Royal West Merton places first Montreal ballet in robotics East Rangers star see page 9 see page 11 see page 6 Commission scolaire English-Montréal Volume 23 Number 2 SUMMER 2020 xpress www.emsb.qc.ca e English Montreal School Board LaurenHill Academy student A parent gives back steps up with special project for healthcare workers Franco Marateo, a parent of two students – Giordano (Grade 2) and Carrrera (Grade 5) – at Leonardo Da Vinci Academy in RDP, entered the real estate field with Royal Lepage last January. Prior to that his family was in the auto parts business. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic he and some partners recently created an entity called Frontline to sell face shields, using the equipment from his former company. Before the product even went on the market he made donations to several EMSB East End schools. For more information go to http://www.ppe-frontline.com or call 514-804-0707. Jonah Kontolemos showcases some of his ear savers. While schools remained closed dubbed Canada Ear Savers has year in Pure and Applied Sciences. due to the COVID-19 pandemic, become a family affair by printing “Beyond that I could see myself a Grade 11 student at LaurenHill and donating ear savers for nurses becoming an engineer or a Academy in St. Laurent found an and doctors. So far requests are designer,” he says. innovative way to assist healthcare being prepared or have gone out Little did Jonah know when he workers on the frontlines. to the following six hospitals: got a 3D printer kit (Creality Ender During this COVID-19 Jonah Kontolemos has been Montreal Children’s, Jewish 3) for last Christmas how handy pandemic, the EMSB's working independently at home General, Santa Cabrini, Sacré it would become during a pan - webmaster and graphic arts technician Andrea using a 3D printer to make ear Cœur, Lakeshore General, Ottawa demic nobody saw coming. “A Di Tomaso creatively adapted the EMSB logo to savers, which protect the ears of and Jim Pattison Children’s in large portion of the 3D printing portray a message of hope and optimism. The healthcare workers from the elastics Saskatoon. community has shifted to making notion of “everything will be all right” originated of medical masks. He has taken “I started the project around various objects that help hospital from Italy (“Andrà tutto bene”), one of the the initiative and is donating them a week and a half ago when my staff,” Jonah observes. countries hit hardest by the coronavirus. to hospitals in the Montreal area. dad brought the product to my “Canada Ear Savers has pro - “Jonah’s work highlights the attention when a family friend duced over 1,000 ear savers so far values we embrace at LaurenHill of ours expressed interest,” said and we get them to hospitals either and the work of our students in Jonah. “Since I wanted to do by post or drop-off depending including teacher Sarah Ditchfield, 415605227. helping out the community during whatever I could to help, I under- on how close they are,” Jonah for their encouragement. You can also listen to our the pandemic,” said Vice-Principal took the task with inspiration from explains, noting that he is staying A special Facebook page has podcast: https://soundcloud.com/ Mireille Tehbelian. Linus Tech Tips on YouTube, safe at home and encouraging been launched at https://www. englishmtlpodcasts/emsb-podcast- With his dad Jason contacting which is printing face shields.” everyone who can to do the same. facebook.com/canadaearsavers. during-covid-19-emsb-student- hospitals and mom Marie doing Jonah, 17, plans to attend Jonah wishes to express thanks See Jonah on CityNews saving-one-pair-of-ears-at-a-time. some of the deliveries, the newly Vanier College in St. Laurent next to the LaurenHill Academy faculty, Montreal: https://vimeo.com/ 2 www.emsb.qc.ca EXPRESS | vol. 23 | Nº 2 | Summer 2020 Mandate of EMSB trustee Marlene Jennings renewed until November The Quebec government has firm and senior management to renewed the partial trusteeship of devise and implement an Action the English Montreal School Board Plan to modernize the internal and continued the mandate of operations and processes of the trustee Marlene Jennings until board. “Marlene,” as she likes to November 6, 2020. be called, has also played a very Since last November Ms. supportive and collaborative role Jennings has fulfilled all the of oversight, and with the Director functions and assumed all of the General, has ensured that the day- powers of governance at the to-day functioning of the board EMSB, except for the consti - also runs smoothly. tutional legal proceedings initiated A lawyer by profession, Ms. by the Council of Commissioners. Jennings served as the Liberal “I am delighted to be con - Member of Parliament for the tinuing in this important role,” said federal riding of Notre-Dame-de- Ms. Jennings. “My mandate has Grace-Lachine in the House of been going very well, and I still Commons from 1997 to 2011. She have a lot of work to do. From the became a member of the Privy very moment I first set foot on the Council in July 2004. She is also EMSB premises at 6000 Fielding recognized within the anglophone Avenue in NDG, I have received community as a staunch defender such wonderful collaboration from of its school system. senior management and all the way Before embarking on her career down the line. I have been made in politics, Ms. Jennings, who is to feel that this is my place. perfectly bilingual, held the Anything I have asked for has position of Deputy Commissioner been provided without fail and as for Police Ethics for the Province quickly as possible. In addition, of Quebec. She oversaw the appli - I have to say that during this cation of the public complaints COVID-19 crisis our staff has conciliation process with respect risen to the challenge to continue to police conduct throughout to try and provide as many services Quebec. On September 30, 2015 as we can under these difficult she was elected as vice-president circumstances.” of the board of directors of the Over the last six months Ms. Centre intégré universitaire de la Jennings worked with the Deloitte santé et des services sociaux de Marlene Jennings and EMSB Director General Ann Marie Matheson. Centre-sud de l’Île de Montréal, Centre-Sud. She stepped down remains a member of its board Produced by the Communications and known generally as the CIUSSS from that post last November, but of directors. Marketing Services Division of the English Montreal School Board 6000 Fielding Avenue, Montreal (Quebec) H3X 1T4 Phone: (514) 483-7200, ext. 7245 More pre-K classes to come Fax: (514) 483-7213 E-mail: [email protected] The EMSB will welcome 10 new Web site: www.emsb.qc.ca Pre-Kindergarten classes funded by the Ministry of Education for the Editor: Mike J. Cohen 2020-21 academic year. At present Communications & Marketing Specialist, EMSB there are already 28 such classes at the board. Set to receive new Proofreading: Kristin McNeill Ministry funded full-day Pre-K Translation: Manon Bourassa classes are Carlyle (2), St. Monica (3), Pierre de Coubertin (1), Dunrae Layout & design: Ponctuation Grafix Inc. Gardens (1), Leonardo Da Vinci (2), www.ponctuation.com Michelangelo (1), Honoré-Mercier Legal Deposit: Bibliothèque Nationale du Québec (1) and East Hill (1). The conditions National Library of Canada and criteria considered when making ISSN 1488-416X these selections were the poverty index, schools with existing half-day Pre-K’s and available space. EXPRESS | vol. 23 | Nº 2 | Summer 2020 www.emsb.qc.ca 3 EMSB’s very own play an essential role during COVID-19: its daycare workers by Kristin McNeill and caretakers – to cover shifts at one of the four EMSB-hosted Rainbows adorn the windows day care centres: Westmount Park of Montreal homes and businesses, School South Campus (at the former with the joint message of solidarity St. John Bosco School in Ville Émard), and giving thanks to people working St. Monica in NDG, Cedarcrest in St. on the frontlines during the COVID- Laurent and Dante in St. Leonard. 19 pandemic. Health care workers, (Montreal West’s Elizabeth Ballantyne grocery store clerks and others closed its centre due to low enrolment.) tend to be top of mind, but there A shift was either 7 am to 12:30 pm are others working in a crucial or 12:30 pm to 6 p.m. and can be supporting role behind the scenes – split into segments. a role that involves interacting in Two to three days a week, Ms. Di person with others during a time Gaetano worked at Dante Elementary when most can stay at home in School for a three-hour shift. Despite safe isolation. This includes many the anxiety many feel being around English Montreal School Board others in public because of the highly (EMSB) daycare educators who contagious nature of the virus, she had to leave the comfort of their and her colleagues put it aside to own homes – in some cases, even come up with a schedule of fun their own schools – to take care of activities each day for the students. elemen tary school-age children They design the activities to respect attending the emergency daycare the physical distancing required centres that have opened for the between each child and educator, parents working in essential services. which is challenging with young Normally a daycare educator children, she said. They have gym based out of Leonardo da Vinci time, dancing to a video, colouring Elementary School in RDP, Ana and other arts and crafts activities.