Fielding Focus

INCREASED FUNDING CALL: The English Montreal School Board (EMSB) Council of Commissioners has adopted a resolution, calling upon the Premier of Quebec, the President of the Treasury Board and the Minister of Education to increase school board funding.

School boards have experienced significant financial reductions over the course of many years. The EMSB notes that these budgetary compressions have made it exceedingly difficult to meet the educational needs of students in elementary, secondary and adult education and have resulted in a significant reduction in human resources in school boards over the years. "This has impacted negatively on workload and recruitment at a time when needs, as well as expectations, have increased," states EMSB Chairman George Vathilakis. "Funding to school boards is not adequate to provide necessary services to support the increasing number of students with special needs nor is it sufficient to accomplish the capital projects urgently needed to maintain school buildings in an acceptable condition."

The EMSB points out that no provision has been made within funding parameters for the potential effect of the Cycle approach related to the new curriculum reform on instructional staffing levels. There has also been no announcement regarding the continuation of the five-year plan for the implementation of information technology in order to replace computer equipment and improve communication networks. Significant cost increases for natural gas and heating oil have also been inadequately financed through school tax revenues since 1998-1999. Mr. Vathilakis also addressed the matter of transportation financing. The money allocated for this service is insufficient for school boards required to transport students dispersed over an extensive territory, or obliged to provide adapted transport for students to attend specialized institutions or special programs within the school board's territory, or outside of that territory. The latter applies if such services are not available within their region. Parents, meanwhile, have been obliged to absorb noon-hour supervision fees because school boards do not have the necessary funding to meet these expenses.

ENERGY COSTS: Faced with $1.3 million in additional costs for natural gas and heating oil consumption this year, the EMSB is calling upon the Ministry of Education to cover this unexpected expenditure. Recent media reports suggests that they will do so. The EMSB's accumulated deficit is already approaching $6 million. "The government financing we have right now for natural gas and heating oil is simply insufficient," says Mr. Vathilakis. "Essentially, if the government does not step in, we will be forced to send dollars up the chimney instead of in the classroom."

From 1998-1999 to 2000-2001, the costs incurred by the EMSB for the purchase of natural gas and heating oil have risen by $1.8 million to the present figure of $4 million. That is an 82 percent increase – for which the board received an additional operating subsidy of less than $150,000. Despite claims to the contrary, government subsidies have not kept up with so-called "system costs" which are cost increases over which the school boards have little or no control. The on-island school boards are particularly hard-hit by fossil fuel price increases as they tend to use this energy source more than do other school boards elsewhere in the province which rely more on electricity to heat their buildings.

POMPEI GETS HIGH HONOR: The Canadian Olympic Association (COA) has announced that Our Lady of Pompei Elementary School has successfully completed the 2000 Canadian Olympic Challenge. This program involves the study of the seven Canadian Olympic Values: peace, respect, fairness, human development, fun, leadership and excellence. By completing the activities and demonstrating its commitment to those values, Our Lady of Pompei has earned the title of Canadian Olympic School for a one-year period. A such, they are the only English school in Quebec to obtain this honor.

They will receive a "2000/2001 Canadian Olympic School" banner and a "gold medal" certificate on Tuesday, June 12 (10 a.m.) when the COA will hold a ceremony to celebrate and recognize the outstanding achievement of the students and staff. CJAD Montreal Canadiens' play-by-play announcer Dino Sisto will serve as master of ceremonies. Our Lady of Pompei Principal Rocco Barbieri said that the COA will be sending Nicholas Macrozonaris,, a sprinter in the 100 meter event and another representative to the event. "I am truly impressed by the time, effort and creativity that the students and teachers of Our Lady of Pompei have put into becoming a Canadian Olympic School," said Patricia Murray, Chair, COA Education Committee. "These students are definitely living the values of the Canadian Olympic Association."

JUMP ROPE FOR HEART: Every year, The Heart & Stroke Foundation of Quebec offers the JUMP ROPE FOR HEART program to approximately 240 schools throughout the province. JUMP ROPE FOR HEART is designed to raise awareness in youngsters about the importance of physical fitness and cardiovascular health through skipping rope. With the help of Physical Educators Sandy Farr and Peter Tsatoumas, the students at Honoré-Mercier Elementary School in St. Leonard have been learning the importance of regular exercise, good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. The program concluded on May 18 with a special Jump-Off Day, complete with exercise and healthy snacks shared by 700 students from kindergarten to Grade 6. The Honoré-Mercier community collected $24, 340.68, the largest amount in the event's 18 year history.

BOARD NOTES: A special presentation on the success of the EMSB Student Leadership Program was presented at the last Board meeting by Royal Vale Principal Brian Acton, students and some staff members. There was also a presentation related to the Coronation School Radio project, which took place at the end of March. A report submitted by the Board Administrators regarding French Program Development has been received by the Council of Commissioners. The Administrators had been mandated to examine the pedagogical and practical consequences of having one French program along with the core program in all EMSB elementary schools. Approval has been given to proceed with a $900,000 project to construct a gymnasium at General Vanier Elementary School in St. Leonard. A new EMSB staff Organizational chart has been approved for consultation with the Association of Administrative Officers (AAO) and the Association des Cadres Scolaires du Québec (ACSQ). The Board has formally adopted a 2001-2002 staffing plan for professional and support personnel which will result in $810,000 in savings. However, even with these measures the EMSB is forecasting a $2.1 million deficit for the 2001-2002 budget which will be adopted in June. A special board meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 12.

PEDAGOGICALLY SPEAKING: EMSB Science Consultant Agostino Porchetta was at Michelangelo School recently to conduct a teacher training session on curriculum reform. The workshop -Science & Technology for Poets- dealt with how to integrate science, technology and mathematics concepts through language arts and cross curricular competencies. The EMSB Storytelling Finals for elementary pupils will be held at the Administration Building on June 6.. The Association for Media and Technology in Education in Canada (AMTEC;www.amctec.ca) conducts an annual national Media Festival that awards and celebrates educational media productions by students, school boards, government agencies and private corporations. AMTEC has awarded the EMSB Media Centre an Award of Merit for their production about the Laurier Macdonald Career Centre. It featured information on the programs and facilities at the centre as well as information on program requirements and employment opportunities after graduation.

BOARD OF TRADE: Eleven EMSB students were among the finalists for the 19th Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal Outstanding Student Awards Program held on Tuesday, May 15 at the Bonaventure Hilton Hotel. This program recognized noteworthy personal creative projects completed by Secondary V and vocational education students attending Montreal area schools. All of the finalists were interviewed by jury members in their respective categories. Astronaut Marc Garneau served as the keynote speaker. In the Arts category, certificates were presented to Kyle Martin (Royal West Academy), Yaelle Wittes (Westmount High School) and Melissa Wiebe (LaurenHill Academy). In the Vocational Education category, Atiff Hussain (Rosemount Technology Centre) and Aimeé Wimbush (St. Pius X Professional Institute) were recognized. The Social Sciences-Languages category included David Carozza (LaurenHill Academy), Marie Lombardi (Lester B. Pearson High School) and Sadia Virk (Marymount Academy). Finally, in the Sciences-Mathematics grouping, the EMSB was represented by Julie Fréchette (Vincent Massey Collegiate), Luke Harrison (Royal Vale High School) and Jeannette Li (Wagar High School). EMSB Assistant Director of Student Services Lew Lewis expressed special thanks to Keith Imhoff, the principal of John Caboto Elementary School who helped prepare a number of the students for their interviews.

LAURIER PROJECT: Eight students from four EMSB institutions were on hand Wednesday, May 23 at the McCord Museum as exhibitors for the opening of the third annual Laurier Project Vernissage. Earlier this year Secondary IV History students from the EMSB, the Lester B. Pearson School Board, the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board, Riverside School Board and the Marguerite Bourgeoys School Board were invited to take part in this special project. They were asked to select a defining moment in 20th century Canadian History and render an artistic interpretation of the event. The EMSB students who were chosen to exhibit their work were: Natalie Donfrancesco and Andrew Sivilla, Lester B. Pearson High School; Patrizia Varisco, Laurier Macdonald High School; Natascia Tamburello, Vincent Massey Collegiate; and Micah Chan, Kasturi Premachandran, Raeeshbanu Shaikh and Rena Subramaniam from Wagar. Tamburello was given a special award in the form of an Inuit sculpture. EMSB Social Studies Consultant Leonard Harney was one of the event's main coordinators.

PUBLIC SPEAKING CONTEST: Two students from Royal West Academy took top honors at the annual EMSB Secondary Level Public Speaking Contest. The event was held on May 10 at the Montreal headquarters of CBC on René-Levesque Boulevard West. Students spoke for about three minutes each. They were judged by grade level. The Women's Club of Montreal presented the winner of the Secondary IV level, Royal West's Akil Alleyne, with a scholarship to Encounters with Canada, a seven-day seminar held at the Terry Fox Canadian Youth Centre in Ottawa which explores the country's governmental, judicial and cultural institutions. Alleyne's presentation dealt with Canadian nationhood. Natasha Reid of Wagar High School in Côte Saint-Luc and Alexandra Cabelli of Westmount High School finished second and third respectively, talking about human rights and the rain forest.

The first and second place EMSB finishers at the Secondary V level qualified for the Rotary Club of Montreal final. It featured students from other boards and the private school system. Royal West's Aditya Ahlawat ranked first for his presentation about cloning. Reetash Patel from Wagar was second, focusing on media influence while Yael Wittes of Westmount High was third and addressed the topic of euthanasia. Nancy Wood, host of CBC Radio Noon, served as the moderator. She taped the presentations and aired the two winning speeches in their entirety on her show. EMSB Pedagogical Consultant Eileen Kelley organized the event. Consultants Leonard Harney and Terry Saba and Professional Librarian Joanna Wrench served as adjudicators.

FINE ARTS FESTIVAL: On Friday, May 11, several elementary schools from the EMSB took part in the third annual Fine Arts Festival. Coordinated by Lorraine Arsenault, the event was open to any musical group under the direction of a music specialist, classroom teacher, or 'after school' director. Participating schools, with the teachers' names in brackets, included: Dalkeith (Angela Zawada), Elizabeth Ballantyne (Esther Nye, Elizabeth Burnell), Nesbitt (Lise Beauchemin, Brenda Bertram, Connie Cassetta, Mary Derich, Brigitte Martin, Lysa Samaan), St. John Bosco (Antonella Ciavarella) and host school Westmount Park (David Eves, Heather Payne, Kim Sherwood). An array of performers were featured, including choirs, dancers, and instrumental ensembles. Acting as adjudicator for the festival was Diane Duguay. A professional singer herself and an accomplished teacher of voice, Ms Duguay praised the performing groups and their instructors, and together with Ms. Arsenault, awarded certificates to all participants.

SPORTS-ÉTUDES: The EMSB has launched a process which it hopes will lead to the establishment of a Sports-Études Program in one of its secondary schools for the 2001-2002 academic year. At present, the only English school to offer such a program is John Rennie High School of the Lester B. Pearson School Board. In the French sector, the program has existed at several Island of Montreal schools for a number of years. Individual schools will now be invited to submit application forms for the program to the EMSB.

In the spring of 1999, the Ministry of Education published the document "Sports-Études au secondaire." It included an invitation to school boards to apply for Sports-Études status for one of their secondary schools. The development of athletes for professional sports, Olympic or world competitions rests with a sporting federation for each sport or discipline. The problem faced by these federations is that while most student-athletes enroll in their various programs, the demands of training usually result in a very high drop-out rate. Student-athletes at the Elite and Excellence levels are required to train several hours per day in order to maintain their level of performance. If improvement is expected, the intensity and duration of the training must increase. At the same time the demands of school are increasing, and faced with a choice, most opt in favor of concentrating on the demands of school.

For student athletes who wish to compete at a high level, a typical day often sees them getting up early in the morning for conditioning, rushing to school for a day of classes, heading home for an early supper and out for an evening of training. There is little time for homework or any kind of social life. When tournaments and competitions are scheduled, the strain on the individuals can take a severe toll. Once in a Sports-Études Program, students follow the regular Ministry curriculum in an accelerated manner. Programs are designed to be flexible, providing formal recuperation with teachers for students who may have missed school due to competitions or tournaments. All Sports-Études programs are recognized by the Ministry. Students will be required to apply to the program in order to be considered for admission. While no placement or entrance exam is envisioned, students must maintain an overall average of 70 percent and a 75 percent average in English, French and Math.

ANTI-DRUG TALK: Alvin Powell, a former offensive lineman for the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks, addressed students at Royal Vale High School in N.D.G. recently. He warned against the dangers of using drugs and alcohol. "Cocaine," he said, "was my drug of choice. My addiction was beyond control." Powell said he came to Montreal nine years ago, thinking that this would be the place he would die due to his heavy addiction. He never reached that point. One evening, while at a West End bar, he sat with a drug addict who was in the midst of a relapse. "The guy had this piece of paper with a phone number," Powell recalls. "It was the name of his drug treatment sponsor. I called the man. We met and he said that if I wanted out of this thing he could show me the way. And he did. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I had one relapse two years later, but other than that I have been clean for nine years." While Powell has spent a great deal of time since then helping others beat their addiction to drugs, three months ago he moved into the business full-time when he was appointed head of preventive services at Project Pride. His particular concern is the proliferation of street drugs which he says are readily available to youth. Project Pride is part of the Chabad Lubavitch Organization. It operates a drug crisis and recovery centre out of a double-duplex on Marlowe Avenue in N.D.G. Project Pride is totally self-funded, with seed money coming from Chabad and private fundraising. Requests for Powell to come speak at your school should be made by calling 98-PRIDE.

NESBITT ANNIVERSARY: Plans are underway for 90th anniversary celebrations at Nesbitt Elementary School in Rosemount, to take place on May 16, 2002. A committee has been established to create a format for the event, do some fundraising, and contact people who were previously affiliated with the school. Members of the planning committee include: Cathy Bertucci, Letty Di Lena, Elisa Di Paulo, Sandra Ronci, Nina Vicario, Carmen Casquinha, Lucy Di Loreto, Rose Petraroia, Philip Massarelli, Cindy Rossi, Silvy Rubiano, Angie Macri, Helen Revko, Maddalena Jalbert, Lisa Beauchemin, Brenda Bertram, Sylvie Blain, Tonie Morena, Therese Seguin, Connie Primiano and Jacklin Webb. People interested in getting on the mailing list or joining the committee can call 721-2850 or e-mail nesbitt@emsb.qc.ca .

NAZI HUNTER AT VINCENT MASSEY: Prominent American Nazi hunter and private investigator Steven Rambam appeared alongside retired Concordia University Professor Adalbert Lallier for the first time recently when the two spoke to students at Vincent Massey Collegiate in Rosemount. Mr. Rambam is now in the process of closing several major war crimes files in Canada and the United States. The event received a great deal of media coverage and was greeted very enthusiastically by students and staff.

Mr. Rambam has investigated more than 250 Nazi-related cases. He has conducted investigations in 47 different countries. Much of his work in this area has been done in Canada. In 1996, posing undercover as a university professor, he tricked a number of alleged Nazis residing in Canada to make confessions. Tapes were then turned over to the Canadian government. This led to profiles of Mr. Rambam on the CBS program 60 Minutes, Dateline NBC and CBC Magazine, among others. His most recent project involved building a successful case against German war criminal Julius Viel, who last month was found guility of mass murder. Mr. Rambam secured the cooperation of Lallier, an eyewitness who voluntarily went to Stuttgart to make statements to the German War Crimes Prosecutor's Office. He testified that he saw Viel murder seven forced labourers near a Czechoslovakia concentration in March 1945. Mr. Rambam's visit was organized by the EMSB and Diversus Productions, a private film company which is preparing a documentary on the American Nazi hunter.

EMSB PEOPLE: EMSB Commissioner Ron Paterson has been elected president of the Quebec English School Board Association. Maria Mastracchio-Lafontaine, a French immersion kindergarten teacher at Merton Elementary School in Côte Saint-Luc, is among the provincial recipients of the Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence – Certificate of Achievement. This will be accompanied by a $1,000 cheque for the school to use, on the advice of the award winner. The award will be formally presented by Member of Parliament Irwin Cotler on Monday, June 18 at a school assembly. Allesandra Furfaro has been confirmed as coordinator for the EMSB Summer School and Supplemental Examinations. Anthony Colannino and Leah Auclair will serve as the principals of John F. Kennedy and Westmount Summer High Schools respectively. Rose Landau of Gardenview Elementary School in Saint-Laurent finished in second place in the Quebec Association of Mathematics Teachers competition. The EMSB is mourning the passing of Stephen Jacobson, a teacher at Hampstead School.

GARDENVIEW TOPS IN MATHEMATICS: The Canadian National Mathematics League has released its 2000-2001 6th grade Score Report Summary. Gardenview Elementary in Saint-Laurent finished third in the country and first in Quebec with 167 points. In terms of national student rankings, Brandon Hum finished sixth with 36 points and Bryan Too was 10th with 35 points. Regionally, Hum and Too were second and fourth respectively while Amy Freed-Burns and Christos Koniaris finished sixth with 32 points and Adam Mamane's 31 points placed him 10th. Meanwhile, Gardenview placed second in the Quebec Association of Mathematics Teachers competition.

SCHOOL NEWS: John Grant High School will move to the Wagar facility in Côte Saint-Luc in August. At that time their new phone number will be 484-4161; the fax will be 484-4969. East Hill Elementary School hosted the Zwingolympics event for Grades 1 to 6 in the school gymnasium on May 7 and 8. A session was also organized for kindergarten children on May 16. The Zwingolympics is an educational community event designed for elementary schools by the Teacher's Society for Higher Academic Results in Education. It promotes entertaining and challenging activities in math, logic, and performance arts within an exciting co-operative Olympic-style adventure for children in all grade levels. Log on to www.emsb.qc.ca/gardenview where you will see a website featuring adventure book stories written by Gardenview Elementary students. Lester B. Pearson High School in Montreal North merits congratulations for raising a record $16,000 during its annual Terry Fox Walk-a-Thon. Lester B. Pearson students began participating in this event in 1981, and have now raised more than $200,000 for cancer research. Principal Patricia Moffa says she is especially proud of this year's number, since the student population is barely at the 600 mark. Centraide launched its Caring for Others campaign recently at Bancroft Elementary School. Montreal Alouettes President Larry Smith addressed the students. Caring for Others is designed to awaken children to the importance of volunteering and community service. LaurenHill Academy presented its annual Dance Concert on May 18 and 19. This year's show, called Jambalaya, was coordinated by Vicki Myrianthis. May 16 was a special day at Gerald McShane School as the students welcomed representatives from L'Hopital Ste-Justine and the Montreal Children's Hospital. During the winter, students raised $4,000 in a Skate-A-Thon at Henri-Bourassa Arena. Over the last 14 years almost $48,000 has been raised for the two hospitals. Nearly 30 musicians from the Montreal Symphony Orchestra accompanied the Royal West Academy Honour band at a gala fundraising concert held May 28 at McGill University's Pollack Hall Grade 11 Westmount High student Furheen Ahmed has been awarded a Canada Millennium Local Excellence Award that recognizes both her academic ability and her work and contribution to the community. The award is given to students who will be starting their post-secondary education in the fall and has a monetary value of $4,000. More than 8,000 students applied for this year's excellence award; 84 were presented in the province of Quebec. Hongyi Li, also of Westmount High, was one of only eight North American students to obtain a perfect score in the Continental Mathematics League contest. Westmount was the lone Canadian High School entered. The Grade 3 Nazareth School class of Laurel Chin was excited to learn that their newspaper called "Grade 3 Minds" had won first place in the 2001 Gazette Newspaper Competition. Principal Leah Auclair was very supportive in helping the class extend this project into other areas of their development. Profits from the sale of this newspaper will be donated to The Gazette Christmas Fund. Grade 6 students from Our Lady of Pompei School participated in a "Journee SPOCOP" on May 24. This was organized by Police Station 28 with the aim of bringing students from neighbouring Ahuntsic area schools (seven French and one English) to participate in a day of friendly sports activities and camaraderie. Besides the sports activities, the students were treated to demonstrations by police sniffer dogs, and they also went home with raffled prizes, such as Impact and Expos tickets. Congratulations to two very talented Grade 3 students at East Hill Elementary School. Bianca Leporace and Maria Paolonifor captured first place in an art contest on the theme "à la rencontre des grands-parents." On Saturday, May 12, these two young artists were awarded first prize by the University of Montreal for the best drawing in Quebec. Grade 5 East Hill student Gabriel Angelicola, a dynamic and determined young athlete, represented the school at the Annual Track and Field classic sponsored by the Italian National Olympic Association and the Italian Foreign Affairs Ministry. Gabriel came first in the 80 meter dash and won a gold medal for East Hill. On May 15 and 16 pupils from Pierre-de-Coubertin Elementary School in St. Leonard participated in a variety show. It was entitled "All About the SS Coubertin." Some 1,200 parents attended the two performances, which featured songs and dances from countries such as Italy, Cuba, Austria and Algeria. Two Grade 6 students (Amanda Moniz and Cristina Campoli) from Pierre-de-Coubertin took part in the Parlement Ecolier in Quebec City May 18. Francesca Cabrini School was also represented at this event in the National Assembly by Anna Sciacchitano Royal Vale School in N.D.G. had an Art Gallery opening-vernissage called LES GRANDS ARTISTES DE MME FINKELSTEIN A ROYAL VALE on May 30. It features the art work of Secondary I students influenced by such names as Picasso ,Van Gogh, Renoir, Manet and Monet. In a few weeks this material will be launched on the school web page (www.emsb.qc.ca/royalvale ). Students from Westmount High School and Lester B. Pearson High School participated in the RoboCup Jr. competition at the Marriott Chateau Champlain. Teachers involved include Giacinto Spina from Lester B. Pearson High School and Barry Thompson and Donald Chan from Westmount High.

DANTE FIESTA: The staff and students of Dante Elementary School in St. Leonard worked hard recently to present a fast-paced, lively spring concert that showcased the talent of its students and the creativity of its teachers. Students from kindergarten to Grade 6 sang, danced and appeared in a variety of acts that were prepared and directed by their teachers. On May 8 and 9, the school gymnasium was transformed into a festive entertainment center largely due to the artwork of the students. On the afternoon of both dates, grandparents were invited to attend the dress rehearsal while over 450 parents were on hand for the evening performances each night. Everyone got into the spirit of the concert, clapping, cheering and following hand movements. The fever of Fiesta very quickly spread through the audience. The organizing committee was composed of: Maria Monaco, Sandra Ferrara, Ginette Champagne, Therese Gadoury, Angela D'Aiuto, Mary Ciorra and Rita De Angelis. Valerio Di Genova, a student at Dante, was the grand prize winner in the Wipe Out Graffiti contest for the Montreal area. More than 25 schools participated in this contest. Valerio's imaginative and meaningful poster was selected from among 3,000 entries that were submitted. The theme of the posters was to show how graffiti can be eliminated. Many dignitaries attended a special ceremony at the school.

INTERNATIONAL HONORS: Salvatore Mottillo of Laurier Macdonald High School was honored with the "Albert B. Sabin Vaccine Institute Award" at the 52nd annual Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in San Jose, California. The $500 US award is given to winning projects related to infectious disease, vacinology or immunology. His project was called "Phages: the Ultimate Cure!" Salvatore won the right to attend this prestigious event based on judging at the Bell Montreal Regional Science Fair at John Abbott College in April. The Canadian Space Agency, Merck Frosst, John Abbott, Marianopolis College and E.A.S.T. sponsored his trip. He competed against 1,205 international finalists from more than 39 countries. To make it this far, international finalists had to defeat three to five million other high school students who entered local, regional and national science fairs affiliated with the ISEF. PERCEPTIONS OF PEERS: The EMSB has endorsed a research project entitled "Perceptions of Peers' Emotional Responses to Conflict to Differing Social Contexts". Students will receive a questionnaire assessing their ideas about how a typical individual their age would respond emotionally in three different social situations (two friends, a group of friends, two teams of friends) to a conflict involving a school project and a social club. "We believe that our project is very important for understanding how conflicts are resolved," says Eva Dolenszky, a professor at McGill University who is heading the project. "Our study differs from others in that most others focus on individual factors such as personality or intelligence. We are examining the social situations in which interactions occur."

The project will take place over a period of three days for 20 to 30 minutes per day. On the third day children and adolescents will also be given the opportunity to participate in a discussion on conflict resolution. The project will be conducted in the classroom at a time recommended by the teacher, so that it will be the least disruptive to the class. The names of students will be kept confidential and they will be free not to respond to any questions and to withdraw from the study at any time without penalty. Results of the project will be relayed to the principals and available to all interested parents and students. Assisting Ms. Dolenszsky on the project are Nancy Sinclair and Joyce Benenson.

AN INTERESTING VENTURE: Two students from Venture High School, part of the EMSB Outreach Network, are being congratulated for the role they played in assisting with the production of a play entitled "And Alice Dreams" coordinated by The Concordia Center for the Arts in Human Development . Most of the actors are intellectually challenged men, women, boys and girls. The organizer, Lenore Vosberg, contacted Venture Head Teacher Felix Gelbart last year looking for volunteers. Frank Beaulieu and 2000 grad Serge Colin stepped forward. Beaulieu sang a solo in the play. Both boys benefitted immensely from their roles as helpers, and both gained a great deal of satisfaction from being able to help others.

SUMMER LANGUAGE CAMP: The EMSB will launch a two-week Summer Language Camp pilot project this August. The intent is to provide intensive language stimulation to a small group of EMSB language disabled children living in the East End of Montreal, who are at risk of academic difficulties due to their language development delay. Language disabled students in the East End are seen as the targeted clientele as a result of the insufficient English language services available in that area of the city. "The program is intended to be a fun-filled learning experience," say EMSB Assistant Director of Student Services Lew Lewis, who notes that four speech and language consultants will staff the project.

Mr. Lewis emphasizes that children with language development delays are often diagnosed before they enter a school setting. If their cases are considered "severe" enough, they may receive a small amount of English language therapy from the Montreal Children's Hospital. There are also a few private clinics (mostly in Westmount and the West Island) where parents can bring their children to receive therapy if they can afford the $70 to $90 per hour fee. Another hurdle for these children is the fact that they (like most children) are not exposed to any academic work over the course of their two month summer vacation. As a result, when they return to school in September, time is required to review the previous year's material before new lessons can be presented. "For children with significant language development delays, the challenge of school re-entry is even greater," says Mr. Lewis. "Not only have these children 'lost' some of the knowledge and language skills they had in June, but they also require more time and help to 're-learn' certain skills. This camp will give language delayed students a 'boost' before the other children are back at school and will hopefully allow them to start the academic year on more solid ground. It is also an opportunity for these children to receive speech-language services on a more consistent and intensive basis than is possible during the school year."

Students will participate in a variety of daily theme-based activities, such as games, artwork, music, and story-telling, aimed at promoting the development of expressive and receptive language abilities, phonological awareness skills, vocabulary and pragmatic skills. Children are eligible to attend the language camp if they will be attending a regular EMSB Grade 1 or 2 class in September 2001. They must also have received a comprehensive speech-language assessment The final selection will be made on a priority or need basis; the 15 most appropriate and needy children will be selected to attend the camp this summer. The camp will operate weekday mornings from Monday, August 13 to Friday, August 24 and be based at Pierre-de-Coubertin School in St-Leonard. There will be a fee of $100 per child and parents must provide their own transportation. EMSB Speech Language Therapists Elisabeth Christe, Jackie Morrison- Visentin, Paula Rosen and Susan Van Voorst will serve as staff. For more information please call Ms. Christe at 483-7408.

COMPUTER-SUPPORTED CO-OP LEARNING: The Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance (CSLP) at Concordia is initiating a research project on computer-supported co-operative learning. The CSCL focuses on two important cross-curricular competencies as outlined in the Ministry of Education's curriculum reforms. The project will focus on methodological competency as it pertains to the integration of information and communication technologies (ICT) into the curriculum and personal and social competency with emphasis on co-operative teamwork. The CSCL research study will examine whether teachers feel more confident in implementing the new reforms within the context of computer-supported co-operative learning. The EMSB has given authorization to the CSCL to proceed with a project entitled "Developing a Cooperative Community." Cycle 1 (Grades 1 and 2) teachers will be asked to implement CSCL material in their classrooms or computer labs. In addition, teachers will be given a hands-on workshop on how to use software which supports the CSCL. The workshop will be offered either during or after the study depending on which experimental condition teachers are assigned. The teachers will be asked to complete two questionnaires, one at the beginning of the study and another at the end of the research project. The questionnaires will address their attitudes towards technology and co-operative learning. The CSLP's Katherine McWhaw is the team leader for this project.

ADULT EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL SERVICES: Ministry of Education Assistant Deputy Minister Gilles Vezina visited St. Pius X Professional Institute on May 16 where he had a tour of the facility. The Winners of the Long-Term Teacher Practicum for 2000-2001 are: Sima Brockstein, Barbara Tombs and Asha Saxena, Shadd Business Centre; Edigio Fuoco, Laurier Macdonald Career Centre; and Francine Rheaume, Rosemount Technology Centre., This project provides teachers with the opportunity to benefit from a long-term practicum or "stage" experience in industry or business, which focuses on upgrading their technical skills and knowledge of the workplace. It took the form of a contest open to all individuals employed in the current school year as vocational education teachers in one of the nine English-language school boards. Shadd held its graduation ceremony at the EMSB Administration Building May 29.

DENIM DAY: We wish to congratulate EMSB schools and staff at the administration building for their participation in National Denim Day on May 15, which raised money for Breast Cancer Research and the Cure Foundation. At the EMSB head office, a record $940 was collected. Staff who purchased ribbons were eligible to be contestants in an EMSB version of the Price is Right. Winners took home prizes which included Avon baskets (courtesy of Sharon King), binders from Xerox, a gift certificate from Stokes, a piece of artwork from Rosemount Technology Centre, Expos VIP baseball tickets and restaurant gift certificates from Caveau de Szechwan, B &M, Amazona, Côte Saint-Luc Barbeque, Subways on Sherbrooke in N.D.G., Eva Robin's Nest Cafe and Kam Fung. Gardenview Elementary in Saint-Laurent collected $1,067.10 (Last October the school raised 3,745.72$ for the Lamplighters program for children with leukemia at the Montreal Children's Hospital). Our Lady of Pompei Elementary School raised $881. Their campaign was coordinated by Connie Speranza and Carole Bergamuin.

STANDARD LIFE MARATHON: Rosanne Harrison is coordinating an EMSB delegation to participate in the annual Standard Life Marathon. It takes place at Mount-Royal Park on Saturday, June 9 – the 10 km run begins at 9 a.m. while the five kilometre walk starts at 10:30 a.m. All proceeds assist research into children's diseases. The EMSB is expected to have its own tent for staff members to gather. For information or pledge forms call Rosanne at 483-7218.

2001-2002 DATES TO REMEMBER: The "Back to School" edition of the EMSB Express is presently being prepared. Schools and associations are encouraged to submit the dates of any special events or programs which are being planned between September 2001 and June 2002 to express@emsb.qc.ca

PAUL VI EVENT: EMSB Speech Language and Educational Consultant Yvette Hus reports that a recent fundraising event for Paul VI High School, the centre for developmentally challenged students, was a big success. The event theme was "an evening of sharing, giving, and love." Chaired by Valerie Pirollo, the program attracted more than 350 people, including the adolescent and adult students, their friends, families, teachers, support staff, governing board members and their spouses, and former teachers and principals. Also present were guests from various sports organizations. But the star of the evening was Mike Sutherland, a player for the Montreal Alouettes.

"The ambiance during the entire evening was truly contagious," says Ms. Hus. "The students, elegantly dressed and meticulously groomed, radiated excitement and happiness. They were busy greeting all they knew with hugs and kisses, chatting, dancing to the disco music, and enjoying dinner and the magic show. As one observed them in this milieu, relishing every moment with gusto, it brought home the fact that Paul VI students are no different from other adolescents and young adults, but yet they represent a segment of individuals that is tragically, often ignored in our society. Events such as this raise much-needed funds to support worthwhile activities and programs for Paul VI students. But most importantly, they help in raising community awareness of the population's 'invisible' status in our society, and in championing changes that promote an inclusive attitude. It's time we acknowledge, respect, love, and welcome them rather than tolerate them."

BRIEFLY: The EMSB was well represented at Buffet La Stanza in Saint-Laurent for a fundraising breakfast hosted by the Generations Foundation whose aim is to assist 400 children attend summer camp. Generations provides snacks and hot meals to students in about nine EMSB schools. Among those in attendance at the breakfast were Chairman George Vathilakis, Commissioner George Vogas, Regional Director Don Reid, LaurenHill Principal Angeline Roumeliotis, Parkdale Principal Mary Theophilopoulos and Ann Rogers from Venture/Options I high schools. Grade 2 and 3 students from FACE Elementary School will give a lunchtime concert in the EMSB cafeteria on June 5. Under the direction of Theodora Stathopolous, this young ensemble has achived extraordinary results this year.