Virtual Honouring our Zoothérapie learning volunteers voir page 13 see page 5 see page 6 Commission scolaire English-Montréal Volume 24 Number 2 SPRING 2021 xpress www.emsb.qc.ca e English Montreal School Board From Westmount High School to American vice president While the big party took place invitation to Vice President Harris in Washington D.C. on January 20, to visit her alma mater during her the students and staff at Westmount time in office. High School held a special You can see the outstanding celebration as one of their own, video here: https://www.youtube. Kamala Harris, was sworn in as com/watch?v=p4GjyE88iJc&t the 49th Vice President of the United States. To mark the historic The EMSB held its first ever day, while respecting all COVID- Zoom press conference, featu r- 19 protocols, Westmount High ing EMSB Chair Joe Ortona. School students streamed the Commissioner Julien Feldman, inauguration in their classes. along with some staff members Students also created a commem- and students from Westmount orative video, which they shared High School. Principal with the community. The school Demetra Droutsas, Vice- also received items from the Principal Matthew United States Consulate General Shapiro, Guidance in Montreal to mark the occasion. Counsellors Karen At the age of 12, Kamala Allen and Mandy temporarily relocated to Montreal Moreno were joined by while her mother, Shyamala Secondary IV students Gopalan Harris, took a job Aaron Jay Itovitch, teaching at McGill University and Ava Oxilia, Diya Patel did research at the Jewish General and Secondary V Hospital. While living in Montreal, student A'Dejah Kamala attended FACE School Edouarzin Merriman. for one year before attending All of the major Westmount High School from media tuned in and 1978 until her graduation in 1981. asked questions. The EMSB and Westmount High School are preparing an official Newly elected American Vice President Kamala Harris has come a long way from her days at continued on page 4 Westmount High School (see her year book graduation photo inset). EMSB schools adapt to the new normal with virtual open houses VIRTUAL TOUR by Daniel Smajovits system, but prospective students and parents from high in the clouds. Gerald McShane as well. Elementary School in Montreal North went When COVID-19 Yet, with registration only months away for so far as to outfit a sports concentration forced educators both Kindergarten and High School, the student with a GoPro camera to truly let around the world EMSB needed a solution. Faced with the prospective students walk a mile in his shoes. to re-think how difficult task of replicating each school’s Yet, perhaps the most dynamic and they teach and unique environment in each and every home, interactive open houses came from three interact with their administrators and dedicated staff members gregarious high schools and eight elementary students, the English each sought to feature their school uniquely. schools. They replicated their school’s warm Montreal School For a few schools, this came in the form environment in real-time into the kitchens and Board (EMSB) realized that of beautiful video testimonials from current living rooms of homes across Montreal. the impact of the ongoing pandemic will not students and alumni. Others featured tours of only affect those currently enrolled in the their school, some even with a bird’s eye view continued on page 11 2 www.emsb.qc.ca EXPRESS | vol. 24 | Nº 2 | Spring 2021 Chair’s Message We’re here for the kids When it became clear that A Unified Council classes would resume in person for Last fall, the Court of Appeal the start of the 2020-21 academic of Quebec suspended Bill 40 until year our administration made sure the Superior Court of Quebec hears that all of the necessary safety the case beginning in April. Bill measures were in place. For 40 would have transformed students who could not return to English-language school boards class due to medical conditions for into school service centres. We are themselves or a family member, very optimistic about our chances we launched a Virtual School with in court, and over the last few a principal, vice-principal and a months it has been made crystal full complement of staff at a cost clear why the present form of of $5 million. We also boosted our governance is necessary for the Home Schooling Division and well-being of our educational Joe Ortona received a significant increase network. You need only look at On Thursday, March 11 the in registration. Our own Shadd the French service centres, which English Montreal School Board Health and Business Centre in are being run by administrators. marked the National Day of NDG opened up new classes last The early results at that end are Commemoration in memory of June for groups of students for not encouraging. the victims of COVID-19. a special accelerated Institutional This was the third time the These past 12 months have and Home Care Assistance government has defended this been difficult and heartbreaking Program, entitled Support for We are proud of the academic success of our students. bill in the courts, and they have for people around the world. I am Assistive Care in Long-Term Care lost every round. It is my hope that so proud of how our entire team Centres, The students soon after ventilation systems are not in place of which I count our staff in the government works construc - at the EMSB has risen to the oc- began working as orderlies, also at a cost of $1.4 million. It should schools and centres. tively in the interests of the casion and faced this monumental known as PABs (préposé aux be noted that the infection rate for This is why on March 11 flags children's education, especially in challenge head on. bénéficiaires). all staff and students at our board at all of our schools and centres a pandemic, rather than to keep Last year at this time, with no After the Quebec Court of is at about 1.4 percent, probably were lowered to half-mast from imposing what we consider to warning, we had to shut down the Appeal granted school boards a among the lowest in the province. dawn to dusk. be an unconstitutional law. It was entire system and pivot to online stay related to Bill 40, which The world has faced a crisis We will all come out of this ill-advised to appeal this decision learning. Let’s be fair – nobody would have seen entities like the the likes of which we have never stronger than ever before as long in the first place, and it would be had a playbook on how to deal EMSB transformed into service seen before. We owe a debt of as we continue to work together! just as ill-advised to appeal to the with a pandemic of this scale at centres, a newly elected Council gratitude to all frontline workers, Supreme Court of Canada. We, the that time. In a matter of weeks, our of Commissioners assumed office EMSB, will continue to represent Educational Services Department in November. We have followed the English minority and defend had a virtual learning system in all of the Quebec government the fundamental freedoms of all place. By spring we were able to protocols. On our very own, one Here is a list of the 29 school buildings where air purifiers Quebecers, the English-speaking open schools for special needs of the first actions we took was to have been installed and the quantity per facilities: community, religious minorities services and at the adult level, purchase roughly 800 air purifiers • Bancroft Elementary School, The Plateau, 35 and others. vocational centres. in buildings where mechanical • Carlyle Elementary School, TMR, 22 The EMSB finally has a unified • Cedarcrest Elementary School, St. Laurent, 20 Council of Commissioners, unlike • Coronation Elementary School, Côte-des-Neiges, 40 the last mandate. “We’re Here For • Dunrae Gardens Elementary School, TMR, 23 the Kids!” is one slogan we feel • Elizabeth Ballantyne Elementary School, Montreal West, 21 describes our new team best. We • Galileo Adult Education Centre, Montreal North, 10 all know that good governance has • Gardenview Elementary School, St. Laurent, 43 a direct impact on student success. • Hampstead Elementary School, 20 Produced by the Communications and Operating a school board • Honoré Mercier Elementary School, St. Leonard, 29 Marketing Services Division of the during a pandemic is no easy task, • LaurenHill Academy, Senior Campus, St. Laurent, 51 and I would like to thank all staff, English Montreal School Board • LaurenHill Academy, Junior Campus, St. Laurent, 30 parents, students and volunteers 6000 Fielding Avenue, Montreal (Quebec) H3X 1T4 • Marymount Academy International, NDG, 28 for working above and beyond the Phone: (514) 483-7200, ext. 7245 • Merton Elementary School. Côte Saint-Luc, 20 call of duty. Fax: (514) 483-7213 • Mountainview Alternative High School, Côte Saint-Luc, 17 E-mail: [email protected] • Nesbitt Elementary School, Rosemount, 28 Web site: www.emsb.qc.ca • Options Alternative High School, Ville Émard, 21 Top success rate • Parkdale Elementary School, St. Laurent, 29 I am proud to share that the • Perspectives I and II High Schools, St. Michel, 17 Editor: Michael J. Cohen EMSB has surpassed our record, • Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School, Rosemount, 26 Communications & Marketing Specialist, EMSB set last year, for the highest success • Roslyn Elementary School, Westmount, 34 rate in graduation and qualification Proofreading: Kristin McNeill, Ivana Bahdo • Royal Vale School, NDG, 47 among public school boards in the and Lisa Cohen • Royal West Academy, Montreal West, 45 entire province of Quebec, based • Sinclair Laird Elementary School, Park Extension, 24 Translation: Manon Bourassa on a seven-year cohort at 92.5 • St.