Annual Report 2O13-2O14 SECTION emsb.qc.ca 1 Table of Contents SECTION 1 Mission Statement ..................................................................3 Chairman’s Message ..............................................................4 Director General’s Message .................................................7 EMSB Commissioners .......................................................11 Board Administrators .........................................................12 Highlights and Strategic Plan ..........................................13 Schools ...................................................................................34 SECTION 2 Partnership Agreements Bill 56 SECTION 3 Financial Statements 2013-2014 Annual Report Editor: Michael J. Cohen, Communications and Marketing Specialist ([email protected]) Proofreading: Stuart Nulman Translation: Aline Zerounian Design: Mark Lehberg Latitudes Marketing & Design Publication of the Communications and Marketing Division of the EMSB ENGLISH MONTREAL SCHOOL BOARD 2 ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014 Mission Statement The mission of the English Montreal School Board is to support its schools and centres in their efforts to educate students within a caring, safe and inclusive learning community. To fulfil its mission the EMSB will: • recognize and value the diversity of its community; • provide all students with the opportunity to develop their talents and achieve their personal best; • recognize the skills and competencies of its employees and support their ongoing professional development; • encourage collaboration among the various educational partners; • use resources effectively and innovatively to help schools and centres focus on the mission of instruction, socialization, and qualification; • encourage lifelong learning and critical thinking. The EMSB mission fosters the development of educated and responsible persons who will assume their position as active members of a democratic society. ENGLISH MONTREAL SCHOOL BOARD 3 ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014 From The Chairman If any one action highlighted the 2013-2014 academic year and brought the entire English Montreal School Board together, it was ironically something divisive, when the now former Parti Québecois government introduced draft Bill 60, the Charter Affirming The Values Of Secularism and The Religious Neutrality of The State, As Well As The Equality Of Men And Women, And The Framing Of Accommodation Requests. The Council of Commissioners, the Central Parents Committee, our union representatives, teachers and students all came out loudly against this intolerant piece of legislation. Vice-Chair Sylvia Lo Bianco, Commissioner Patricia Lattanzio and I travelled to Quebec City and Angela MANCINI voiced our displeasure over Bill 60. We emphasized, among other aspects, that the proposed bill was in total contradiction with the Edu- cation Act, the Quebec education system’s founding legislation. We recalled the principles underlying the fundamental legislation that defines our Quebec education system. Article 37 of the Education Act stipulates that the educational project of the school must respect the freedom of conscience and of religion of the students, the parents and the school staff. The proposed Charter was therefore in direct contradiction of the Act. We were prepared to summon all possible recourses at our disposal, so that this legislation would never apply to our schools. Bill 60 effectively endorsed bullying. This was very ironic given that the Que- bec government adopted Bill 56 in 2012. Bill 56 requires that school boards ensure that their schools provide an environment that allows students to develop their full potential, free from any form of bully- ing or violence. The school boards were deemed responsible for the commitments made in that regard. Public and private educational institutions were also required to adopt and implement an anti-bullying and anti-violence plan and designate a person to implement it. The PQ lost the April 7 election to the Liberal Party. We are now moving forward with the new govern- ment, discussing issues more pertinent to education. THE ARTS ARE ALIVE @ THE EMSB On the eve of Kindergarten Registration Week, I hosted a press conference, at which time we introduced a new campaign aimed at promoting excellence in the arts. (The Arts Are Alive@ the EMSB). From Pre-Kindergarten to Secondary V, EMSB students are exposed to the arts in many different forms. Our schools offer a variety of artistic options that can include the visual arts, music, dance, digital and multi- media arts, dramatic arts, spoken word poetry, and we offer various opportunities for students to share their talents on a larger scale through vernissages, festivals, poetry slams, shows and concerts. The arts bring out empathy, creativity, self-esteem, critical thinking, and communication skills in our students. Arts education empowers students and contributes to the construction of their identity and the enrich- ment of their world-view and narrows the gap between academic learning and the world. The press conference was held at James Lyng High School in St. Henri, which has incorporated Urban Arts into its Extra-Curricular Activity programming. One of its feeder elementary schools, St. Gabriel in Pointe St. Charles, is doing the same thing. ENGLISH MONTREAL SCHOOL BOARD 4 ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014 PROPOSED MAJOR SCHOOL CHANGE The Long Range Planning Committee has recommended that Options I Alternative High School close in 2015-2016 and the related services and program currently offered for Secondary Cycle 2 Year 1 (Sec- ondary 3/Grade 9) be relocated to Venture Alternative High School (which operates out the same facil- ity in Ville Émard). Venture would continue to offer Secondary Cycle 1 and Secondary Cycle 2 Year 1 (Secondary 1, 2 and 3/Grade 7, 8 and 9). Related services and programs currently offered for Secondary Cycle 2 Year 2 (Secondary 4/Grade 10) at Options I would relocated to Options II High School, also in the same building. Options II High School would continue to offer Secondary Cycle 2 year 2 and 3 (Sec- ondary 4 and 5/Grade 10 and 11). This has gone out for consultation, with a decision to be rendered by the Council of Commissioners. PHILIP E. LAYTON SCHOOL The EMSB held public hearings on March 18 for the purpose of relocating the Philip E. Layton School for the visually impaired to the Mackay Centre School facility beginning with the 2014-2015 academic year. For decades, the Philip E. Layton School has been located at the Montreal Association for the Blind (MAB) on Sherbrooke Street West in NDG. The Mackay Center School, located on Decarie Boulevard, also in NDG, educates children with motor, speech or sensorial difficulties. P.E. Layton services the blind and/or physically handicapped and /or intellectually handicapped students. Both schools have a supra- regional mandate and consequently the EMSB is the only school board to offer services to this particular group of English students, not only in the Montreal region, but in the province of Quebec. On July 27, 2011, the MAB-Mackay Rehabilitation Centre unveiled a strategic plan to consolidate its operations into one new facility. This subsequently required that the EMSB house its two schools at one site. Since there was no EMSB building available that could adequately facilitate the needed renova- tions required for housing these students, it was determined that the purchase of the building at 3500 Decarie Blvd. would make the most sense in the event that the Ministry of Education, Leisure and Sports (MELS) favoured an alternative that would be less costly than constructing a new facility. It should be noted that the MELS has already allocated funds so that two new schools servicing similar French popu- lations be built on the North and South Shore, as well as allocating over $16 million for the addition of eight classes to Victor Doré School in Montreal. For almost three years, the EMSB has been working with the MELS and the MAB-Mackay Rehabilitation Centre towards the acquisition of the property. See the detailed press release. The Council of Commis- sioners has tabled a resolution to approve the change to the deed of establishment, expressing great misgivings over the unacceptable position held by MAB-Mackay Rehabilitation Centre regarding the finite allocation of space to the Mackay School. I.B. WORLD ACCREDITATION Michelangelo International Elementary School in RDP held an inauguration party for its newly acquired IB World School accreditation. The event was held at Plaza Antique, with over 230 guests. Students, teachers, parents and special guests enjoyed a fancy atmosphere, great food and music. A fun photo booth and face painting was provided for students present. Many prizes were drawn and every child left with a gift pack of books. Meanwhile, Carlyle Elementary School in TMR hosted its annual International Baccalaureate - Primary Years Program Exhibition. The Grade 6 students worked diligently in prepara- tion for this event. The Exhibition is a significant event in the life of a PYP student and school. This year’s topic revolved around The Arts. Inquiry is individually and group driven. The Exhibition is a student-cen- tered project and it is a culmination of all the essential elements of the IB-PYP program. ENGLISH MONTREAL SCHOOL BOARD 5 ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014 ANNUAL VOLUNTEER NIGHT We held our annual Volunteer Appreciation Evening on April 8 at Le Renaissance Reception Hall in An- jou. This year’s event was held to commemorate National