The monthly news bulletin of the EMSB The monthly news bulletin

T h e m o n t h l y n e w s b u l l e t i n o f t h e E M S B
Vol. 8 No. 10 May 26, 2006
EDITOR: MICHAEL J. COHEN
PRINTING SERVICES: L. SHAW, D. D’ORNELLAS
PROOFREADING/TRANSLATION: ALINE ZEROUNIAN
! Wagar becomes Palatucci
! Long service reception
! Radio LMAC
! Focus groups
! Destiny Quebec
! Brain Waves
! Entrepreneur Contest
! Art Mural
! Public Speaking
! Supporting Our Troops
! Fashion Show
! EMSB’s Goliath Visit
! East Hill Online
! RTC Benefactor
! Hair-raising
Rev. John Palatucci, Dominic Spiridigliozzi, Syd Wise and Maj. Gen.
Lewis Mackenzie at Wagar renaming. See below for details.
ASTRONOMER RETURNS TO ROSLYN
David Levy, an amateur astronomer and discoverer of many
comets, the most renown being the Shoemaker Levy comet,
which crashed into Jupiter, visited his old school Roslyn
Elementary in Westmount on May 15. Peter Jedicke the
national president of the Royal Astronomical Society of
Canada accompanied him. They donated a book they coauthored
to the Roslyn library and then gave a one-hour
conference in the morning before lunch to the K-1 and 2
grades, toured the school and then spoke to Grades 3-6. After
the conference, the Grade 3 students met with them on a more
intimate basis where they were able to exchange questions and
answers. The school presented him with his Grade 6 graduation
certificate, which he never received originally due to an injury
at the time. Mr. Jedicke was made an honourary alumnus of
Roslyn.

PALATUCCI FACILITY: The former
Wagar High School building was formally
renamed The Giovanni Palatucci Facility at
an emotional ceremony attended by 300
people on May 16 in Côte Saint-Luc.
Giovanni Palatucci saved the lives of 5,000
Jews destined to die in death camps during
World War II. From 1938 to 1944, Palatucci
was first in charge of the Office of Foreigners
and later Chief of Police of Fiume, a city in
northern Italy. Following the promulgation
of racist laws in Italy, he forged documents
and visas for thousands of Jews, sending
them to internment camps where their
protection was ensured with the assistance of
his uncle, the Bishop of Campagna, and other
members of his family. After the 1943
capitulation of Italy, the Nazis occupied
Fiume. Palatucci remained as head of the
police, though without real powers. He
continued to help Jews and maintain contact
with the Resistance until the Gestapo
discovered his activities. Palatucci refused a
safe pass to Switzerland offered by a close
friend, the Swiss Consul to Trieste, sending
his Jewish fiancée instead. On September 13,
1944, Palatucci was arrested and condemned
to death. The sentence was later commuted,
and Palatucci was deported to the
concentration camp of Dachau, where he died
in February 1945 at 35 years of age.
The keynote speaker was Major General
(ret’d) Lewis MacKenzie, who has
commanded Canadian ground troops in some
of the world's most dangerous places: the
Gaza strip, Cyprus, Vietnam, Cairo, Central
America and Sarajevo. It was in Sarajevo that
his superior leadership skills and courage
came to the fore. At the start of the Bosnian
Civil War he created and assumed command
of Sector Sarajevo and, in the midst of a
brutal civil war, with a contingent of troops
from 31 nations, and under fire from all
sides, managed to open the Sarajevo airport
for the delivery of humanitarian aid. General
MacKenzie retired from the Canadian Forces
in March 1993. Rev. John Palatucci of New
York City, a cousin of Giovanni, also came
to Montreal for the event and spoke.
Maj. General Mackenzie talks to students.
Students from Laurier Macdonald High
School in St. Léonard and Bialik High
School in Côte Saint-Luc came together on
April 11 as part of a unique sensitization
program linked to the renaming project.
Laurier Macdonald presented a screening of
its film Ripples In Time, after which students
convened to the library where facilitators
lead them through an exchange of thoughts
and comments that brought them together.
Earlier, Laurier Macdonald students visited
the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Students from both schools took part in the
renaming ceremony and the Bialik Choir
performed a number of Yiddish songs in
keeping with the theme of the morning.
EMSB Commissioner Dr. Syd Wise notes
that the most important component of this
project is the dialogue that has ensued
between the students from two cultural
divides. Plans call for the EMSB to continue
with this type of program by bringing
students together from different backgrounds
and teaching them about the importance of
tolerance in our society. EMSB Chairman
Dominic Spiridigliozzi, National Congress of
Italo-Canadians President Nino Colavecchio
and Quebec Revenue Minister Lawrence
Bergman also spoke.

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Among the corporate sponsors of the
program are Jack Dym, the immediate past
president of the Montreal Holocaust
Memorial Centre; and Beryl Wajsman of
the Institute for Public Affairs of Montreal.
Letter to The Editor
Dear Editor,
principals and centre directors include:
Bernard Fagan (High School of Montreal
Adult Centre), Habza Shedlack (James Lyng
Adult Centre), Frank DiPaolo (John F.
Kennedy Business Centre), Harry
Michalopoulos (St. Laurent Adult Centre),
Ginette Clarke (Rosemount High School),
Luigi Santamaria (James Lyng High
School),
I would like to express my pleasure at the tone and
sentiment expressed at the Giovanni Palatucci Facility
naming ceremony.
In particular, Lewis Mackenzie's call to action in the
face of oppression was a poignant message to all
Canadians and Reverend Palatucci's acknowledgement
and condemnation of the abhorrent and inhuman
behaviour of people towards people is a message that
cannot be repeated often enough.
I hope that this unique recognition of Giovanni
Palatucci, a true and worthy hero, is inspirational to
some and leads them to step back from adversarial and
confrontational points of view and move towards an
heroic approach of turning the other cheek rather than
settling for an eye for an eye.
Congratulations to Dr. Wise for his inspiration and
energy around this initiative and the efforts of the
many other people who helped make it happen. I
hope that you can accept my thanks and compliments
on behalf of the organizing team.
Ralph Harris
John Grant High School Parent
ADMIN APPPOINTMENTS: The EMSB
has announced a number of in-school
administrative appointments for 2006-2007.
Principals and centre directors planning to
retire are: Ted Collinson (High School of
Montreal Adult Centre), Wayne Commeford
(James Lyng High School and Adult Centre),
Keith Imhoff (John F. Kennedy Business
Centre), Francine Jarret Imhoff (Holy
Cross Elementary School), Sharon Banks-
Rastytinis (Frederick Banting), Terry Tinker
(St. John Bosco Elementary School),
Margaret Dobson (Hampstead Elementary
School), Don Houston (Outreach High
Schools and MIND). New appointments as
Luigi Santamaria
Jean Alexandra (Holy Cross Elementary
School), Alice Buchanan (St. Dorothy
Elementary School), Françoise Barlier
(Dunrae Gardens), Jacques Monfette
(Mackay Centre/Philip E. Layton), Evelyn
Alfonsi (Frederick Banting/Sir Mortimer B.
Davis), Pina Rizzi (McLearon Elementary
School and Cité des Prairies), Solly
Gliksman (St. Raphael/Montreal Children’s
Hospital), Felix Gelbart (Outreach High
Schools/ Youth Horizons Focus and
Mountainview School Project Centre).
Chantal Martin (St. John Bosco Elementary
School), Christina Delaney (Hampstead
Elementary School). Cynthia Koomas will
become the new assistant director at the
Marymount Adult Centre in Côte Saint-Luc.
More appointments will be announced soon.
CRIME PREVENTION: On May 13
Roslyn student Esme Pine (Cycle 3 Year 2),
accompanied by her family and teacher
Stephane Vaval was awarded first place in
the Montreal Police Crime Prevention
Campaign “Voici ma Gang” which was
hosted at the Cartier General. Students were

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encouraged to create a poster and write a
slogan of a positive “gang” image. Esme was
awarded a new bicycle and will also attend a
junior police summer camp, where she will
be introduced to all divisions of police work.
Left to right: Dominic Spiridigliozzi, Kimberly
Ellen Duncan, Mel Pololos, Maria Rosania-Vani,
Gail Somerville, Ginette Sauvé-Frankel and
Antonio Lacroce at Long Service Reception.
LONG SERVICE RECEPTION:
Twenty-four people attended the annual Long
Service Reception, which took place on
Tuesday, May 16 at Le Challenger Reception
Hall in Ville St. Laurent. The EMSB honored
four employees for their 25 years of service
with the Board, which began in 1981. EMSB
Director General Antonio Lacroce and
Chairman Dominic Spiridigliozzi presented
special EMSB watches as a token of
appreciation to the following honoured
employees: Kimberly Ellen Duncan
(Financial Services), Mel Pololos
(Information Technology Services), Maria
Rosania-Vani (Laurier Macdonald
Vocational Centre) and Gail Somerville
(Westmount Park School).
HOP-A-THON: Children at General Vanier
Elementary School in St. Léonard
participated in the annual Hop-A-Thon for
Muscular Dystrophy, an educational
fundraiser for Muscular Dystrophy Canada
(MDC). This event also provided a great
photo opportunity, with children wearing
bunny ears hopping for a great cause! The
Hop for Muscular Dystrophy Program
addresses the concerns of young children,
teenagers and adults facing one of the 100
different types of neuromuscular disorders.
Too often, disabled children will be seen by
other children as objects of curiosity. They
become the butt of jokes, mean jokes quite
often and always motivated by ignorance and
fear. Hop for Muscular Dystrophy aims to do
everything it can to spare disabled children
from such behavior. To this end, it seeks to
educate children from an early age so that
they develop an open attitude and a degree of
acceptance towards difference. But we
cannot succeed in our mission without the
involvement of parents. While Hop for
Muscular Dystrophy makes it possible to
educate and raise children awareness on the
sad reality that some children have to live
with a disorder, it also makes it fun for
children to learn, and enables them to help
improve the quality of life of people with
neuromuscular disorders.
In Québec, more than 15,000 people live with
neuromuscular disorders, 5,000 of them
children. Neuromuscular disorders can affect
anyone regardless of age, sex, race or
financial situation. Some forms are
hereditary, some are not, and some are fatal.
To this day, MDC has invested more than
$55 millions in Canadian research to find a
cure. MDC works in partnership with people
affected by neuromuscular disorders to
contribute to their quality of life. They are
committed to empowering individuals,
mobilizing community resources, and
providing direct assistance.
RADIO LMAC: A radio station and
recording studio, planned and built by a
former student, was opened at Laurier
Macdonald High School in St. Léonard. To
mark the occasion, representatives of local
business, the EMSB and government joined
students for an inaugural broadcast on 560
AM. Patrick Latang of the New 940 Montreal

5
did a live simulcast for his station and Q92.
Robert Vairo, formerly of CTV Montreal,
attended in his capacity as president of the
Montreal TV and Radio School The new
station broadcasts via carrier current, thus
using the school's electrical system to
distribute its signal. Transmissions are of
good quality but are restricted to the school's
campus. Students and staff can tune-in using
any radio receiver. The station boasts a stateof-the-art
soundproofed studio worth
upwards of $20 000, which can also be used
for recording. All this was the brainchild of
Daniel C. Orsi, a former student, who had to
complete a year-long personal project to
graduate Secondary V during the 2002-2003
academic year.
Daniel Orsi, Robert Vairo and Alan Taylor join
students in studio.
While most of his classmates prepared
research papers or executed artwork to satisfy
the requirements of the school's International
Baccalaureate (IB) programme, Orsi
convinced principal Pasquale Buttino to let
him plan and build a student radio station. He
began visiting businessmen, politicians and
philanthropists, explaining to them his vision
and solliciting their donations. His proposal
was not only to provide students with a
medium to broadcast their favourite music,
but also to gift the school a top-notch studio
for the teaching of audio engineering and
broadcasting. Over the next two years, Orsi
alone raised more than $12 000 in both
public and private money. Fundraising efforts
slowed the pace of the project and when he
graduated in the spring of 2003, the station
was still in planning. Though Orsi had
fulfilled all his academic obligations for the
IB programme (his project was evaluated
based on its methodology), he insisted on
completing the station no matter the time
required.
Returning to Laurier Macdonald on Friday
evenings or whenever his school schedule
would permit, Orsi began work on the studio
in December of 2004. He planned the
purchase of studio equipment and saw to its
installation with James Verrillo, who
volunteered his expertise as an audio
engineer. Meanwhile, Michel Mathieu, a
broadcast consultant, setup the transmitters
that carry the station's signal all over campus.
"The station is worth considerably more than
what we have spent on it" Orsi observed
during the ceremony, "because many
professionals gave freely of their labour and
material". Major benefactors included
Caterina Castrechini, the Hon. Michel
Bissonnet, Speaker of the National
Assembly, Commissioners Frank DiCesare
and Frank Verrillo, the Laurier Macdonald
Alumni Association and the EMSB.
Laurier Macdonald is nationally recognized
as a leader in media education but did not
have a sound studio until today's launch.
Daniel Orsi has just completed his first year
in Lettres et sciences humaines (Liberal
Arts) at the Université de Montréal. He will
study in Bologna next year as an
exchange student.
COLON CANCER FUNDRAISER:
Dunrae Gardens Elementary School in TMR
will hold a fundraiser for cancer research
May 25. It is all part of an initiative brought
forward by Tony Martorana, a Dunrae
parent, who is in the the process of
organizing a fund raising event for the cause.
Last year, two very dear members of his

6
family - his father and brother-in-law-passed
away from cancer. These losses made him
realize that all of us in our society have the
responsibility to contribute to find an
adequate management of this dreadful
disease. He has also become convinced that
enhancing research would be the best
approach. After reviewing his own potential
and the resources that he has available, he
decided to put together a Gala within his
community. The dinner/dance evening is
scheduled for June 17, 2006 and it will take
place at the Renaissance, Centre des Congrès
et Banquets (7550, Henri Bourassa Est) in
Anjou from 5:30 p.m, to 2 a.m. All the
proceeds will be donated to the Canadian
Cancer Society and the McGill Cancer
Centre. Inspired by his two children, Brianna
Nicole and Michael Anthony, he has initiated
the process of establishing a foundation in
order to ensure that this event becomes a
yearly one. The mission of the foundation
will be to organize multiple events for the
benefit of cancer research, with a particular
intent to raise awareness among the youth
regarding their contribution to the cause.
Cognizant of the fact that EMSB schools
already raise a lot of money for charity,
including Brain Tumour Research and Denim
Day for Breast Cancer, he is inviting other
EMSB schools to follow the example of
Dunrae and create an event to raise funds for
cancer research. “In this respect my mission
is well on its way, which is to teach children
at an early stage of their lives that by
contributing to society we can make the
difference,” said Mr. Martorana..
NO UNIFORM: John Caboto Elementary
School in Ahunsic recently had a casual day
where the children and staff paid a dollar for
the privilege of not having to wear a uniform.
On the same day there was a raffle for the
signed football jersey that the Montreal
Alouetettes donated to the school during their
visit to promote their "School is Cool"
program. Approximately $500 was raised to
be sent to the Canadian Red Cross for
Earthquake relief in Pakistan.
Mary Diano, the organizer of the raffle. With
Princupal Leah Auclair and the lucky student
winner.
FOCUS GROUPS: As part of a Quebec
English School Boards Association (QESBA)
driven initiative, the EMSB organized two
focus groups on the state of public education
in Quebec and its future. One, facilitated by
commissioners Rocco Barbieri and Frank
Verrillo occurred at Rosemount High School
while Commissioners Ginette Sauvé-
Frankel and Elizabeth Fokoefs (EMSB
vice-chair) oversaw another at the EMSB
Central Head Office. At the former program,
one of the focus group members was St.
Léonard-St. Michel MP Massimo Pacetti,
who attended Rosemount High as a youth.
Prior to the session he took a walk through
the hallways and chatted with some students.
The goal of this exercise was to gather
individuals from different backgrounds. This
included parents with children who went
through French public education and private
schools, business persons, retirees,
professionals, those from the medical field,
law enforcement officials, media and CEGEP
students. The results will also be of great
value to the EMSB Marketing Committee.

7
them. He integrated for instance scenes
concerning terrorism and the war in Iraq into
some of the show’s episodes.
Here are some details on other sessions.
Rocco Barbieri, Frank Verrillo and their Focus
Group participants.
DESTINY QUEBEC 2006: On April 25,
four students from Marymount Academy in
N.D.G. – Jenna Labreche (Sec. II), Denise
Kuster and Sharna Dey, (Sec. III) and
Bobby Martiniello (Sec IV) - had the
privilege to attend the Destiny Quebec Youth
Conference on the theme Youth of the Nation
at Lower Canada College. There were several
prominent speakers who made presentations
and talked to the student delegates about
various topics that will impact on their future
and that of our descendants. They attended
smaller sessions to discuss the subjects that
interested them the most. During these
workshops they were informed how each
issue will influence society and their future,
what they need to and can do to change their
current problems, and about many more
things that came up. They were in groups
with students from different schools from all
over Quebec and had the chance to voice
their opinions and to find out how other teens
feel and think about the challenges and aims
of today’s society. The media seminar was
very interesting and informative. One of the
speakers was René Balcer, the executive
producer of Law and Order Criminal Intent.
They discussed the influence of modern
technology. TV shows, movies, music and e-
mail messages are being transmitted to us
every day, and they bind us to our high-tech
gadgets for hours. Balcer explained how, by
using his show as an outlet, he was able to
present the public with issues that affect
Jenna Labreche reports that in the health
seminar\ the two main speakers were Dr.
Thomas Hudson, a Leading Genetics
Researcher and Dr. Steven Nicolaidis, a
Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon. “The session
was started off by introducing Stem Cells and
debating their moral benefits and
drawbacks,” she said. “Later on, we
compared the American and Canadian health
care systems. As Canadians, we are
extremely lucky to have free medicare and
should recognize this opportunity for a better
lifestyle. Dr. Nicolaidis explained how the
main goal of plastic surgery is to improve
both form and function of an organ We than
talked about when reconstructive surgery
becomes cosmetic surgery, and where we
draw the line. My group touched upon some
very controversial issues. I was concerned
when being in the 21st century, there were
still many people who believed that rich
people should have medicare faster than
people with less money. Our world is far
more advanced in Health Care and it is sad to
know that many try to take advantage of this
situation and use it in such a way that it is
harmful to us.”
From left to right are Bobby Martiniello, Denise
Kuster, Jenna Labreche, Sharna Dey and their
teacher Felicia Bucci.

8
Sharna Dey notes that she had the pleasure
of attending the environment session with
Marc-André Gadoury from the Green Party
and Mark Osterman, vice-president of
Environmental Management Systems at SNC
Lavalin. Mr. Gadoury is using politics as a
medium for improving the regional and
global environmental situation. According to
Mr. Gadoury, “if we don’t act now and make
radical changes to the way companies and
governments deal with our environmental
concerns, the world as we know it today will
in the foreseeable future no longer exist. Mr.
Osterman, on the other hand, is more
optimistic, especially if we avoid making the
mistakes past and current generations have
and still are making. We discussed different
ways to ensure sustainable development and
he explained to us how some of SNC’s new
projects of aluminum smelters and other
industries actually help the environment
eventually. His motto is ‘Think globally, act
locally,’ which means that by making sure
that the locals can profit from a new industry,
the main focus can be put on a healthy local
and global environment. I learned about some
of the new approaches some companies and
politicians apply to minimize pollution and I
gained a better sense of understanding our
role to take better care of our precious
environment.”
Denise Kuster says the business and
technology seminar gave her a better
understanding about technology in the work
place, and the importance of it. “We
discussed both the pros and cons of
technology and its growing importance in our
daily lives,” she said. “We explored the
history of computers and the many ways that
they allow us to communicate with each
other, as well as how they can simplify our
lives. I enjoyed the seminar, and walked
away well informed, with a new outlook on
how much we rely on technology.”
Finally, Bobby Martiniello said, “We
thoroughly enjoyed this experience and we
would certainly take an opportunity to attend
similar events in the future. The speakers’
messages were very interesting and they were
highly engaging. We now look at our society
and our world as better informed teens with
wider opened eyes for these vital issues.”
CONTEMPORARY DANCE: Edinburgh
Elementary School in Montreal West recently
had the privilege to have two teams of
students from the Contemporary Dance
program at Concordia University participate
on a “stage” with its Grade 5 students. Parent
volunteer Hilary Scuffell, assistant to the
chair of the Contemporary Dance
Department, made arrangements for the
students to give two sessions to each of the
classes. The objective was to show
Edinburgh students the process of becoming
a dancer, with an emphasis on carrying out
several very rigorous routines involving
mimicking a series of physical actions.
JOINT OLYMPIC DAY: Edward Murphy
Elementary School in Hochelaga-
Maisonneuve collaborated with two
neighbourhood primary schools from the
French sector in a joint Olympic Day for
about 1,000 students. This event was
coordinated by the local community centre
and the Sports Études students from Edouard
Montpetit. This major event took place on
May 9 with a lot of sunshine, enthusiasm, 12
inflatable games and numerous Olympic
competitions. “The event was a great success
due to the cooperation of French and English
schools within our community working for
the children’s benefit,” stated Mr. Marra. The
presence of Miss Moffa was appreciated by
all.
BRAIN WAVES: Proceeds from the second
annual Brain Waves Gala May 3 at the
Leonardo Da Vinci Centre brought the total
amount raised this year for brain tumor
research, therapies and equipment to more

9
than $41,000 – close to $8,000 from this
Gala, $16,065 from the Franco Di Giovanni
Dinner Dance and $17,374.56 from
individual school and centre programming.
Organized by four EMSB high schools -
Laurier Macdonald in St. Léonard, Royal
Vale in N.D.G., Rosemount High School and
John F. Kennedy High School in St. Michel –
Brain Waves benefitted the Montreal
Neurological Institute (MNI) and Hospital in
their ongoing battle to find a cure for brain
tumors, as well as enhance the lives of
individuals who are stricken with the disease.
Frank Cavallaro and Mose Persico of CTV
Montreal made a special guest appearance.
The gala featured superb musical and
dancing acts performed by EMSB students
from the four high schools. There were two
special guests in attendance: Dr. Rolando F.
Del Maestro, clinical director of the MNI’s
Brain Tumor Research Centre, who accepted
the $40,000 cheque from the Brain Waves
Gala Committee, Franco Di Giovanni
Foundation, and the EMSB; and Roma
Medwid-Michailuk, the principal of Dante
Elementary School in St. Léonard. She is
presently on leave, recovering from a brain
aneurism. Her entire speech will be published
in the September edition of the EMSB
Express. This year, the Brain Waves Gala
team acknowledged the loss of Antonio
Colannino, a dedicated professional at the
EMSB who had been a mentor to both his
teachers and his students. Mr. Colannino died
from a brain tumour last September. He was
the principal of John F. Kennedy High
School. His widow was on hand for the event
and made a touching address, as did Ms.
Michailuk.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP: The Quebec
Entrepreneurship Contest (QEC) is an
initiative of the provincial government to
promote entrepreneurship among young
people. This year, EMSB elementary and
secondary schools submitted a total of 45
projects in the Student Entrepreneurship
category, an increase in participation over
previous years.
Winning projects from the board were
submitted to the Montreal regional level to
compete for cash prizes and the chance to
advance to the provincial level of
competition. The EMSB jury to select
winners was comprised of NDG Carrefourjeunesse-emploi
Entrepreneurial Promotion
and Awareness Officer Katherine Korakakis
and Executive Director Hans Heisinger as
wel as EMSB ICT Consultant Brian
Seltmann and Secondary Level English
Consultant Marsha Gouett (the QEC local
rep. The juries selected winners in four
contest categories. In the elementary category
for Cycle 2, the winning project, Ecosystem
Play, was submitted by Merton Elementary
School in Côte Saint-Luc. Students wrote
and produced a play based on world
ecosystems they had studied in class. In the
elementary Cycle 3 category, a project by
Leonardo Da Vinci Elementary School in
RDP called LDV Students are in Step with
Positive Character Traits, was chosen as the
winning project. The students created and
sold a thematic calendar where each month
focused on a positive character trait, such as
honesty, and contained activities for the
whole family developed by the students.
In the Secondary Individual and Small Group
category (one to three students), Marymount
Academy student Tharsika Sinnathamby’s
project Sari was chosen to represent the
board at the regional level. Tharsika
completed extensive research on saris which
culminated in an information document on
saris in various cultures and the creation of
her own hand-made sari. Tharsika’s project
was selected at the regional finals to compete
at the provincial level in the Cultural
Communities Prize category to be awarded at
the provincial gala in June.
The F.A.C.E. School project entitled Go
Wild! was awarded first place in the

10
Secondary Group category. Senior students
developed a Saturday-morning arts and crafts
program for children aged five to 10 from
socio-economically
challenged
neighbourhoods in the south-west sector of
Montreal. In the second-place project,
Learning for a Cause, Sec. III students from
Lester B. Pearson High School in Montreal
North wrote and published an anthology of
poetry and generated nearly $600 for the
Montreal Children’s Hospital.
Special recognition for participation was
awarded to Royal Vale School in N.D.G.
Secondary V students submitted the greatest
number of projects, a total of 11. Their
student-run businesses ranged from selling
hand-made jewellery and customized t-shirts
to a locker clean-up service.
On April 19, the Division Sud-Ouest de l’île
de Montréal of the Entrepreneurship Contest
held its Annual Gala to honour contest
winners in its territory. James Lyng High
School’s project Gaming the Underground
Railroad was awarded a special Coup de
Coeur prize, and in the east end, Vincent
Massey Collegiate’s Bee Healthy project was
similarly recognized.
The Montreal regional gala was held at City
Hall on May 9. EMSB Assistant Director of
Pedagogical Services Irene Konecny
participated in the distribution of prizes at the
event. No EMSB projects were selected as
winners at the regional level. However,
every EMSB project was a finalist in its
respective category of competition. This is
an outstanding achievement—given that over
1200 projects were selected for
competition—and a clear testament to the
quality of entrepreneurship projects in our
schools! Log on to www.concoursentrepreneur.org
for more details.
PERSPECTIVE ON AIDS: On May 11,
2006, students Perspectives I and II High
School in St. Michel were lucky to be the
first stop on a two- day Montreal tour of the
new HIV/AIDS Education Program entitled
“The Corner.” The show was presented by
the Canadian non-profit organization “The
411 Initiative For Change,” The hour-long
show was a dynamic musical and youth
training program. Along with emcee Will
Strickland, Canadian musicians Melanie
Durrant, Dwayne Morgan and Eternia,
integrated their music into this productionThe
Perspectives contingent was made instantly
more aware of the international fight against
HIV/AIDS through this wonderful show.
Following the performance, the musicians
were involved in an interactive discussion
session with the students – challenging them
to take an active role in their futures, while
encouraging them to get involed in the most
important fight. “It is highly recommended
for all teens today,” says Perspectives
Principal Barbara White. “Over 6,000 new
infections of HIV/AIDS is diagnosed daily
worldwide! Shocking but true! The show,
from start-to-finish, had a highly entertaining,
informative lesson for us all.”
GOLF: The third annual EMSB Scholarship
Fund Golf Tournament is scheduled to be
held on Thursday, June 29 at the Lachute
Golf Club (355 Bethany Road) in Lachute.
Proceeds from the tournament will go
towards the EMSB Scholarship Program,
which benefits a number of current students
and EMSB graduates, so that they can pursue
their post secondary studies in vocational
education, CEGEP studies or undergraduate
studies. The cost for participating is $175 per
person, which includes 18 holes of golf
(shotgun start, Vegas style), brunch, cocktails
and dinner, plenty of fabulous door prizes,
plus prizes for longest drive and closest to
pin. Anyone wishing to sponsor a hole or
donate a prize at the tournament is invited to
contact the EMSB Golf Organizing
Committee. Sponsors of holes will have their
organization recognized on the tee boxes.

11
FAMILY FUN: On May 17, parents,
grandparents, or another family member of
the Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten
children at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary
School in Rosemount were invited for Family
Fun Day. The purpose was three-fold: to see
the excitement on the youngest childrens’
faces as mom, dad, or grandma, worked and
played with them in their classrooms; to give
parents a sense of belonging to the school;
and to encourage parents to meet and talk to
parents of similar age children.
Activities such as planting, making flip
books, painting, storytelling, face painting,
hat making, pot decorating were all done
hand in hand. An assortment of goodies was
shared as well. Teachers Catherine
Sauvageau, Maria D’Amato, Mary Sachla,
Vicki Haralambides, Adele Brown and
Maria Cerone managed to put together a
delightful, well-thought out event.
INTERNATIONAL DAY: In order to
commemorate the International Day for
Families students at Sinclair Laird
Elementary School in Park Extension further
learned how to care for everyone’s wellbeing.
Sue Medleg from Dans La Rue
animated an impressive workshop, where
students learned to be more grateful for their
own environment. They also learned that
some children do not have the same standard
of living and that they depend on a caring
community. This lesson of humility led the
students at Sinclair Laird to be one of those
caring communities by fundraising to help
out the street kids. Spiritual Animator
Puynung Choy says, “all children deserve
and must have a chance in life simply
because it is a human fundamental right.”
Celebrating the Week of Peace.
WEEK OF PEACE: EMSB Chairman
Dominic Spiridigliozzi and Executive
Committee Chair Sylvia Lo Bianco
accompanied students from Gerald McShane
Elementary School in Montreal North to
Montreal City Hall. There they joined Mayor
Gérald Tremblay launch the Week of Peace.
I am forwarding to you 2 pictures. Yesterday
at City Hall, along with Mayor Tremblay, 3
students from Gerald McShane inaugurated
la semaine de la paix.
MATH CHAMPS: Sinclair Laird
participated in the Quebec Association of
Mathematics Teachers (QAMT) Math
Competition. The team earned honourable
mention, and came in second place in the
province, achieving a total of 765 points. The
top four students were Krishni Velupillai
with a score of 95 percent, Priya Patel with a
score of 90 percent, Ahnjana Sinnathurai
with a score of 85 percent and Ami Patel with
a score of 85 percent. All the students will be
receiving cash prizes and certificates.
Congratulations goes to all the members of the
team and Gurpreet Kaur, their mathematics
teacher who guided and inspired these bright
students to mathematical heights!!
In the same competition, all the Merton
participants passed and the school average
was 70 percent. The three prize winners
were: Alistair Drew-Penn, Second Prize- 95
percent; Tiffany Cheng and Timothy
Johns, fourth prize, 85 percent. Meanwhilem

12
for the second year in a row Merton has won
the one on one soccer competition, placing
first and second. This qualifies the school to
participate in the International competition
which will be held in Atlanta next year.
Congratulations to Sara Iatauro and the
winning team members!!
CARLYLE INTERGENERATIONS: On
May 18 Spiritual Animator Ms. Choy and
Grade 3/4 teacher Judy Ottier, along with a
number of students from her class, were
invited out for a great luncheon by the
seniors at the CLSC Day Centre. It was a day
time party between the youngsters and the
elders! The students and seniors danced and
did the limbo. Each student was paired with a
senior, and altogether, they ate a nice hot
lunch while the students found out all kinds
of things about the senior’s life. Students
were given a new plant seeded by the seniors
and the students gave them well-crafted
cards. Each year, the exchange between the
seniors and the students has been successful.
about themselves, but helped to build
stronger identities by exposing the students to
the concepts of cultural diversity.
KIDS ON THE BLOCK: On May 4 the
students of Grades 3 and 4 at Gerald
McShane Elementary School in Montreal
North were treated to a performance by "Kids
on the Block." The production makes use of
four different puppets: Mark, who is
wheelchair bound, Renaldo, who is blind,
Ellen Jane who has cerebral palsy and
Jennifer, who has a learning disability. After
listening to the characters talk about their
disabilities the children in the audience were
encouraged to ask questions. They asked
many excellent questions! The performance
succeeded in increasing sensitivity toward
children who are physically or intellectually
challenged and as a result have "special
need." One of the main points of the
presentation was to take the "dis" out of the
word disability by focusing on the many
things the characters could do. The children
in the audience were lead to see that children
who are in some way "different" can
certainly still be their friends. The
puppeteers, Secondary II students of Herzliah
High School, did a tremendous job of putting
forth their message of equality and
inclusion. “The performance was was
thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended,”
said Spiritual Community Animator Carol
Lavoie.
Dolls from around the world.
ALL AROUND THE WORLD: A $500
Multicultural Grant that was awarded to
HolyCross Elementary School in St. Laurent
this year was put to good use! The spiritual
animation theme this year was "All around
the world" and the goal was to have each
student create a personalized multicultural
doll that looked just like them!This activity
not only gave the students a positive feeling

13
Students display the art mural.
ART MURAL: On May 4 St. Gabriel
Elementary School in Point St. Charles
welcomed the community to the unveiling of
an Art Mural, measuring six feet high and 19
feet wide. With the guidance of professional
artist Léonel Jules and under the supervision
of teacher Joanne Fasone, 20 students and
four parents worked together for 15 weeks on
this fabulous project that was funded through
the Supporting Montreal Schools initiative.
Using six basic shapes, the mural was
brought to life through collaborative
teamwork and creativity. “This was an
excellent experience for parents and
students“ said principal Tina Ottoni. In
attendance on this special day were Paule
Langevin, resource person for the
Supporting Montreal Program; Daniel
Andrelli, commissioner for St. Gabriel
School; Adrian and Natalie Bercovici from
the Generations Foundation; Beverly Steele,
community representative and many parents
from the St. Gabriel family.
Meanwhile, that same day, the students at St.
Gabriel were also involved in a Second Step
presentation for parents and special guests.
Under the supervision of teacher Meaghan
Robertson, 10 students were chosen to
demonstrate skills from the Second Step
program in the form of skits and filmed
public service announcements. The unit they
were illustrating in their work was impulse
control and problem solving. Students had to
choose a social issue (such as peer pressure)
and write a script demonstrating how they
would handle it using the skills that this
program teaches. They also had to film and
edit their movies before the presentation. We
are very proud of their hard work and
creativity. Second Step was implemented at
St. Gabriel in January. It is a social skills
and violence prevention program that focuses
on empathy, impulse control, problem
solving, and anger management. Students
learn specific skills to deal with their
emotions and to recognize the emotions of
others, to effectively solve problem without
using aggression, and to reflect back on the
problem and their chosen actions later. “It is
our hope that these skills will provide
students with the self-control and personal
empowerment to overcome conflict in a
healthy, non-violent manner,” said
Ms.Ottoni.
CORONATION SUMMER SCHOOL:
Each year Coronation Elementary School in
Côte-des-Neiges extends its academic year
by one month for 50 children who need more
remediation mostly due to the fact they do
not speak English or French fluently. “The
research we have done in tracking the
progress of the children who have been part
of this is that they do not need any additional
support after two summers in the program,”
says Principal Diane Wood. It was for this
reason that Ms. Wood did not want to cancel
the program this year due to planned
renovations at their Van Horne building.
Arrangements have subsequently been made
with the Gelber Conference Centre at 5151
Côte-des-Neiges which will include use of
the Jewish Public Library and their courtyard
for recess. This program started at the former
St. Kevin’s School in the summer of 1999
and continued when the latter amalgamated
with Coronation in 1999-2000. Financing
comes via the Supporting Montreal Schools
fund. An orientation meeting will take place
at the Gelber Centre on June 14 (6 p.m.).
Participants in the EMSB High School Public
Speaking contest.

14
PUBLIC SPEAKING: The annual Public
Speaking Competition for Secondary I to V
students took place May 5 at Westmount
High School. As in the past, the Rotary Club
of Montreal invited the Secondary V winner
to participate in its event in mid-May.
Languages Consultant Marsha Gouett
served as the moderator and coordinator.
The judges were: Anne Forrest: Retired
English Department Head, Riverside Park
Academy Andrew Webster; Rotary Club of
Montreal; and Holly Hampson, an EMSB
Pedagogical Consultant.
A total of 32 students from the following
schools participated: John F. Kennedy HS in
St. Michel, LaurenHill Junior and Senior
Academy campuses in St. Laurent, Lester B.
Pearson HS in Montreal North, Marymount
Academy in N.D.G., Rosemount HS, Royal
Vale HS in N.D.G, Royal West Academy, in
Montreal West, Vincent Massey Collegiate in
Rosemount and host Westmount HS. The
winners were as follows: Sec. I, first
place, Isaac Abracen, Royal West; second
place, Mark Bellini. Marymount; third place,
Ryan Bronstein, Westmount and Anna
Menexis, LaurenHill Junior. Sec. II, first
place, Richard Friedberg, Royal West;
second place, Mathieu Cartier, Lester B.
Pearson; third place, Eden Bradshaw,
Westmount. Sec. III, first place, Gregory
Sheppard, Royal West; second place,
Sabrina Taraborelli, Lester B. Pearson;
third place, Stephanie Arulthas, Vincent
Massey. Sec. IV, first place, Ryan McShane
Prussin, Royal West; second place, Fan
Fan, Royal Vale; third place, Rini
Karmaker , JFK. Sec. V, first place,
Mickey Chan, LaurenHill Senior; second
place, Stefano Faustini, Vincent Massey;
third place, Jonathan Ruccolo, JFK. Mickey
Chan also won a $200 bursary at the
Montreal Rotary Club competition.
LYNG SPEAKER: Meanwhile, Jodian
Gillespie, a Grade 8 student of Doreen Stein-
Sacks’ at James Lyng High School, was
awarded a public speaking prize given by the
Canadian Women’s Club. She will attend the
Terry Fox Youth Centre’s
Encounters with Canada program. She
presented her speech entitled What Does
‘Celebrity Figures’ Have To Do With Low
Self-Esteem in Youth at the most recent
meeting of the CWC at the Montreal Citadel.
Meanwhile, for the first time this year James
Lyng had a Rocket Club. This was made
possible through the assistance of Isabel
Deslauriers from McGill University’s Let’s
Talk Science volunteer program, and the
supervision of Grade 7 teacher Mark
Sokalski. A group of boys from Secondary 1
designed and built working rockets. Then, on
May 10 they sent their projects skyward. The
boys enjoyed the project so much that they
may not have recognized what they were
learning about principles of design, science
and technology.
Left to right: Mark Sokalski (teacher) Travis
Nickerson, Dylan Martineau, Chris Lorian,
Graham Martin, Koneal McKenzie-Fletcher, Nick
Fontanelli, Joe Montesano.
SALON DE LIVRE: To have children
reading books is part of exploring and
learning! But to have authors sharing their
works with students is an amazing
experience! The Salon du Livre at Dunrae
Gardens Elementary School in TMR took
place May 18 in the evening. Parents and
staff were invited to a wine and cheese.

15
Invited authors were Roch Carrier, Gilles
Tibo, Melanie Watt, Sheldon Cohen and
Song Nan Zhang. They were not the only
authors there as each Dunrae students wrote
books, articles, and presented masterpieces in
literature, poetry and artworks. The students
works were on display throughout the school
for all to view and admire!
VENTURE FOR THE TROOPS: Last
Friday the staff and students of Venture
(Outreach) High School wore red ribbons in
support of Canada's troops in Afghanistan.
“Many of our students were not aware of any
of this so we took the time to explain what
this was all about,” said secretary “We
gathered most of our students and staff to
take a photo in front of our 'Operation Bear
Hug' which is displayed on our bulletin
board.” Another first at Venture is that a few
students have made a C.D. They get together
every week and practice until it is felt that
they have it mastered and last week they
went to a recording studio to put their talent
on a disc. Mahiah Kajos is the lead singer
and song writer, Brittany Feinberg is the
co-writer and Terrance Fournillier and
Thomas Croxen are co-arrangers.
FASHION SHOW: EMSB in-school
administrators and senior staff are headed
back to the catwalk for the second benefit
fashion show in two years. Fashion for
Compassion: EMSB In Vogue Act II will
take place on Tues. May 30 (7 p.m.) at the
Hellenic Community Centre (5777
Wilderton) in Outremont. Eramelinda
Boquer and Al Gravelle will be the emcees.
Tickets are $20 each. Cheques can be
forwarded to Tina Lavranos, Gardenview
Elementary School; Connie Primiano,
Honoré-Mercier Elementary School; Paul
Saunders, central head office/ Info: (514)
483-7200, ext. 7379. All proceeds will go to
the autism clinic of the Montreal Children's
Hospital.
CHINESE ACROBATS: An Americanbased
company that has been bringing
Chinese Acrobatic troupes to North America
for six years now is available to visit EMSB
schools next year for a fee. The Chinese
Acrobats combine unbelievable contortion
and balancing acts with beautiful costumes,
music, and little vignettes about Chinese
culture, schools, etc. The
cost for one assembly program on the
Chinese Acrobats is $725. Log on to
www.assemblyline.com.
EMSB AT LA RONDE: Students from five
EMSB schools were selected to participate at
La Ronde’s media day, launching the
opening of the amusement park’s season.
Twenty eight students, accompanied by
Kathleen Préfontaine of the EMSB’s
Communications and Marketing Division and
web programmer Adolfo Vasquez, were
chosen to be part of a Global TV This
Morning Live promotion to be among the
first to ride La Ronde’s (and Canada’s)
largest roller coaster The Goliath. The
students selected were, Annie Lee, Alysia
Riolo, Kevin Cardoso, Nadia Jamali,
Jessica Lee, Bianca Groulx-Silvano,
Sabrina Groulx-Silvano, Sabrina Sainvil
and Samantha Teoli from John F.
Kennedy High School in St. Michel; Josim
Khalvati, Marco Marsella and Matthew
Roberge from Perspectives I High School in
St. Michel; Sabrina Fisher, Katlin
Barthwait and Lee Charlton-Sunol from
Options I High School in Ville Émard;
Amanda Romeo, Matthew Kerr and Ivana
Khadoury from Royal Vale High School in
N.DG.; and Stephan Parsons, Bornali
Chowdhury, Sandra Vespa, Elizabeth
Chowdjury, Bianca Santostefano, Elias
Nawabi, Gregory Pereira, Melissa
Whitehall, Valerie Guimond and Nahib
Rahman from Rosemount High School.

16
from Cycle 3, Jason Eames, Connor Bossy,
Alexandra Dahlberg, Matthew Lipson,
Stephen Dahdah, Laura Segal, Stephanie
Hazlewood, Kayla Smith, Valerie
Freeman-pause, Dillon D’Ornellas, Joshua
Lee and in Cycle 2, Sarah Holland, Megan
Wade-Darragh, and Elisa MacLeod-
Cerrolaza. These stories will go forward into
the final fall competition to be judged for
first, second and third prizes or for the best
work from the region.
EMSB students experience Goliath.
MATH AMUSEMENT: La Ronde is
bringing in something new: a theme day for
Secondary I to V teachers and their students
on June 6, 2006. On this day, students will
be asked to fill out a questionnaire on various
aspects of math and science. Based on the
curriculum of the Ministry of Education,
Leisure and Sports, this program has been
specially developed for the occasion by La
Ronde's team of engineers. For more details
call Claude Chabot at (514) 397-7777.
SHORT STORIES: A variety of stories
written by students from Elizabeth
Ballantyne Elementary School in Montreal
West were submitted to the Canadian
Schools Creative Writing Contest, organized
by the Poetry Institute of Canada. Fourteen
short stories were chosen to be included in
the top group of entries received in the
contest. These stories will be published in a
national anthology entitled The Monkey’s
Tale in the fall of 2006 by the National
Library of Canada and The Poetry Institute of
Canada. The school’s Young Writers are,
EAST HILL ART: A creative explosion will
fill East Hill as the 2005-2006 academic year
comes to an end. To begin, the kindergarten
students will learn first hand some of the
fascinating tricks of the hat-making craft, as
milliner Mireille Racine will help them
create a masterpiece of their own. Feathers,
ribbons, flowers as well as butterflies and
bees will adorn these hats which the children
will parade for the Cycle 1 students. Then,
level 1 students will explore the magic of
theatre with Jean Faubert. They will
practice the art of characterization and learn
how to act out feelings and emotions. The
level 1 students will happily transform the
story: “Au lit, Princesse Émilie” into a short
comedy. Lastly, level 2 students will work
with Manon Dionne, a performing artist, and
explore the many facets of putting on a play,
from building a set to memorizing a text,
from interacting actively to enjoying the
process. These many activities will close the
year on a high note!
KUDOS TO VOLUNTEERS: During the
month of April, volunteers across Canada are
given special recognition for their service.
On April 19 the EMSB held a special
celebration to thank volunteers. East Hill
joined this celebration and extended
deserving gratitude to acknowledge and
recognize the priceless gift of time, the warm
caring and tireless efforts of our parent
volunteers. Volunteers are a vital part of our
school community and a most valuable asset
as they help to make East Hill’s learning

17
environment more enjoyable and fun. On
May 2 an evening goûter-reception was
organized in honour of the volunteers, each
of whom received a carnation and a
personalized certificate. Students prepared
thank-you posters. The whole school
rejoiced in this festive occasion.
EAST HILL ONLINE: A new and
improved East Hill Elementary School
website (www.emsb.qc.ca/easthill) is now
online. All school newsletters and pertinent
information is available with just a few clicks
of the mouse. Teacher Tina Spiridigliozzi
played an important role in setting this up.
Meanwhile, East Hill students have been
working on environmental issues. A visit to
the Saint-Michel Environmental Complex
has been arranged. Grade 6 students recently
complemented their study of a unit on World
War II by visiting the Montreal Holocaust
Memorial Museum. This educational outing
enabled the students to tie their learning of
history and find out how during those terrible
trying times Giorgio Perlasca, an Italian
citizen impersonated a Spanish consulate to
save 5,000 Jews. This intercultural event
allowed for two communities to come
together to commemorate their heroes.
COMEDY FUNDRAISING: Looking for
creative new fundraising opportunities?
Comedians Kevin Gasior and Derick
Lengwenus, two of Montreal’s top 10
comedians as voted in The Montreal Mirror’s
Best of Montreal 2005 poll, have come up
with a unique fundraising opportunity for
you.
The local comedy duo offer a number of
comedy show packages to help you achieve
your objectives. What makes their offering
unique is the ability to offer shows from all
ages squeaky clean to their popular comedy
for parents evening of laughs. In addition,
Derick is also able to bring his one man
show, My German Father to your venue.
This is a comedic look at Derick’s life from
his Northern Ontario roots to Montreal.
Derick has performed at numerous Just For
Laughs festivals, most recently at one of the
St. Denis gala shows. He has taped his own
Comedy Now special scheduled to air this
Fall and performs all over North America.
Kevin is quickly carving out a niche for
himself on the teen comedy scene. This is
the fourth year in a row that Kevin will be
offering his Comedy For Teens program at
Explorations McGill Camp, based at Royal
Vale School in N.D.G. His ability to work
clean makes him a popular emcee for
corporate functions and school events. He is
the annual host of Concordia University
Bridge Building competition and he performs
stand up all over North America. Past
events have raised between $1,000 and
$3,000 for their school or charity. For more
information or to book Derick and Kevin
please contact them via their Web Sites at
www.dericklengwenus.com,
www.kevingasior.com or .
kevin@kevingasior.com
POSTERS WANTED: Organizers from the
Weekend to End Breast Cancer are looking
for students from EMSB schools to come up
with motivational signs for the event. “It is
important to us that kids get implicated, as
well,” says Cristina Flores, a volunteer
coach for the event. “The use of the signs has
worked really well in getting the walkers
excited and is often just the touch they need.
Some potential slogans, to go along with art,
are: YOU ARE AWESOME, YOU CAN DO
IT, WALKERS RULE, REMEMBER TO
HYDRATE, KEEP UP THE GREAT
WORK
WATCH YOUR STEP, STAY ON THE
PATH, SINGLE FILE PLEASE. Organizers
are seeking at least 20 signs in both English
and French. Info: (514) 393-9255 or
cristina@endcancer.ca

18
DENIM DAY: EMSB schools and centres
raised thousands of dollars for breast cancer
research during National Denim Day May 16.
The total at central head office was $856.46.
ADULT EDUCATION AND
VOCATIONAL SERVICES
RTC BENEFACTOR: Cowper Inc. has
donated a proportional pneumatic control unit
($4,000 value) to the Rosemount Technology
Centre. This control device was used in the
automated systems in the electromechanics
program to teach the set up of
electroneumatic circuits. RTC greatly
appreciates this industry support. It is also
worth noting that on April 26, RTC hosted
its seventh annual Business Advisory
meeting. Forty-one industry representatives
attended the luncheon and gave the teaching
staff feedback on emerging trends in their
industry, their employment needs and how
one can enrich program delivery. “It was an
extremely successful day, and it was very
satisfying to hear that future employment
needs show promise of steep growth,” said
RTC Director Marzia Michielli. “The
graduates are in great demand!
SKILLS WINNERS: Congratulations to Liu
Hai Feng of RTC for having won a gold
medal in the cabinetmaking Skills Olympics
in Quebec City. Miriam Friedman finished
fifth in the province in the computer graphics
competition. Also, for the first time, a
woman, Lu Jing Wen, competed in the
machining competition and placed 10th in the
province. “These competitions point to the
skill of all our students and the excellent
work of RTC teachers,” says Centre Director
Marzia Michielli.
HONOUR ROLE: St. Laurent Adult Centre
had four students on the Honour roll in
different disciplines at Vanier College.
LMAC Career Centre students in New York.
A HAIR-RAISING EXPERIENCE: It has
become a tradition for the hairdressing and
aesthetics students of Laurier Macdonald
Career Centre in St. Léonard to attend the
yearly International Beauty Show in New
York City, considered to be one of the largest
trade shows of its type in North America.
Co-located with IBSnewyork was the
American Spa Expo, a show dedicated to the
ever-growing spa and skin care industry. This
year, forty students traveled to New York by
chartered bus, along with their teachers
Luciano Petrella, Peter Tiscione, Nasrin
Barona, Toni Iannizzi, and the Centre’s
Assistant Director Cynthia Koomas. The
students thoroughly enjoyed this careerenriching
experience – they were able to
partake in mini-workshops and
demonstrations showing the latest trends in
haircutting, colour, styling, texturizing, make
up and nails. They were also exposed to
cutting edge technology and tools – needless
to say, suitcases were a little fuller on the trip
home.
CBC AT PIUS: The St. Pius X Culinary
Institute in Ahuntsic got a visit by Jacklin
Lu of CBC News at Six . She was doing a
story on the sudden increase of cooking
students in this city as well as why Montreal
is such a food town. The report will air on
May 25 and feature student interviews and

19
Otto Daniels. chef instructor, and his crew
serving a lunch.
IMPORTANT DATES
May 25-27, 2006
Canadian School Boards
Association Congress 2006, hosted by
QESBA
Delta Centre-Ville
May 28 to June 3, 2006
Quebec Daycare Week
MAY 30, 2006
In-School Administrators Fashion Show
Fashion for Compassion
EMSB in Vogue Act II
7 p.m.
Hellenic Community Center
5777 Wilderton
Tickets: $20 each
Emcees: Eramelinda Boquer and Al
Gravelle of CJAD
Cheques can be forwarded to Tina Lavranos,
Gardenview Elementary School; Connie
Primiano, Honoré-Mercier Elementary
School; Paul Saunders, central head office
Info: (514) 483-7200, ext. 7379
All proceeds will go to the autism clinic of
the Montreal Children's Hospital
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Outstanding Student Awards
Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel
JUNE 13, 2006
Hampstead School Presents
harley and the Chocolate Factory, a musical.
Director: Sue Brotherwood.
JUNE 14, 2006
EMSB Night
Montreal Impact Soccer Games
Claude Robillard Stadium
7 p.m.
PLEINS FEUX SUR FIELDING
CENTRE PALATUCCI : Le bâtiment de
l’ancienne école secondaire Wagar porte
maintenant officiellement le nom de Centre
Giovanni Palatucci. Le nouveau nom a été
attribué le 16 mai, au cours d’une cérémonie
chargée d’émotion et en présence de 300
personnes. Giovanni Palatucci a sauvé les
vies de 5,000 juifs destinés à mourir dans des
camps de concentration au cours de la
Deuxième guerre mondiale. De 1938 à 1944,
Giovanni Palatucci a d’abord dirigé le
Bureau des étrangers et, ensuite, celui de chef
de police de Fiume, une ville située au nord
de l’Italie. Suite à la promulgation de lois
racistes en Italie, il a falsifié des documents
et des visas pour des milliers de juifs et il les
a dirigé vers des camps d’internement où leur
protection était assurée par son oncle,
l’évêque de Campagna et d’autres membres
de sa famille. Après la capitulation de l’Italie
en 1943, Fiume a été occupée par les nazis.
Palatucci est demeuré à la tête de la police
sans pourtant détenir de vrais pouvoirs. Il a
continué à aider les juifs et a maintenu le
contact avec la résistance jusqu’à ce que ses
activités soient découvertes par la Gestapo.
Palatucci a refusé un sauf-conduit pour la
Suisse offert par le consul de Suisse qui était
un ami très proche et il a fait partir sa fiancée
juive à sa place. Le 13 septembre 1944,
Palatucci a été arrêté et condamné à mort. Sa
sentence a été ensuite commuée et il a été
déporté au camp de concentration de Dachau
où il est mort en février 1945 à l’âge de 35
ans.
Le conférencier principal a été Lewis
Mackenzie, major général à la retraite, qui
a commandé des troupes terrestres
canadiennes dans quelques uns des points les
plus dangereux du globe : la bande de Gaza,
Chypre, le Vietnam, le Caire, l’Amérique
centrale et Sarajevo. C’est à Sarajevo que ses
habiletés supérieures de leadership et son
courage se sont manifestés. Au début de la
guerre civile en Bosnie, il a créé et pris le

20
commandement du secteur de Sarajevo et, en
pleine guerre civile, avec un contingent de
troupes de 31 nations attaqué de toutes parts,
il a réussi à ouvrir l’aérodrome de Sarajevo
pour y faire parvenir de l’aide humanitaire.
Le major général MacKenzie a pris sa retraite
des Forces armées canadiennes en 1993. Le
père John Palatucci de New York, un cousin
de Giovanni, est aussi venu à Montréal pour
cette occasion.
Des élèves de l’école secondaire Laurier
Macdonald de Saint-Léonard et de l’école
secondaire Bialik de Côte-Saint-Luc se sont
réunis le 11 avril dans le cadre d’un projet
unique de sensibilisation relié au projet
d’attribution du nouveau nom. Laurier
Macdonald a présenté son film Ripples In
Time et, après la projection, les élèves se sont
retrouvés à la bibliothèque où des animateurs
les ont orientés à travers un échange de
réflexions et de commentaires. Plus tôt, les
élèves de Laurier Macdonald ont visité le
musée commémoratif de l’Holocauste à
Montréal.
Les élèves des deux écoles ont pris part à la
cérémonie d’attribution du nouveau nom et la
Chorale de Bialik a exécuté plusieurs
chansons en Yiddish. Le Dr Syd Wise,
commissaire de la CSEM, souligne que
l’élément le plus important de ce projet est le
dialogue qui a eu lieu entre des élèves de
deux milieux culturels différents. La CSEM
compte poursuivre ce type de programme qui
regroupe des élèves de milieux différents et
leur enseigne l’importance de la tolérance
dans notre société. M. Dominic
Spiridigliozzi, président de la CSEM, M.
Nino Colavecchio, président du Congrès
national des italo-canadiens et M. Lawrence
Bergman, ministre du Revenu du Québec,
ont aussi pris la parole.
Parmi les commanditaires corporatifs du
programme, l’on retrouve Jack Dym,
président sortant du Centre commémoratif de
l’holocauste à Montréal et Beryl Wajsman,
de l’Institut des affaires publiques de
Montréal.
RETOUR D’UN ASTRONOME : David
Levy, amateur astronome et découvreur de
plusieurs comètes, dont la plus renommée est
Shoemaker Levy qui s’est écrasée sur Jupiter,
a visité, le 15 mai, son ancienne école
primaire Roslyn de Westmount. Il était
accompagné par Peter Jedicke, président
national de la Société royale d’astronomie du
Canada. Ils ont fait don à la bibliothèque de
l’école d’un livre dont ils sont les auteurs et
ils ont ensuite donné une conférence d’une
heure avant la période du repas de midi aux
élèves de la maternelle, de la 1ère et de la 2 e
année. Ils ont fait la tournée de l’école et,
ensuite, ils se sont adressés aux élèves de la
3 e à la 6 e année. Après la conférence, les
élèves de 3 e année les ont rencontré dans un
cadre moins formel pour échanger des
questions et des réponses. L’école a présenté
à M. Levy son certificat de 6 e année qu’il
n’avait jamais reçu à l’époque à cause d’une
blessure. M. Jedicke a été nommé ancien
élève honoraire de Roslyn.
RADIO LMAC : Une station de radio et
d’enregistrement, élaborée et montée par un
ancien élève, a été inaugurée à l’école
secondaire Laurier Macdonald de Saint-
Léonard. Pour souligner cette occasion, des
représentants des commerces locaux, de la
Commission et du gouvernement se sont
joints aux élèves pour la diffusion inaugurale
de 560 AM. Patrick Latang de The New 940
Montreal, a animé une émission en direct
pour sa station et Q92. Robert Vairo,
anciennement de CTV Montreal, a assisté à
la cérémonie à titre de président de Montreal
TV and Radio School. La nouvelle station
diffuse ses émissions par courant porteur en
utilisant le système électrique de l’école. Les
transmissions sont de bonne qualité mais
elles sont restreintes au campus de l’école.
Les élèves et le personnel peuvent l’écouter à
l’aide de n’importe quel récepteur. La station
est dotée d’un studio insonorisé de pointe,

21
d’une valeur de près de 20 000 $, qui peut
être aussi utilisé pour des enregistrements. Ce
projet a été réalisé par Daniel C. Orsi, ancien
élève de l’école, qui avait à compléter un
projet d’un an pour terminer le Secondaire V
durant l’année scolaire 2002-2003.
Bien que la plupart de ses camarades de
classe aient présenté des recherches ou
exécuté des travaux d’art pour satisfaire aux
exigences du programme de Baccalauréat
International de l’école (BI), Orsi a
convaincu le directeur, Pasquale Buttino, de
le laisser planifier et mettre sur pied une
station de radio pour les élèves. Il a
commencé par des rencontres avec des
hommes d’affaires, des politiciens et des
philanthropes pour leur expliquer sa vision et
solliciter des dons. Sa proposition était de
non seulement offrir aux élèves un médium
de diffusion de leur musique favorite, mais
aussi de faire don à l’école d’un studio de
pointe pour l’enseignement de la
radiodiffusion et de la prise de son. Au cours
des deux années suivantes, Orsi a, à lui seul,
recueilli plus de 12 000 $ en fonds privés et
publics. Le travail de levée de fonds a ralenti
la réalisation du projet et lorsqu’il a terminé
ses études en 2003, la station était encore au
stage de planification. Bien qu’Orsi ait
satisfait à toutes ses obligations académiques
pour le programme IB (son projet a été
évalué sur la base de sa méthodologie), il a
insisté à compléter la station, quel que soit le
temps requis.
En retournant à Laurier Macdonald les
vendredis soirs ou lorsque son emploi du
temps scolaire le lui permettait, Orsi a
commencé les travaux du studio en décembre
2004. Il a planifié l’achat d’équipement de
studio et l’a installé avec l’aide de James
Verillo qui a offert son expertise d’ingénieur
de prise de son. En attendant, Michel
Mathieu, conseiller en radiodiffusion, a
monté les émetteurs qui transmettent le signal
de la station à travers tout le campus. « La
station vaut considérablement plus que ce
que nous avons dépensé » a déclaré Orsi lors
de la cérémonie d’inauguration, « parce
qu’un grand nombre de professionnels ont
offert gratuitement leur travail et matériel ».
Les contributeurs majeurs sont Mme
Caterina Castrechini, l’Honorable Michel
Bissonnet, président de l’Assemblée
Nationale, les commissaires Frank Di
Cesare et Frank Verillo, l’Association des
anciens élèves de Laurier Macdonald et la
CSEM.
Laurier Macdonald est reconnue à l’échelle
nationale comme leader en éducation dans le
domaine des médias mais ne possédait pas de
studio de son jusqu’à ce lancement. Daniel
Orsi vient de compléter sa première année en
Lettres et sciences humaines à l’Université de
Montréal. Il poursuivra ses études l’an
prochain à Bologne dans le cadre d’un
programme d’échange d’étudiants.
GROUPES DE DISCUSSION : Dans le
cadre d’une initiative lancée par
l’Association des commissions scolaires
anglophones du Québec (ACSAQ), la CSEM
a formé deux groupes de discussion sur l’état
de l’éducation publique au Québec et son
avenir. L’un des groupes, animé par les
commissaires Rocco Barbieri et Frank
Verillo, s’est réuni à l’école secondaire
Rosemont tandis que les commissaires
Ginette Sauvé-Frankel et Elizabeth
Fokoefs (vice-présidente de la CSEM) ont
animé l’autre groupe au centre administratif
de la CSEM. L’un des membres du premier
groupe est le député Masssimo Pacetti de la
circonscription Saint-Léonard – Saint-Michel
qui a fréquenté l’école secondaire Rosemont.
Avant la session, il s’est promené dans les
corridors de l'école et a bavardé avec les
élèves.
Le but de cet exercice est de réunir des
personnes de divers milieux, y compris des
parents dont les enfants ont fréquenté le
réseau public d’éducation francophone et des
écoles privées, des hommes d’affaires, des

22
retraités, des professionnels, des personnes
du milieu médical, de la police, des médias et
des élèves de CEGEP. Le résultat de ces
discussions sera d’une grande valeur pour le
comité de marketing de la CSEM.
DANSE CONTEMPORAINE : L’école
primaire Edinburgh de Montréal-Ouest a eu
récemment le privilège de recevoir deux
équipes d’élèves du programme de danse
contemporaine de l’Université Concordia qui
ont participé à une représentation sur scène
avec des élèves de 5 e année. La parente
bénévole, Hilary Scuffell, vice-présidente du
Département de danse contemporaine, a pris
les dispositions nécessaires pour que les
élèves offrent deux sessions à chacune des
classes. L’objectif a été de démontrer aux
élèves d’Edinburgh le processus d’apprendre
à être danseur avec l’accent sur l’exécution
d’exercices très rigoureux qui reproduisent
une série d’activités physiques.
BRAIN WAVES : Le deuxième gala annuel
Brain Waves qui a eu lieu le 3 mai au Centre
Leonardo Da Vinci a permis de recueillir plus
de 41 000 $ pour la recherche sur les tumeurs
du cerveau, les thérapies et l’équipement – 8
000 $ du Gala, 16 065 $ du dîner dansant
Franco Di Giovanni et 17 374.56 $ de
diverses écoles et programmes.
Organisé par quatre écoles secondaires de la
CSEM – Laurier Macdonald de Saint-
Léonard, Royal Vale de N.D.G., Rosemont et
John F. Kennedy de Saint-Michel- la
campagne Brain Waves s’est déroulée au
profit de l’Institut neurologique de Montréal
(INM) et son hôpital pour les aider à
poursuivre leur lutte pour trouver une cure
aux tumeurs du cerveau ainsi qu’à rehausser
le niveau de vie des personnes atteintes de
cette maladie. Frank Cavallaro et Mose
Persico de CTV Montréal ont participé au
Gala qui a présenté de superbes numéros de
danse et de musique exécutés par les élèves
des quatre écoles secondaires de la CSEM.
Deux invités spéciaux ont assisté au Gala : le
Dr Rolando F. Del Maestro, directeur
clinique du Centre de recherche sur les
tumeurs du cerveau de l’INM, qui a accepté
un chèque de 40,000$ remis par le comité du
Gala Brain Waves, la Fondation Franco Di
Giovanni et la CSEM, et Roma Medwid-
Michailuk, directrice de l’école primaire
Dante de Saint-Léonard. Elle est
actuellement en congé de maladie et récupère
d’un anévrisme au cerveau. Son discours sera
publié intégralement au numéro de septembre
du EMSB Express. Cette année, l’équipe du
Gala Brain Waves a reconnu la perte
d’Antonio Colannino, professionnel dévoué
de la CSEM, qui a été un mentor pour les
enseignant(e)s et les élèves. M. Colannino
qui est décédé d’une tumeur au cerveau en
septembre dernier était le directeur de l’école
secondaire John F. Kennedy. Sa veuve était
présente à cet événement et elle, ainsi que
Mme Micchailuk, ont prononcé un discours
émouvant.
DIVERTISSEMENT FAMILIAL : Le 17
mai, les parents, les grands-parents ou un
autre membre de la famille des élèves de la
prématernelle et de la maternelle de l’école
Pierre Elliott Trudeau ont été invités à
participer à une Journée de divertissement
familial. Le but de cette journée était de trois
volets : constater l’enthousiasme sur le visage
de nos jeunes enfants alors que maman, papa
ou grand-mère travaillaient et jouaient avec
eux en classe; donner aux parents un sens
d’appartenance à l’école et encourager les
parents à rencontrer et à parler à des parents
d’enfants d’âge similaire. Des activités telles
que planter, faire des folios scopes, peindre,
raconter des histoires, décorer les visages,
confectionner des chapeaux, décorer des pots
ont été toutes faites en commun. Un
assortiment de friandises a aussi été offert et
partagé. Les enseignantes Catherine
Sauvageau, Maria D’Amato, Mary Sachla,
Vicki Haralambides, Adele Brown et
Maria Cerone ont réussi à organiser un
événement très agréable et bien organisé.

23
COURS D’ÉTÉ DE CORONATION :
Chaque année, l’école primaire Coronation
de Côte-des-Neiges prolonge son année
scolaire d’un mois à l’intention de 50 élèves
qui ont besoin de plus de rattrapage étant
donné qu’ils ne parlent pas couramment le
français ou l’anglais. « Nos recherches sur le
suivi de la progression des élèves qui ont
suivi ce programme indiquent qu’ils n’ont
pas besoin de soutien additionnel après deux
étés » déclare la directrice Diane Wood.
C’est pour cette raison que Mme Wood n’a
pas voulu annulé ce programme cette année à
cause des rénovations prévues à leur bâtiment
de Van Horne. Des dispositions ont été
subséquemment prises avec le Gelber
Conference Centre au 5151 Côte-des-Neiges
qui incluront l’utilisation de la Bibliothèque
publique juive et sa cour pour les récréations.
Ce programme a été lancé à l’ancienne école
St. Kevin à l’été de 1999 et maintenu quand
cette école a été amalgamée à Coronation en
1999-2000. Le financement provient du
Fonds de soutien à l’école montréalaise. Une
réunion d’orientation aura lieu au Centre
Gelber, le 14 juin à 18 h.
ACROBATES CHINOIS :
Une compagnie américaine qui a présenté des
troupes d’acrobates chinois en Amérique du
Nord pendant six ans est maintenant disposée
à se produire dans les écoles de la CSEM l’an
prochain. Les acrobates chinois combinent
d’incroyables numéros de contorsion et
d’équilibrisme avec d’éblouissants costumes,
de la musique et de petites vignettes sur la
culture chinoise, ses écoles, etc. Le coût d’un
programme est de 725 $. Pour informations
supplémentaires, veuillez consulter
www.assemblyline.com.
EAST HILL EN LIGNE : Un nouveau et
amélioré site Web de l’école primaire East
Hill est maintenant en ligne
(www.emsb.qc.ca/easthill) Tous les bulletins
de nouvelles de l’école et les informations
pertinentes sont disponibles grâce à quelques
clicks. L’enseignante Tina Spiridigliozzi a
tenu un rôle important dans la création de ce
nouveau site. Entre-temps, les élèves de East
Hill ont travaillé à des questions
environnementales. Une visite au Complexe
environnemental de Saint-Michel a été
organisée. Les élèves de 6 e année ont
complété l’étude d’un module sur la
Deuxième guerre mondiale en visitant le
Musée de l’Holocauste à Montréal. Cette
sortie éducative a permis aux élèves de faire
le lien entre leur apprentissage de l’histoire et
les événements de cette terrible période de
l’histoire alors que Giorgio Perlasca, citoyen
italien, s’est fait passer pour un consul
espagnol afin de sauver la vie de 5 000 juifs.
Cet événement interculturel a permis aux
deux comités de se réunir pour commémorer
leurs héros.
FORMATION GÉNÉRALE DES
ADULTES ET FORMATION
PROFESSIONNELLE
CENTRE DE TECHNOLOGIE DE
ROSEMONT : Cowper Inc. a fait don d’une
unité pneumatique proportionnelle (une
valeur de 4 000 $) au Centre de technologie
de Rosemont. Cet appareil de contrôle a été
utilisé pour les systèmes automatisés du
programme d’électromécanique pour
enseigner le montage de circuits
électromécaniques. CTR apprécie fortement
l’appui de cette entreprise. Il faut aussi
souligner que le 26 avril, CTR a tenu sa
septième réunion annuelle de consultation en
affaires. Quarante et un représentants du
milieu industriel ont assisté au déjeuner et ont
donné au personnel enseignant des
informations sur les tendances émergeantes
de leur industrie, leurs besoins en main
d’œuvre et comment enrichir la dispense de
programme. « Ce fût une journée
extrêmement réussie et il a été très
satisfaisant d’entendre que les besoins futurs
de main d’œuvre indiquent une promesse de
croissance rapide » a déclaré Marzia

24
Michielli, directrice de CTR. « Les
diplômé(e)s sont en forte demande ! »
LAURÉATS : Félicitations à Liu Hai Feng
du CTR pour avoir remporté une médaille
d’or en ébénisterie aux Olympiades des
habiletés à Québec. Miriam Friedman s’est
placée au cinquième rang au concours de
graphiques informatisés. Aussi, pour la
première fois, une femme, Lu Jing Wen a
participé au concours d’usinage et s’est
placée au 10 e rang au Québec. « Ces
concours soulignent les habiletés de tous nos
élèves et l’excellent travail du personnel
enseignant du CTR » déclare la directrice du
Centre Marzia Michielli.
Prix d’excellence de la Chambre de
commerce du Montréal métropolitain
Hôtel Fairmount Reine Elisabeth
14 JUIN 2006
Soirée de la CSEM
Partie de soccer de l’Impact
Stade Claude Robillard
Submissions for the Fielding Focus should be
made to Michael J. Cohen by e-mail
(mcohen@emsb.qc.ca), fax (483-7213) or drop
it by room 109.
DATES À RETENIR
25-27 MAI 2006
Congrès 2006 de l’Association canadienne
des commissions/conseils scolaires (ACCCS)
Sous l’égide de l’ACSAQ
Delta Centre-ville
28 MAI - 3 JUIN 2006
Défilé de mode des cadres scolaires
La CSEM à la mode-Acte II
19 h
Centre communautaire hellénique
5777 Wilderton
Billet : 20 $
Maîtres de cérémonie : Eramelinda
Boquer et Al Gravelle de CJAD
Les chèques peuvent être adressés à Tina
Lavranos, École primaire Gardenview;
Connie Primiano, École primaire Honoré
Mercier; Paul Saunders, Centre administratif
Informations : (514) 483-7200, poste 7379
Le produit de la soirée sera entièrement remis
à la clinique d’autisme de l’Hôpital d’enfants
de Montréal