Students at Leonardo Da Vinci Academy in RDP recently marked Friendship Month. See

inside for more details.

EMSB SET TO HONOUR VOLUNTEERS

The EMSB will be holding its annual Volunteer Appreciation Evening

on April 20 at Plaza Volare in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in St. Laurent.

This event coincides with National Volunteer Week, which runs from

April 17 to 23, and is under the theme “Volunteers … Our Shining

Stars!,” Only those individuals who have volunteered for more than

five years will be invited, as time and space do not allow the EMSB

to honour all of its nearly 1,500 volunteers in person. The evening

will be emceed by Global News anchor Jamie Orchard and EMSB

Communications and Marketing Specialist Michael Cohen. Angie

Bertone has been chosen as this year‟s Volunteer of Distinction. La

Capitale Financial Services (www.lacapitale.com) is the title

sponsor. For a profile on Angie Bertone click here.

. -

Inside This Issue

EMSB in The Media

Proposed School Changes

Dunrae Intergenerational

French for the Future

kaBoom

Rosemount on a High

John Grant Transitions

TEAM 990 Radio Star Winner

Pen Pals in Haiti

Career Day

Adult Centre Poet

Fielding Focus

VOLUME 13 NO. 8

EDITOR: MICHAEL J. COHEN

PRINTING SERVICES: L. SHAW, D. D’ORNELLAS

PROOFREADING/TRANSLATION: ALINE ZEROUNIAN

MARCH 31, 2011

THE MONTHLY BULLET IN OF THE EMSB

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EMSB SCHOOL CHANGES

The EMSB Council of Commissioners agreed at a March 30 meeting to send five major school change

scenarios out for public consultation. A number of items from the agenda remain to be dealt with and as a

result the meeting was recessed and will resume on Monday, April 4 (6:30 p.m.) at the EMSB Administrative

Head Office. Thus far the Council has agreed to consider a merger between St. Gabriel Elementary School in

Point St. Charles and St. John Bosco Elementary School in Ville Émard and the closure of three other elementary

schools- St. Brendan and Nesbitt in Rosemount and Fraser Academy in St. Laurent – and the consolidation of

the enrolment of St. Henri‟s James Lyng High School with Marymount Academy in N.D.G. and at the latter

facility. The council rejected recommendations to merge Our Lady of Pompei Elementary School in Ahuntsic

and St. Dorothy Elementary School in St. Michel and to close three other elementary schools -Hampstead,

Bancroft in the Plateau and Carlyle in Town of Mount Royal – and to consolidate the enrolment of John F.

Kennedy High School in St. Michel with Rosemount High School. Proposals for relocation and the annexation of

some boundaries will be on the April 4 agenda. Another meeting of council is scheduled for Tuesday, April 6.

EMSB IN THE MEDIA

The EMSB would like to point readers to the media clippings section of our website where we provide links to

newspaper articles about our Board or relevant to the local education system. It is neatly compiled by

webmaster for schools Andrea DiTomaso, Here are some of the highlights (just click on the links).

The N.D.G. Free Press: Acts of Kindness at Hampstead School

The Montreal Gazette: Schools Stay Open Despite Snow

La Presse: English in 6th Grade for French Students

The Montreal Gazette: School Changes Up For Discussion

McGill Tribune: EMSB Considers Changes

Concordia Now: Kids Can Project Launched

West End Times: Rosemount High's Symphonic Winds Silver Medal Winners

West End Times: Students Get Cooking at St. Monica

West End Times: Sinclair Laird Celebrates

EMSB TV GUIDE

Please check out the EMSB Audio Video section, otherwise known as EMSB TV and Radio, by clicking here.

Recent highlights include short productions by social media specialist Daniel Smajovits. Click on the links:

EMSB TV: Snow Sculpturing at Hampstead School

Global TV: No Snow Day at Montreal Schools

EMSB TV: Black History Month at Laurier Macdonald

EMSB TV: Vincent Massey Debaters

EMSB TV: Italian Storytelling Highlights

CTV: Proposed School Changes

Global TV: Proposed School Changes

EMSB TV: Storytelling at Nesbitt School

EMSB TV: Dunrae Gardens Intergenerational Program

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EMSB TV: Alternative Basketball League

CTV: St. Gabriel School Twins Get a Boost

EMSB TV: Profile on Paul VI High School

EMSB TV: John Grant High School In Transition

TVA: Des Parents Inquiet a Nesbitt

KINDERGARTEN MARKETING

SURVEY

The EMSB recently undertook a survey of 346

kindergarten parents to discern the most

important factors which influenced their

decision to register their child at an EMSB

institution beginning with the 2010-2011 school

year. The EMSB‟s highly touted French program

served as the most decisive factor for parents. In

all, 82 percent of the parents stated that the

French program was the most important factor

when registering their child, while none

indicated that it did not play any role

whatsoever. Core classes such as Math and

Science also served a decisive influence. The

overwhelming majority, 81 percent of parents

and 72 percent of parents respectively,

indicated that the quality of Math and Science education was an important factor, while only one percent of

parents disagreed. The extensive social media outreach initiatives from the Communications department were

also of note. The majority of parents who did not already follow the school board on Facebook and Twitter

indicated that they would be inclined to follow the EMSB in order to receive immediate access to pertinent

information such as snow closures due to poor weather. EMSB Director General Robert Stocker and Deputy

Director General Roma Medwid drew names to present prizes to those who entered. This included Nikon

cameras and Chapters/Indigo gift cards. Pictired above, the three cameras were presented to parents Annie

Giannatselis (Dunrae Gardens), Columa Volpé (Nesbitt) and Michael Merten (Pierre Elliott Trudeau) by

commissioners Liz Leaman and Agostino Cannavino. Click here for the complete survey results.

BEST REGARDS TO TABACHNICK

EMSB Chairman Angela Mancini and the Council of Commissioner wish to extend their best wishes to Marcus

Tabachnick, who is retiring as chairman and as a commissioner for the Lester B. Pearson School Board. Mr.

Tabacnick had close ties to the EMSB, particularly during his mandate as president of the QESBA.

EMSB EXPRESS

The spring edition of the EMSB Express Newspaper has been distributed to schools, centres and dropoff points.

It is also available on the EMSB website. This edition features a valuable story about bullying by legendary TV

anchor Bill Haugland, who recently returned to his former elementary school (Willingdon). Chairman Angela

Mancini talks about social media and Director General Robert Stocker focuses on pouring surplus funds back

into the schools. There are feature stories on the Kids Can! Program, EMSB Public School Education Month,

sports activities and the full 2011-2012 youth sector calendar – a valuable pullout for parents,

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MOUNTAIN CLIMBER AT JFK

World renowned adventurer Manuel Pizarro, the first Canadian to have reached the summit of Mount Everest

solo and also the first Quebecer to have accomplished that feat twice recently shared his story with the

students of John F. Kennedy High School in St. Michel. Organized by Principal Joseph Marra and Natalie

Cloutier, Pizarro spoke of his literally death-defying trek up Mount

Everest. On his summit bid, Pizarro spent a total of 24 hours

without food, equipment or oxygen. What will certainly be a

story to tell the grandchildren, his brief time at the summit was

also highlighted by a marriage proposal to his girlfriend.

With remarkable candor and alacrity, Pizarro kept his audience

spellbound with his accounts of his early life and how he found

his passion for mountain climbing. His presentation brought the

Secondary V students laughter, inspiration and valuable insights

into life. He relayed his personal difficulties, breakthroughs and

accomplishments during his school years and then recounted his

intense years as an undercover officer with the Royal Canadian

Mounted Police. For the press release click here.

FRENCH FOR THE FUTURE

The historic Rialto Theatre (5723 ave. du Parc) will be the site of the 2011 French for the Future Montreal

Conference, beginning at 9 a.m on Wednesday, April 20. Aimed at promoting bilingualism amongst Canadian

youth, the theme is Respect, Culture and Integration into Québécois society. Approximately 300 students from

six Montreal high schools and two school boards will be present, while additional high schools from across

Quebec will participate via videoconference.

Participating schools are: John F. Kennedy High School in St. Michel, Westmount High

School, Marymount Academy in N.D.G., LaurenHill Academy in St. Laurent from the EMSB

and Lakeside Academy in Lachine, Beaconsfield High School and Pierrefonds

Comprehensive from the Lester B. Pearson School Board. On the eve of Earth Day, the

opening session with focus on the environment. Representatives from the EMSB and LBPSB

Green Committees will be part of the panel in addition to youth from Oxfam-Québec

and Enfant Entraide. The panel is entitled: Actions Citoyens Envers L'environnement.

Commissioner Ginette Sauvé-Frankel (pictured), chair of the EMSB Green Committee, will

be on the panel. Quebec filmmaker Kevin Tierney will show clips from his latest movie,

French Immersion. For more details log on to www.french-future.org.

EMSB IMPACT NIGHT

The annual EMSB Night at a Montreal Impact game at Saputo Stadium will be a bit different this year. It will take

place on Wednesday, June 29, a week after school ends. The EMSB decided to take this route given the fact

this date will enable parents to take their younger children without having to worry about having them get up

early for school the following morning. It also will not conflict with the Stanley Cup playoffs, which turned out to

be an issue for many people last year. Details on this program will be sent out to the schools shortly.

SINCLAIR LAIRD CELEBRATES

Celebrating the true multiculturalism of their school, students at Sinclair Laird Elementary School in Park

Extension recently had the chance to take part in multiple activities where they had the opportunity to learn

and celebrate the great traditions from around the world. The whirlwind of culture began in celebration of

Chinese New Year as the Grade 5 and 6 classes at Sinclair Laird joined Puynung Choy, their spiritual animator,

and took a trip to the Chinatown district of Montreal. Throughout the day, the students visited a Chinese

5 FIELDING FOCUS

Catholic Church, the La Gauthière business strip and the first Canadian fortune cookie house amongst many

other landmarks.

Buddhist tradition for welcoming the New Year was celebrated

through food as the students had a delightful vegetarian lunch at

Ruby Rouge Restaurant where they not only learned some history,

but also served each other and took in some important cultural

etiquette skills. Wrapping up their day was a small taste of Jewish

heritage as they took the opportunity to visit the Spanish and

Portuguese Synagogue of Montreal, the oldest Jewish congregation

in Canada.

Bringing activities closer to home, all of Sinclair Laird had the

opportunity to celebrate Black History Month through Haitian song

and dance. Performing for the students were two dancers and a drummer from the Mapou Ginen Group.

Along with their dazzling and entertaining performance, they also invited both children and staff to take part in

the specialized dance numbers which comprise traditional Haitian folklore. Accompanying the dancing was a

variety of Haitian songs which the students learned and practiced prior to the event.

LDV AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

While a golden ticket is not necessary to visit Leonardo Da Vinci Academy in Rivière-des-Prairies, an army of

Grade 6 Oompa Loompas were still hard at work throughout

February in a unique project meant to both foster school spirit and

raise money for the Franco Di Giovanni Foundation. Concerned

that school spirit was lacking in their school, earlier this year, Grade

6 students approached their teachers with an idea: transform

February into “Friendship Month,” and under that theme,

encourage the school population to send out tokens of their

appreciation to fellow students. To sweeten the project, these

tokens would come in the form of chocolate treats, with all the

proceeds from each sale going to the Franco Di Giovanni

Foundation, a cause close to the hearts of many at the school. “Our Principal [Mike Talevi] held an assembly

to discuss a fundraiser he was starting in the school for The Franco Di Giovanni Foundation, which is associated

with the Montreal Neurological Hospital‟s brain cancer research organization,” said students Tiffany Dal Santo

and Alessandro Francesconi. “His dedication to this cause was due to the fact that our school community was

directly affected by the tragic loss of two parents to cancer. We had found where we wanted our funds from

our sales to go, showing our peers who lost their parents that we supported them and were there for them.” For

more details click here.

LBPHS STUDENT THRIVES AS A SPEAKER

While the annual public speaking competition is often daunting for most

students, Lester B. Pearson High School‟s Anthony Di Stefano (pictured) made

the most of his final high school competition by placing second in the province

and being selected as the only public school student from Quebec to qualify

for the National Public Speaking Championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Pitted

against steep and experienced competition in The „Peg, Stefano finished the

competition ranked 17th out of the 48 competitors, highlighted by being

selected as a finalist in the Persuasive Speaking round for his speech on the

Fresh Water Crisis. The other disciplines included Interpretative Reading,

Parliamentary Debating, and Impromptu Speaking.

“Just competing was a privilege! It was my first time in this competition and once I got there, after a couple of

minutes, I already knew that this was going to be an experience like nothing else,” said Stefano. “Having

placed so high in the competition was a plus, I really had the most amazing time and experience. II took the

6 FIELDING FOCUS

whole public speaking experience one step at a time and enjoyed it for the moment. This is an experience that

you don‟t really let go of,” he added. “I felt a positive nervousness throughout, who comes here every day to

do this, you know? It was one of those feelings. If I would have walked away in 4th or 5th place, I would have

been happy just to have been there.” For complete details read the press release here.

QESBA ON CHAREST PROPOSALS

The Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA) praised the inaugural speech delivered by Premier

Jean Charest for targeting education as the first of five priorities in Quebec‟s move towards growth and

development. QESBA President Debbie Horrocks tempered that praise with a condition, however: that the

government back up those words by giving school boards the freedom and the flexibility to turn today‟s

promises into meaningful programs towards greater student success.

The Premier‟s ambitious proposals on education include:

the creation, in French public schools across Quebec, of a half-year intensive English second-language

stream at Grade 6 , with English and French school boards working together to deliver the program

the provision of a Smartboard to every Quebec classroom and a laptop computer for every teacher;

government funding for school sports facilities upgrades and sports uniforms.

For the complete reaction click here.

QUEBEC CITY HEARINGS

EMSB Director General Robert Stocker will join the Quebec English School Boards Association delegation

appearing before the National Assembly Commission de l'administration publique on the report of Quebec's

Auditor General on school board administrative expenses. The QESBA will be defending the efficiency of our

English boards in keeping the percentage of expenses on administration lower than that of most municipalies,

hospitals and other public establishments. QESBA, its French counterpart the FEDE, the Deputy Minister of

Education and the DGs of two of the four boards audited in the report, will be testifying along with the QESBA

at the three-hour session, presided over by former Education Minister Sylvain Simard.

LHA FAMILY NIGHT

Teachers and administrators mingled with parents

and students at LaurenHill Academy's annual "Family

Night" dinner, held February 15th at the elegant Le

Challenger banquet hall in St-Laurent. The evening

featured a pasta feast followed by luscious cake, a

slew of covetable raffle prizes, and a LHA student dj

who got the party people up and dancing. It may

have been freezing outside, but inside it was warm

with laughter, fun and friendship.

Picture:(taken by O.Tanir)

HAMPSTEAD SNOW SCULPTURES

Taking advantage of the last few weeks of winter, students at Hampstead School recently spent three days

working with a snow sculpture artist as a part of the EMSB‟s culture in schools and physical education programs.

Dawning hats and scarves and led by project creator and physical education teacher Patricia Wilken, students

held their gym classes outside to work with the professional artist in the design, build and overall creation of

snow sculptures. While the artist was in charge of turning the children‟s vision into reality, students decided in

groups what to create and pitched in wherever they could - from shovelling, to building and completing the

finishing touches on the pieces after the artist carved out the main outline.

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Already a big hit amongst cars passing by, until warmer weather

sets in, sculptures such as dinosaurs, princesses, houses, cartoon

characters, butterflies, lions, giraffes and many more can be seen

holding court outside the school in what truly is a unique display of

artistry.

CARLYLE WINTER CARNIVAL

The staff and students know how to get the most out of winter. From February 21 to 25 an array of fabulous fun

activities were planned as part of the school‟s winter carnival week. The school‟s level of enthusiasm and

participation was very positive and incorporated the IB attitudes of the school- respect for others, cooperation,

leadership and team work to name just a few. The students were treated to indoor carnival games, hat day, a

ball hockey tournament and” Read and Relax and Pyjamas day.” Our teachers were responsible for the

organization of these events.

We incorporated some new entertainment this year

which proved to be very successful. Edna May

Mackenzie, or also known as “Ednamation” had some

wonderful outdoor games planned for the children.

The school yard was full all morning with broomball

games, parachute games, and imaginary icebergs.

Having the students divided into different teams like

polar bears, caribou, arctic fox and snow hares really

added to the flavor of our Canadian winters. In some

cases, the children had to search for “food” in order

for their animal to survive the winter. Nerf snowball

fights were also part of the play. Hot chocolate

capped off the morning in style. And what is a carnival without a magician. We were very lucky to have Blair

Marshall come to the school. His performance was very amusing, interactive and full of energy. He brought

“Frosty the Snowman” with him for a visit as well. The children and staff loved the show and left wanting more!

DUNRAE INTERGENERATIONAL

Dunrae Gardens Elementary School in Town of

Mount Royal played host to about 20 local

senior citizens at its first ever Inter-Generational

event on March 11 in the gymnasium.

The event, which is being held in conjunction

with the Town of Mount Royal, will begin with

an afternoon tea and dessert reception,

courtesy of the Dunrae Gardens Home and

School Association. The visiting seniors, who live

at a number of T.M.R.-based seniors‟

residences, will have their refreshments served

by 14 specially selected student ambassadors,

who will also get the opportunity to interact

with their guests in a friendly, social manner. It

continues at 1:30 p.m., when the seniors and

the school‟s entire Grades 4, 5 and 6 student

population will watch a presentation of the

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play “Story Wars.” The play, which is produced specifically for elementary schools by the Montreal theatrical

troupe Geordie Productions, tells the story of a pair of fraternal twins who are sent to their room after a fight and

as their punishment, have to create a story together. The result is a tale of adventure on a grand scale that

brings together some of the greatest legends and figures in Greek Mythology.

“I believe it‟s a wonderful opportunity for Dunrae Gardens to embark on its first inter-generational project with

its T.M.R senior citizens,” said Principal Darlene Kehyayan. “I am sure that this rewarding experience will enrich

the lives of everyone involved, students and seniors alike, as we continue to strengthen our partnership with our

community. The students will have the occasion to be exposed to the seniors‟ wisdom, knowledge and their life

experiences and the seniors will be enlightened by the students‟ exchange. Our school is very excited with this

special project and we look forward to having future events with our T.M.R. community senior citizens.”

EDWARD MURPHY GOES KaBOOM!

For the second straight year Foresters and KaBOOM! will brighten up the lives of hundreds of children in the

English Montreal School Board (EMSB), by building a playground at Edward Murphy Elementary School in

Hochelaga-Maisonneuve to be used by children throughout the community.

Spearheaded by parent volunteer Laura Saragosa, with the help of Governing Board Chair Mario Bentrovato,

Parent Participation Organization (PPO) Chairperson Pina Cioffi, Spiritual Animator Rocco Speranza, Principal

Nancy Richer, Teachers Marie Thibault and Serge Champagne, as well as Regional Director Marzia Michielli, the

team approached KaBOOM! with their proposal to rejuvenate their community by turning the concrete school

yard into a safe and exciting place for children to play.

Like past projects with Foresters and KaBOOM!, hundreds of parents and children at Edward Murphy School

have already committed to volunteer for the mid-August build date to ensure the playground‟s completion in

advance of the 2011-2012 academic year.

While the children are not allowed to physically build their playground, they will be vital in the design process as

all their ideas will be gathered up by the project‟s design team when it holds its “Design Day” at the school

before summer vacation. For the full press release click here.

NESBITT STORYTELLING

Nesbitt Elementary School in Rosemount held the finals of its annual Storytelling Contest on March 10. Eighteen

Grades 5 and 6 students exhibited their storytelling skills in front of an audience made up of their fellow students,

as well as teachers and administrators, and were judged on voice, expression, animation, style and technique

and how they delivered their story. Grade 6 student Vanessa Taddeo won the English division of the

competition for her very animated telling of the story “A Day

Fishing;” Sydney Douaire-Gomes, also in Grade 6, won the French

division for her telling of the story “Le Sorcier du Saguenay;” Grade

6 student Isabella Tarakjian‟s telling of the story “Makeup Mess”

earned her 1st Runner-Up honours. Every finalist received special

certificates of achievement. Vanessa will appear with other

storytelling finalists at a non-competition storytelling day on March

18 at Pierre Elliott Trudeau School in Rosemount. The judges for the

finals were Elpi Argyrakapoulos, a Consultant for the EMSB‟s

Pedagogical Services Department; Lorraine Nardozza, Nesbitt‟s

Daycare Director and Daniel Smajovits and Stuart Nulman, from

the EMSB Communications and Marketing Division.

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ROSEMOUNT WINS SILVER

The Rosemount High School Symphonic Winds were honoured recently with a silver medal at the Quebec

MusicFest, held from March 15 to 18 at Vanier College in St. Laurent. Conducted by Andrew Mangal, the

Symphonic Winds competed in the very challenging 400 level class, performing Arsenal by Jan Van der Roost,

Funiculli Funicula Rhapsody by Yo Goto and Lincolnshire Posy-Horkstow Grange, a piece that is usually reserved

for students at the university level. The annual MusicFest festival is held across Canada and bands are judged

according to a national standard. The adjudicators for this event included distinguished conductors such as

Alain Cazes, Michel Fortin and Jonathan Dagenais. For the full press release please click here.

Meanwhile, the Rosemount High

School Science Department held

its Science and Robotics Fair

recently. More than 60 students

were selected to present their

projects and a dozen students

from the new Robotics program

were able to demonstrate the

various functions of the robot that

they created. The fair was a

tremendous success. Students

selected to represent the school

at the Hydro Québec Regional

Science Fair that was held March 27 to 29 were: Tiffany Paquin and Rebecca Petracca (Secondary III); Tanya

Moto and Joseph Mansorifard (Secondary IV); and Erica Lopez and Jaysika Loureiro (Secondary IV). The day

was crowned by a presentation by Dr. Joe Schwartz, radio host and director of McGill University‟s Office for

Science and Society.

TGI THURSDAYS AT ROSEMOUNT

Students at Rosemount High School had much to be thankful for on Thursdays throughout EMSB Nutrition Month

March as they had the opportunity to indulge in free and healthy snacks at lunchtime. Organized by the

Holistic Health Club, along with Spiritual Community Animator Katie Leggitt, the goal of “Thankful Thursdays”

was to introduce the students to a wide array of tastes, as well as teach them about the wonderful health

benefits which come from whole foods. The menu for March included kale chips, homemade hummus,

smoothies, quinoa, flax crackers as well as other fresh and nutritious options. To avoid waste, the students were

asked to bring in a plastic container from home in order to sample and bring home the variety of raw, vegan

and vegetarian foods.

A DAY AT THE RINK

On the eve of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs, the

Montreal Juniors surprised St. John Bosco Elementary School in Ville Émard

with 400 free tickets to a recent game against the Baie Comeau Drakkar

at the Verdun Auditorium. Led by Katherine Snow, an avid hockey

enthusiast and principal of St. John Bosco, droves of students, staff,

administrators and their families packed the Verdun Auditorium to see one

of Canada‟s best junior teams in action. Doing their part, the Juniors did

not disappoint, skating away with a 7-0 victory. For students such as Raymond Vincelette-Salisbury and Jeff McGowan,

the game was simply put, an incredible experience. For Raymond, not

10 FIELDING FOCUS

only was he thrilled to be spending the afternoon with his friends and family, but the event was also his first

hockey game. Capping off the victory was the souvenir puck which be bought and will cherish as a memento.

BRAIN TUMOUR AWARENESS

Dr. Rolando Del Maestro, the director of Brain Tumour Research Centre of the Montreal Neurological Institute

and Hospital McGill University, visited John Paul I Junior High School in St. Lèonard to help kick off Brain

Awareness Week. The doctor took time from his busy schedule in order to spread the important message of

brain awareness to students. He stressed the importance of continuous practice and taking care of the brain

by constantly making new connections. The brain is a muscle that is to be constantly worked out. In order to

achieve “genius” and perfection of a skill it takes close to 10,000 hours of hard work and dedication. The world

will always make way for excellence. He noted the importance of wearing a helmet in order to prevent against

head injuries and mentioned that one can decrease the incidence of cancer by 50 percent if they do not

smoke. One needs to eat well, drink plenty of water, sleep over eight hours a day, and exercise the body and

mind in order to maintain a healthy brain. The visit was greatly appreciated and has made many students

aware of simple ways to care for their brains.

ASTRONAUTS SPREAD THE WORD

During Brain Awareness Week event at The Montreal Neurological Institute astronauts Marc Garneau (the

current Member of Parliament for Westmount-Ville-Marie) and Robert Thirsk came and spoke to over 200

students from five schools. This included three from the EMSB: Marymount Academy in N.D.G., FACE School

downtown and Edinburgh Elementary in Montreal West.

Some of the schools also participated in interactive tours and

visits of labs at The Neuro. Robert Thirsk returned a surgical

instrument that belonged to Wilder Penfield (founder of The

Neuro), which he took up with him during his six month

mission on the International Space Station. You can read the

press release here.

ALTERNATIVE BASKETBALL LEAGUE

The Little Burgundy Sports Complex recently played host to one of the crown jewels of the Alternative Basketball

League season, opening up its doors for students and coaches to participate in the annual All-Star Game.

Students from Focus in N.D.G., Options II and Venture in Ville Émard, Vezina in Pointe St. Charles, Perspectives II

in St. Michel, Mile End in Ville Marie and Mountainview in Côte St. Luc came together to participate in a fun-

filled afternoon of competition allowing each student the chance to showcase their talents in front of their

peers and teachers. Events included the All-Star Game, a coach vs. player game, a three-point competition

and a layup/slam dunk contest. The afternoon was organized by the dedicated staff from the Burgundy Urban

Mediation Project (BUMP) which include Francesco Cuevas, Steve Edwards, Ronald Mungal, Selena Isles as well

as Mauricio Zambrana.

EARTH DAY

With April 22 quickly approaching, the EMSB is proud to have Ecosystem on board as the official sponsor for

Earth Day, ensuring that schools will be able to engage in various activities with the ultimate goal of bettering

the planet. Since last year, Ecosystem has helped Lester B. Pearson High School in Montreal North, Pierre de

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Coubertin Elementary School in St. Léonard, Royal Vale School in N.D.G., LaurenHill Academy‟s senior and junior

campuses, Fraser Academy and St. Laurent Adult Centre in St. Laurent and James Lyng High School in St. Henri,

reduce their carbon footprint to a combined total of 2,480 tons of green house gasses, equivalent to removing

876 cars from the road. These efforts were undertaken as Ecosystem optimized the heating network and

ventilation, installed more efficient hot water boilers, efficient lighting, heat recovery and geothermal heating

and heat pump systems, and centralized control systems.

Working alongside the EMSB, Ecosystem has invited students from across the system to participate in the Défi

Climat (Climate Challenge), the largest campaign to fight climate change in Quebec. The campaign is an

online challenge which invites private citizens to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by committing

themselves to changing aspects of their living habits. To foster participation in the Défi Climat, posters will be

placed throughout all EMSB schools and centres as well as Ecosystem and the EMSB will unveil a new Energy

Efficiency website in which students will be able to learn about this campaign and how to cut greenhouse gas

emissions in their daily lives. For more details click on the press release here.

OLYMPIC SPRINTER VISITS

Canadian sprinter Hank Palmer recently spoke to students at St.

Dorothy Elementary School in St. Michel. Specifically, he delivered a

45 minute presentation on his journey to the 2008 Beijing Olympics

and discussed topics such as reaching your potential, dealing with

setbacks in life and fair play. “I‟m thrilled that our students had the

opportunity to interact with an Olympic athlete and hear such an

inspirational message about life,” said St. Dorothy Physical and

Health Education teacher Jon Stein.

GO EDDY GO!

For nine years, Eddy Nolan, the caretaker at Roslyn Elementary School in Westmount worked tirelessly to raise

$171,000 for the Terry Fox Foundation. Unfortunately for Nolan, the reason behind his efforts have become all

too real as in January 2011 he was diagnosed with throat cancer. Despite the devastating news, he has not

given up on the foundation and his goal which was to raise $200,000 over the course of one decade. Terry Fox

is in the heart of everyone at Roslyn School due solely to the efforts of Eddy Nolan as for years his passion has

kept Terry‟s dream alive. As one of very few Canadians to have participated in every Terry Fox run since its

inception 30 years ago, Eddy‟s enthusiasm and relentless efforts has translated into the Roslyn School

community being only $29,000 shy of the incredible $200,000 plateau. Over the next few months, the school will

be hosting various events meant to include members at large from the community in order to fight cancer as

well as help reach Eddy‟s goal. Click here for that list.

A GOOD “FIRE” AT WESTMOUNT PARK

When Jody Wilson, a teacher at Westmount Park Elementary School first heard that Darren O’Donnell’s new

project was entitled “Playgrounds on Fire,” she immediately took a step back. After all, the last time she

checked, fire and children simply do not mix. Yet, having worked with her students last year when he

orchestrated an activity in which students operated a hair salon for an afternoon; Wilson knew that the

visionary mind of O‟Donnell was whipping up something unique. O‟Donnell is the Artistic Director of Toronto‟s

Mammalian Diving Reflex, a research-art atelier dedicated to investigating the social sphere, always on the

lookout for contradictions to whip into aesthetically scintillating experiences, producing one-off events, theatre-

based performance, theoretical texts and community happenings.

With the help of the students at Westmount Park, he was set to embark on his most exciting project yet.

Fortunately for the local fire department and the EMSB‟s insurance broker, the title of O‟Donnell‟s project was

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not to be taken literally, but as a concept that the attraction that children feel towards fire and watching things

burn is in direct contrast to adults who attempt to control and extinguish their curiosity. For the full press release

please click here.

SLEEPING MATS

The EMSB Daycare Services has endeavored in a wonderful new humanitarian project, creating sleeping mats

from milk bags. After collecting 300 bags, students will cut them into strips and crochet them into mats. “We

would like to collect as many bags as possible in order to send the finished sleeping mats to Africa,” says Rosa

Fuoco, who oversees the Daycare program. “This project is an excellent opportunity to teach students about

charity work and reusing and recycling.” Please consider donating your used OUTER milk bags (the ones with

the printing on them). There will be a box placed in the EMSB Cafeteria next to the door where people can

drop them off.

SUMMER CAMP IN ST. LÉONARD

Responding to the overwhelming demand of parents, Pierre de Coubertin Elementary school (4700 Lavoisier) in

St. Léonard will be introducing “Camp Fusion,” a nonprofit summer sports camp designed to promote athletics

and physical activity. Camp Fusion is the brainchild of Donato Nucciarone, a first year Health and Physical

Education student at McGill University and Pierre de Coubertin alumnus. Donato, who aspires to become a

physical education teacher himself, realized that their community lacked a sports-centric environment for local

children. Using the expert guidance provided by his mother Felicia Ianiro Nucciarone, an EMSB volunteer of 17

years, Donato hammered out a proposal which was instantly accepted by principal Nick Katalifos last August.

Beginning on June 27 and running until August 26, the camp will operate daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. as well as

offer a daycare for two hours before and after each day. Children will enjoy a variety of games organized by

their councilors in addition to daily activities organized by a sports coordinator. Due to the sports-centric theme

of the camp, they will have supplemental activities such as Arts & Crafts and Mad Science only twice per

week. The rest of the activities will encourage students to stay on their feet and remain active. For more details

click here.

JOHN GRANT TRANSITIONS

John Grant High School in Côte Saint-Luc recently hosted their inaugural “Transition Towards Independence”

fair, opening up its doors and inviting students and parents to see the great options available there, as well as

meet with representatives of various organizations to weigh the many options available for students upon

graduation. Parents and students were able to walk around the school and see first-hand the wonderful

programs and activities such as home economics, wood-working, music and visual arts, and food preparation.

Teachers were also on hand to explain the various high school courses offered at the school such as French,

English, physical education, mathematics and science. John Grant, an alternative special education

vocational centre, is devoted to the needs of students with mild to severe learning difficulties and offers a

warm, supportive, multicultural environment and small class sizes.

A display was also set up to introduce parents to the Job Orientation Program (J.O.P.). Open to students aged

18 to 21, the program allows them to work on fine-tuning their job skills. Students are taught how to create a

resume and cover letter, how to improve their interview skills and job search techniques. Throughout the

program, they continue to gain experience by working in the school cafeteria, doing building maintenance,

working as office and classroom assistants as well as gain valuable work experience in job placements outside

the school. Upon completion, the program ensures to provide practical and academic instruction in order to

help students develop the necessary knowledge and life skills essential for independent living. They learn these

life skills by delving into three core areas: daily living skills, personal/social skills, and job skills. For the complete

details click here.

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LAZYLEGZ AT WESTMOUNT HIGH

Luca “Lazylegz” Patuelli, the 26-year-old Montreal native

who has been featured on America's Got Talent, So You

Think You Can Dance Canada and in the 2010 Vancouver

Paralympics opening ceremonies, was at Westmount High

School recently to perform and spread his inspirational

message. Since birth Luca has suffered from scoliosis, the

curvature of the spine and arthrogryposis, a condition that

affects bone structure and limits joint movement. Despite

his condition, he has grown into a worldwide sensation by

overcoming life's challenges and living by his credo of “No

excuses, no limits.” His appearance was due to the hard

work of Michel and Matthew Nadeau, twin brothers and leadership students at Westmount High School.

Michel, who is wheelchair bound, felt that Lazylegz was the perfect individual to motivate his peers. Nadeau,

who has become a break-dancer himself, is personally inspired not just by Lazylegz, but by the words of

ladership teacher Jeff Kosow that the only disability is a bad attitude. He used the primetime opportunity to

prove how he earned the nickname “The Twizzler” by dazzling his peers with his break-dancing moves on stage

as well. For the full press release click here.

PARKDALE TEA

The Grade 6 classes of Karolyn Liverman and Christina Pitacciato served a Valentine‟s High Tea after lunch on

Friday February 11. It was a black tie event and by invitation only! The children discussed several educational

themes such as old Shakespearean Poems, classical music, and proper British etiquette; all the while having

English tea, party sandwiches, crumpets, and various crudities. Groups read romantic poems to the class and

they examined the differences that each group had in their individual interpretations of those poems. Both

classes had a wonderful time and it gave the students a glimpse into a different culture that combines

traditions, both present and of yore

A VISIT TO CTV

At Parkdale Elementary School In St. Laurent Maria Kanellopoulos’ Grade 6 French Second Language class is

studying the different forms of media (newspaper, television and radio). As part of the project, the students had

the opportunity to not only visit CTV recently, but to also watch the live taping of the Noon news. Students got

to see behind the scenes of CTV studios and it was a wonderful learning experience for all!

Meanwhile, there are a significant number of pre-school and

elementary children who are having difficulty in the area of

phonological awareness (i.e. early pre-literacy skills). In

November 2010, Parkdale‟s Kindergarten class was screened

to identify which children may be at risk for difficulties

acquiring reading skills. Following the results of the

screenings, in February 2011, the school‟s Speech Language

Pathologist Razan Khobieh, along with a number of McGill

students, designed and implemented a block of six in-class

intervention sessions targeting different areas of

phonological awareness. All of the kindergarten class

participated in fun activities in order to promote and

develop phonological awareness skills such as: syllabifying,

segmenting, blending, and identifying letter names and

letter sounds.

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RADIO STAR WINNER

The EMSB is proud to announce that THE TEAM 990 all-sports radio has confirmed Royal West

Academy student Alexa Everett (left) as this year‟s winner of the Radio Star contest. Alexa

spent several days recently at the station learning how to do a forecast and ultimately

getting behind the microphone herself. She now wins a scholarship to the Montreal Radio-

TV School, a tour of the CTV Montreal studios and the chance to do a live sportscast and

possibly cover a professional sports practice. Tony Marinaro will also come to Royal West

sometime in late April and broadcast his show from there live.

ANTI-SMOKING VIDEO

Secondary V IB Students at Laurier Macdonald High School in St. Léonard have produced an anti-smoking

video. The students are part of the Youth Coalition against Smoking campaign for the Marcel-Boulanger

Award. This video campaign will be used to motivate teens to quit the habit and to promote a healthy school

environment.

CAREER EXPLORATION

Harley Davidson Montreal | Moto Internationale BMW Motorrad made it possible for one Secondary IV student

from Royal Vale High School in N.D.G. to visit their Service Department on St-Jacques Street recently. On March

10, student Kevin Mariasine had the opportunity to observe a typical work day for a motorcycle mechanic. He

experienced the career first-hand and learned about the type of work that is involved. Kevin had the

opportunity to do a few oil changes and work on other parts of the motorcycle (motor, tires, pistons, etc). He

also met really nice people and had a great time. Kevin says it was “a really good experience” and that he

now has a better understanding of what it‟s all about if he would go into this career. Since the visit Kevin is

seriously looking into choosing motorcycle mechanics as a career. Tania Percio of the EMSB Student Services

Department, who coordinates the Career Exploration Program would like to thank Chantal Cournoyer

(Advertising & Events) for making this visit happen.

CANADARM CREATOR AT ST. MONICA

The final frontier came to St. Monica Elementary School in N.D.G. on March 31 as Bill Chisholm, one of the

project managers behind the original Canadarm and Laurie Metcalfe, a Canadian Space Agency expert who

worked on Dextre, spoke to the students about the groundbreaking technology created in Canada some 30

years ago. Chisholm, who was the project manager for the Electronic Sub System, was part of a team that

developed a critical piece of machinery which was integral to the Space Shuttle and now to the International

Space Station (ISS). The efforts of Chisholm and the many others he worked with truly showcased Canadian

technology at the time. Since its first launch on November 13, 1981, the arm has been fitted onto all NASA

Space Shuttles and has been used over 50 times in space. Metcalfe served as the MSS Operations Analyst for

the launch of Dextre, one of the newest pieces of technology on the ISS. Dextre, often referred to as the

“Canada Hand”, was launched on March 11, 2008 and is a two armed robot, or telemanipulator, which is a

part of the Mobile Servicing System on the ISS. It gives the astronauts the ability to perform detailed tasks in

space without leaving the station. For the full press release click here.

MCSHANE ON THE AIR

Grade 5 and 6 students from Gerald McShane Elementary School will be featured in a live radio broadcast “Le

tour du monde en deux heures” to be aired from the Cultural Center of Montreal North on Wednesday, March

30th (9 a.m. to 11 a.m.) on 102.3 Radio Centre-Ville (www.radiocentreville.com). The program has been

developed and will be entirely animated and presented in French by the students.

15 FIELDING FOCUS

ZUMBA PROGRAM

Donna Friedman Perlin, a Grade 2 teacher at St.Monica Elementary School wanted to reward her students for

all their hard work. She didn‟t want to reward them with the traditional reinforcement methods such as a trinket

from the Dollar Store. Instead, she wanted to give them something they would remember for a long time. With

this in mind she called upon the services of her colleague Elena Bertordi, the resource teacher at St. Monica

and certified Zumba instructor. Elena taught Miss Donna and her class how to Zumba for one afternoon. The

students had so much fun that they said the afternoon was better than any birthday party they attended. All

students received a healthy reward.

PEN PAL PROGRAM WITH HAITI

Throughout April, teachers across the EMSB will encourage

students to participate in a pen pal program, connecting with

their peers at the Société de providence unie pour le

développement de Pétion-ville (SOPUDEP) School in Port-au-

Prince, Haiti. Organized by Travis Ross, a teacher at St. Monica

Elementary School in N.D.G. and member of the Montreal-Haiti

Solidarity Committee (MHSC), the EMSB is strongly supporting

the initiative which will connect hundreds of EMSB students with

480 of their peers at the SOPUDEP school.

In addition to the pen pal program, Ross is also launching

“Helping Across Borders,” a fundraising campaign in which he

is asking every school to raise money for SOPUDEP throughout April. The suggested donation is two dollars per

person, a nominal amount, but equal to the average daily wage in Haiti. 100 percent of the funds raised will go

directly to the school to help pay teachers‟ salaries, which amounts to less than $500 annually, run the hot food

program and pay for school supplies. For the complete press release click here.

ST. MONICA’S CHINESE NEW YEAR

At the beginning of February, the Cycle 1 students at St. Monica Elementary School were involved in learning

about the Chinese New Year. Teachers Linda Sauvnoris, Nancy Coutu and Lynn Watson helped the children to

learn about traditions and Chinese culture. The theme ended with a celebration in which Spiritual Community

Animator Joseph Monachino had the children engaged in making traditional Chinese New Year‟s money

cards, and even experimenting with chopsticks! It was an excellent opportunity to learn about a different

culture and enjoy special traditions!

CHORALE GALA CONCERT

The EMSB Chorale, directed by Patricia Abbott, will hold their 31st Spring Gala Concert on Saturday, May 7 (7:30

p.m.) at the Oscar Peterson Hall (7141 Sherbrooke Street West). This year‟s program, under the theme of A

Choral Bouquet, will feature the works of Leonard Bernstein, Georges Bizet, Eleanor Daley, Gabriel Fauré,

Stephen Hatfield, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Gioacchino Rossini, John Rutter, Stephen Schwartz, Franz Schubert

and Randall Thompson. For ticket information call 514-483-7200 ext. 7234 or email pabbott@emsb.qc.ca.

DULT EDUCATION AND VOC

ATIONAL SERVICE

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ADULT EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL SERVICES

CAREER DAYS

The first of two Career Days for

Secondary IV students took place

March 28 at St. Pius X Adult Centre.

There were three sessions each in the

morning and afternoon. Students

chose from a variety of career options

and sat in on classroom sessions. For

instance, in the field of media Kelly

Alexander from Virgin Radio, Frank

Cavallaro from CBC Television (pictured

with students here) and Rob Lurie from

CTV Montreal were on the lineup. The

program was organized by Adult

Education and Vocational Services.

Another such session takes place on

April 15.

ADULT CENTRE POET

Siri Jarrett, a recently retired English teacher at the St. Laurent Adult Centre, wrote this poem about the

smartboard.

THE “SMART” BORED AND THE SMART BOARD

SIMON‟S BACK FOR WHAT WE LACK

HE TAPS ON LAP, HE OBSERVES WITH VERVE

WITH EYES ALIVE TO HEAR THE JIVE

TEACHERS WALTZ IN –

SOME WITH CHAGRIN

OTHERS COMPLAINING

ABOUT STUDENTS NOT STAYING

LONG ENOUGH FOR THEIR LEARNING...

ARE STUDENTS BORED?

HEY! SMART BOARD, MIGHTY I.T.

WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME?

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OH, JUST PRESS THAT KEY

SAYS SIMON GENTLY

WHICH KEY?

THE KEY TO THE STUDENTS‟ HEARTS...

THE I.T.?

I SEE!

Editor‟s Note

The Communications Department of the EMSB is contacted regularly by organizers of different conferences,

facilitators of interesting workshops and developers of innovative fundraising opportunities. We screen these

requests and make the information available to schools and centres. From this point on, we will group these in

our Tip Corner and give in-school administrators, teachers, other staff, parent groups and even students of

making contact directly.

LIBRARY OF THE EARLY MIND

Library of the Early Mind, is an exploration of the art and impact of children's literature on our kids, our culture,

and ourselves. From the first stories we hear told to us to those childhood heroes that stay with us a lifetime, the

impact on our culture runs deeper than what we might expect. "No one suspects the children's writer," says

author and illustrator Mo Willems, a former 'Sesame Street' writer. The film features nearly 40 prominent authors

and illustrators talking about their work, its genesis and its impact. The number of books in print by the authors in

'Library of the Early Mind' exceeds 240 million. To find out more about the film,

visit www.libraryoftheearlymind.com. A screening will take place on May 19 (7 p.m.) at Selwyn House ( 95 Côte

St. Antoine Road) in Westmount followed by a question-and-answer period with co-producer Steven Withrow.

Admission: $10. Tickets are on sale at the following locations: Babar en ville, 1235 Greene Avenue, Westmount,

Livres Babar Books, 46 St, Anne Street, Pointe Claire (in the Pointe Claire Village) . John Abbott College

Information and Library Techologies Department (Room HO-146 in the Hochelaga Building) For general and

ticket information, contact Carol-Ann Hoyte, Assistant Librarian, Selwyn House School, by email

at hoytec@selwyn.ca.

FUNDRAISING IDEA FOR MOMS

If you are interested in learning more about the Mummy Card Fundraiser Program, you can access the flyer by

clicking on this link.

BATSHAW “COCKTAIL” CHALLENGE

The Batshaw Foundation, which provides direct support to clients of Batshaw Youth and Family Centres,has

announced that it will hold a fundraising event entitled The Cocktail Challenge at the Parisian Laundry (3550 St.

Antoine W.) on Tuesday, April 12, from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. It‟s a fun and friendly competition: Mixologists from

several of Montreal‟s top restaurants will prepare and serve their favourite cocktail creations. Then, event guests

will vote on their favourite drink and a winning cocktail will be crowned.

Tickets are available for $125 each ($80 for guests 35 years of age and under) with a partial tax receipt to be

issued. “We are very pleased to introduce The Cocktail Challenge at Parisian Laundry this year,” says Karma

Hallward, President, the Batshaw Foundation. “All profits generated at our event will go towards funding

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scholarship, tutoring and therapy programs that provide direct and tangible benefits for Batshaw clients. On

behalf of the Foundation, I would like to thank all attendees, supporters and sponsors. While the cause is very

important, we expect the event to be a lot of fun,” adds Ms. Hallward.

To purchase tickets, please visit http://www.batshawfoundation.ca/Fundraising_Cocktail.html, or call (514) 989-

1885 ext. 1118.

MUSICAL SHOW OFF AUDITIONS

If you like Glee, you‟ll love Musical Show Off. This program is for anyone aged 10 to 16 years of age who enjoys

singing or dancing and would like to perform live on stage. Four teams will be created from those who are

successful in their audition. They will get eight weeks of training from their singing and dancing mentors, whom

are all professional performers with years of experience on stage and screen. After eight weeks, all teams will

have learned a choreographed singing and dance number. They will then get to perform live on stage to

compete for the grand prize of $1,000 and the title Musical Show Off winners 2011. To register for the auditions,

which are on Sunday, April 10 (12:30 p.m.) at danse 1...2...3 in LaSalle ( 7927 Newman) go to

www.musicalshowoff.com where a video has been released of the choreography you need to learn.

CALENDAR

April 8, 2011

Jump Rope for Heart at Royal Vale School

April 10, 2011

12:30 p.m. Dance Off Auditions

danse 1...2...3 in LaSalle ( 7927 Newman)

April 20, 2011

9 a.m. French for the Future Conference

Rialto Theatre

6 p.m. Volunteer Appreciation Evening

April 22, 2011

Earth Day

May 7, 2011

EMSB Chorale Spring Gala Concert

7141 Sherbrooke Street West

PLEINS FEUX SUR FIELDING LA CSEM REND HOMMAGE À SES BÉNÉVOLES

La CSEM tiendra sa Soirée annuelle d’appréciation des bénévoles le 20 avril à Plaza Volare de l’hôtel Crowne

Plaza de Saint-Laurent. Cet évènement coïncide avec la Semaine nationale des bénévoles qui aura lieu du 17

au 23 avril sous le thème « Bénévoles… Nos brillantes étoiles! ». Seules les personnes qui ont fait du bénévolat

pendant plus de cinq ans seront invitées, étant donné que le temps et l‟espace ne permettent pas à la CSEM

de rendre hommage personnellement à tous les quelques 1 500 bénévoles. L‟animatrice de Global News,

Jamie Orchard, et le spécialiste en communications et marketing de la CSEM, Michael Cohen, seront les

maîtres de cérémonie de l‟évènement. Angie Bertone a été choisie Bénévole Émérite de cette année. Les

services financiers La Capitale (www.lacapitale.com) sont les commanditaires principaux de la soirée.

19 FIELDING FOCUS

CHANGEMENTS MAJEURS Au cours de la réunion du conseil des commissaires de la CSEM tenue le 30 mars, plusieurs scénarios de

changements majeurs pouvant affecter les écoles, élaborés par le comité de planification à long terme, ont

été approuvés pour consultation.

Le 30 mars, le conseil des commissaires de la CSEM a décidé en vertu d‟une recommandation de la

Commission, quelles étaient les recommandations de changements majeurs pour juillet 2012 qui seraient

retenues pour consultation publique. Ce processus débutera par la consultation des conseils d‟établissement

concernés, des directions des écoles et centres, du Comité central de parents et des juridictions municipales.

Des mémoires seront présentés en novembre 2011, suivis par des audiences publiques en décembre 2011 et la

décision finale qui sera prise lors d‟une réunion extraordinaire du conseil des commissaires en janvier 2012.

AUDIENCES À QUÉBEC

Le directeur général de la CSEM, Robert Stocker, se joindra à la délégation de l‟Association des commissions

scolaires anglophones du Québec qui comparaîtra devant la Commission de l‟administration publique à

l‟Assemblée Nationale qui examine le rapport du vérificateur général du Québec sur les dépenses

administratives des commissions scolaires. L‟ACSAQ défendra l‟efficacité des commissions scolaires

anglophones qui maintiennent le pourcentage de revenus d‟administration moins élevés que celui de la

plupart des municipalités, des hôpitaux et d‟autres établissements publics. L‟ACSAQ, la FEDE, le sous-ministre de

l‟éducation et les directeurs généraux de deux des quatre commissions scolaires mentionnées par le rapport,

témoigneront lors de la session de trois heures présidée par Sylvain Simard, ancien ministre de l‟Éducation.

SONDAGE DE LA MATERNELLE

La CSEM a récemment entrepris un sondage auprès de 346 parents de la maternelle afin de découvrir les

facteurs les plus importants qui avaient influencé leur décision d‟inscrire leur enfant à un établissement de la

CSEM à compter de l‟année scolaire 2010-2011. Le programme de français très prisé de la CSEM a été le

facteur le plus décisif pour les parents. En tout, 82 pour cent des parents ont déclaré que le programme de

français a été le facteur le plus important pour l‟inscription de leur enfant, tandis que personne n‟a indiqué qu‟il

n‟avait eu aucune influence. Les classes de base, dont les mathématiques et les sciences, ont aussi eu une

influence décisive. La grande majorité, 81 pour cent et 72 pour cent des parents respectivement, ont indiqué

que la qualité de l‟enseignement des mathématiques et des sciences a été un facteur important, tandis que

seulement un pour cent des parents n‟était pas de cet avis. Les initiatives intensives des médias sociaux de la

Division des communications ont été aussi relevées. La majorité des parents qui ne suivaient pas déjà la

Commission sur Facebook et Twitter ont indiqué qu‟ils seraient enclins à suivre la CSEM afin d‟avoir un accès

immédiat à des informations pertinentes, dont les fermetures d‟écoles dûes aux intempéries. Le directeur

général de la CSEM, Robert Stocker, et la directrice générale adjointe, Roma Medwid ont tiré des noms au

hasard pour accorder des prix aux participants. Ces prix incluaient des caméras Nikon et des certificats

cadeaux Chapters/Indigo.

LE FRANÇAIS POUR L’AVENIR

L‟historique Cinéma Rialto (5723 ave du Parc) sera le site du colloque du Français pour l‟avenir qui débutera à

9 h le mercredi 20 avril. Visant à promouvoir le bilinguisme parmi les jeunes canadiens, le thème du colloque est

Respect, Culture et Intégration à la société québécoise. Près de 300 élèves de six écoles secondaires de

Montréal et de deux commissions scolaires seront présents, tandis que d‟autres écoles secondaires d‟à travers

le Québec participeront par visioconférence.

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Les écoles participantes sont : John F. Kennedy de Saint-Michel, Westmount, l‟Académie Marymount de NDG,

l‟Académie LaurenHill de Saint-Laurent de la CSEM, l‟Académie Lakeside de Lachine, les écoles secondaires

Beaconsfield et Pierrefonds de la commission scolaire Lester-B.-Pearson. À la veille de la Journée de la Terre, la

session d‟ouverture se concentrera sur l‟environnement. Des représentants des comités verts de la CSEM et de

la CSLBP siègeront au panel en sus des jeunes d‟Oxfam-Québec et d„Enfant Entraide. Le panel est intitulé :

Actions Citoyens Envers l‟Environnement. La commissaire Ginette Sauvé-Frankel, présidente du comité vert de

la CSEM, siègera au panel. Le cinéaste québécois Kevin Tierney projettera des clips de son dernier film,

Immersion française. Pour plus d‟informations, consultez www.french-future.org.

CÉLÉBRATIONS À SINCLAIR LAIRD

Pour célébrer le vrai multiculturalisme de leur école, les élèves de l‟école primaire Sinclair Laird ont récemment

eu l‟occasion de participer à de nombreuses activités au cours desquelles ils ont pu apprendre à célébrer les

grandes traditions du monde. Ce tourbillon de culture a commencé par la célébration du Nouvel An chinois

alors que les classes de 5e et de 6e année, accompagnées de leur animateur spirituel Puynung Choy, ont visité

le quartier chinois de Montréal. Au cours de la journée, les élèves ont visité une église catholique chinoise, le

quartier commercial de La Gauchetière, la première entreprise canadienne fabricante de biscuits chinois,

parmi d‟autres points d‟intérêt.

La tradition bouddhiste de célébration du Nouvel An a été célébrée à travers les aliments et les élèves ont

apprécié un délicieux déjeuner végétarien au restaurant Ruby Rouge où ils ont, non seulement acquis

quelques connaissances en histoire, mais ils ont aussi servi entre eux et appris quelques importantes règles

d‟étiquette. Leur journée s‟est terminée par un petit aperçu de l‟héritage juif en visitant la synagogue

espagnole et portugaise de Montréal, la plus ancienne congrégation juive du Canada.

À l‟école, tous les élèves ont eu l‟occasion de célébrer le mois de l‟Histoire des noirs par le biais de danses et

de chants haïtiens. Deux danseurs et un percussionniste du groupe Mapou Ginen se sont produits pour les

élèves. Ils ont aussi invité les enfants et le personnel à prendre part à des danses spécialisées qui incluent le

folklore traditionnel haïtien. Les élèves ont aussi appris et pratiqué une variété de chansons haïtiennes.

RÉACTION DE L’ACSAQ AUX PROPOSITIONS DE JEAN CHAREST

L‟association des commissions scolaires anglophones du Québec (ACSAQ) a loué le discours inaugural du

premier ministre Jean Charest qui a désigné l‟éducation comme la première des cinq priorités pour la

croissance et le développement du Québec. La présidente de l‟ACSAQ a demandé que le gouvernement

soutienne ces propos en accordant aux commissions scolaires la liberté et la flexibilité pour transformer des

promesses en programmes significatifs visant une plus grande réussite des élèves. Les propositions ambitieuses

du premier ministre incluent :

L‟établissement, création d‟écoles publiques francophones à travers le Québec, d‟un programme

intensif d‟anglais, langue seconde, en 6e année, avec la collaboration des commissions scolaires

anglophones et francophones;

Un tableau blanc intelligent pour chaque classe du Québec et un ordinateur portatif pour chaque

enseignant;

Un financement gouvernemental pour la modernisation des locaux sportifs des écoles et des uniformes

de sport.

SCULPTURES DE NEIGE DE HAMPSTEAD

Profitant des dernières semaines de l‟hiver, les élèves de l‟école Hampstead ont récemment passé trois jours à

travailler à une sculpture en compagnie d‟un artiste de sculpture de neige et ce, dans le cadre des

programmes d‟éducation physique de la Commission scolaire English-Montréal.

Couverts de chapeaux et d‟écharpes et sous la direction de Patricia Wilken, créatrice du projet et enseignante

d‟éducation physique, les classes d‟éducation physique se sont déroulées à l‟extérieur et les élèves ont travaillé

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avec l‟artiste professionnel à la conception et la création des sculptures de neige. L‟artiste était chargé de

transformer la vision des élèves en réalité, mais ces derniers ont décidé en groupe de réaliser des travaux et ils

ont apporté leur aide dans la mesure de leurs moyens – pelleter la neige, construire et apporter les touches

finales aux pièces après que l‟artiste ait sculpté l‟ébauche.

Ce projet a remporté un grand succès et les voitures qui passent devant l‟école peuvent admirer, jusqu‟à la

fonte des neiges, des sculptures représentant des princesses, des maisons, des personnages de dessins animés,

des papillons, des lions, des girafes et un grand nombre d‟autres sculptures.

RÉCITS DE CONTES À NESBITT

L‟école primaire Nesbitt de Rosemont a tenu ses épreuves finales de son concours annuel de récits de contes

le 10 mars. Dix-huit élèves de 5e et 6e année ont démontré leurs habiletés devant un auditoire composé de

leurs condisciples, d‟enseignant(e)s et ils ont été évalués sur la voix, l‟expression, l‟animation, le style et la

technique de leur récit. L‟élève Vanessa Taddeo a remporté le concours du volet anglais pour sa présentation

très animée de « A Day Fishing »; Sydney Douaire-Gomes, de la 6e année a remporté le volet français pour son

récit « Le Sorcier du Saguenay »; l‟élève de 6e année Isabella Tarakjian a été première finaliste pour son récit

« Makeup Mess ». Chaque finaliste a reçu un certificat spécial de participation. Vanessa se produira avec

d‟autres finalistes à une journée hors-concours de récits de contes, le 18 mars à l‟école primaire Pierre Elliot

Trudeau de Rosemont. Les membres du jury pour la finale étaient Elpi Argyrakapoulos, conseillère des Services

pédagogiques de la CSEM; Lorraine Nardozza, directrice du service de garde de Nesbitt et Daniel Smajovit et

Stuart Nulman, de la Division des communications et du marketing de la CSEM.

SENSIBILISATION À LA TUMEUR DU CERVEAU

Le Dr Rolando Del Maestro, directeur du Centre sur la recherche de la tumeur du cerveau à l‟Institut

neurologique de Montréal et à l‟hôpital de l‟Université McGill, a aidé à lancer la Semaine de la sensibilisation à

la tumeur du cerveau à l‟école secondaire du premier cycle John Paul I de Saint-Léonard. Malgré son horaire

très chargé, le docteur a pris le temps de transmettre ce message important aux élèves. Il a souligné

l‟importance d‟une pratique soutenue et du soin à apporter au cerveau en faisant constamment de nouvelles

connections. Le cerveau est un muscle qui doit travailler constamment. L‟atteinte du « génie » et de la

perfection d‟une habileté exigent 10 000 heures de travail. Il a aussi souligné l‟importance de porter un casque

pour prévenir les blessures à la tête et a mentionné que l‟on peut diminuer l‟incidence de cancer par 50 pour

cent en s‟abstenant de fumer. Il est nécessaire de bien manger, de boire beaucoup d‟eau, de dormir huit

heures par jour et d‟exercer le corps et l‟esprit pour maintenir un cerveau sain.

GO EDDY GO!

Pendant neuf ans, Eddy Nolan, concierge de l‟école primaire Roslyn de Westmount a travaillé sans relâche

pour recueillir 171 000 $ pour la Fondation Terry Fox. Malheureusement pour Eddy, la raison qui a motivé ses

efforts s‟est avéré une réalité lorsqu‟il a été diagnostiqué d‟un cancer à la gorge en janvier 2011. Malgré cette

nouvelle accablante, il n‟a pas relâché ses efforts pour atteindre son objectif qui est de lever 200 000 $ en une

décennie. Terry Fox est au cœur de l‟école Roslyn grâce aux efforts d‟Eddy Nolan étant donné qu‟au cours des

années sa passion a maintenu le rêve de Terry Fox. C‟est l‟un de quelques rares canadiens qui a participé à

chaque course Terry Fox depuis 30 ans. L‟enthousiasme d‟Eddy et ses efforts acharnés ont mené la

communauté de l‟école Roslyn à 29 000 $ de l‟objectif de 200 000 $. Au cours des prochains mois, l‟école

organisera divers évènements visant à inclure toute la communauté à la lutte contre le cancer et à l‟atteinte

de l‟objectif d‟Eddy.

MATELAS

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Les Services de garde de la CSEM ont entrepris un merveilleux nouveau projet humanitaire en créant des

matelas à partir de sacs de lait. Après avoir recueilli 300 sacs, les élèves les ont découpés en bandes et les ont

crochetés en matelas. « Nous aimerions recueillir autant de sacs que possible afin de pouvoir envoyer les

matelas en Afrique, » a déclaré Rosa Fuoco qui supervise le programme des Services de garde. « Ce projet est

une excellente occasion d‟apprendre le bénévolat aux élèves et de recycler. »

VIDÉO ANTI-TABAC

Les élèves du Secondaire V BI de l‟école secondaire Laurier Macdonald ont produit une vidéo anti-tabac. Les

élèves font partie de la campagne de la Coalition des jeunes contre le tabagisme. Cette vidéo sera utilisée

pour motiver les adolescents à ne plus fumer et à promouvoir un environnement scolaire sain.

PROGRAMME DE CORRESPONDANCE AVEC HAÏTI

Tout au long du mois d‟avril, les enseignant(e)s de la CSEM encourageront les élèves à participer au

programme de correspondance qui les reliera avec leurs pairs de l‟école de la Société de providence unie

pour le développement de Pétion-ville (SOPUDEP) de Port-au-Prince à Haïti. Cette initiative est lancée par

Travis Ross, enseignant à l‟école primaire St. Monica de NDG et membre du comité de solidarité Montréal-Haïti

(CSMH). La CSEM soutient fermement cette initiative qui mettra en contact des élèves de la CSEM avec 480 de

leurs pairs de l‟école SOPUDED.

SERVICE DE L’ÉDUCATION DES ADULTES ET

DE LA FORMATION PROFESSIONNELLE

JOURNÉES DE CARRIÈRES

La première des deux journées de carrières pour les élèves du secondaire IV a eu lieu le 28 mars au Centre

d‟adultes St. Pius X. Il y a eu trois sessions le matin et l‟après-midi. Les élèves ont choisi une variété d‟options de

carrières et ont assisté aux sessions. Par exemple, dans le domaine des médias, Kelly Alexander, de Virgin

Radio, Frank Cavallaro de CBC et Rob Lurie de CTV Montréal ont animé des sessions. Le programme a été

organisé par les Services de l‟éducation des adultes et de la formation professionnelle. Une autre session aura

lieu le 15 avril.

CALENDRIER

8 avril 2011

Sautons en coeur à l‟école Royal Vale

20 avril 2011

9 h – Colloque « Le Français pour l‟avenir »

Théâtre Rialto

18 h – Soirée d‟appréciation des bénévoles

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Submissions should be made to Michael J. Cohen preferably by

e-mail (mcohen@emsb.qc.ca) or fax (514-483-7213) by Friday April

22 at 4 p.m.

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Some more photos from Secondary IV Career Day

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