pearson news - Lester B. Pearson School Board
Transcription
pearson news - Lester B. Pearson School Board
PEARSON NEWS LESTER B. PEARSON SCHOOL BOARD Volume X, No 5 FROM THE DIRECTOR GENERAL & THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD January 28, 2008 Tragédie survenue à Bathurst Au nom de toute la Commission scolaire Lester-B.Pearson, le président et moi-même avons écrit à Mme Karen Branscombe, directrice de l’arrondissement scolaire n o 2, pour offrir nos condoléances à la population de Bathurst. Bathurst Tragedy On behalf of the entire Lester B. Pearson community, the Chairman and I wrote to the Superintendent of School District No. 2, Karen Branscombe, extending our sympathies to the people of Bathurst on their tragic loss. J’aimerais rassurer les parents : les véhicules du type de celui qui a été impliqué dans l’accident ont rarement été utilisés par notre commission et sont maintenant totalement interdits. I wish to assure parents that vehicles such as that involved in the accident were seldom used within our system and are now prohibited totally. En vélo pour les enfants disparus Nous sommes extrêmement fiers de l’exploit de trois de nos enseignants retraités qui ont traversé le Canada à bicyclette en appui à l’organisme EnfantRetour. Brian Potter and Tom Ropeleski ont pédalé du Pacifique à l’Atlantique sous la surveillance de Wayne Clifford qui les accompagnait à bord de son véhicule. Cycling for Missing Children We are extremely proud of the accomplishment of three of our retired teachers who cycled across the country in support of the Missing Children’s Network. Brian Potter and Tom Ropeleski pedalled from Pacific to Atlantic under the careful watch of support driver Wayne Clifford and proved the old cyclists’ adage that there is never a wind at your back! Le trio, dont tous les membres se sont toujours impliqués dans les activités scolaires pendant leurs carrières, s’est arrêté dans des écoles de chaque province pour s’adresser à des groupes d’élèves et leur faire connaître Enfant-Retour. En plus d’avoir recueilli beaucoup de dons, Brian, Tom et Wayne sont la preuve vivante que les enseignants ne s’arrêtent jamais de donner. Nous attendons avec impatience leur prochain projet ! ...DU DIRECTEUR GÉNÉRAL The trio, all of whom had been extremely active in student life activities throughout their careers, stopped in schools in every province to address student groups and to increase awareness of the Missing Children’s Network. In addition to raising significant funding, Brian, Tom and Wayne are vivid proof that teachers never stop giving. We are awaiting anxiously news of their next project! ...FROM THE DIRECTOR GENERAL Défilé de mode Félicitations aux élèves du Centre Gordon-Robertson pour leur soutien à la Fondation Pearson pour l’éducation. En collaboration avec quelques designers de la région, dont Hollie D. Forest, le 3e défilé de mode annuel s’est tenu récemment. Les élèves et le personnel des écoles primaires se sont comportés comme les plus élégants mannequins. Un total de près de 17 000 $ a été amassé grâce à cette initiative pour soutenir toute une gamme de projets dans les écoles. Fashion Show Congratulations are extended to the students of the Gordon Robertson Centre for their efforts in support of the Pearson Educational Foundation. In cooperation with a number of local designers and Hollie D. Forest, the third annual fashion show was held recently. Students and staff members from elementary schools acted as most glamourous models. A total of almost $17,000 has now been raised through this initiative to support a variety of school-level projects. Inscriptions Veuillez noter que les inscriptions à la maternelle pour l’année scolaire 2008-2009 se feront dans les écoles du 4 au 8 février prochain. Veuillez contacter l’école de votre quartier pour de plus amples renseignements ou le Bureau des admissions au 514-422-3022. Registration Please note that Kindergarten Registration for the 2008-2009 school year will take place at the local school from February 4 – 8, 2008. Please contact your local school for further information or contact our Registration Office at 514-422-3022. Des formulaires de réinscription seront distribués à tous les élèves présentement en 6 e année à la Commission scolaire Lester-B.-Pearson pendant la semaine du 28 janvier prochain. Pour les élèves de la maternelle à la 5e année du primaire et de la première à la quatrième du secondaire, les formulaires seront distribués au cours de la semaine du 18 février. Re-registration forms for all current Lester B. Pearson School Board Grade 6 students will be distributed during the week of January 28, 2008. Re-registration forms for all current Kindergarten through Grade 5, and Secondary 1 through 4 students will be distributed the week of February 18th, 2008. istrations: New Registrations Nouvelles inscriptions Les nouvelles inscriptions pour l’année 2008-2009 se feront dans les écoles de quartier. Veuillez les contacter directement pour toute information concernant l’inscription de votre ou de vos enfants. Pour la maternelle, l’enfant doit avoir 5 ans au 30 septembre. Pour la 1re année, l’enfant doit avoir 6 ans au 30 septembre. Les parents doivent apporter le certificat de naissance intégral (indiquant le nom des parents), le certificat d’admissibilité d’un frère, d’une sœur ou d’un des deux parents, et une preuve de résidence. La demande de certificat d’admissibilité de cet enfant se fera au moment de l’inscription. ...FROM THE DIRECTOR GENERAL Registrations for the 2008-2009 school year will take place at your local school. Please contact them directly for information regarding the registration of your child(ren). For Kindergarten, the child must be 5 years of age on or before September 30th. For Grade 1, the child must be 6 years of age on or before September 30th. Parents must bring child’s original long form birth certificate (contains parents’ names), the eligibility of a sibling or parent, and proof of residency. The eligibility certificate for your child will be applied for at the time of registration. ...FROM THE DIRECTOR GENERAL 2 Media Centre Relocates to Christmas Park School I t’s a New Year, and the Lester B. Pearson School Board Media Centre has moved to their newly renovated location. The move, which required two semi trailers and a ten-man moving crew, took place on December 10th. Partial services restarted on December 18th, with full operations beginning on January 7th. The Centre is located on the east side lane way at Christmas Park School, 422 Beaconsfield Boulevard in Beaconsfield. Many thanks to Steve Swailes and his department for organizing and constructing the new space, and to Bill Ingoldsby and Kathleen Campbell for their hard work helping with and guiding the move, and setting up the working space. All schools and centers are invited to make full use of the Media Center’s services. On the web you can visit them at http://www.lbpsb.qc.ca/ mediacentre/ Ken Elliott Director of Educational Services 3 Did you know that in 1958... T he monarch was Queen Elizabeth II, John Diefenbaker was Prime Minister, Canada-wide television broadcasting started, the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup, Paul Anka had four hit singles, Terry Fox was born, Johnny B. Goode was the #1 song, the top T.V. shows were Gunsmoke, Rawhide, The Red Skeleton Show, American Bandstand, Lassie and The Ed Sullivan Show, the best candy was Dubble Bubble Gum, Candy Necklaces, Chiclets, Jujubes, Pixy Stixs and Wax Lips, the top movies were Gigi, Separate Table and I Want To Live, Lego launched sloping roof-tile bricks, Crayola debuted a 64 coloured box of crayons with a built-in sharpener, the hottest toy of the year was the Hula Hoop and Dorset opened it’s doors! Do you remember Dorset’s hallways, the playground, the lilac bushes in May, the gym and the stage? Were you in a play or a Christmas concert? Did you visit the principal’s office? Did you play intramural sports? Did you play hopscotch? Did you walk to school or take the bus? Did you watch the new Canadian flag raised in front of the school? Do you remember the big snows of 1971? Did the boys have long hair? Did you talk about the Canada/Russia series? Did you and your friends have a Grad dance? Who were your best friends, your great teachers?? Would you like to see them again? Join us for Dorset’s 50 Reunion, May 16-18, 2008! Some of the events happening will be a Wine & Cheese, school tour, family BBQ and a golf tournament. Register for this trip down memory lane at http://dorset.lbpsb.qc.ca/ Hope to see you there! 4 St. John Fisher Junior Holiday Concert S t. John Fisher Junior had its second holiday concert on December 19, 2007. The concert was put together by our music teacher Tara Shaughnessy with the help of the staff and many parent volunteers. This was also the first time that the Junior choir had the opportunity to perform in front of a live audience. We had 3 presentations of our holiday concert. Over 900 people came to see our performance. Thank you to all who help make this event such a great success! Steven Colpitts Principal 5 Margaret Manson School News Margaret Manson Students, part of “On the Ground in Afghanistan” In November, Margaret Manson Cycle 2 students undertook a special assignment to write letters to Canadian soldiers presently serving in Afghanistan. Listen Up T.V. (Global) from Burlington, Ontario, came to our school to film a special Remembrance Day Assembly and to interview students who had written personal letters to the soldiers. This show which profiles current events arranged for special delivery of over 100 letters from our students. On December 16th, the show, “On the Ground in Afghanistan,” included a wonderful segment of Margaret Manson students’ initiative to let our soldiers know that they are not forgotten. Coming up on Sunday, February 3rd, Listen Up will feature a show called, Urban Struggles (11:00 a.m. on Global). Included in this feature will be fresh footage of our students and a segment filmed in Afghanistan, of our Canadian soldiers reading their letters. Major Georges Garrard was our first military contact who wrote several letters to our Grade 3 students. Grade 4 students also received letters from Afghanistan last week. What a thrill to receive letters all the way from Afghanistan, and to know that we had connected with our brave soldiers so far away! Thank you to Lorna Dueck, Lesley Delmar and their great team at Listen Up T.V.! Compassion in Action at Margaret Manson - Shoes for Afghani Children Project Several weeks before Christmas, we learned that a Major Pierre Huet of Valcartier had intitiated a “Shoes for Afghani Children Project.” After noticing that most children in his district were barefoot, Major Huet started raising money with the hope of helping the children in his district of Afghanistan. We learned from Kerry Ann King of the Ethics and Religious Culture Network, that a substantial donation from the Canadian Legion in Lachute, and donations from two Quebec schools, had given Major Huet the impetus to get his project off the ground. At Margaret Manson, Cycle 2 students and their families donated $400 at Christmas, and with the collaboration of Music Teacher, Phyllis Orofino, will be holding a Spring Concert to raise more money for shoes for Afghani children. On Sunday, January 20th, a week after losing soldier, Richard Renaud, one of his men, Major Huet organized a Village Medical Outreach Day, where the population of his district came for medical care. For six hours, Major Huet and his team distributed 800 pairs of shoes to Afghani children accompanied by their mothers. Margaret Manson Cycle 2 teachers and students are proud of participating in a project which will directly help improve the lives of young children. Brenda Branswell of The Gazette featured this story on January17th, “I must do something for these children.” 6 At Margaret Manson School, students are evolving as Global Citizens through our special efforts to connect and touch the lives of others far away. Although Canada’s role in Afghanistan is an important debate going on throughout the country and in our Parliament, we can nevertheless show our support for our Canadian soldiers and their humanitarian efforts in a real way. At Margaret Manson we call our projects: Compassion IN ACTION because we move from intention to action. We invite teachers and students across the Lester B. Pearson Board to consider supporting Major P. Huet in his efforts. He has 20 thousand poor children in his district! Donations can be sent directly to the attention of: Claire Groulx – Shoes for Afghanistan, 1248 Chemin Ste-Foy, Suite 101, Quebec City, QC G1S 2M5 You are also welcome to contact us at Margaret Manson School to start a network of involved teachers and students. Sammy’s Day at Margaret Manson School Three years ago, when Sammy Cavallaro visited our school for the first time with his parents before starting Kindergarten, he came in bright eyed and smiling, like most five year olds. But Sammy was a special student, he came in a wheelchair, a victim of Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a debilitating children’s disease. Like all parents, Sammy’s parents were worried about their son, and how he would adapt and be accepted in his new school That year, Grade 3 students surprised Sammy and his family with a special “Giant Cake Event,” on Valentine’s Day. Each student in Grade 3 made a cake or icing and a Giant Cake was assembled by their teacher decorated with the school logo and red hearts. Students sang, “We want to hold your hand,” and Sammy’s Kindergarden classmates sang, J’ai un coeur qui bat… It was our first fund-raising event for SMA and we have continued to support Sammy by raising money for a cure with this event. Last year, a Power Hour of Fun, was created by Dance Teacher, Meghan Kirby, and once again, the whole school came together in a spirit of fun to raise money for SMA. This year, Sammy’s Day will take place on February 7th. Cycle 2 students will bake cakes and make icing following a special recipe. Sammy’s Aides, Allison Provost and Maria Sciortino, teachers Ms. Renee and Mrs. Raposo, will work together, to create another beautiful Giant Cake. Cake will be sold for $2 a piece and the whole school will celebrate our efforts to find a cure for SMA. Lucy Rinaldi Grade 3 teacher 7 CAPTAIN TARDIF AND DECORATED WAR VETERAN VISIT BEURLING ACADEMY O n January 9th, our Sec 4 and 5 students had the privilege of being visited by some true life heroes. Decorated war veteran Robert Feldstein, member of the Black Watch and Legion Branch 97 President; and Captain Guillaume Tardif, 12th Canadian Armored Regiment, were at the school to speak about their experiences. Capt. Tardif, who, by this time, should have arrived in Afghanistan, spoke about his early days in training and why Canada is in Afghanistan and showed a slide show of some of his experiences. Robert Feldstein, who couldn’t say how many medals he had, but there were numerous, told the students about why he joined the army in 1942, and told the students how they tricked the Nazis into thinking they were going to land in Calais, but as the students found out they went to the beaches of Normandy instead on June 6, 1944, which became known as D-Day. The Beurling Team Seen above is student Susan Young lighting the peace candle during the visit of Capt. Tardif. Pictured here are Beurling Academy senior students with veteran Robert Feldstein to the far left and Captain Guillaume Tardif, second from far right. Pastoral animator William Grant is at the far right. 8 HARAMBEE – Orchard Elementary Celebrates Kwanzaa at Allion School! O n Thursday, December 13, students of Mme. Fontaine’s Grade 5/6 class at Orchard Elementary School traveled to Allion School to unveil a specially-prepared Kwanzaa performance. Students had been working with their teacher, spiritual animator, and Suzanne Bruneau, a Kwanzaa expert from the community, to create an entertaining and informative presentation involving song, dance and spoken word, as well as presentation of some symbols of Kwanzaa. Orchard students had first researched the history and rituals of Kwanzaa and then created an educational and enlightening presentation which they were asked to perform for several different groups of Allion students. The Orchard performers received rave reviews from Allion students. The Grade 5 class at Allion provided a special welcome and a tour of the school to their Orchard visitors. Harambee – Let us all pull together!! Mary Rutherford Spiritual Animator 9 Forest Hill School (Junior Campus) C hristmas at a junior school is always a special event. The magic of the season is welcomed wholeheartedly by our students. However, the true meaning of Christmas is sometimes hard to explain to our young students. We have several projects that involve helping others such as collecting for Christmas baskets and gathering toiletry items for homeless youths. The project that brings our whole community together is a fundraiser for LEUCAN. Now in its 4th year this fundraiser includes a bazaar where all the items are made either by our students or their parents. All items are sold at very low prices. The items for sale include among other things Christmas decorations, book markers, special treats for reindeers and home baked goods. A few days before the bazaar, a representative from LEUCAN visits each classroom to talk about the work the organization does with families with children with cancer. LEUCAN representatives also explain how cancer is treated and what could happen when the children are undergoing chemotherapy. On the day of the bazaar, students take turns being the salespeople and the buyers. Forest Hill is fortunate to have many parent volunteers who help our students on this very busy day. Our bazaar raised $2236.00 for LEUCAN this year. Below is letter from a parent that describes the special feeling at the junior school on Bazaar day. Maria De Wolfe Principal Dear Forest Hill Staff, I wish to share with you a few of my personal thoughts regarding the Bazaar I attended at your school yesterday morning. Since it is such a busy time of year, it is not always easy to make time for all the “extras”. At the request of my daughter, however, I rescheduled a few meetings, put aside a few important projects and last minute errands and I made my way to the school. Upon entering my daughter’s classroom, I could tell immediately that the students were giddy with excitement. Walking in the hallway on the way to the gym took much self control! You could see the children could not wait to get there! I thought it was incredible to see that every item for sale was either handmade or homemade. After much browsing, my daughter and I ended up with a bag full of Christmas crafts and delicious goodies. More importantly though, I left the school with a heart full of cheer and a rejuvenated sense of what this holiday season is all about. It was heartwarming to hear the students sharing how they had worked so hard on their crafts – yet they were willing to give them up! It brought tears to my eyes to see children purchasing gifts for their family members and friends – not necessarily for themselves. The buzz in the gym encompassed what joy really is all about! Congratulations! You have taught my daughter and all of the other Forest Hill Jr. students a lesson even more important than reading, writing and ‘rithmetic! This truly was a superb life lesson in the spirit of giving! Deborah Pharand Forest Hill Parent 10 Albert…. A Very Special Bus Driver D uring our lifetime, if we are lucky, we are sometimes touched by people who are a true gift. These people come from all walks of life and we encounter them sometimes when we least expect it. In our case, the individual who has touched our lives and the lives of many of our students and family members is Albert, one of Westpark School’s bus drivers. From the moment that the school bus door swung open and the kindly gentleman driving the big yellow bus flashed his warm smile and said good morning, we knew that this man was a special person. For the last four years, day after day, Albert has greeted us with his kind words, winning smile and treats. It has been such a pleasure for us to hear a bus full of singing children pull up to the school and who continue to sing as they step off the bus, grinning from ear to ear. Because of Albert’s love of children, he understands how important it is for them to start their day off on a positive note. For special holidays, Albert always decorates the inside of his bus and to the delight of all of us, he gives out treats while dressed in a costume – he was the best Santa! Yes, we have been fortunate to have been touched by a truly special person. We wish Albert a healthy and happy retirement as he drives his big yellow bus for the last time at the end of January. Albert, thank you and we will always remember you with love. Mrs. Solman - Teacher Ms. Bindner - Principal Westpark School You would like to submit an article for the Pearson News ? You are requested to send your articles and pictures to your Principal who will forward them to us. Digital pictures must be attached as separate jpg or bitmap files. Prints can be sent in to be scanned (c/o Michèle Morin, H.O.) and then returned to their owner. Les articles en français sont toujours appréciés ! 11 THE VIRTUES PROJECT COMPASSION ... AT EVERGREEN In a December assembly, the theme of which was Compassion, Grade 3 students acted out small vignettes which demonstrated how to treat each other compassionately in different situations. Grade 5 students performed a skit which showed that compassionate acts often involve sacrifice, such as time or money. Delegates to the 4th Annual PSI Student Summit, Philippe Hachez and Alannagh Maciw, spoke of what they had learned about empowering the bystander and ways to ‘stand by’ a friend or classmate in need of help. A cheque for over seven thousand, five hundred dollars was presented to Peter Sheremeta of the Terry Fox Foundation who thanked the children for their exceptionally generous contribution. Principal Kim Meldrum concluded with a reading of the beautiful story, Lord of the Cranes, and a dialogue with the children about what they had learned about this virtue. …AND AT BEACON HILL The Beacon Hill school community is engaged in a year long project called The Kenyan Water Project. The goal is to raise $5000, of which 90% has been achieved, for the Free the Children organization in order to build a water collection system for a Kenyan school. In November the project was launched with an assembly during which students learned that accessible water means accessible education, as currently children must spend much of their day transporting water. Every student designed a seasonal card, with one chosen and printed from each cycle and sold during parent teacher interviews. As teachers opted to forgo gifts in favour of a donation, students gave them these cards as Christmas gifts. The husband of one of our Daycare Educators has been stricken with Lou Gehrig’s disease. In support of their colleague, Daycare Co-ordinator Cindy Patino initiated a year long school fundraiser, the proceeds of which will be donated, on his behalf, to the Tony Proudfoot ALS Foundation. Fundraisers created by our Daycare Staff have included the sale of blue bracelets, a first for this charity, an appeal for contributions at the Daycare Christmas Concert, and a request by Daycare Staff for donations to this cause in lieu of presents. 12 …AND AT ST PAUL For five years, during the Christmas season, First Cycle Teacher Paula Sullivan has been teaching the children about Compassion in a unique way. In support of the ‘street kids’ of Dans la rue, the students go carolling to homes around the school. The project begins in November with all the planning steps integrated into the curriculum. Students write letters to the city and Dans la rue requesting permission, deliver their requests for the items to the families they will be visiting beforehand and promote the event in school with posters and announcements. In addition, they organise a muffin sale to raise funds for their own contributions. This year, they collected a very large assortment of sweaters and pyjamas, prompting Dans la rue’s Sue Medleg to come out and give a special thanks to our ‘compassionate carollers’. Through assemblies, charitable works, stories and dialogue, we strive to instill in and to teach our students the nature, language and behaviours of this virtue. In so doing, we hope they will learn the wisdom in the words of no less a sage than Dr Seuss: “Unless someone like you cares an awful lot, nothing is going to change, it’s not!” Linda Choinière Spiritual Animator Below, Teacher Paula Sullivan with students 13 The Jubilation Choir? No, the Jubilee Carolers! The grade six students of Jubilee Elementary braved the snowy skies of December to help out the children of Father Emmett Johns’ Dans la Rue, through an old-fashioned evening of caroling. Over fifty students and parents strolled the streets of Pointe-Claire bringing holiday cheer to unsuspecting residents. Over 150$ was collected for this worthy cause. The students experienced the joy of ‘giving back’ and a wonderful time was had by all! Nancy Stokes Grade 6 teacher 14 Beurling Academy Christmas Concert O ur music department, under the direction of music teacher Mr. Gary Lindner held its Annual Christmas concert on December 14th and it was another smashing success with about 350 parents, relatives and friends in attendance. The concert showcased the vocal talent at our school singing timeless Christmas classics such as: Oh Holy Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. All 4 of the school’s bands showed their amazing progress musically playing various pop and jazz classics like Louie Louie, Stand by Me, Thriller, and as usual the senior band’s experience came through. They breezed through with aplomb such standards as Chicago’s 25 or 6 to 4, the well-known blues song Boom Boom, and an amazing jazzed-up version of Metallica’s Enter Sandman. It was also a special night for many of the Secondary 5 students who having played together for all these 5 years and having entertained audiences throughout the years, were in their last Christmas concert. We now look forward to the end of year concert, and it should be a special one. The Senior Band is shown above playing Chicago’s hit, “25 or 6 to 4” Sec 5 rhythm section during the Beatles classic, “Come Together” Sec 5 student Brittany Williams, emcee for the evening, along with fellow students, opening the evening’s proceedings Sec 5 student Susan Young accompanied by music teacher Mr. Gary Lindner, during the singing of The Wizard of Oz timeless song, “Over the Rainbow”. 15 Bonsai Master David Easterbrook visits Greendale G reendale students were treated to a rare visit from horticulturalist David Easterbrook. David has managed the bonsai collection of the Montreal Botanical Gardens for close to two decades. He is considered by his peers to be one of the foremost experts of bonsai in the Americas. Organized by Greendale’s principal Otis Delaney and Spiritual Animator Jason Cordery, the goal set at the start of the year, was to expand the student’s cultural awareness through various means. In late November Mr. Easterbrook entertained the students with information about bonsai trees, traditional Japanese culture, and peppered it with anecdotes from his time spent in Japan training under the tutelage of a Japanese Master. The specimens he brought with him were impressive. Some bonsai trees were already in a dormant state, and others still had their leaves changing colour and falling from their branches: a revelation for those of us who had never seen bonsai go through their seasonal change. He supplemented this with six or seven, yet un-potted trees. Clearly watching him work at bending and pruning the trees into shape was a case of “this is much harder than he’s making it look”. Still, one is left in awe of the precision in the transformation from tree to work of art. Next time Greendale should happen to visit the botanical gardens, we’ll be sure to take an extra moment or two in appreciation of this unusual art form, and the person behind it all. Jason Cordery Spiritual Animator The World of Math at Thorndale School n Tuesday January 15th, a group of dedicated Grade 6 students began intense training for several Math competitions to be held later this year, including Pythagoras. On Wednesday January 16th another group of motivated Grade 6 students had the privilege of participating in an advanced Math workshop held at Vanier College. O Congratulations to all and keep up the hard work! Proud to be part of the Thorndale Community. Stephanie Hérault Teacher 16 St. John Fisher Says Goodbye The students and staff of St John Fisher Senior said goodbye to the Chinese students who spent the first half of the school year with them. The students were integrated into the grade six program as part of the School Board’s International Language Centre. Both our visitors and our students learned much during this period and lasting friendships were made. Here the students wave farewell in the sweatshirts presented to them by the St. John Fisher Home and School. Les élèves et le personnel de l’école St. John Fisher Senior ont dit au revoir aux élèves chinois qui ont passé la première moitié de l’année scolaire avec eux. Ces élèves avaient été intégrés au programme de 6e année dans le cadre du Centre linguistique international. Tant nos visiteurs que nos élèves ont appris beaucoup durant cette période et des amitiés durables se sont nouées. La photo ci-dessus montre les élèves chinois dans leurs “kangourous” offerts par l’association Foyer-École de St. John Fisher. 17 FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS J ust before the winter break, Westpark students and staff celebrated Divali, Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa by holding a Festival of Lights assembly. The students sang songs in several languages and spoke about each of these holidays. The readers highlighted how these holidays were celebrated around the world in similar ways: the use of lights, the coming together of family and friends to share food and sometimes exchange gifts. The students lit dipas, a hanukkiyah, Christmas tree and Advent wreath, and a kinara which were on the celebratory table. To conclude the assembly, the grade 6 students gave us a rousing rendition of Jingle Bell Rock. It was a true celebration of our multiculturalism. Mary Anne Bindner Principal 18 Canadian Idol Contestant Visits St John Fisher Senior K ahalila Glanville, a resident of Dorval and a recent Canadian Idol contestant, paid a visit to the grade five classes at St John Fisher Senior Campus. Kahalila spoke to the children about her experiences and the importance of working toward a goal. The children were very impressed with her presentation and extremely excited with the autographed photos they received. At Westpark School Teddy Bears have been “Falling from Heaven” I n 2003, the children of my grade three class thought it would be a good idea to share with others at this special time by bringing a Teddy Bear to give to children less fortunate than themselves. We wanted these children to have a Teddy Bear friend, so we decided to write a creative story about where the bear came from. This was a rewarding experience for all of us. Every year since then, on a voluntary basis, I ask each student to bring a new Teddy Bear to school. Each child prints out the story of “The Teddy Bear that Came from Heaven” from this Internet site (www.lbpearson.ca/~fturcotte/Teddybear). Thanks to the Westpark community, we collected 250 Teddy Bears this year. These CAREfully packaged bears made the donors feel that they, as children, had made a personal difference in the lives of other children who are not as fortunate as themselves. But most of all, such a lovely gesture shows that they CARE very much for others. For the children that received these treasures, their smiles of appreciation said it all. I believe that every child should have a Teddy Bear friend to hug and cuddle when the going gets tough. Let the magic of these Teddy Bears, given by a special friend, live forever in the children’s hearts. France Turcotte Westpark Teacher 19 Overcoming Our Fears M r. David Liebman is my Secondary 5 Economics teacher at Lindsay Place High School. He’s one of the only teachers that bring guest speakers to class, once or twice per month. He told us that it’s important to meet and speak to a wide variety of people. He said that “Not all worthwhile learning comes out of a textbook.” Some of our guests taught us how to start businesses. A financial advisor (Garen Lewis) taught us how to save and invest money. The guest that I’ll remember the most was Pat Benatar, a man who runs a small business called “Fine Line Serpents”. I not only learned about entrepreneurship, I also got over a lifelong fear of snakes. Like many other people, I loved all kinds of animals. Snakes were a different story. When Mr. Liebman picked up a huge (10 feet long) yellow and white boa constrictor named “Fire”, a shiver ran up and down my spine. Saying that I was terrified is not an exaggeration. Mr. Liebman held the snake. Pat told us about the boa species and told us it was harmless. After the presentation, all my classmates were taking photos of each other while they were holding Fire. I decided to be brave and hold the snake too. When the period ended, I realized that my fear of snakes wasn’t a fear anymore. I can actually say that I love snakes now! I’m very happy to have had the opportunity of meeting so many amazing people in my Economics class this year. Conquering my fear was an extra benefit. I want to be a firefighter. I’ll have to meet and deal with many fears in my future. Alison Kilpatrick Secondary 5 Student Lindsay Place High School The first picture shows Alison with Mr. Benatar, the second one with Fire and another brave! 20 StoryFest 2007 Westwood Senior Students meet Bestselling Canadian Authors at StoryFest 2007 - Playing with Words S toryFest is a community effort, spearheaded by Hudson’s Greenwood Centre for Living History that pays homage to writers, readers and storytellers everywhere. In partnership with Westwood Senior, activities began on October 16th with a presentation by Canadian favourite, Roy MacGregor. Mr. MacGregor (pictured at right) was welcomed at the front entrance by a large mural created by Westwood art students. StoryFest continued at Westwood Senior throughout November with excellent and stimulating presentations by bestselling authors: Noah Richler, Gil Courtemanche, Claire Mowat, and Karen Molson. The result was a dazzling cornucopia of things literary that poured out into the community around Hudson. Gwen Murray, Librarian Gil Courtemanche Claire Mowat Karen Molson Noah Richler 21 RAPPORT DU PRÉSIDENT ORIENTATIONS FUTURES Le Conseil et l’administration de la CSLBP ont commencé une étude approfondie des services et des programmes offerts par la Commission scolaire. Trois comités ont été créés pour examiner les services offerts, évaluer leur efficacité dans chaque domaine, faire des comparaisons avec d’autres commissions scolaires ou juridictions, et offrir des suggestions de changements ou de nouveaux services. Les trois domaines soumis à l’examen sont : 1) Le programme d’immersion précoce en français et le programme bilingue 2) La prestation de services aux EHDAA 3) Les programmes spéciaux/ Les écoles à vocation particulière Chaque comité a établi un calendrier de travail se terminant à la fin de l’année civile 2008. Le Conseil rendra son rapport public en décembre 2008 ou janvier 2009 et donnera les détails des trois études. Si des changements ou de nouveaux programmes sont jugés souhaitables, nous en évaluerons la faisabilité et si nécessaire nous procéderons à une consultation de toute la Commission scolaire, incluant la possibilité d’une consultation sur un remaniement majeur des écoles qui débuterait en avril 2009, afin d’implanter les changements éventuels au début de l’année scolaire 2010-2011. CONSULTATION SUR LE BUDGET Comme d’habitude, la CSLBP consultera tous les groupes concernant l’élaboration du budget de la commission scolaire pour 2008-2009. Un document de consultation sera distribué et chaque conseil d’établissement devra avoir une discussion sur le budget le plus tôt possible. Les commentaires reçus formeront une partie de l’information que la Commission utilisera pour préparer son budget de fonctionnement. Ce processus devrait se terminer par l’adoption d’un budget d’opération au plus tard à la séance ordinaire du Conseil du mois de juin 2008. L’ACSAQ (QESBA) NOMME UNE NOUVELLE PRÉSIDENTE Lors de son assemblée générale annuelle tenue les 25 et 26 janvier, l’Association des commissions scolaires anglophones du Québec a voté pour Mme Debbie Horrocks de la Commission scolaire Riverside comme présidente. Elle remplace M. Marcus Tabachnick qui a terminé son mandat de deux ans, la limite imposée par les statuts de l’ACSAQ. Mme Carolyn Curiale de la Commission scolaire Sir-Wilfrid-Laurier est nommée viceprésidente. La ministre de l’Éducation, Mme Michelle Courchesne, s’est adressée aux 125 représentants de toute la province. C’est la présidente du comité central des élèves de la CSLBP, Nadia Kadri, qui l’a remerciée. La CSLBP se réjouit de collaborer avec l’ACSAQ et sa nouvelle présidente, qui a une réputation bien méritée de défenseur passionné des enfants et de l’instruction publique. POLITIQUE DE SÉCURITÉ SCOLAIRE La Commission scolaire a reçu un certain nombre de demandes visant à retarder la date de réponse à la consultation sur la politique de sécurité scolaire. Il y a eu beaucoup de discussions à tous les niveaux à ce sujet, et afin d’allouer suffisamment de temps à nos communautés pour participer pleinement à l’élaboration de cette politique, la Commission scolaire a décidé de retarder la date limite de réponse au 10 mars prochain, la décision finale étant remise à la séance ordinaire de juin 2008. ...DU PRÉSIDENT DU CONSEIL 22 CHAIRMAN’S REPORT FUTURE DIRECTIONS The Council and Administration of the LBPSB have started an in depth study of the services and programs provided by the Board. Three committees have been struck to review the services provided, the effectiveness in each area, comparisons with other Boards and jurisdictions, and suggestions for changes or new services. The three areas being studied are: 1) French Early Immersion / Bilingual programs 2) Delivery of Special Needs Services 3) Magnet Programs / Magnet Schools Each committee has set a work schedule that will be completed by the end of the 2008 calendar year. The Council will make a report public in December 2008 or January 2009 with the details of the three studies. Should changes or new programs be considered desirable, an assessment will be made on the feasibility and the need for Board-wide consultation, including the possibility of a Major School Change consultation beginning in April 2009, for changes that would be implemented at the start of the 2010/2011 school year. BUDGET CONSULTATION As usual, the LBPSB will be consulting all groups on the development of the 2008/2009 school board budget. A consultation document will be sent out and each school and center Governing Board is asked to have the Board-wide budget discussion as soon as possible. The input received will form part of the information base the board will use to prepare its operating budget. The process should conclude with the adoption of an operating plan no later than the June 2008 regular meeting of the Council. QESBA NAMES NEW PRESIDENT At its Annual General Meeting on Jan 25 & 26, the Quebec English School Boards Association general assembly voted Debbie Horrocks of the Riverside School Board as their new President. She replaces Marcus Tabachnick who completed his second two-year mandate, the limit allowed by the QESBA constitution. Carolyn Curiale of the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board was elected Vice-President. Education Minister Michelle Courchesne addressed the 125 representatives from across the Province. She was thanked by LBPSB Central Students Committee President, Ms. Nadia Kadri. The LBPSB looks forward to working closely with QESBA and the new President, who has a well-earned reputation as a hard working, dedicated, and passionate defender of children and public education. SAFE & CARING SCHOOL POLICY The Board has received a number of requests to delay the response date of the Safe & Caring Schools Policy consultation. There has been a lot of discussion at all levels on this topic and in order to allow our communities the time they need to fully and properly input into the policy, the Board decided to delay the return date until March 10th, 2008 and the decision date until the regular Council meeting of June 2008. ...FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD 23 Commissioners’ Phone Numbers Below is a list of Commissioners along with their home telephone numbers and school board locals. Ward 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 CPC CPC Communities Verdun/Nuns’ Island LaSalle South LaSalle Northeast LaSalle West/Ville St-Pierre Lachine Dorval Dollard-des-Ormeaux East Roxboro/Pierrefonds East Pointe-Claire East Pointe-Claire West Dollard-des-Ormeaux Center Pierrefonds/Île Bizard Dollard-des-Ormeaux Center/West Dollard-des-Ormeaux W./Kirkland E. Beaconsfield North Kirkland West Pierrefonds West Ste-Anne/Baie d’Urfé/Beaconsfld S./Senneville Île Perrot Les Cèdres/Vaudreuil-Dorion Hudson/St-Lazare Elementary Representative Secondary Representative Commissioner Douglas Flook Sergio Borja Ruben Fazio Frank di Bello Patrick Whitham Barbara Freeston Rosemary Murphy Craig Berger Allan Levine John Killingbeck Marcus Tabachnick Sylvia Di Donato Martin Sherman Joe Zemanovich Ralph Tietjen Suanne Stein Day Louisa Bulgarelli-Vero Judy Kelly Susan Bartlett-Lewis Angela Nolet Daniel Olivenstein Conny Held Jerry Moretto Home Phone # 514-293-2417 514-368-1001 514-365-1638 514-951-5834 514-637-5209 514-636-9315 514-620-8012 514-421-6570 514-683-6671 514-695-3787 514-684-6429 514-233-9393 514-684-2742 514-624-2376 514-630-5909 514-630-9824 514-694-0475 514-697-7619 514-453-6650 514-453-5462 450-458-1413 514-630-0047 514-365-3582 422-3000 Local 4001 4002 4003 4004 4005 4006 4007 4008 4009 4010 2322 2299 4013 4014 4015 4016 4017 4018 4019 4020 4021 4026 4027 DATES TO NOTE PUBLIC MEETINGS – FEBRUARY 2008 The following meetings will take place at 1925 Brookdale, Dorval (unless otherwise indicated) Central Parents’ Committee Annual Networking Event Executive Committee Special Needs Advisory Committee Council of Commissioners Marcus Tabachnick Tel.: (514) 422-3000 ext. 2322 ...FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD January 31, 2008 7:15 p.m. Board Room February 18, 2008 February 20, 2008 February 25, 2008 7:30 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Board Room Room 219/221 Board Room Fax: (514) 422-3016 Email: [email protected] 24