EMSB_Express05_Fall07.qxd - English Montreal School Board

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Page 6 EMSB Express Vol. 10 Nº 2 Spring 2008 www.emsb.qc.ca Adult Special Needs Students focus on Holocaust Remembrance By Clarise Samuels Special Needs Correspondent The Montreal Holocaust Memorial Museum presented a panel discussion recently to mark the International Day of Commemoration for victims of the Holocaust. This date is also significant because it is the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp. Among the panelists was Gail Bernstein, a special education teacher at the EMSB’s Galileo Adult Centre. Her class caters to adults aged 22 through 40, with an emphasis on social integration. Academic subjects at Galileo focus on serving everyday living needs, such as language arts, money management, cooking, computers, fine arts, and travel training. The school's daily breakfast program is run entirely by the students. Every Friday a special meal is prepared, and the proceeds are used to order groceries, to go out to eat, or purchase needed utensils for the kitchen. Outings occur throughout the year. Ms. Bernstein found that her students took a profound interest in Holocaust history, in particular, the story of Hana Brady, a young Czechoslovakian Jew who died at Auschwitz in 1944. The girl’s suitcase STUDENT CONTEST Win Prizes from Started in 1987, The Bentley Group (www.shopbentley.com) is a chain of retail stores operating throughout Canada. It currently has more than 550 stores which retails luggage, wallets, purses, backpacks and related acces - sories under various banners. These banners include Bentley, Access, Xcetera, Inglot, Collacutt, Jovin, Porters, Unic and Evex. Bentley also has a corporate sales department which sells a wide array of special gift items which are popular with schools in particular. Bentley is the official sponsor of this edition of the EMSB Express Newspaper Congratulations to the following students who each won $50 gift certificates from Steve’s Music Store (51 St-Antoine St. W) for participating in the fall EMSB Express Student Quiz Contest: Josie Angelicola (Laurier Macdonald High School), Gianfranco Comita (Leonardo Da Vinci School), Stefano Proietti (Our Lady of Pompei School), Sara Jalenti (Leonardo Da Vinci School) and John Kaczkowski (Rosemount Technology Centre). The contest appeared in the fall 2007 edition of the EMSB Express newspaper, and featured five questions, in which the answers appeared in that edition of the Express, as well as on the EMSB website. Steve's Students and staff from the Galileo Adult Centre at the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre. was left behind with her name written on it, and the small valise was exhibited in 2000 at a Holocaust education centre in Japan. The Japanese educators there did research on Hana, and their investigation led them to Hana’s older brother, George Brady of Toronto, who survived the Holocaust as a labourer. The resulting book, Hana’s Suitcase, has become an international phe - nomenon, much like The Diary of Student Quiz. Students are encouraged to complete and cut out the entry form below. Bring it to your school office and request that it be sent directly via internal mail to the Administration Building (Room 109). Those who fill out the answers correctly will be eligible for some fantastic bags, knapsacks and lunch boxes provided courtesy of Bentley and sales re - presentative Joel Barbarush, who can be reached at 514-341-9333, ext. 345 or joel.barbarush@shopbentley.com for all your school souvenir or gift needs. Music Store opened its doors in Montreal on May 15, 1965 with one storefront. Today, the Montreal store has expanded to nine sections, encompassing a city block in size. In the intervening years, Steve's has expanded to locations in Toronto and Ottawa. Today, Steve's has evolved into a world renowned store and a major force in the Canadian music industry. Steve's caters to all your musical needs: acoustic, electric and bass guitarists, drummers and percussionists, keyboard players, pianists, brass and wind players, composers, public address systems, rentals and sheet music. Go to www.stevesmusic.com. Anne Frank. Ms. Berstein’s students were deeply affected by Hana’s story. “Hana’s Suitcase brought some of our students to tears,” she noted. There were some painful parallels to be made between the victims of the Holocaust and Ms. Bernstein's special needs students. “The Jews were labelled, grouped, isolated, and had difficulty finding work,” she explained. “It became evident to my students that they, too, were a group that would have STUDENT CONTEST ENTRY FORM been targeted during the Holocaust.” Jocelyn Goerner, an English teacher at Ratihente High School in the Mohawk community of Kanesatake, remembered her students on the day they heard the testimony of a Holocaust survivor. “The room was silent, and they listened intently to every word that was said.” Two of the panelists were Holocaust survivors Jean Kutscher and Paul Herczeg, who told their stories of losing close family members during the Holocaust. Kutscher's parents and older brother were deported from Paris, France to Auschwitz. Kutscher found refuge for his younger sister with Christian friends and survived by joining French Zone Libre. Herczeg, a teenager who lived in a suburb of Budapest at the time of the de - portation, lost his mother at Auschwitz. Herczeg later was transferred to Dachau, where his father died, but Herczeg and his sister survived the Holocaust. Herczeg spoke of his sense of good fortune when he arrived as a refugee at Canada's Pier 21 after the Holocaust. “The message taken up regarding genocide is ‘never again’ but, un - fortunately, the world has not yet learned this lesson,” Herczeg noted sadly. ON THE WEB More and more students, staff, parents, media and members of the community at large are logging on to the EMSB website at www.emsb.qc.ca for up to date information. The monthly Fielding Focus newsletter provides a nice overview of what is happening at the school and board level. You can download the most recent annual report from the press room section, read press releases, see photos of school and centre events and get valuable tips in the parent information section. If you have suggestions on how we can improve the site, send an email to express@emsb.qc.ca. CLUE: The answers to these questions can be easily found by looking through stories in this newspaper and on the EMSB website (www.emsb.qc.ca). 1. Which team will the Montreal Impact play on EMSB Night Wednesday, June 4? ___________________________________________________________ 2. On which date will the EMSB turn 10? ___________________________________________________________ 3. When did Public School Education Month occur? ___________________________________________________________ 4. Who is the honourary chair of the EMSB Golf Scholarship Tournament? ___________________________________________________________ 5. Who is the vice-chair of the EMSB? ___________________________________________________________ NAME : _____________________________________________________ SCHOOL : ___________________________________________________ E-MAIL ADDRESS : ____________________________________________ Bring your entry form to your school office and request that it be sent directly via internal mail to the Administration Building (Room 109).
www.emsb.qc.ca Spring 2008 EMSB Express Vol. 10 Nº 2 Page 7 PHOTO: MARCIE RICHSTONE Today’s Choice, Tomorrow’s Success Corporate Sponsors Assist EMSB Campaign www.emsb.qc.ca For the third year in a row the EMSB embarked upon a special advertising campaign for kindergarten registration week, with the help of a num - ber of corporate sponsors. A photo shoot for the campaign took place at the EMSB Administration Build - ing. The children featured are (left to right): Alexandra Cohen, Marlevi Cornwall Mark and Maïa Lachance. Noted photographer Marcie Richstone, a specialist in dealing with children, over - saw the shoot. Advertisements appeared In The TV Times, The Gazette, Montreal Families Magazine and a number of community newspapers. There were also separate broadcast campaigns on Q92, 940 Montreal and Global Television and two billboards were placed over the Decarie Expressway. The EMSB wishes to thank the following corporate sponsors: • Capital Catering/Madisons New York Grill and Bar Steve Tsatas – www.madisonsny.com • R T & Tony Electrique Inc • J. Kromida Chartered Accountant • Eco System, Genivar and Regulvar • Brio Professional Services • Les Construction Bélair-Nova • Dennis Kounadis (Kounados Perreault) FROM THE DIRECTOR GENERAL Antonio Lacroce The Future of School Boards The EMSB is the largest English school board in the province of Quebec, providing services to over 37,000 students including the pre-school, elementary, secondary, adult and vocational levels. On a day to day basis, there is synergistic interaction between the school administrators and central office personnel. The thrust of the Board’s interventions are carried out with a value added mentality and act as a filter to the many policies that emanate from the Ministry of Education, Leisure and Sports (MELS). Schools are more multicultural than ever and our school board has a long history of welcoming culturally diverse members of the Quebec society. The EMSB recognizes and values the diversity of its community and aims to provide all students with the opportunity to develop their talents and achieve their personal best within a caring, safe and inclusive learning community. Our respect for diversity is reflected in our policies regarding reasonable accommodation issues. Our inclusive model for special needs students, our drop out prevention and the retention of at risk students programs represent a multifaceted approach to student success based on the cooperation and collaboration of all partners. To attain this goal, the EMSB uses resources effectively and innovatively to help schools and centres focus on the mission of instruction, socialization and qualification; thereby encouraging life-long learning and critical thinking. Our mission fosters the development of educated and responsible people Lafontaine Liberal MNA Tony Tomassi and Antonio Lacroce visit one of two new classrooms the provincial government funded at East Hill Elementary School in Rivière des Prairies. who will assume their position as active members of a global and democratic society. We graduate bilingual and bi-literate students, adding to the richness of Quebec. Following last November’s school board elections, the Minister of Education, Leisure and Sports called upon all of the province’s public boards to present briefs of the future of school boards in the province. Here at the EMSB, Management and commissioners worked with the Quebec English School Boards Association. Having served as a teacher, principal, regional director, human resources director, deputy director general and now director general at this Board and its predecessor body, I can attest to the important role public schools play in our society. Can improvements be made? Of course! I commend members of our administration and council of commissioners who combined on creating a very constructive brief dealing with the future of school boards in the province. It is now in the hands of the Minister and I welcome you to review it on our website at www.emsb.qc.ca. Continued from page 1 – ‘Mancini’ • High Standards and Expectations for All Students All students can learn, and obstacles are not seen as insurmountable. • Effective School Leadership Direction is needed at both the school and school board levels. • High Levels of Collaboration and Communication All team members, including parents and members of the community, help to identify problems and work on solutions. • Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment All three must be aligned with the expected competencies to be developed. • Frequent Monitoring of Learning and Teaching Students who need help should be identified, and many opportunities for student success should be created. • Focused Professional Development Professional development should be aligned with the shared vision and expected outcomes. • Supportive Learning Environment The school must be a safe, civil, healthy and intellectually stimulating learning environment where stu - dents should feel respected, connect - ed with the staff and are engaged in learning. • High Level of Family and Community Involvement Everyone has a responsibility to contribute to the education of students, and parents, businesses, social service agencies, community centers and universities play a vital role. Much of what was identified seems like common sense, and yet we know that creating a truly effective school is no easy task. There is much to consider. The article also begs the question: if these factors contribute to the effectiveness of an individual school, could these same characteristics not be used to define a successful school board? I believe that many could be, and I will keep these nine factors in mind in my work as Board Chair. Since our election in November, the Council of Commissioners has been working diligently to develop a shared vision - at the heart of which is student success. In this early phase of our mandate, we are working to identify our primary goals, prioritize our initiatives and develop creative and sustainable projects. We are currently dealing with the most urgent repairs and improvements to our school buildings. One of our established goals is student safety; hence, we are The official inauguration ceremony for the new $2.5 million Royal West Academy Gymnasium project in Montreal West was held recently. Pictured at the ribbon cutting ceremony (left to right): Principal Mary Reynolds, Montreal West Mayor Campbell Stuart, EMSB Director General Antonio Lacroce, Vice-Chair Sylvia Lo Bianco, Chair Angela Mancini, student Anna Rotman, former commissioner John Simms, Liberal MNA Russell Copeman, Margaret Wada of the Royal West Academy Foundation, Vice-Principal Tony Pita and Commissioner Joseph Lalla. working to ensure that our schools remain a safe and secure environment for our children. I am very proud of our public education system, myself being a product thereof; and now my own children attend EMSB schools. I have been a commissioner since the in - ception of the EMSB 10 years ago. I got involved in school board governance because I believe in giving back to a system that served me so well. The Council strives to help promote excellence in education for another generation of children. We work to ensure that our schools are a safe and warm environment where our students are engaged in meaningful learning such that they will become successful confident citizens of the world. I, like all of the elected commission - ers, welcome your feedback. Our contact information is available on the EMSB website. Please feel free to contact us to share your thoughts, concerns or questions. We look forward to developing future partnerships with you.
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