The monthly news bulletin of the EMSB EMSB TABLES BUDGET
Transcription
The monthly news bulletin of the EMSB EMSB TABLES BUDGET
The monthly news bulletin of the EMSB Vol. 9 No. 11 EDITOR: MICHAEL J. COHEN PRINTING SERVICES: L. SHAW, D. D’ORNELLAS June 21, 2007 PROOFREADING/TRANSLATION: ALINE ZEROUNIAN ∆ New EMSB DDG ∆ Esposito Returns ∆ Farewell Banting ∆ Impact Night ∆ Board of Trade ∆ Canoe Tripping ∆ John Szuber An artist’s drawing of the future Royal West Academy Gymnasium. See page 4 for more details. EMSB TABLES BUDGET ∆ Bancroft Cares The EMSB has adopted its 2007-2008 budget. ∆ Perspectives Winner In the budget, operating revenues stand at $210.3 million, an increase of $4.6 million (or 2.2 percent) from the previous year. The increase derives mainly from the collective agreements, pay equity, and funding for special needs and adult students. ∆ RTC Graduation Budgeted expenses equal $210.8 million – an increase of $4.3 million (or 2.1 percent) from the previous year. This results in a projected deficit of $496,000 or 0.2 percent of projected revenues. The Board has made many efforts to limit the size of the projected deficit in light of the fact that it spends close to $4 million more each year on services for special needs students than what is provided by the government. Strategic investments have been planned in 2007-08 in such areas as literacy, computer portal consultant, science lab technicians, and physical facility safety and security. 2 Classes Resume Thursday, August 31 NEW DDG: The EMSB Council of Commissioners has appointed Mario Tirelli as the new deputy director general. He will succeed Donald A. Reid, who is retiring, as of July 1. Mario Tirelli Since 2000 Mr. Tirelli has been an EMSB regional director, overseeing 30 elementary, secondary, outreach and social affairs schools. He has also served on a number of committees, including Long Range Planning. Prior to his appointment as a regional director 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 35 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. In his new capacity, Mr. Tirelli will work directly with EMSB Director General Antonio Lacroce. ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS: A number of administrative appointments have been made for the 2007-2008 academic year. Principals going to new schools are: Claude Dansereau (Westmount High to LaurenHill Academy), John Pevec (vice-principal of Vincent Massey Collegiate to principal), Teresa Germano Saucier (Galileo Adult Centre to Coronation), Joseph Marra (Edward Murphy to John F. Kennedy), Michael Cristofaro (John Grant/Paul VI to Westmount High), Nick Katalifos (General Vanier to Pierre de Coubertin), Maria Palmieri (Holy Cross to Edward Murphy), Michelle Stein (vice-principal of East Hill to principal of Holy Cross), Linda Saukas (from vice-principal of Westmount High to principal of John Grant and Paul VI), Angela Monteferrante-Orsi (Michelangelo to Galileo Adult Centre), Pina Rizzi (McLearon to General Vanier while maintaining Cité des Prairies), Anna Della Rocca (vice-principal of Leonardo Da Vinci to Michelangelo), Eileen Kelly (John Paul I to Laurier Macdonald), Liboria Amato (vice-principal of Laurier Macdonald to principal of John Paul I), Chris Delaney (Hampstead to Westmount Park) and Marcia Kennedy-Gaul (vice-principal of Willingdon to principal of Hampstead). Nancy Richer As for vice-principals, changes include: Rosario Trupia ( Dante to High School of Montreal Adult Centre), Nancy Richer 3 (Parkdale to Vincent Massey Collegiate), Demetra Droutsas (Marymount to Westmount), Jean Alexandre (principal of Holy Cross to vice-principal at Leonardo Da Vinci), Alan Simoneau (acting vice-principal at Lester B. Pearson High School to fulltime), Joe Schembri (teacher to vice-principal at Laurier Macdonald High School), Gil Abisdris (teacher at Westmount High to viceprincipal at Rosemount High), Myrianna Lusignan (teacher/interim vice-principal at Frederick Banting to vice-principal at East Hill) and Claire Caillé ( teacher at Dunrae Gardens to vice-principal at Willingdon). Gail Somerville has taken a leave of absence as principal of Westmount Park to join the management team of the Riverside School Board. director of adult education and vocational services, math consultant, principal and a math teacher. He was also responsible for launching the annual EMSB Scholarship Golf Tournament … Patricia Moffa will retire as the director for Region 1, a position she held for four years. Prior to that she was the principal for Lester B. Pearson High School in Montreal North for eight years where she played an important role in bringing in the Sports-Études program to fruition. She was also the vice-principal at St. Pius X High School for four years. Ms. Moffa began her teaching career in 1970 RETIREMENTS: Retiring administrators are: Danny Sipos (LaurenHill), Lloyd Rideough (Vincent Massey), Diane Wood Nolan (Coronation), Pat Buttino (Laurier Macdonald), Dominic Prioletta (Pierre de Coubertin) and Dominic Furfaro (John F. Kennedy). Kimi Raikkonen meets Coronation robotics champs. Patricia Moffa Donald A. Reid At the administration building Donald A. Reid is retiring as the EMSB’s deputy director general, a position he held for four years. Prior to that he was a regional director, director of pedagogical services, assistant FORMULA ONE: World famous Formula 1 race car driver Kimi “The Ice Man” Raikkonen of the Scuderia Ferrari team made a special visit to Coronation Elementary School in Côte des Neiges on June 6 (11:00 on the eve of the Grand Prix of Canada at Île Nore Dame. Bridgestone Firestone Canada, the instigator of the visit and official tire supplier to all F1 teams, brought its Ferrari F1 show car and, a F1 race simulator. Sports commentator Louis Jean served as the emcee. This year Räikkönen, a native of Finland, replaced seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher on the Ferrari team. He has won nine F1 races, including the Grand Prix du Canada in Montreal in 2005. Kimi Matias Räikkönen was born in Espoo, Southern Finland, just to the west of Helsinki. His interest in karting began at the age of 10 4 and had some moderate success winning races in progressive categories. Winning started to become the norm by 1999 when he finished second overall in the European Formula Super A Championship and won the British Formula Renault Winter series. The following year he captured the Formula Renault UK Championship, winning seven out of ten races. Impressed with his ability, he was given a test by the Sauber Formula 1 team in late 2000 and following further tests gained a contract to drive with them a year later. He later moved on to the McLaren team before signing with Ferrari. years, the same school that Sidney Crosby, Zach Parise, and many other college and NHLers attended. He scored 39 goals and 59 assists for 98 points in his rookie year and 27 goals and 52 assists for 79 points this past season, representing Canada internationally in the World Under 18 Championship in Finland as team captain. Coronation School’s world championship robotics team did a special demonstration for Räikkönen. Students also got a chance to try out the Bridgestone F1 simulator. Principal Diane Wood had all of her students dressed in Formula 1 red and taught them how to greet their special guest in Finnish. Media from around the world were on hand to cover the event. ESPOSITO RETURNS: Angelo Esposito made an emotional return to his former elementary school, Dunrae Gardens in Town of Mount Royal, June 5 to meet with students and staff. The event was heavily covered in the local sports media, both English and French. Esposito attended Dunrae Gardens from 1994 to 2000. He has played for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Quebec Remparts for the past two years. When the National Hockey League holds its annual entry draft on June 22 and 23 in Columbus. Esposito is expected to be one of the top selections. EMSB Chairman Dominic Spiridigliozzi and Commissioner Ron Paterson presented Esposito with an authenthic NHL jersey from the Montrealbased company icejerseys.com with the EMSB logo on the front and his name and number 7 on the back. They do so via mock NHL draft ceremony. After graduating from Dunrae Gardens, Esposito went to Shattuck-Saint Mary's School in Faribault, Minnesota for two Angelo Esposito suits up for the EMSB. After responding to questions from Grades 3 to 6 students in the gym, he went to the class of his former teacher Claire Caillé to sign autographs and show some of his trophies and medals. Among other teachers he reunited with were Gramatiki Kastelorizios, Jean-François Dion, Sylvie Mailhot, Brenda Pinos and Marie-Josée Dalpé. Principal Francoise Barlier told Esposito not to forget his old school, especially when he becomes a millionaire. ROYAL WEST GYM: The official groundbreaking ceremony for the new Royal West Academy (189 Eaton) Gymnasium project in 5 Montreal West will take place on June 21. Two years ago the Quebec government announced that it was providing $2 million in funding for the long awaited project. The EMSB made representations for this specific project for many years. Royal West’s 800 plus students are housed in a 70 year facility. The present-day two small gymasiums will be replaced by a brand new state of the art facility which conforms to all of the Ministry codes when it comes to safety and security. The former gym space will now be available for special events, assemblies, concerts, presentations and theatrical productions, no longer necessitating the need to cancel gym classes for such occasions. The project was originally expected to get underway earlier, however there were some unforeseen delays in the zoning process. Construction will commence shortly, with the objective of having the project completed by late fall. This will be a stand alone gymnasium, constructed on existing Royal West property. The St. Gabriel Mural. BEAUTIFUL MURAL: St. Gabriel Elementary School in Pointe St. Charles recently hosted the unveiling of an art mural called ‘The Staircase’ – a vibrant and colourful composition created by talented students, parents and staff. Before the unveiling, students demonstrated their many other gifts: Students performed Irish dances under the direction of Bernadette Short; others played drums under the direction of volunteer James Francis; and some demonstrated their technology and social skills via a power point presentation under the direction of Steven Maxwell and Alexandra Houghting. All these projects were thanks to the funds available through Supporting Montreal Schools. Principal Tina Ottoni, cooperating teacher Joanne Fasone and supervising artist Eugenia Reznik were integrally involved in the project. HIBERNIANS: Amid an Irish Mist and a heavy rain at times, St. Gabriel Elementary School was honoured by the Ancient Order of Hibernians by having two of their students lay a wreath at the Black Stone that is located on Bridge Street. This honour is usually carried out by the Ambassador from Ireland or the Canadian Ambassador to Ireland. This service is in memory of the 6,000 Irish immigrants who died as a result of the journey from Ireland in 1847. FREE HUGS: When Frederick Banting Elementary School in Montreal North closes at the end of June, students will be directed to nearby Gerald McShane Elementary School. Recently, a parade of Frederick Banting staff and students sporting FREE HUGS-CALINS GRATUITS t-shirts met their Gerald McShane counterparts. They were escorted around the school and enjoyed lunch together. In the afternoon, everyone had a chance to meet new friends and actively co-operate in great outdoor games animated by Dynamix. “It was a wonderful day and thanks to Frederick Banting and Gerald McShane Staff and Students we can truly say that "Together We Are The Best,” said interim vice-principal Myrianne Lusignan. FAREWELL BANTING: On Thursday, June 14, an entire day was devoted to an emotional Farewell Frederick Banting celebration. Principal Evelyne Alfonsi, Commissioner Sylvia Lo Bianco and teacher Antonio D’Amico spoke. There was an ongoing skit of students packing up boxes to move. Every class presented songs and musical pieces. The closing number, a takeoff on the movie/play 6 Grease was extraordinary. A large quilt made by the students was displayed and folded up. It will be brought to Gerald McShane. As one teacher said: “For the children this will be their security blanket; something familiar to them.” Students celebrate the history of Frederick Banting School. help meet a need at an elementary school, as defined by the students and for their benefit, with the counsel of a teacher or staff member at the school, that cannot be met through its normal operating budget. Efforts will also be made to educate primary and secondary school students, as well as the public on the importance of charitable giving to society, particularly in the education sector. A total of $5,000 will be made available from the charitable sector. Each of the six schools will have to propose projects of between $1,000 and $2,500. CBC Montreal will set up a web page to serve as the project home and to facilitate public interaction with the project. Students from each elementary school will present a short case for support for their project on-air and the supporting staff member will do the same for the website and judges panel. The case for support will include a description of the need, of why it is needed and what the impact of realizing it would be. A slide show with music showed some present day and vintage scenes of the school. Students released butterflies outside in the school yard and a beautiful reception under tents followed. It was sponsored by the Madison. CBC COMPETITION: Two EMSB elementary schools, Carlyle in T.M.R. and Westmount Park in St. Leonard, have been chosen to be part of the Youth in Philanthropy School Needs Fundraising Project. This is a joint program being organized by CBC Montreal’s Television News at Six and the Foundation of Greater Montreal (FG). The Lester B. Pearson (LBPSB) School Board also has a few schools represented. Melanie Tam Among the aims of the project, which will loosely resemble reality television, will be to Sharna Dey Based on the FGM Youth in Philanthropy program, a panel of four secondary school students has been selected to work under the auspices of the FGM to determine the level and direction of support for the grant winners. Melanie Tam, a Secondary V student at LaurenHill Academy and Sharna Dey from Marymount Academy will be the EMSB representatives. IMPACT NIGHT: The EMSB had a very strong and exciting presence at the June 15 Montreal Impact game at Claude Robillard Stadium in Ahuntsic. A total of 3,519 tickets were sold to EMSB students and staff for the Impact game against Charleston, surpassing 7 the number from last year’s inaugural “EMSB Night.” Anita Licursi, Joey Saputo, Dominic Spiridigliozzi, TacTik and student scholarship winners Rudy Galati and Karina Loffreda. For the last two years the EMSB has teamed up with the professional soccer team for the Impact Stay In School Program, in which players visit the schools. Head coach Nick DeSantis and a number of players graduated from EMSB schools. Before the game, the EMSB’s presence was recognized and two students who have shown a love for soccer were 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 in December 2005. The winners were Rudy Galati,10, from Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School in Rosemount and Karina Loffreda, 11, from General Vanier Elementary School in St. Léonard. Galati played in the school’s intramural soccer league, where he displayed sportsmanship and proved to be an extremely talented player and excellent student. Loffreda boasts strong academics, leadership skills and dedication to her favourite sport of soccer. ROBOTICS CHAMPS: The Educational Alliance for Science & Technology (EAST) has released some impressive statistics related to EMSB schools and centres in 2006-2007. At the Robotique CRC Robotics: Achemedia 2007 in Rosemere, LaurenHill Academy in St. Laurent came first in "Game" while Rosemount Technology Centre captured the first overall prize and won the web competition while finishing second in engineering design and third in "Game." At the Junior Robotics Competition 2007 at Lester B. Pearson High School, teams from Dalkeith Elementary School in Anjou finished first and third in dance while Merton Elementary School in Côte Saint-Luc came in second. In the category of search and rescue, John Paul I Junior High School finished tied for first with Coronation Elementary School in Côte des Neiges while another team from the latter came in second. St. Monica Elementary School in N.D.G. finished third. John Paul I and Elizabeth Ballantyne Elementary School in Montreal West were winners in the Mystery Challenge and the Best in Mystery respectively. In one-on-one soccer, Dalkeith came in first while Merton and John Paul I were third. Teams from Coronation finished first and second in the two-on-two soccer competition at the elementary level while Lester B. Pearson High School was in second at the secondary level. Dalkeith got the nod for sportsmanship. Board of Trade winners and finalists congratulated by the EMSB Council. are BOARD OF TRADE: Two students from the EMSB won gold medals and another a silver at the 25th annual Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal Outstanding Student Awards Program, which took place May 29 at the Hilton Montréal Bonaventure. In all, 11 8 EMSB students were nominated in four different categories. Chocolate sales and Mr. Freeze were a big hit on the last Friday of every month. This prestigious event recognizes noteworthy personal creative projects completed by Secondary V and vocational education students attending Montreal area schools. All of the finalists were interviewed by jury members in their respective categories. They had to maintain an average of at least 80 percent to qualify. The shining moment during the campaign was the annual spring Walk-A-Thon, which took place on April 27, 2007. Members of the student body, along with teachers and staff, walked around the Montreal North neighbourhood waving the Terry Fox Flag and carrying their Terry Fox banner with pride. The walk ended with a hardy pizza lunch and the long awaited Band Aid concert organized by several senior students and teachers. The concert ended the campaign activities this year on a good note. During the months of April and May, the Social Studies department collected money and pledge forms from their students. Students and staff brought, in great numbers, the money they collected from family and friends. This year they were able to collect over $22 000 for cancer research. This successful year brings our 26 year total to over $300,000. Alexander Winkler-Schwartz of Marymount Academy in N.D.G. won the gold medal in Sciences/Math, which was accompanied by a $1,000 bursary. Rini Karmaker of John F. Kennedy High School in St. Michel captured silver and $700 in the same category. In the Vocational Education Program category, Carl Tabib of the Rosemount Technology Centre won gold and $1,000. The other finalists were: Gianni Montanaro, Lester B. Pearson in Montreal North and Alex Walsh, Royal West Academy in Montreal West. (Sciences/Math); Maura Lisa Forese, Laurier Macdonald in St. Leonard and Roxanne Roy, FACE downtown, (Arts); Shelby Cohen, Royal West Academy in Montreal West and Amélia Vachon, Lester B. Pearson in Montreal North (Social Sciences/Languages); and Douglas Burrell and Nadine Van Elslande, each from Rosemount Technology Centre (Vocational Education). TERRY FOX CAMPAIGN: Another academic year has come to an end and for the Terry Fox Committee at Lester B. Pearson High School in Montreal North it is the end of a long campaign. Countless hours have gone into preparing for activities and fundraising ideas. To ensure that the student body had fun while donating to cancer research, students and colleagues worked along side each other to deliver a wonderful campaign. During lunch hour, the committee sold baked goods and candies or raffles tickets for their annual Christmas and Walk-a-Thon raffles. Hot Students and staff who were aboard the ship with EMSB officials and Line Beauchamp. HONOURING BRAVERY: Bourassa Liberal MNA Line Beauchamp, Quebec’s Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks, was a special guest at a reception held at St. Pius X Culinary Institute in Ahuntsic recently for the 38 students and five staff from Lester B. Pearson High School in Montreal North who were aboard a sinking ship near the Greek Island of Santorini. Ms. Beauchamp and EMSB Sylvia Lo Bianco handed out portfolios to these individuals who all returned home safely. 9 as making judicious use of environmentally friendly practices inside and outside their school. They were judged, as were many other schools in the district, and they came out as exemplary. Of the more than 60 schools in the borough, there were only five winners. St. Monica celebrates its award. CLEANLINESS AWARDS: Two N.D.G elementary schools, St. Monica and Willingdon, have been awarded certificates of merit along with flags and signs identifying them as model schools in the borough of Côte des Neiges-N.D.G. under the program "Ma Propre École." At St. Monica, a June 7 ceremony was attended by Borough Mayor Michael Applebaum, Councillor Warren Allmand, Governing Board Chair Ginette Leduc, Borough Animator Aleem Sadeek, Jai Granofsky from Eco-Cartier, NDG-Snowdon and teachers Suzanne Englebretsen and Vivian Cohen-Krausz, A similar ceremony took place at Willingdon, with Mayor Applebaum and Councillor Marcel Tremblay. Willingdon celebrates as well. This award was in recognition for the work done by the students and staff in cleaning up their school and the surrounding area as well Michael Rosen (back row middle) presents some gifts from Tree Canada to Honoré-Mercier. TREE CANADA: Michael Rosen, the president of Ottawa-based Tree Canada, spoke to students at Honoré Mercier Elementary School in St. Léonard on June 5 which coincidentally was World Environment Day. For most of his life, Rosen has had a passion for forestry. As the recently appointed president of Tree Canada, he now holds one of the most prominent positions in that field in the country. Tree Canada is a not-for-profit Canadian organization established 15 years ago that helps facilitate the planting and care of trees throughout urban and rural Canada. To date, it has facilitated the planting of more than 74 million trees, the greening over 400 schoolyards and is a leader in Canadian urban forest programs and awareness. Tree Canada is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. Honoré-Mercier Principal Donna Manos was at Gerald McShane Elementary School in Montreal North last year when it was presented with a special award for Environmental Achievement. In January 2004, Gerald McShane enrolled in a fundraising program called ThinkGreen and has been an active participant ever since. ThinkGreen, a division of Greentec, is an environmental fundraising program that currently funds over 10 1,100 schools across Canada. The program provides boxes with pre-paid shipping labels to facilitate the collection of used print cartridges and cell phones to protect the environment from electronic waste and earn funding. Gerald McShane collected over 1,146 cartridges, planted 61 trees and diverted 573 lbs. of waste from landfill since enrolling in the program. Ms. Manos plans to implement the same program at HonoréMercier. GREENING MARYMOUNT: When students at Marymount Academy in N.D.G. complete their exams one day last week they headed outside to participate in the greening of their schoolyard, better known as Hedge Hog Haven. Trucks arrived at the school in the morning to dig the holes for the trees and bushes in Hedge Hog Haven. Twenty-two bushes and three trees were delivered in the course of the morning, and the students planted them after their exams. Recently, the school received a grant of $2,000 from Toyota Evergreen. In addition Toyota/Evergreen donated a tree and an additional 14 shrubs. Cramer Nurseries supplemented the donation by adding materials needed for planting along with a price reduction. The original funding of $2,000 has been supplemented by these donations and by an additional tri-party grant of $ 60,000 for the total improvement of the school grounds, reports Spiritual Community Animator Catherine Cherry. Last fall, Marymount became the first English school in the province to be certified as a member of the Brundtland Environmental Group. There are more than 1,000 French schools already involved with this group that has as its mandate to promote pacifism, democracy, solidarity and the environment. This worldwide initiative was established by Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland, pioneer of sustainable development and Director General of the World Health Organization. A Brundtland Commission was established by the United Nations as an independent body to examine the world's environmental and development problems and propose solutions. This year the school launched its “Marymount Action Group,” otherwise known as “The MAG Team. “ This is an umbrella group sponsoring a variety of activities on Democracy, Solidarity, Peace, and the Environment. Each activity has a spiritual component. Beatrice Devroye (left) receives her award from Linda Rammage. MENTORSHIP AWARD: Beatrice Devroye, a speech-language pathologist at the EMSB, received the Mentorship Award from the president of Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists (CASLPA) Linda Rammage at the awards banquet of the annual convention in Moncton, New Brunswick recently. The mentorship award is given to a member who has significantly influenced or contributed to the clinical training and/or professional development of a student(s) or colleague(s) in the field of speech-language pathology or audiology, either as a clinical supervisor or mentor. JOHN GRANT BY CANOE: Twelve students from John Grant High School in Côte Saint-Luc took a unique four day/three night pedagogical field trip June 14 to 17 heading down the Ottawa River on a Voyageur (Rabaska) canoe and following the routes travelled by fur traders, voyageurs, and 11 natives many years ago. The trip began in Hawksbury and concluded in St. Anne de Bellevue. John Grant is an alternative special education vocational centre devoted to the needs of students with learning difficulties, offering a warm, supportive, multicultural environment and small class sizes. School officials felt that a trip of this nature would be extremely beneficial to the students. Outdoor excursions or adventure is a form of engaging students with others, with the natural world around them, the history and geography of a given area and most of all themselves. It provides an experiential way of learning, which is used quite frequently at John Grant where students do not generally have the opportunity to experience the outdoors in a structured, safe, and adventurous way. John Grant carried out this trip as a part of a partnership with H20 adventures (www.h2oadventures.com); a Montreal based outdoor adventure company and school. Beyond learning about themselves and their classmates, there were some formal teaching points throughout the trip. Students visited the Montreal Fur Trade Museum which provided insight into the historical significance of the trip. The students were also taught about living (sleeping, cooking, eating etc…) in a wilderness setting. The guides were Warren Zelman of H2O Adventures, John Grant teachers Karen Kleihaue and Nicholas Arsenault and former H20 staffer and outdoor professional Richard Joyner. RELAY FOR LIFE: Laurier Macdonald became the first Quebec high school and only the second in all of Canada to take part in the Canadian Cancer Society’s 12-hour relay for life fundraiser. This first ever community fundraiser was held on May 25 on the school track in conjunction with local community members and leaders as well as organized by 20 Secondary V IBO (International Baccalaureate Organization) LMAC students. The project was overseen by Vince Lacroce (Spiritual Community Animator and coordinator of the first ever Student Relay for Life) along with the help of the school administration and development officers from Canadian Cancer Society. The school’s objective this year is to raise over $35,000! The LMAC Relay team in action. Over 250 people collected more than $25,000 on May 25 for cancer research and development. The Relay for Life is a signature event organized by the Canadian Cancer Society to recognize individuals who have survived cancer as well as to honor those who have lost their battle to the disease. This was a non-competitive 12-hour overnight event, where teams of ten friends, relatives or colleagues took turns walking or running around the track. The reason it was held at night is simply because cancer never sleeps! PEDAL FOR KIDS: The 16th annual Pedal for Kids Pédalez Pour les Enfants benefitting the Montreal Children’s featured Spiritual Community Animator Rocco Speranza representing East Hill, Edward Murphy McLearon, and John Paul 1 schools. He was invited to be part of this event, that raised over $6,000 because of the schools’ fundraising events that are committed to maintaining the excellent care given by the hospital as well for the various projects that were held within the schools such as, safety first workshops he prepared ,which promote prevention of trauma, water safety, vehicle and bicycle safety, and of course The Huggies project (in collaboration with Mr. Vince Lacroce and the schools he services). Mr Speranza was fortunate enough to meet Steven 12 Croucher, a patient from the hospital and this year’s Pedal for Kids star, who rode as well, Steven also raised over 600$ on his own for this great cause. Next year, plans call for some high school students to get involved. HEALTHY EATING: Edward Murphy Elementary School, under the guidance of Mr. Speranza and the school's teachers and students took part in a school-wide art project with the aim to promote healthy eating and to assist school community supporter Crystal Bakery design their new business card. Cycle 2 student Claudie Boudreault’s sketch was selected as the winning entry and will appear as the design of the bakery's new business card. Every student in the school was a winner. Steve and Antoinette from Crystal Bakery treated the entire student population to a free lunch consisting of sandwiches, juice, apples, pizza and dessert. A great time was had by all. Meanwhile, students from Edward Murphy were visited by local local firefighters who presented age appropriate fire safety tips and scenarios for students in pre-k, K and cycle 1. The students received very valuable information and really enjoyed the simulator that allows students to practice staying low and existing a room filled with smoke. HOLOCAUST MUSEUM: Students from McLearon Elementary School visited the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Museum. They completed a year long project devoted to learning about the WWII and the Holocaust. The tour was very informative to the Grade 6 students. The students presented the museum with a beautiful framed art work that was completed by John Paul I High School students. CELEBRATION OF VIRTUE: EMSB elementary students from St. Dorothy School in St. Michel were acknowledged on June 6 at a Celebration of Virtue for their participation in the Virtues Education Project. Throughout the year students participated in activities which helped develop citizenship, trustworthiness, responsibility, fairness, self discipline and perseverance. The combined efforts of all students in development of their moral character are recognized at a monthly Virtues Assembly. This valuable project encourages and recognizes students who respectfully address others in a spirit of compassion, justice and cooperation. PYTHAGORAS: A select group of eight Gade 6 students from St. Dorothy agreed to give up many of their lunch hours in order to prepare for the Pythagoras National Mathematics competition. Each of them achieved an excellent score in the Pythagoras National Mathematics competition, placing St. Dorothy School’s average score at 24.25, whereas the Canadian average was 25.68. All students scored above the national average and each will be recognized with a certificate of distinction. A medal will was awarded to school champion Pham Harris, who obtained the highest score of the all our participants. He received a medal of great distinction at a June 4 Character Building Assembly. Trudeau students break the age barrier. COOPERATION ACROSS THE AGES: Kindergarten and Cycle 3 students at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School in Rosemount got together for an afternoon of cooperative learning recently. Both groups were studying the solar system in their respective classes. The four and 11 year olds collaborated on an art project on the solar system. Teachers Luba Kalba and Danielle 13 Beccari watched with pleasure as the students interacted, formed friendships and worked very hard. SCHOOL CALENDAR: A reminder that school calendars for the youth sector have been adopted for 2007-2008 and 2008-2009. They can be accessed via the “Schools” section of the EMSB website. John Szuber JOHN SZUBER MOURNED: The EMSB is mourning the passing of John Szuber, a viceprincipal in the adult and vocational sector of the EMSB and prior to that a longtime guidance counsellor. Mr. Szuber is perhaps best known as the founder of the highly successful EMSB Career Fair. Soon after the creation of the EMSB, he approached the Departments of Student Services and Adult Education and Vocational Services about establishing a fall Career Fair for Grade 11 and adult education students. The event eventually grew from two to three days to accommodate Grade 10 students, attracting more than 3,000 students. Mr. Szuber was on sick leave for two years after undergoing surgery for a brain tumour. He had been serving as vice principal (then known as assistant centre director) of the James Lyng Adult Centre when he fell ill, having fulfilled the same role with the Shadd Business Centre. Prior to that he spent many years as the guidance counsellor at Marymount Academy. Mr. Szuber began his career in education as a teacher in 1969, working at St.Columbian, Pius X High School and Lester B. Pearson High School. In 1977 he went on to become a guidance counselor and served at Vincent Massey, Lester B. Pearson, James Lyng and Marymount. In lieu of flowers, donations in John’s name may be made to the Brain Tumor Foundation of Canada, 1-800-265-5106. GOLF TOURNAMENT: Noted businessman and president of the Montreal Impact soccer team, Joey Saputo, has agreed to serve as honourary chair for the fourth annual EMSB Scholarship Golf Tournament on Thursday, June 28 at Lachute. Last fall, the EMSB distributed 30 cash scholarships of $500 each to students from the graduating class of 2006 at an Administration Building ceremony in N.D.G. These scholarships were funded from the proceeds of a previous tournament. Scholarships were awarded to high school students who are continuing their studies in a post-secondary educational program. For more information or to book a foursome, please call 514-483-7200 ext. 7434. MS READ-A-THON: Merton Elementary School in Côte Saint-Luc raised $2,424.82 for research into Multiple Sclerosis. By participating in the read-a-thon not only are students helping the cause, but they also supported student literacy which is the number one objective of Merton. A total of 571 books were read during the 10 days, making an average of 8.28 books per student. MERTON ON GLOBAL: The crew from Global Television’s This Morning Live broadcast from the municipal pool in Côte Saint-Luc June 21 and interviewed students from nearby Merton Elementary School about their summer plans. BANCROFT CARES: Selina Morrison's Grade 4 class at Bancroft Elementary School is sending 65 orphans to school in the rural village of Zabre in Burkina Faso. They had learned about Burkina Faso because Selina's 14 sister Ruth volunteered with Oxfam Quebec and came to share her experience with our class. She showed pictures of the kids and told everyone about the realities of the children she worked with. It was decided that everyone would help one student. There are 27 students in the class and it costs approximately $12 for a child to go to school with their supplies for one year. As a result of a bake sale $245.75was raised. Another $315.47 came from a bazaar and a popsicle sale brought in $221.78 for a grand total was $783. Bancroft is therefore sending 65 students to school! If you would like to donate please contact Oxfam Quebec, Fondation Isabelle Pelletier, 2330 NotreDame Ouest, bureau 220, Montreal, Quebec, H3J 2Y2. MONTREAL TOURING: With over $2,000 from community donations, including the Rotarians, over 25 students from Parkdale Elementary School in St. Laurent toured Montreal’s historical, cultural, spiritual and religious sites and locations for two omplete days recently! The brainchild of Grade 5 teacher Angie Mantzikas, with the help of the Spiritual Community Animator Mike Shaw, this activity has been organized for the past four years. This year they were also able to take two Grade 5 classes to the Pointe Callière Museum. Thus over 60 students will benefit from the generosity of the local community. On May 27 and 29 the students from Grade 5, joined by the children with autism, travelled the length and breadth of Old Montreal. The sounds of glee and wonder made this project a joy to accomplish, especially as the bus rounded the corner to a spectacular view of the Northern part of the city. Bonsecours Church, Notre Dame Basilica, Île Ste. Hélène, the Montreal lookout point, Marché Bonsecours, the Biodome, the Biosphère, walks underground in the city of Montreal, picnics downtown and on the island Ste. Hélène, made the event an incredible success for these “inner city” students. Over 80 percent of the students had never been out of St. Laurent. The gift of postcards of the city and eating ice-cream on the top of the mountain made the two days an event to remember. So successful has this project been, that Grade 6 students asked to come and chaperone! PERSPECTIVES WINNER: The Montreal Board of Trade and the “Comptables Agréés de Montréal” have presented Luc Synette, a Secondary III student at Perspectives I High School with a $2,500 bursary. This money will be available to Luc on completion of Secondary V to be used to pursue his education after that in the vocational field or at the CEGEP level. Representatives of both groups, Francis Letendre and Nathalie Mercier of the Montreal Board of Trade and Laurent Morriset and Suzanne Carrier from the “Comptables Agréés de Montréal,” made an interesting presentation to the Secondary III students on June 5. The draw to select the winner followed. Parkdale makes its Watercan donation. WATERCAN: Gary Pluim, CEO of Watercan in Ottawa recently visited Gardenview and Parkdale. Dressed as a Massai warrior, he encouraged over 1,200 students from K to Grade 6 to do “chores for charity” or “action pour les autres.” Watercan is on a mission to build a well in an Ethiopian school for 600 children. Meanwhile, Spiritual Community Animator Mike Shaw visited the junior grades of F.A.C.E. to make a similar activity for them. The students would do chores around their home and place their collection in multicolored eggs, which 15 symbolize “life.” With a five to six gallon can being filled to the full, the children were asked to carry this item on their heads, and imagine transporting the item a distance of three kilometres! The content was polluted water! Upon his return in May, Mr. Pluim was presented with a cheque for $3,000 by the students. The Canadian government will increase this amount by $6,000 and this total sum of $9,000 will help build a well near a school, along with toilets for a school of 600 students and staff. Students also saw a CTV DVD of Margaret Trudeau and her daughter-in-law Sophie Grégoire representing Watercan in Ethiopia. PARKDALE FIELD DAY: With the perfect weather, a gentle breeze, a plethora of sporting activities, a visit from the members of the Montreal Royal basketball team and quenching of thirsts with ice and cool splashes of water, all was set for a perfect Field Day at Parkdale Elementary School in St. Laurent. The senior portion of the school was outside and the pre-k and K were jumping, running and moving with abundant fun in the gymnasium. In total over 450 students were involved for the entire day in physical activity, including some of the older bones of the staff like Spiritual Community Animator Mike Shaw commented: “With a day like this organized by Ms. Christina, who needs a membership to the local gym!”. Exercising mind and body to figure out how to cross the river on ropes and wheeled carts, jumping rope up to 175 times! These were just some of the activities provided by Ms. Christina, the Phys Ed. teacher and coordinator of the wonderful day.Wherever one looked there were students racing relays, pushing huge inflated balls around the sports-field, doing cartwheels, getting soaked under jets of water and generally thoroughly enjoying themselves while at the same time getting plenty of exercise. Comments from all staff, including the more senior of the school, clearly made it known that it was the best Field Day Parkdale had organized for many years. REMEMBER SEPTEMBER: Glen Walsh’s CD Remember September, which is a tribute to the late Anastasia De Sousa, continues to draw interest. Proceeds from the sales are going to Anastasia’s family. Walsh recently set up shop at John F. Kennedy and Laurier Macdonald High Schools. Go to www.glenwalsh.net for more details. DYNAMIC: The recent Dynamic Theatre Factory’s Showcase Festival at Centre Marie Uguay in Lachine had a distinct EMSB flavour. Scripts by Royal Vale’s Grade 8 students’ script “My name is Mel,” as well as Marymount’s Fiona Del Rio’s script “Listen Charlie” were performed. “ It was fascinating to see how the young actors interpreted the scripts,” says Secondary English Language Arts Consultant Stella Halaris. “I feel that it is an experience worth repeating as it not only validates writing but drama as well.” LITERACY CLUB: Ms. Halaris has started a literacy club called the Read a Book Challenge. It is still in its seedling stage but she hopes with some love and nurture it will blossom. She recently sent out five books to five schools for students who were reading well below grade level and challenged them to read a high interest low level novel and to write a book report on it (mostly fill in the blank and short answer). At John Grant High School, students Kimberly Howell, KelseyLove Armstrong, Ayinka Lewis, Kristin Jarvis and Thivia Sinnarassa accepted the challenge. Students from Vezina High School also accepted the challenge. They are: Connor Moore, Anthony Riti-Tapia, Andrew Nguyen and Brandon Birkett. DEBATING: Students in Greg Louden’s classes from Vincent Massey Collegiate had a debating competition recently with his Secondary one and two students. The quality of the arguments for such young people was phenomenal. BOOK DONATION: Miss Edgar and Miss Cramps, a private girls school in Westmount, 16 has donated 27 books of new and almost new children’s books to the following schools: St. Raphaël, St. Gabriel, Sinclair Laird and Carlyle. These books are for the students to take home for summer reading. CHORALE UPDATE: As the regular season for the EMSB drew to a close, 23 choristers have continued to rehearse for an upcoming trip to St. John’s, NL to sing at the prestigious international choral festival, Festival 500: Sharing the Voices. More than 80 choirs from around the world auditioned and the EMSB Chorale is one of 32 to have been chosen to participate. The festival takes place July 1 to 8. In addition, conductor Patricia Abbott, well known for her work with choirs across Canada as well as for her work with the Association of Canadian Choral Conductors, has been asked to emcee the opening ceremonies and concert at Festival 500 along with the internationally renowned Finnish conductor, Sanna Valvanne. Meanwhile, the EMSB Chorale will be undertaking its 28th season as of Saturday, September 8. The Senior Chorale will once again perform in the CBC/McGill Concert Series Youth Gala and will hold a Spring Gala in early May at Oscar Peterson Hall. There will be a new venue for the Holiday concert, given the sale of the Citadel to Alcan. The choir looks forward to performing in December in the magnificent acoustic of the Loyola Chapel. Camp weekends are already reserved as well. Auditions begin as soon as school begins. School principals or music teachers should not hesitate to call Pat Abbott (EMSB extension – 7234) to make arrangements for auditions in their schools. Parents may also bring their children to Westmount Park School any Saturday morning as of September 8. Look for the choir brochure and audition reminder when it goes out in August. SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS: School board elections will take place on Sunday, November 4, 2007. Voters in the territory of the EMSB will elect commissioners in 23 wards. The makeup of the electoral divisions appear on the EMSB website. In order to vote, you must currently be on the permanent list of electors in Quebec, be 18 years of age and over, a Canadian citizen, domiciled in the territory of the EMSB, have been domiciled in Quebec for at least six months, not be under curatorship and not have been convicted of an offence that is a corrupt electoral practice. Any parent who has a child registered in an EMSB youth sector elementary or high school as of September 1, 2007 are automatically entered on the EMSB electoral list. In addition, any elector who made a choice prior to the June 1998 elections and had their name entered on the EMSB electoral list is included. These individuals would have signed a special form. If you do not recall doing so, you can verify whether your name appears on the list during the revision process in the fall of 2007 or by calling 1-888-353-2846. However, if you no longer have any children enrolled in the system, by default you will be placed on the French electoral list. You will receive a postcard from the Directeur Général des Élections du Québec notifying you of this change. When you receive this postcard, call the EMSB Election Office at 514-483-7200, ext. 8800 and a Notice of Choice form will be sent to you to fill out and return to the EMSB. HALO RACE: EMSB schools participated in the annual Greater Montreal Athletic Association (GMAA) Halo Road Race last month at Beaver Lake on Mount Royal. A record number of students participated this year, with 5,584 at the elementary level and 996 at the secondary level. Included in these numbers were 3,024 students from 35 EMSB elementary schools and 377 students from 11 high schools. Sandy Farr, EMSB Pedagogical Consultant for physical education and health, wishes to thank all of the physical education teachers for training these young runners and taking the time to organize their 17 schools for this event. A special bravo to Gardenview for having the most students registered. This award had gone to Honoré Mercier for the previous 18 years! Hats off as well to first time participant Edward Murphy, Hampstead, Parkdale and St. Raphaël. And a very fond farewell to the staff and students of McLearon! HOOKED ON SCHOOL: Montreal Hooked on School, which promotes student retention, has posted its latest Resources newsletter online at http://www.clds.qc.ca/en/Resources_may_07/english/index.ht ml . READ-A-THON: During the month of May the students from kindergarten to Grade 6 at McLearon Elementary School in Pointe-auxTrembles participated in a Read-a-Thon to raise money for Project Love. The latter is a charitable organization which raises money to buy school supplies for under-privileged children. The students at McLearon read nearly 400 books, and raised over $900. This money was used to create kits filled with school supplies to be sent, through the help of Project Love, to needy students in Ethiopia, Africa. Erin Gallagher, the Cycle 1 teacher who coordinated the project added: “This was a rewarding experience for all the students and a great success! JUSTIN’S OPTIONS: Justin Trudeau will be the keynote speaker at the Options II High School graduation ceremony June 22 (2 p.m.) at Vanier College. He also addressed the Grade 6 grad ceremony at Sinclair Laird Elementary School in Park Extension, which is situated in the federal Papineau riding where he will run for the Liberal Party. TEDDY BEAR: Richard Masys has launched the 10-4 Teddy Bear Wheelchair Foundation (http://ten4.teddybear.googlepages.com/home) in honour of his late companion, former EMSB St. Raphaël Centre teacher Mary Hyjek who succumbed to a lengthy battle with cancer last October . One of her last requests was that the goals of this Foundation which has been in preparation for the past four years, be reached and completed. She insisted that Richard continue with this project by raising funds through the sale of teddy bears in hopes of providing less fortunate families with wheel chairs desperately needed for their youngsters. For over 30 years, Mary dedicated her life as a teacher in special education. For the better part of her career, she worked at the St. Raphael Center, a school aimed at children experiencing social, behavioral and learning difficulties. Mary exemplified the true meaning of the word “teacher” through her words, compassion and understanding while working with the children. Her dedication, commitment and actions for these children never wavered. Teaching was indeed her vocation. This project was inspired after hearing a recording back in 2002 by Boxcar Willie titled “TEDDY BEAR.” Out of curiosity, Richard searched the internet to see if he could hear more recordings by this talented musician. He fell upon his website and was saddened to learn that Boxcar Willie had passed away from Cancer in 1999. It was then that he and Mary decided to undertake this important project to help children in need of wheelchairs. Mary had never seen the actual teddy bear sample, but merely a photo of it. For more information, Richard can be reached at [email protected] or (514) 696-2869. NAUTILUS PLUS OFFER: All EMSB staff members are eligible to take advantage of a special offer from the Nautilus Plus chain of fitness centres. If you print the coupon accessible via the EMSB Intranet and bring it to the Nautilus Plus location of your choice, you will be able to take advantage of a free trial. As part of this offer, the initiation fee is $50 for a network and local membership. Each employee will be able to choose between two packages. Each employee who joins the program will have a period of 37 days from 18 the membership date to cancel. Information has been sent to schools. TIP CORNER Editors 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. MISSING CHILDREN’S NETWORK: Effective May 25, the Missing Children’s Network is becoming Enfant-Retour Québec! After twenty-two years in operation, our Board of Directors decided that a renewed image was needed to better position our organization to meet future challenges with optimism and success. Our goal is to continue to bring our team and services closer to families and professionals … to better reflect our unique mission … to increase our visibility within the francophone community … to create new markets in the outlying regions of the province and generate new sources of revenues to finance our operations. The change is in nomination only, with all team members and partners remaining constant, especially our most trusted and valued ones and that includes YOU! We are focusing on developing and building stronger relationships within our community so that we can meet our ultimate goal … reaching every family and every child in the province of Quebec with a wealth of age-appropriate safety information. The heart and soul of our mission remains unchanged … assist families in the search for their missing child (ren) and to prevent the disappearances of children through sound prevention programs. If this renewed corporate image helps us to bring safely home one missing child, prevents one child from disappearing or encourages one family to broach the sensitive topic of personal safety with their child, then we will have contributed towards investing in our future, as well as to building a safer nation for all. As the reports of missing children continue to grow and the demands for our services increase, now more than ever, we depend upon your generosity and friendship. We look forward to working with you as together we strive to build a world where children can be children … safe, protected and loved! VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT: Project Genesis is a grassroots community organization in Côte-des-Neiges that defends people’s social rights. Their volunteer advisors provide information, referral and advocacy services at our drop-in centre, assisting people in gaining access to programs, services and resources that can help improve their standard of living. They are looking for bilingual, committed volunteers! Contact Claire for more information at 514-738-2036 ext. 407 or [email protected]. ADULT EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL SERVICES RTC CERTIFICATION: Three hundred and forty-nine cabinetmakers, machinists, electromechanic technicians, furniture finishers, drafters, desktop publishers and printers from Rosemount Technology Centre received certification June 6 , 2007. Eight hundred people were in attendance at the RTC convocation ceremony at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel. Approximately 54 percent of jobs in the Montreal area require vocational or technical certification. Meanwhile, on the morning of June 6 two teams traveled to Saskatoon to compete in the Canadian Skills Competition in Cabinetmaking and Graphic Design. 19 Leonardo da Vinci à Michelangelo), Eileen Kelly (de John Paul I à Laurier Macdonald) et Liboria Amato (directrice adjointe de Laurier Macdonald au poste de directrice de John Paul I). Quant aux directeurs adjoints, les transferts incluent : Rosario Trupia (de Dante au Centre d’adultes High School of Montreal). Lilyana Georgieva Boncheva is congratulated for her scholarship at the last Council meeting. SCHOLARSHIP WINNER: Lilyana Georgieva Boncheva of the James Lyng Adult Centre in St. Henri recently won a scholarship from Phi Delta Kappa in recognition of her excellent academic performance and good attendance. She was congratulated at the last EMSB Council meeting. PLEINS FEUX SUR FIELDING NOMINATIONS : Plusieurs nominations administratives ont été annoncées pour l’année scolaire 2007-2008. Les directrices/directeurs transférés à de nouvelles écoles sont : Claude Dansereau (École secondaire Westmount à l’Académie LaurenHill), John Pevec (directeur adjoint du Collège Vincent Massey au poste de directeur), Teresa Germano Saucier (Centre d’adultes Galileo à Coronation), Joseph Marra (Edward Murphy à John F. Kennedy), Michael Cristofaro (John Grant/Paul VI à l’école secondaire Westmount), Nick Katafilos (Général Vanier à Pierre de Coubertin), Maria Palmieri (Holy Cross à Edward Murphy), Michelle Stein (directrice adjointe d’East Hill au poste de directrice de Holy Cross), Linda Saukas (directrice adjointe de l’école secondaire Westmount au poste de directrice de John Grant et Paul VI), Angela MonteferranteOrsi (Michelangelo au Centre d’adultes Galileo), Pina Rizzi (de McLearon à Général Vanier tout en conservant Cité des Prairies), Anna Della Rocca (directrice adjointe de RETRAITES : Les administrateurs suivants ont pris leur retraite : Danny Sipos (Académie LaurenHill), Llyod Rideough (Vincent Massey), Diane Wood-Nolan (Coronation), Pat Buttino (Laurier Macdonald), Dominic Prioletta (Pierre de Coubertin), Dominic Furfaro (John F. Kennedy). Au centre administratif, Donald A. Reid quitte son poste de directeur général adjoint de la CSEM, un poste qu’il a occupé pendant quatre ans. Avant cette dernière nomination, il a occupé les postes de directeur régional, directeur des Services pédagogiques, directeur adjoint du Service de l’éducation des adultes et de la formation professionnelle, conseiller en mathématiques, directeur d’école et enseignant de mathématiques. Il a aussi été responsable du lancement du tournoi annuel de golf de la CSEM … Patricia Moffa prendra sa retraite du poste de directrice de la région I qu’elle a occupé pendant quatre ans. Elle a, au préalable, été directrice de l’école secondaire Lester B. Pearson de MontréalNord pendant huit ans où elle a tenu un rôle important dans l’établissement du programme Sports-Études. Elle a aussi été directrice adjointe de l'école secondaire St. Pius X pendant quatre ans. Mme Moffa a commencé sa carrière d’enseignante en 1970. ATTRAYANTE MURALE : L’école primaire St. Gabriel de Pointe-Saint-Charles a dévoilé une murale intitulée « The Staircase » - une œuvre vibrante et colorée créée grâce au talent des élèves, des parents et du personnel. Avant le dévoilement, les élèves ont démontré leurs nombreux autres talents. Ils ont exécuté des danses irlandaises sous la direction de Bernadette Short; d’autres ont joué du tambour sous la direction du bénévole 20 James Francis; et quelques uns ont démontré leurs habiletés technologiques et sociales par le biais d’une présentation diaporama sous la direction de Steve Maxwell et d’Alexandra Houghting. Tous ces projets ont été rendus possibles grâce au financement disponible par l’entremise du Soutien aux écoles montréalaises. La directrice Tina Ottoni, l’enseignante Joannne Fasone et la superviseure artistique Eugenia Reznik ont participé à toutes les étapes du projet. CONCOURS CBC : Deux écoles primaires de la CSEM, Carlyle de Ville Mont-Royal et Westmount Park de Saint-Léonard, ont été choisies pour participer au projet de levée de fonds Youth in Philantropy School Needs. Ce programme conjoint est organisé par CBC Television News at Six et la Fondation du Grand Montréal (FGM). Quelques écoles de la commission scolaire Lester-B. Pearson participent aussi au projet. L’un des objectifs du projet, qui ressemblera plus ou moins à une émission de télévision réalité, sera d’aider à combler un besoin d’une école primaire, tel que défini par les élèves, avec l’aide d’un(e) enseignant(e) ou un membre du personnel de l’école et qui ne peut pas être comblé par le biais de son budget régulier de fonctionnement. Des efforts seront aussi déployés pour inculquer aux élèves du primaire et du secondaire, ainsi qu’au public, l’importance des dons de charité à la société, particulièrement au secteur de l’éducation. Un total de 5 000$ sera offert par le secteur des dons. Chacune des six écoles aura à proposer des projets allant de 1 000 $ à 2 500 $. CBC Montreal montera une page web qui servira de point d’accès du projet et qui facilitera l’interaction du public avec le projet. Les élèves de chaque école primaire feront une courte présentation pour appuyer leur projet sur les ondes et les membres du personnel qui les appuie feront la même chose pour le site web et les membres du jury. La présentation inclura une description du besoin, de sa raison d’être et de l’impact de sa réalisation. Conformément au programme Youth in Philantroppy de la FGM, un panel de quatre élèves du secondaire a été choisi pour travailler sous les auspices de la FGM à déterminer le niveau et l’orientation de l’appui aux lauréats des subventions. Melanie Tam, élève du secondaire V à l’Académie LaurenHill et Sharna Dey de l’Académie Marymount seront les représentantes de la CSEM. RELAIS POUR LA VIE : Laurier Macdonald est la première école secondaire du Québec et la seconde dans tout le Canada à prendre part au relais pour la vie de la Société canadienne du cancer. Cette première levée de fonds communautaire a eu lieu le 25 mai sur les terrains de l’école, en collaboration avec des membres et des leaders de la communauté et a été organisée par 20 élèves du Secondaire V inscrits au programme de baccalauréat international. Ce projet a été supervisé par Vince Lacroce (animateur de vie spirituelle et d’engagement communautaire et coordonnateur du premier relais pour la vie des élèves) avec l’aide de la direction de l'école et des agents de développement de la Société canadienne du cancer. Cette année, l’objectif de l’école est de recueillir plus de 35 000$ ! Plus de 150 personnes ont recueilli plus de 25 000 $ le 25 mai pour la recherche sur le cancer. Le Relais pour la vie est un évènement majeur organisé par la Société canadienne du cancer en reconnaissance aux personnes qui ont survécu au cancer ainsi que pour honorer toutes celles qui ont perdu leur combat contre cette maladie. Ce relais amical, non compétitif de 12 heures, a eu lieu au cours de la nuit et des équipes de dix amis, parents ou collègues se sont relayés pour marcher ou courir autour de la piste de l’école. La raison pour laquelle cet évènement a eu lieu la nuit c’est simplement parce que le cancer ne dort jamais! 21 PÉDALEZ POUR LES ENFANTS : le 16e « Pédalez pour les Enfants » annuel, au profit de l’Hôpital de Montréal pour enfants, a mis en vedette Rocco Speranza, animateur de vie spirituelle et d’engagement communautaire, qui a représenté les écoles East Hill, Edward Murphy, McLearon et John Paul I. Il a été invité à participer à cet évènement à cause des levées de fonds des écoles qui ont recueilli plus de 6 000 $ et qui sont engagés à maintenir l’excellent service offert par l’hôpital ainsi que pour les divers projets qui ont été entrepris dans les écoles, dont des ateliers sur la sécurité qu’il a organisé et qui font la promotion de la prévention du traumatisme, de la sécurité dans l’eau, en bicyclette et en auto et aussi le projet Huggies (en collaboration avec Vince Lacroce et les écoles qu’il dessert). M. Speranza a eu la chance de rencontrer Steven Croucher, un patient de l’hôpital et vedette de « Pédalez pour les Enfants » de cette année, qui a aussi pédalé et recueilli lui-même plus de 600 $ pour cette cause. L’an prochain, quelques élèves des écoles secondaires devraient participer. ALIMENTATION SAINE : Les élèves de l’école primaire Edward Murphy, sous la direction de M. Speranza et des enseignant(e)s de l’école, ont participé à un projet d’art à l’échelle de l’école, dans le but de promouvoir une alimentation saine et d’aider la boulangerie Crystal à concevoir sa nouvelle carte d’affaires. La soumission de Claudie Boudreault, élève du Cycle 2, a été sélectionnée et apparaîtra sur la nouvelle carte d’affaires de la boulangerie. Steve et Antoinette de la boulangerie Crystal ont offert à tous les élèves de l’école un déjeuner gratuit incluant des sandwiches, des jus, des pommes, des pizzas et des desserts. En outre, les élèves d’Edward Murphy ont reçu la visite de pompiers du quartier qui leur ont donné des conseils de sécurité appropriés à leur âge et des scénarios pour les élèves de la prématernelle et du Cycle 1. Les élèves ont reçu des informations très utiles et ont beaucoup apprécié le simulateur qui permet aux élèves de pratiquer à se tenir près du sol et à quitter une salle envahie par la fumée. MARATHON DE LECTURE : L’école primaire Merton de Côte-Saint-Luc a recueilli 2 424,82 $ pour la recherche sur la sclérose en plaques. En participant à ce marathon, les élèves ont non seulement aidé la cause mais ils ont aussi appuyé l’alphabétisation qui est l’objectif numéro un de Merton. Un total de 571 livres ont été lus en 10 jours, soit une moyenne de 8,28 livres par élève. TOUR DE MONTRÉAL : Grâce à plus de 2 000 $ en dons communautaires, incluant les Rotariens, plus de 25 élèves de l’école primaire Parkdale de Saint-Laurent ont fait récemment la tournée des sites historiques, culturels, spirituels et religieux de Montréal pendant deux jours! Cette activité, lancée par l’enseignante de 5e année Angie Mantzikas avec l’aide de l’animateur de vie spirituelle et d’engagement communautaire, Mike Shaw, a eu lieu pendant les quatre dernières années. Cette année, ils ont pu amener deux classes de 5e année au musée de Pointe-Callières. Et c'est ainsi que plus de 60 élèves ont profité de la générosité de la communauté. Les 27 et 29 mai, les élèves de 5e année, en compagnie d’enfants autistes, ont parcouru le Vieux Montréal dans tous les sens. Les sons de joie et d’émerveillement ont souligné le plaisir de réaliser ce projet, particulièrement lorsque l’autobus, en prenant un virage, a offert une vue spectaculaire de la ville. L’église Bonsecours, la basilique Notre Dame, l’île Sainte-Hélène, les marches souterraines dans Montréal, les pique-niques en ville et sur l’île Sainte-Hélène ont fait de cet évènement un immense succès pour ces élèves des milieux défavorisés. Plus de 80 pour cent des élèves n’étaient jamais sortis de Saint-Laurent. Les dons de cartes postales de la ville et la consommation de crème glacée au haut de la montagne ont fait de ces deux journées un évènement mémorable. Ce projet a remporté un tel succès que les élèves de 6e année ont demandé d’y participer à titre de chaperons! 22 WATERCAN : Gary Pluim, chef de la direction de Watercan, Ottawa, a récemment visité les écoles Gardenview et Parkdale. Vêtu comme un guerrier Massai, il a encouragé plus de 1,200 élèves de la maternelle à la 6e année à « faire des actions pour les autres ». Watercan cherche à construire un puits dans une école éthiopienne pour 600 élèves. L’animateur de vie spirituelle et d’engagement communautaire, Mike Shaw, a visité les classes juniors de FACE pour faire une activité semblable. Les élèves feraient des travaux à la maison et placeraient leurs collections d’œufs multicolores qui symbolisent « la vie ».Avec un bidon de cinq à six gallons rempli d’eau jusqu’au bord, il a été demandé aux enfants de le transporter sur leur tête et d’imaginer de le transporter sur une distance de trois kilomètres! Le contenu du bidon était de l’eau polluée! À son retour en mai, les élèves ont présenté un chèque de 3 000 $ à M. Pluim. Le gouvernement canadien augmentera ce montant de 6 000 $ et cette somme de 9 000 $ permettra de construire un puits ainsi que des salles de toilettes pour une école de 600 élèves ainsi que pour son personnel. Les élèves ont aussi visionné un DVD de CTV, de Margaret Trudeau et de sa bru, Sophie Grégoire, représentant Watercan en Éthiopie. CLUB D’ALPHABÉTISATION : Mme Halaris a lancé un club d’alphabétisation nommé Read a Book Challenge. Il est encore à ses débuts mais elle espère qu’avec de l’amour et de l’attention il prendra de l’ampleur. Elle a récemment envoyé cinq livres à cinq écoles pour des élèves qui lisaient au dessous de leur niveau et elles les a défiés de lire un roman intéressant et à niveau peu élevé et de rédiger un rapport à son sujet (compléter les espaces vides et donner une courte réponse). À l’école secondaire John Grant, les élèves Kimberley Howell, KelseyLove Armstrong, Ayinka Lewis, Kristin Jarvis et Thivia Sinnarassa ont accepté le défi. Des élèves de l’école secondaire Vézina ont aussi accepté de relever le défi. Ce sont : Connor Moore, Anthony Riti-Tapia, Andrew Nguyen et Brandon Birkett. DONS DE LIVRES : Miss Edgar et Miss Cramps, une école privée pour filles de Westmount, a fait don de 27 livres d’enfants neufs ou presque neufs aux écoles suivantes : St. Raphaël, St. Gabriel, Sinclair Laird et Carlyle. Ces livres serviront de lectures d’été pour les enfants. COURSE HALO : Les écoles de la CSEM ont participé à la course Halo annuelle de la GMAA le mois dernier au lac des castors du Mont-Royal. Un nombre record d’élèves a participé cette année (5,584 élèves du primaire et 996 élèves du secondaire). Parmi ces élèves, l’on comptait 3,024 élèves de 35 écoles primaires de la CSEM et 377 élèves de 11 écoles secondaires. Sandy Farr, conseillère pédagogique en éducation physique de la CSEM, désire remercier tous/toutes les enseignant(e)s d’éducation physique pour avoir entraîné ces jeunes coureurs et pour avoir pris le temps d’organiser cet évènement dans leurs écoles. Un bravo spécial à Gardenview pour avoir le plus grand nombre d’élèves inscrits. Cette distinction a appartenu à Honoré Mercier pendant les 18 dernières années! Chapeau aux écoles qui participent pour la première fois : Edward Murphy, Hampstead, Parkdale et St. Raphaël. Et un affectueux au revoir au personnel et aux élèves de McLearon. OURSONS EN PELUCHE : Richard Masys a lancé la Fondation 10-4 Teddy Bear Wheelchair (http://ten4.teddybear.googlepages.com/home) en l’honneur de sa défunte compagne, l’ancienne enseignante Mary Hyjek du Centre St. Raphaël de la CSEM, qui a succombé au cancer en octobre dernier. Un de ses derniers souhaits a été que les objectifs de cette Fondation, qui a été en préparation pendant quatre ans, soient réalisés. Elle avait insisté à ce que Richard poursuive ce projet en levant des fonds par le biais de la vente d’oursons en peluche afin de pouvoir offrir aux familles 23 moins fortunées des chaises roulantes dont leurs jeunes ont désespérément besoin. Pendant plus de 30 ans, Mary a consacré sa vie à l’enseignement en milieu d’adaptation scolaire. Pour la plus grande partie de sa carrière, elle a travaillé au Centre St. Raphaël, une école qui vise les élèves avec difficultés sociales, de comportement et d’apprentissage. Mary a incarné le vrai sens du mot « enseignante » par ses paroles, sa compassion et sa compréhension .Son dévouement, son engagement pour ces enfants n’ont jamais fait défaut. L’enseignement était vraiment sa vocation. Ce projet a été inspiré après avoir entendu un enregistrement en 2002 de Boxcar Willie intitulé « TEDDY BEAR ». Par curiosité, Richard a fait des recherches sur l’Internet pour voir s’il pouvait entendre plus d’enregistrements de ce musicien talentueux. Il a trouvé son site Web et il a appris avec regret que Boxcar Willie avait succombé au cancer en 1999. C’est à ce moment que Mary et lui ont décidé d’entreprendre cet important projet pour aider les enfants qui ont besoin de chaises roulantes. Mary n’a jamais vu l’échantillon d’ourson en peluche mais seulement une photo. Pour plus d’informations, Richard peut être atteint à [email protected] ou au (514) 696-2869. BÉNÉVOLES RECHERCHÉS : Le projet Genesis est un organisme communautaire local à Côte-des-Neiges qui défend les droits sociaux des personnes. Leurs conseillers bénévoles offrent des informations, des services de soumission de cas, aident les personnes à accéder aux programmes, services et ressources qui peuvent les aider à améliorer leur niveau de vie. Ils sont à la recherche de bénévoles bilingues et engagés! Contacter Claire pour plus de renseignements au (514) 738-2036, poste 407 ou à [email protected]. CENTRE DE TECHNOLOGIE DE ROSEMONT : Trois-cent quarante neuf ébénistes, machinistes, technicien(e)s électromécaniques, finisseurs de meubles, dessinateurs/dessinatrices industriels, et imprimeurs du Centre de Technologie de Rosemont ont été certifié(e) s le 6 juin 2007. Huit-cent personnes assistaient à la cérémonie de remise des diplômes du CTR à l’hôtel Sheraton Four points. Près de 54 pour cent des emplois dans la région de Montréal requièrent un diplôme en formation professionnelle ou technique. En sus, dans la matinée du 6 juin, deux équipes se sont rendues à Saskatoon pour participer au concours canadien d’habiletés dans la catégorie ébénisterie et dessin graphique. The next Fielding Focus will be published on August 31, 2007. Submissions should be made to Michael J. Cohen preferably by e-mail ([email protected]) or fax (514-483-7213) 24 25