigo-Sampaio from John
Caboto, Assunta Romano from Leonardo Da
Vinci, Giacomo Gallucio from Michelangelo,
Isabella Gallinari from Nesbitt, Alessia Pepe
and Christina Joy Levy from Our Lady of
Pompei, Grade 3 Rm. 23 from Parkdale, Gr. 2
from Pierre E. Trudeau, Paulami Sen from
Roslyn, Sarujan Pathmanthan from Sinclair
Laird, St. Brendan School, Gabriel Masi from
St. Dorothy, Stefania Mathias from St.
Gabriel, Bianca Morsa from St. John Bosco,
17
James Langshaw from St. Monica School,
Westmount Park School, Maya CozierLefebvre from Willingdon School, Kaia
Bush from Face, Erika Di Michele and Azra
Siddique from James Lyng, Brittany Blass
from John F. Kennedy, John Grant High
School, Anastasia Koronis from LaurenHill
Academy,
Xavier
Trépanier
from
Perspectives I, Resniega Pethrurupillai from
Rosemount, Jasmine Apelo from Royal Vale,
Erika Valente from Vincent Massey, St.
Raphael School, and Carolina Torres from
the Galileo Adult Centre.
HEALTHY SCHOOLS CELEBRATION:
A wine and cheese reception was held June 15
at the Leonardo Da Vinci Community Centre
in St. Léonard to mark six years of partnership
between the Ministry of Education, Leisure
and Sports (MELS), the Ministry of Health
and Social Services, the Centre de santé et de
services sociaux (CSSS) and the EMSB. It also
celebrated the conclusion of the first year of
the implementation of the Healthy Schools
approach.
these partnerships that many organizations
have helped our schools obtain projects,
resources, initiatives and services for the
health and well being of our students and
staff,” he said. “Hopefully we can make this a
yearly event.”
JAZZ PERFORMERS: L’Orchestre des
JazzKid performed at the Montreal West Jazz
Night June 16. Many of the members are
EMSB students: Daniel and Hannah Takacs,
Royal Vale; David Marino, Leonardo Da
Vinci, Zach Lecker and Brad Wiseman,
Royal West Academy; Josh Tabachnick,
Elizabeth Ballantyne and Lori Blond,
Edinburgh. The orchestra will also perform at
the Montreal International Jazz Festival July 5
(Noon). Go to www.vimeo.com14941625.
Abicumaran Uthamacumaran,
Among the 160 people on hand were
representatives from the 10 CSSS offices that
work with the EMSB, as well as
some
management from the MELS, principals and
school board senior management. EMSB
Healthy Schools Consultant Lino Buttino
thanked the sponsors of the program, which
included the Italian-Canadian Community
Services of Quebec, the Leonardo Da Vinci
Centre, La Piazza de Centro, Giorgio
Lombardi Italvine Inc., Joe Occhiuto
Berchicci Importing Ltd., Mariano Costa
Pharmacist and the Association du Diabéte
Italo-Canadienne du Québec. “It is through
ABI’S
STORY:
Abicumaran
Uthamacumaran, 15, a student from
Marymount Academy in N.D.G. won third
place in the Intel Science and Engineering Fair
last month. He presented one of the top
projects from the 20 chosen from across
Canada and now has now gone global,
competing against 52 countries. He won a
grand prize of third place which was $1,000
U.S and another $2,000 U.S for the Young
Scientist award that he received for being the
youngest winner in the medicine and health
science category. The project that made him
win a grand award in the largest pre-university
science competition in the world was his
18
project “Cracking Cancer with Crk” which
understands the role of molecular components
and protein complexes in the metastatic
potential and tumour formation of breast
cancer cells. He will be continuing his project
and he is a proud Marymount student.
“ I would like to sincerely thank my parents,
the wonderful staff of Marymount, beloved
teachers and all of the students for their
untiring support and motivation,” says Abi.
“Without my principal and teachers, I
wouldn’t have had the opportunity to
participate in this competition. I would also
like to thank McGill for giving me the
opportunity to do this experiment in their lab.
Special thanks to Dr. Phil Gold, Dr. Morag
Park and Mr. Charles Vincent.”
STEELPAN: The ninth annual Panorama
Steelpan competition will take place at PlaceEmilie Gamelin, between Berri and Côte St.
Catherine, June 28. It will feature many
students from the EMSB that already
participate with the Steelpan after school
music program. These students work
diligently for this event, as well as other
summer activities the steelpan academy
participates in, to compete with other steelpan
groups from Toronto; this year, Trinidad and
Maine would be contestants. See the EMSB
website (In the News/Information Flyers).
TIP CORNER
Editor’s
Note:
The
Communications
Department of the EMSB is contacted
regularly by organizers of different
conferences, facilitators of interesting
workshops and developers of innovative
fundraising opportunities. We screen these
requests and make the information available to
schools and centres. From this point on, we
will group these in our Tip Corner and give inschool administrators, teachers, other staff,
parent groups and even students of making
contact directly.
THE KID SCOOP: There’s a new kid in
town! EMSB welcomes The Kid Scoop; a new
interactive website for kids programs, classes,
events and activities around Montreal.
This free, all-in-one reference for kids
programs, classes, events and activities in
Montreal, allows parents with young children
under the age of 15 to source, plan and register
on-line for all their kids’ activities across the
island of Montreal.
The Kid Scoop website is Montreal’s largest
database of up-to-the-minute activities and
programs that parents can quickly search by
neighbourhood, child gender, age and family
interest. It also includes such features as a
handy calendar that allows parents to organize
their kids schedules and activities and an
option to register and pay online for those
activities. A special Member Card also offers
parents exclusive discounts with retailers and
service providers, as well as access to special
family events only available to Kid Scoop
Card Members.
Get organized and stay organized this school
year with all your kids activities at
www.thekidscoop.com.
HOUDINI
MAGIC
CLUB:
Alan
Greenberg’s Houdini Magic Club is available
for after school programs. Go to
www.houdinimagicclub.com and check out
the information flyer section of the EMSB
website where there are also details about a
new summer science camp at Marianopolis
College.
IMAGO THEATRE: Can class distinctions
really disappear in a collapsing society? Can
we love in a time of fear? These questions and
their possible answers are the fabric of
Governor General award-winning playwright
Colleen Wagner’s latest creation, down from
heaven. The Braumbachs are a wealthy family
struggling to survive a pandemic and food
19
crisis. Under quarantine in the basement of
their luxurious home, they now rely upon their
former gardener, Cheater, for their very lives.
Laurel Braumbach, their sixteen-year old
daughter, acts as go-between and enters the
dark and convoluted world of Cheater,
discovering in the process, some startling
revelations about herself, and the man they
have become dependent upon. In down from
heaven, the themes of class struggle and food
shortage offer students a pertinent opportunity
to reflect upon some major issues that are
affecting the world today (the financial crisis,
H1N1 flu). A school outing to down from
heaven can also include a postperformance
discussion panel featuring the actors and the
director. This is for students age 14 and older.
Shows run between September 24 to October
3, 2009/ School matinées are on September
26, 29 and 30, with a group rate of $13 plus
tax! It is at the Monument-National Studio
Hydro-Québec (1182 Boulevard St-Laurent)
Montréal, QC - H2X 2S5 Please contact
Imago
Theatre
at
514-274-3222/
[email protected] for group bookings.
Log on to www.imagotheatre.ca
STEPPING UP: The Stepping Up program,
which helps demystify the high school
entrance exam process, and answer some
common questions about high school
applications and programs, has launched their
September 2009 workshops.
The high school application process has
changed considerably over the years. Private
schools have adopted the use of the Secondary
School Admission Test (SSAT) exam and a
growing number of public high schools have
also introduced their own exams. Interviews
are also a common part of the admissions
process.
“Having had children of our own go through
this process, we understand that it can be a
very stressful experience for your children, as
well as for yourselves as parents,” state Gary
and Ingrid Poupart, who run the program.
“Our goal is to help your child to better
understand the high school admissions
process, whether in the private or public
sector. We have discovered that most children
are unaware of what is expected of them
during this process, and this is a huge cause of
stress. We believe that we can help reduce this
stress by instilling the understanding and
confidence needed so that they will be able to
better perform when it comes to writing
admission exams and being interviewed. We
offer a wide range of options to help your
child build the skills needed to perform their
best on these demanding exams and
interviews.”
On the website www.steppingup.net, visitors
can learn more about Stepping Up and the
many products that are offered. The website
will allow you to register and pay for their
popular fall workshops. They have also
introduced a series of practice exams booklets
for parents to practice with their children at
home.
TRUTH OR TREASON: Attention high
school teachers and spiritual community
animators. Here is a synopsis of a play
produced by Teesri Duniya Theatre called
Truth or Treason that will be presented from
September 8 to 19 at the Monument National
in Montreal. There will be a matinee on
September 16 for high school students at a
special price of $5 each. Students will also
be encouraged to participate in a writing
contest, the details of which will be announced
in August.
The play revolves around 10-year-old girl
named Gazala who is shot by an unknown
U.S. soldier at a checkpoint, behind which the
conference to rebuild Iraq is taking place.
Captain Edward, the officer in-charge of the
checkpoint is about to let the girl’s mother
Uzma, a Canadian women married to an Iraqi
writer, go past the security line to be with her
daughter . But he is overruled by his superior
Commander Hester Frank. Why? Because, the
girl’s father Umair, imprisoned by dictator
20
Saddam – is considered to be a terrorist by the
US even after Saddam is thrown out. While
the two officers differ on the father’s alleged
terrorist history, the girl dies in US custody. In
her place rises a complex story of opposing
characters: Uzma, who can use her Canadian
passport to free Umair, but only if he stops
threatening to avenge Ghazal’s death; Umair,
whose family’s survival is threatened by his
activities; Hester, who must take no chances;
Edward, who must come to terms with his
duties as a patriot and his right to express
views at odds with his army boss, and the
clergyman who has turned one family’s
personal loss into a public fatwa by calling
upon Muslims to kill Edward for “preventing”
a mother from seeing her child. Truth and
Treason is a story questioning the acts of war
and aggression, in order to raise
consciousness.
Truth and Treason was stage read at the
Factory Theatre’s National CrossCurrents new
play development program in the spring of
2007 under the direction of Soheil Parsa of
Modern Times Theatre, in 2008 under the
direction of Guillermo Verdecchia. In
November 2008 it was workshopped at the
Playwrights Workshop Montreal under the
direction of India’s iconic director and in
December 2008 was stage-read at the
Monument National under the direction of
Arianna Bardesono. In December 2008, Rahul
travelled to India to further work on this play,
under the guidance of Habib Tanvir who
originally inspired him to write this play.
There will be panel discussions and/or Q&A
following some performances. For more
details,
contact Stephanie Lambert at
[email protected] or 514 848 0238.
WEEKEND TO END BREAST CANCER:
The Weekend to End Breast Cancer invites
you to join us for our 5th anniversary
celebration, August 21-23, 2009!
Since the Weekend to End Breast Cancer
began just four short years ago, more than
10,000 walkers have raised over 30 million
dollars to support the work of the Jewish
General Hospital, through its Segal Cancer
Centre, in caring for the needs of all who are
battling this devastating disease.
So far, some of the funds raised have been
used to equip a state-of-the-art laboratory, hire
internationally renowned physicians and
researchers and make great progress in
exciting new areas of clinical research. But the
fight is not yet won and we still need your
help. Forming a team of colleagues, family
and friends to walk is a great way to
experience this fantastic event. Once
registered, you will be paired with a Walker
Coach who will contact you every few weeks
to check in on your fundraising and training,
offering tips, advice and support as you each
work to raise a minimum of $2,000 and
prepare to walk 60km.
Then, on the weekend of August 21-23, as you
walk through the streets of Montreal, you will
find that pit stops, meals, medical attention
and a full service camp site are all set up and
ready for you; fully staffed by our wonderful
crew and volunteers. At the close of the event,
you and your teammates will experience a
feeling of accomplishment that is absolutely
unbeatable. You will not be the same person
again. One in nine Canadian women will be
diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
It could be your mother, sister, daughter, aunt,
cousin, niece, friend, colleague or even you.
Who will you be walking for? B r e a s t
Cancer is Hard. Walking is
Not. Info: www.endcancer.ca.
SUPPORTING OUR SCHOOLS: LEARN
Quebec is an educational foundation
supported by funding from the QuebecCanada Entente for Minority Language
Education that: offers e-learning services and
support to all English school boards, private
schools, community organizations and the
private sector in rural and urban settings;
supports
and
promotes
pedagogical
collaboration
and
innovation
using
information technology, and works to model
21
best practices; and publishes quality learning
materials to support educators who are
implementing competency-based practices in
the classroom. LEARN offers online support
for teachers, students and schools in a variety
of ways. LEARN has established a
technological infrastructure which provides
educational experiences through online
models of delivery. The model allows for realtime instruction, collaboration and training of
educators and students, anytime, anywhere. It
also allows virtual access to resources. Go to
www.learnquebec.ca for more details about
the services they offer.
ALUMNO DONATES: The Alumno
Tutorial Center is a private tutorial center,
which offers one-on-one tutorial services to all
Elementary, High School, College and
University students in any subject. Due to the
remarkable progress and success of the
hundreds of students who attend, the Alumno
team of local students, teachers and staff
wanted to generously give to those in need by
providing a priceless gift of Education for
boys and girls in Africa. The Alumno Tutorial
Center donated a portion of its holiday season
proceeds to World Vision, Canada’s largest
private relief and development organization,
directed specifically to education. Education
in impoverished areas such as Africa, means
self-reliance and brighter futures. Their
donation went to furnishing an entire large
classroom of students with teaching aids such
as amenities like pencils, paper, rulers,
crayons, calculators, books, art materials and
more. As understood at the Alumno Tutorial
Center, reading is fundamental and crucial to
building a more promising life. Although
most schools in Africa have no libraries and
an entire class of students often share one
book. For this reason, they also donated
additional proceeds to providing teachers with
textbooks to give students in Africa a chance
to learn, since even a simple exercise book is
beyond their means. If you would like to learn
how you can help, do not hesitate to contact
the Alumno Tutorial Center at 514-364-0444
or
visit
their
www.alumnoservices.com
[email protected]
website
o
at
rmail
FORTISSMO: Music Academy Fortissimo is
interested in working with EMSB schools.
Fortissmo was launched in 2003 by Svetlana
Klempner, a music teacher with over 30 years
of experience. She conceived the idea of
turning her growing private practice in the
City of Côte Saint-Luc into an Academy, with
comprehensive and wholesome music
training. As she kept adding more and more
students to the long array of aspiring young
musicians, her private practice turned into a
small musical enterprise with student body
almost tripling in the past few years. One
person’s enthusiasm was now shared by
several renowned professors who joined the
school’s expanding faculty.
Music Academy Fortissimo is now offering
courses in solfège (ear training), voice, guitar,
violin, choir and much more. The Academy is
a non-profit organization boasting a spacious
facility, fully equipped to satisfy the most
exacting scholar, where multiple classes are
taking place at the same time and students of
all ages have the opportunity to explore all
facets of music. Each week, the school opens
its doors to over 100 students to participate in
private lessons, group classes, ensembles,
orchestras and choirs. Over the years, the
Academy has grown to have an exceptional
private instruction program, innovative early
childhood programs and stimulating group
classes for the daring and aspiring, both young
and old. They are proud to offer top-of-theline instruction coupled with a caring,
nurturing environment. The faculty includes
acclaimed professors with 20 plus years of
experience teaching in some of the best
musical institutions worldwide, such as The
Schulich School of Music, McGill University
and The Longy School of Music, Cambridge,
MA."
Being a part of music school life allows
children to participate in regular mini-
22
concerts, competitions, and recitals, all of
which are free of charge to our families. This
is a wonderful opportunity to develop stage
presence, induce listening skills, learn to think
critically and creatively. The school is also
committed to present the musical community
with two concerts per year: a semi-annual and
a concluding final concert at some of the best
musical
venues
in
Montreal.
Their newest initiative is The Fortissimo
Music Camp - an intense two week summer
program, which will run from July 6 through
17. It is designed for music lovers of all
types: beginners and aspiring young
musicians. Whether your child has any
experience in music or not, this camp is the
place to learn, enjoy, practice, and excel in the
art of music. Every day children will attend
group classes in music history and theory,
recitals, coachings in voice and stage
presence, as well as private lessons in the
instrument of their choice. Each session will
be concluded with a concert featuring solo,
ensemble, and voice performances as well as a
children’s musical. For more information,
please
write
to
[email protected],
call
514-836-6872
or
log
on
to
www.academyfortissimo.com.
School Bookings Being Accepted/Great Fundraiser
The Cripplingly Funny Comedy Tour
By M i ch ael Li f sh i t z
It w as Jan u ar y 2 0 0 6 , af t er a l ost b et ov er a
sou v l ak i d i n n er t h at I st ep p ed u p t o a
m i cr op h on e at a com ed y cl u b f or t h e f i r st
t i m e. Si n ce t h at f at ef u l n i gh t , I h av e b een
u si n g com ed y as a m ean s t o i n sp i r e an d
ed u cat e
p eop l e
t h at
p eop l e
with
d i sab i l i t i es ar e j u st l i k e an y on e el se.
It i s t h at d esi r e t o i n sp i r e an d ed u cat e t h at
h as l ed m e t o p u t t oget h er t h e Cr i p p l i n gl y
Fu n n y Com ed y T ou r , a t w o w eek t ou r ,
w h i ch I h op e w i l l t ak e p l ace Oct ob er 1 2 23, 2009.
T h e i d ea i s t o p er f or m at
v ar i ou s h i gh sch ool s acr oss M on t r eal i n an
ef f or t t o sen si t i ze an d ed u cat e t h e
st u d en t s. By d oi n g an ev en i n g sh ow , i t i s
ou r h op e t h at p ar en t s w i l l com e w i t h t h ei r
ch i l d r en , a) t o al l ow a d i al ogu e b et w een
t h e p ar en t s an d ch i l d r en an d b ) at t h e
sam e t i m e, w e can sen si t i ze t h e p ar en t s as
w el l . A s an ad d ed b on u s, t h e sh ow w ou l d
b e a f u n d r ai ser f or t h e sch ool , as 3 0 % of
t i ck et sal es w i l l go t o t h e sch ool , w i t h t h e
b al an ce goi n g t o cov er cost s an d f or t h e
com i cs.
I w i l l b e op en i n g t h e sh ow f or t w o
h ead l i n er s – Al an Sh ai n of Ot t aw a
( w w w .al an sh ai n .com ) an d Der r i ck T en n an t
of
At l an t a
( w w w .l ef t ar m com ed y .com ) .
Al an h as cer eb r al p al sy an d an i n j u r y l ef t
Der r i ck p ar al y zed on t h e l ef t si d e of h i s
b od y . T h e sh ow w i l l b e h el d t oget h er b y
y ou r
h ost ,
M on t r eal
f av or i t e
Pet er
Rad om sk i ,
wh o
su f f er s
f r om
b ei n g
b i d i r ect i on al l y ch al l en ged , or as i t b et t er
k n ow n , sh or t an d ov er w ei gh t . Wh i l e w e
ad m i t t h at w e m ad e t h at t er m u p , ou r
p oi n t i s t o sh ow t h at ev er y on e f aces som e
sor t of ch al l en ge. Besi d es w h i ch , som eon e
h ad t o car r y al l t h e eq u i p m en t .
For m or e i n f or m at i on r egar d i n g t h i s
p r ogr am or t o h av e y ou r sch ool i n cl u d ed
i n t h e t ou r , p l ease con t act m e, M i ch ael
Li f sh i t z, at com ed y @su r ei can .i n f o. Sh ow s
m u st b e b ook ed b y Ju n e 1 5 , 2 0 0 9 i n or d er
f or u s t o p l an t h e t ou r .
ADULT
EDUCATION
VOCATIONAL SERVICES
AND
ITALY TRIP: Seventeen students from the
Professional Cooking Program at St. Pius X
Culinary Institute in Ahuntsic visited
Soverato, Calabria from April 24 to May 9. In
collaboration
with
the
Associazione
Provinciale dei Cuochi Catanzaresi (APCC),
23
these students were given the chance to
experience Italian cuisine in its regional
diversities and were placed within 10
restaurants and hotels across the city to
experience Italy’s finest cuisine and cooking
techniques.
The students also made a visit to nearby Serra
San Bruno, Santa Caterina, and Guardavalle,
which was not only cultural and historical, but
also a unique experience in cooking. After
only a few days, students became accustomed
to Italian terms and expressions used in
cooking. Some students were offered job
positions at the various restaurants and hotels.
EMSB Director of Adult Education and
Vocational Services Rosario Ortona and St.
Pius X Principal Maryssa Barassi
participated in the trip and put in a request for
funding of this project with the “Éducation
Internationale,” an organization which
provides funding for vocational training.
These students must have completed at least
50 percent of their program and wish to
complete a stage or practicum outside the
province of Quebec. They have most recently
been notified that the project was accepted and
that each of the 17 students will receive
$1,000 towards their trip expenses. Montreal
has a large Italian population and many
restaurants featuring Italian cuisines. This trip
allowed the participating students to elevate
the quality and authenticity of Italian cuisine
at home in Québec. “The trip was a great
success from a cultural, pedagogical and
professional point of view” said Mr. Ortona.
“All organized activities kept student-learning
in the forefront” added Ms. Barassi. “This trip
was beneficial in the enhancement of each
student’s knowledge. Ultimately, it will
increase employment opportunities and allow
the students to develop different skills in true
Mediterranean and Calabrian cuisine.”
Upper N.D.G. have successfully completed
Project Media 1, a hands-on approach to arts
related workshop. Concern for young people
in this community dramatically increased after
several violent incidents. Due to the increase
in youth on youth violence, residents have
been actively searching for ways to create
programs and activities that will encourage
youth to get involved in their community and
to make positive life choices.
Task-based workshops, in sound recording
and event planning, will develop life skills
such as critical thinking, confidence and
conflict resolution. At the same time,
participants will be introduced to some
transferable, hands-on skills within each
métier.
This integrative, holistic approach
combines an employability action plan with a
network of social support services and
mentors. It allows community organizations,
professional
mentors
and
educational
institutions to contribute their unique
expertise.
To increase the chances of success for the
participants, these services will also be
available after they have completed the
program.
The objectives are to: link participants to
existing community services, educational and
cultural
institutions;
develop
preemployability
skills
through
media
workshops; develop transferable skills from
each métier; and to spark an interest in further
education and employability. Four of the
participants are registered to enter EMSB
vocational programs: Andrew Kokiv and
Simone Richards (Laurier Macdonal Career
Centre); Aslan Charles and Kadeem States
(John F. Kennedy Business Centre). The
project will end on July 10. For more
information, contact project coordinator Tia
Dayle at [email protected] or 514-9677243.
FUTURE VOC ED STUDENTS: Members
of the St. Raymond’s Residents Association in
GALILEO: The 400th anniversary of
Galileo’s telescope and its power of discovery
24
was celebrated by the Galileo Adult Centre’s
day and evening students and staff. On May
27 the Centre paid tribute to this event by
visiting the Montreal Planetarium, where they
were provided with a wonderful appreciation
and detailed account of the history of the tool
used for stargazing since 1609 – the telescope.
The Montreal Planetarium successfully
walked everyone through four centuries of
progress with the telescope. The multimedia
show “Passport to the Stars” provided a
beautiful spectacle with wonderfully gripping
images of brilliant stars, planets in motion,
nebulae, and galaxies as everyone looked
upward in admiration and wonderment at the
secrets that lie beyond.
DATES OF NOTE
June 18, 2009
EMSB Impact Night
Saputo Stadium
June 29, 2009
EMSB Golf Scholarship Tournament
July 6, 2009
EMSB Summer School Begins
August 31, 2009
First day of school
PLEINS FEUX SUR FIELDING
TOURNOI DE GOLF : La CSEM tiendra son
sixième tournoi annuel de golf du Fonds des
bourses d’études, le lundi 29 juin au Club de
Golf Saint-Raphaël (111 de l’Église) de l’île
Bizard. L’homme d’affaires montréalais et
président de TLC Global Impression, Phil
Terriaca, sera le président honoraire du tournoi.
Les recettes du tournoi seront versées au
Fonds de bourses d’études de la CSEM dont
bénéficient un grand nombre d’élèves et de
diplômés de la CSEM qui veulent poursuivre
leurs études en formation professionnelle, au
CÉGEP ou à l’université.
Le tournoi se déroulera sur deux parcours. En
sus des 18 trous de golf (départ simultané au
coup de fusil, style Vegas - meilleure balle) un
brunch, des cocktails, un dîner et de nombreux
fabuleux prix de présence seront offerts, plus
des prix pour le coup le plus long et celui le
plus proche du drapeau.
Le comité d’organisation du tournoi est
présidé par Mario Tirelli, directeur adjoint de
la CSEM.
NOMINATIONS ADMINISTRATIVES :
Une nouvelle nomination administrative a été
annoncée à compter de l’année scolaire 20092010. La nouvelle directrice de l’école Royal
Vale est Chantal Martin. Elle est
actuellement directrice de l’école primaire
John Bosco de Ville Émard. Des nominations
supplémentaires seront annoncées en juin.
FESTIVAL DE FILMS DES SERVICES
DE GARDE : Le premier festival de films des
services de garde de la CSEM, EMSBies, a eu
lieu au centre administratif les 9 et 10 juin. Ce
festival a mis en vedette des films de 11
différentes écoles, produits, réalisés et mettant
en vedette plus de 300 élèves des services de
garde de la maternelle à la 6e année. Au cours
de la préparation du festival de films, les
élèves ont acquis des connaissances et
pratiqué l’art d’écrire, la photographie, le
théâtre et la production de vidéos. Tous ces
préparatifs ont culminé à la création de films
de 5 à 20 minutes. Les élèves ont participé à
titre de producteurs, scénaristes, acteurs,
réalisateurs, éditeurs et spécialistes de son et
lumière.
« En janvier, il a été annoncé aux élèves qu’ils
auraient l’occasion de créer un film » a déclaré
Lorne
Svarc,
conseiller
d’activités
parascolaires des services de garde de la
CSEM. « Les seules directives ont été
d’utiliser ce qui était disponible dans les
classes, les gymnases, les bibliothèques et,
25
certainement, la ressource la plus appréciable,
les élèves. Ces derniers ont appris et mis en
œuvre le processus de réalisation de films. Ils
ont participé à l’expérience entière depuis la
conception jusqu’au produit fini. »
Rosa Fuoco, directrice de la division des
services de garde, a mentionné que ce projet
avait exigé beaucoup de remue-méninges
parmi les élèves. « Les élèves ont présenté des
idées innovatrices et ambitieuses et surpassé
l’imagination des adultes à partir des films
d’horreur jusqu’aux comédies d’improvisation
et aux vidéos musicaux originaux. »
JUSTIN TRUDEAU : Deux écoles de la
CSEM, l’école secondaire Laurier Macdonald de
Saint-Léonard et l’école primaire East Hill de
Rivière-des-Prairies, ont eu le plaisir de recevoir
Justin Trudeau, député libéral fédéral de
Papineau.
À Laurier Macdonald, M. Trudeau s’est
adressé aux élèves d’histoire du Secondaire IV
et V de l’enseignante Amanda Vallelunga. Sa
présentation, souligne Mme Vallelunga, a mis
un pont final convaincant au cours d’Histoire
du Canada et d’Éducation en citoyenneté.
« Comme d’habitude, son message a été
convaincant et a inspiré les élèves et le
personnel. Bien qu’il ait abordé l’importance
d’impliquer les jeunes à la politique
canadienne, la plupart du temps a été
consacrée à une période de questions et
réponses au sujet de l’environnement et de
notre impact sur celui-ci. La passion de M.
Trudeau pour ce sujet a été bien évidente et
elle a été réciproquée par les élèves qui ont
engagé un dialogue intelligent et bien pensé
avec M. Trudeau. »
La visite de M. Trudeau à l’école primaire East
Hill a coïncidé avec la Journée mondiale de
l’environnement. Il s’est adressé aux élèves du
cycle 2 et 3 et a parlé de l’importance des
espaces verts et du recyclage. « Vous grandissez
dans un monde où votre comportement au cours
des 15 prochaines années sera très important. Le
travail que nous accomplissons pour rendre le
monde plus vert est essentiel. On pourrait vous
qualifier de leaders de l’avenir. Ce n’est pas le
cas. Vous êtes les leaders d’aujourd’hui. »
M. Trudeau a donné des conseils aux élèves
sur la façon de conserver l’énergie : ne pas
laisser le robinet couler continuellement
lorsque vous vous brossez les dents, éteignez
les lumières quand vous quittez une salle,
utilisez moins d’air conditionné en été et
moins de chauffage en hiver.
Les membres de l’équipe verte d’East Hill
sont : Rocco Simone, Nadia Barrafato,
Mélanie St. Pierre, Rocco Speranza, Mario
Cerone et Connie Perry.
M. Trudeau visitera l’école
Michelangelo le 22 juin à 9 h 15.
primaire
ÉLÈVES À RISQUE : Sandy Farr,
conseillère pédagogique en éducation physique
et santé, souligne que le taux de décrochage a été
abondamment discuté récemment. Elle a le
plaisir de participer à une initiative « rester à
l’école » qui remporte un grand succès. Neuf
garçons à risque, de trois écoles secondaires, ont
été inscrits à un programme de basketball d’élite,
dirigé par David King de l’Académie Hoopster.
Le programme se déroule avant les heures de
classe, quatre jours par semaine, et il est appuyé
par des sessions de rattrapage en fin de semaine.
« Les réactions des directions d’école et des
enseignant(e)s au sujet du progrès de ces
élèves ont été très impressionnantes » déclare
Mme Farr.
PERSPECTIVES GOOGLE : Sept googlers
de Google Canada ont visité l’école
secondaire innovatrice Perspectives I pour
démontrer aux élèves les diverses applications
de Google. Chaque élève a travaillé avec un
« googler » et a acquis des connaissances au
sujet des divers programmes qui peuvent être
utilisés. Des sites Web ont été créés, des
bâtiments ont été construits, Jupiter a été
visitée! Ce fut une merveilleuse expérience,
éducative et stimulante pour les élèves et le
personnel!
26
COURSES DE BATEAUX-DRAGONS : Le
11 juin, plus de 100 élèves de 6e année de trois
écoles primaires de la CSEM : Royal Vale de
NDG, Gerald McShane de Montréal-Nord et
Pierre Elliott Trudeau de Rosemont, ont pris
part à une course de bateaux-dragons sur le
canal Lachine. Initié et coordonné par les
spécialistes « Corporate Dragon », cet
évènement, premier en son genre, a été la
dernière grande activité en plein air des élèves
du primaire. Les organisateurs croient
sincèrement à l’importance du rôle que le
bateau-dragon
peut
jouer
dans
le
développement personnel des enfants et, c’est
pour cette raison, qu’ils ont décidé d’organiser
cet évènement à but non lucratif. La course de
bateaux-dragons est un sport où la force
physique, bien qu’un facteur important n’est
pas nécessaire pour réussir : l’équipe gagnante
est celle qui fait preuve de plus de
collaboration. Comme le déclare Robin
Hornstein, fondateur et président général de
Corporate Dragon : « C’est une grande leçon à
passer à la prochaine génération. »
Cet évènement n’aurait pas pu avoir lieu sans
le dévouement de Norman Katz, enseignant
d’éducation physique à l’école primaire Royal
Vale. C’est lui qui a assuré la collaboration
d’autres écoles de la CSEM, par le fait même
faisant de cette initiative un évènement
communautaire que les organisateurs espèrent
être le premier de plusieurs autres courses de
bateaux-dragons de cette ancienne tradition
chinoise où, jusqu’à vingt personnes, divisées
en deux rangées, pagaient à l’unisson au son
d’un tambour, dans le but de dépasser le/les
bateau/bateaux de/des autre(e)s équipe(e)s.
ENSEIGNEMENT DU FRANÇAIS : La
CSEM a tenu une réunion d’information, le 1er
juin, au Centre d’adultes St. Pius X pour les
présidences des conseils d’administration, les
délégués régionaux et les directions d’école
afin de passer en revue et considérer le
programme de Français, langue seconde,
offert par la CSEM. Un rapport détaillé, rédigé
par les conseiller(ère)s pédagogiques des
Services pédagogiques a été présenté. Ce
rapport donne une vue d’ensemble des options
actuelles de français, présente des recherches
intéressantes et d’éventuelles orientations
futures pour les écoles.
Suite à la fusion des quatre commissions
scolaires situées sur l’île de Montréal en 1998,
les membres du personnel de la nouvelle
commission scolaire, CSEM, ont convenu du
besoin de réduire les modèles offerts pour
l’enseignement du Français, langue seconde,
au primaire. Faisant suite à une consultation et
une étude, trois des 11 modèles existants ont
été retenus et soumis aux cadres supérieurs, au
conseil des commissaires, aux groupes de
parents, aux conseils d’établissement, au
personnel enseignant et aux directions d’école
pour approbation. En 1999, une vaste
consultation a eu lieu au cours de laquelle trois
modèles d’enseignement (de base, bilingue et
d’immersion) ont été retenus et perfectionnés.
Ces modèles sont presque similaires à ceux
qui sont en vigueur actuellement.
Il est important de tenir compte du fait que ce
processus a été conçu pour permettre aux
élèves de se développer au sein d’un contexte
scolaire qui favorise le bilinguisme et d’être
en mesure de progresser académiquement et
de parler couramment. Les détails de ces
mesures se trouvent au document « Rapport de
consultation et recommandations révisées »,
publié en septembre 1999.
Par la suite, un sondage à l’échelle de la
Commission a été entrepris en 2005-2006. Il
avait été demandé aux parents des élèves des
écoles primaires (46 pour cent ont répondu)
quelle était leur opinion sur le degré de
satisfaction du temps d’enseignement du
français à l’école que fréquentait leur enfant.
En général, le sondage a révélé que 80 pour
cent des parents étaient satisfaits du modèle
existant. Cependant, le sondage a aussi
indiqué que les parents, dont les enfants
fréquentaient des écoles offrant des
programmes de base, ont demandé que le
27
temps d’enseignement du français soit
augmenté, tel que démontré par les niveaux
suivants de satisfaction : 68,5 pour cent pour
le programme de base comparé à 82,8 pour
cent pour le programme bilingue et 84,5 pour
cent pour l’immersion. Cependant, il faudrait
mentionner que malgré les niveaux élevés de
satisfaction dans les écoles bilingues et
d’immersion, les parents continuent à demander
une augmentation du temps d’enseignement du
français.
En février 2009, un rapport donnant une vue
d’ensemble de l’évolution du nombre d’élèves
inscrits dans les écoles et centres de la
Commission, a été publié. Le rapport a décrit la
diminution constante des inscriptions depuis
2004-2005. Au total, une diminution de 20 pour
cent de l’effectif scolaire a été constatée au cours
des cinq dernières années. Spécifiquement, il
semble que le déclin a été particulièrement
sévère dans les écoles offrant le programme de
base; les écoles offrant un programme bilingue
ont constaté une diminution de 17 pour cent
comparée à une diminution de 5 pour cent dans
les écoles d’immersion. Un rapport intitulé
« Réunion d’information pour les commissaires
du réseau d’écoles et de centres », souligne ces
résultats et suggère que de futures diminutions
potentielles d’inscriptions sont aussi anticipées.
Après avoir passé sept ans, incluant la
maternelle, dans une école offrant un
programme bilingue, un élève aura reçu 3,150
heures d’enseignement du français. Selon le
même calcul, un élève qui a fréquenté une
école d’immersion a reçu 4,248 heures soit
l’équivalent de 219,6 jours additionnels. Étant
donné qu’une année scolaire compte 180
jours, il semble que l’élève du programme
d’immersion a été exposé à l’équivalent de
1,22 année de plus de français que celui du
programme bilingue.
Actuellement, la CSEM a l’intention de
continuer à consulter les écoles afin de
déterminer si des changements se produiront
dans l’enseignement du français.
10e ANNIVERSAIRE : La CSEM a été la
première parmi n’importe quelle autre
commission du Québec à souligner son 10e
anniversaire par des évènements qui se sont
déroulés tout au long de l’année. La
célébration a été lancée le 10e jour du premier
mois d’école. Les élèves des écoles primaires
ont défilé dans les rues de leur quartier portant
des drapeaux spéciaux du 10e anniversaire,
tandis que les élèves du secondaire et les
élèves adultes ont pris part à des marches
d’endurance et à d’autres évènements
spéciaux pour souligner cette occasion. Un
comité du 10e anniversaire de la CSEM a été
co-présidé par la directrice de la Région 1,
Marzia Michielli, et la directrice adjointe du
Service des ressources humaines, Connie
Primiano. Une édition commémorative spéciale
du journal EMSB Express a été publiée tandis
que la chanson du 10e anniversaire produite et
exécutée par des élèves de l’école primaire Dante
est devenue le nouveau message d’appel en
attente. Une plaque commémorant le 10ème
anniversaire a été dévoilée dans le foyer du
centre administratif et une capsule-témoin, qui
sera ouverte dans dix ans, a été enfouie près du
nouveau chêne rouge donné par la Pépinière
Jasmin. D’autres activités ont inclus des
cérémonies de plantation d’arbres, des
Olympiades de sciences pour les élèves du
primaire, une journée de perfectionnement
professionnel mettant en vedette la conférencière
internationalement reconnue, Loretta LaRoche,
un vernissage d’œuvres d’art d’élèves, une soirée
musicale d’élèves et un gala pour le personnel,
mettant en vedette une production de TOHU.
WEEK-END POUR VAINCRE LE CANCER
DU SEIN : Le week-end pour vaincre le
cancer du sein vous invite à vous joindre à
nous pour célébrer notre 5e anniversaire du 21
au 23 août 2009.
Depuis le début de cet évènement, plus de
10,000 personnes ont levé plus de 30 millions
de dollars pour appuyer le travail de l’Hôpital
Général juif et de son Centre du cancer Segal
visant à traiter toutes les personnes qui luttent
contre cette maladie dévastatrice.
28
À ce jour, une partie des fonds recueillis ont
servi à équiper un laboratoire de pointe, à
engager des médecins et des chercheurs
internationalement reconnus et à réaliser de
grands progrès dans de nouveaux domaines de la
recherche clinique. Mais la bataille n’est pas
encore remportée et nous avons besoin de votre
aide. Former une équipe de collègues, de
membres de la famille et d’amis pour participer à
la marche est un excellent moyen de vivre ce
fantastique évènement. Dès que vous serez
inscrit, un entraîneur de marche vous sera affecté
et il communiquera avec vous pour vérifier l’état
de votre levée de fonds et de votre entraînement,
vous donner des conseils et de l’appui alors que
vous vous préparez à lever un minimum de 2
000 $ et à marcher 60 km.
Ensuite, durant la fin de semaine du 21-23
août, alors que vous marchez à travers les rues
de Montréal, vous constaterez que des haltes,
des repas, des soins médicaux et un site de
services complets sont prêts pour vous et
maintenus par notre merveilleuse équipe et des
bénévoles. À la fin de l’évènement, vous et
vos coéquipiers ressentirez un sentiment de
réalisation qui est absolument imbattable.
Vous ne serez jamais la même personne après
cet évènement. Une sur neuf femmes
canadiennes sera diagnostiquée du cancer du
sein au cours de sa vie. Elle pourrait être votre
mère, votre sœur, votre fille ou même vous.
Pour qui marcherez-vous? Le cancer du sein
est difficile à surmonter. Marcher ne l’est
pas. Info : www.endcancer.ca.
ÉDUCATION DES ADULTES ET
FORMATION PROFESSIONNELLE
Dix-sept élèves de l’Institut culinaire St. Pius
X ont visité Soverato, Calabre du 24 avril au 9
mai. En collaboration avec l’Associazione
Provinciale dei Cuochi Catanzaresi (APCC),
ces élèves ont eu l’occasion d’expérimenter
les diversités régionales de la cuisine italienne
et ont été placés dans dix restaurants et hôtels
de la ville pour faire l’expérience des
techniques culinaires de la fine cuisine
italienne.
Les élèves ont aussi visité Serra San Bruno,
Santa Caterina et Guardavalle dans le cadre
d’un évènement culturel et historique mais
aussi d’une expérience unique en cuisine.
Après seulement quelques jours, les élèves se
sont habitués aux termes et expressions
utilisés en cuisine. Quelques élèves ont eu des
offres d’emploi dans les divers restaurants et
hôtels.
Le directeur du Service de l’éduction des
adultes et de la formation professionnelle,
Rosario Ortona, et la directrice de l’Institut
culinaire St Pius X, Maryssa Barassi ont pris
part au voyage et ont soumis une demande de
financement à Éducation Internationale, une
organisation qui finance la formation
professionnelle. Les élèves doivent avoir
complété 50 pour cent de leur programme et
vouloir participer à un stage de formation au
dehors du Québec. Le projet a été accepté et
chacun des 17 élèves a reçu 1,000 $ pour frais
de déplacement. Ce voyage a permis aux
élèves participants de relever la qualité et
l’authenticité de la cuisine italienne au
Québec.
FUTURS ÉLÈVES DE FORMATION
PROFESSIONNELLE : Les membres de
l’Association des résidents de Saint-Raymond
de NDG ont récemment complété Projet
Média I, un atelier portant sur une approche
pratique aux arts. Les préoccupations au sujet
des jeunes de cette communauté ont augmenté
dramatiquement après plusieurs incidents
violents. Les résidents ont recherché
activement des moyens de créer des
programmes
et
des
activités
qui
encourageraient les jeunes à s’impliquer à leur
communauté et à faire des choix positifs de
styles de vie.
Les ateliers en enregistrement de son et
planification d’évènement développeront les
habiletés de base, dont le raisonnement
29
critique, la confiance et la résolution de
conflits. En même temps, les participants
seront introduits à des habiletés transférables
au sein de chaque métier. Cette approche
intégrée et holistique combine un plan
d’action d’employabilité avec un réseau de
services de soutien social et de mentors. Elle
permet aux organisations communautaires,
aux mentors professionnels et aux institutions
d’éducation de contribuer leur expertise
unique.
Afin d’améliorer les chances de succès des
participants, ces services seront aussi
disponibles après qu’ils aient complété leur
programme.
L’objectif de cette initiative est: de relier les
participants aux services communautaires
existants, aux institutions culturelles et
d’éducation; développer des habiletés de pré
emploi par le biais d’ateliers de médias; à
développer des habiletés transférables de
chaque métier et à susciter un intérêt à une
éducation et un emploi futurs. Quatre des
participants se sont inscrits aux programmes
de formation professionnelle de la CSEM :
Andrew Kokiv et Simone Richards (Centre
de carrières Laurier Macdonald); Aslan
Charles et Kadeem States (Centre d’études
commerciales John F. Kennedy). Le projet
prendra fin le 10 juillet. Pour plus de
renseignements, communiquez avec la
coordonnatrice du projet Tia Dayle à
[email protected] ou au 514-967-7243.
SERVICE DE L’ÉDUCATION DES
ADULTES ET DE LA FORMATION
PROFESSIONNELLE
DATES À RETENIR
18 juin 2009
Soirée Impact de la CSEM
Stade Saputo
29 juin 2009
Tournoi de golf du Fonds des bourses de la
CSEM
Submissions should be made to Michael J.
Cohen
preferably
by
e-mail
([email protected]) or fax (514-483-7213).