FINAL http://www.lbpsb.qc.ca/eng/asdn/index.asp

The Pearson News
FINAL
Novembre/November 2015
GRATUIT/FREE
DU DIRECTEUR
FROM THE
Volume XVIII No. 4
Director
General’s
Report to
Council
GÉNÉRAL ET DE LA PRÉSIDENTE
DIRECTOR GENERAL & CHAIRMAN
DU CONSEIL
OF THE BOARD
Born from a Beatbox: Riverdale High School graduate
Jordan Stoute appointed TOPS 2016 Lead Choreographer
The beloved Lester B. Pearson
School Board performing arts
showcase returns April 2016.
The first thing you notice about
Jordan Stoute (a.k.a SKILZ) is his
by Michael Chechile
mischievous smile. But when you
start listening to him talk about
his passion for dance, you can’t
help but want to sign up for one
of his dance classes. “Dance has
School Visits
been a huge part of my life since
This month, I was once again as far back as I can remember and
happy to be able to visit several of it holds a big place in my future,”
our amazing schools. At Mount says Stoute over iMessage as he
Pleasant, I visited classrooms, shuttles between his four differadored the artwork and saw ent dance jobs. “Some of my felmany of the green initiatives. At low dancers would say I am BMargaret Manson, I learned how FAB which means ‘Born from a
to make origami wolves, was very Beatbox.”
impressed by student artwork Stoute, a graduate of the Lester B.
and already saw the holiday basket bus fill up.
At Forest Hill Senior, I saw the
Club Énergie in action. The program promotes health and physical activity at school and at home.
Principal Sylvie Monette showed
me their stationary bikes, and we
decided to try them out ourselves!
I also got to visit a wonderful
music class and saw the work
of some talented young artists.
They had some excellent student
art for me to admire at Christmas Park, too, where I also got
a chance to see their “S’Park” approach in action. This approach
by Christine Beaton
puts an emphasis on experiential
education, project-based and colNon-profit organization Overlaborative learning, and parental ture with the Arts recently teamed
involvement. I was also privy to up with the Girls Action Foundasee an engaging, bilingual student tion to start a girls’ singing group
performance on the arrival of the comprised of three students from
Loyalists. At Dorset Elementary, the Lester B. Pearson School
I had a chance to see their new Board called Girls Unite.
“This program seeks to address
STEAM room- Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. social injustices among young
The room was recently given a women and to give them a voice
major facelift with brand new fur- in their community,” said Akilah
niture from Burovision, and it is Newton, the founder of Overture
now an amazing and cutting-edge with the Arts. “Many young girls
environment in which to learn. are self-aware and want to engage
in dialogue about current issues
Our thanks go out to them.
that affect themselves, their peers
Google Hangout
and the community at large. We
This month marked the first in want to give a voice to these girls.”
what I hope will become a series
Newton started OWTA in the
of ‘Meet the DG’ Google Hang- spring of 2009. The non-profit
outs with students and teachers. offers performing arts education
Along with the directorate and to students at little to no cost.
the chair, we gathered to have a The programs promote self-conconversation with Mme. Shep- fidence and selfpard’s Grade 4 class at Evergreen awareness through
School. They had many ques- dance, drama, thetions for us, and we had many for atre and music.
them. It was thrilling to leverage Thanks to fundraisthe technology and both fun and ers, donations and
informative to speak with the in- grants, the orgaquisitive students. Congratula- nization can offer
tions to Mme. Sheppard on her programs like Girls
well-run classroom. We are look- Unite, workshops
ing forward to doing our hangout in dance and thewith Verdun Elementary this Fri- atre, and scholarday. You can watch a recording of ships to students
who want to purthe hangout on YouTube.
sue a career in the
Remembrance Day
arts but don’t have
Remembrance Day was celthe financial means
ebrated across the system, with
to do so.
very moving tributes to veterans
Girls Unite spein each of our schools and centers. While this is invariably a
solemn occasion, it is nonetheless
crucial for our students to understand the great sacrifices made
by our ancestors’ generations, as
well as those made more recently,
See CHECHILE page A2
Pearson School Board’s Riverdale
High School is already charging ahead into a dancing future
with his recent appointment as
Lead Choreographer for the Totally Outstanding Pearson Show
(TOPS) 2016 edition. TOPS Artistic Director Ashley Daniel Foot
says that Stoute is the youngest
person to ever hold this position but is more than qualified.
“Jordan is really one of the most
talented people I’ve ever worked
with. He is mature beyond his
years—but possesses an undeniable freshness that anyone who
meets him can’t miss.”
Stoute will be responsible for all
aspects of dance in this year’s edition of the LBPSB mainstay that
is TOPS. He will audition hundreds of eager dancers at Lakeside Academy on Dec 6— interested dancers and performers can
sign up online at TOPSLive.org—
and choreograph at least a dozen
dances. He will also recruit a
team of assistant choreographers
to help make his vision a reality.
Arts and culture are very important to the Lester B. Pearson
School Board. “Cultivating the
performing arts, developing and
honing talent, and allowing our
students to make connections
with each other and industry
professionals are one of the main
reasons that TOPS is so vital to
the eco-system of Lester B,” says
board chair Suanne Stein Day. “I
look forward to TOPS every year
and I am delighted that an alumnus of Riverdale High School is
taking such a strong leadership
role in this year’s show. It really
speaks to the collaborative spirit
that we try to develop across all
levels of our school board.”
Until audition day, Stoute will
be hard at work planning his
choreographic vision. “I’m very
excited about the kinds of dancing we will feature during TOPS
2016. You’re going to see waving,
wacking, krump, jazz, house, salsa, ballet, contemporary dance,
musical theatre—-our show will
have everything!”
In addition to TOPS, Stoute
teaches dance classes to students
of all ages and performs in major events all over Quebec. “My
goal for the future is to use my
dance as a way to help people in
as many ways as possible: whether it be keeping them in shape or
dancing in a fundraiser for a worthy cause— the sky really is the
limit!”
TOPS 2016: #next unveils at
Lakeside Academy’s Louise Pelletier Auditorium on April 16 and
17, 2016. For more information
please visit TOPSLive.org
Overture with the Arts: “Girls Unite” for a Good Cause
cifically started in January 2015
when OWTA received funding
to start a program where girls
from Riverdale High School
could express themselves creatively through music. The girls
who participated wrote a song
for International Women’s Day
on March 8 and loved the experience.
Emily Pasquarelli, from Riverdale High School, was one of the
first students to participate in
Girls Unite. She also participated
in the music production program
run by OWTA in the summer of
2015. She expressed interest in
continuing with Girls Unite in the
2015-16 school year, so Newton
reached out to Fey BlackstockPearce from Lakeside Academy
and Christina Koikaran from Beaconsfield High School and started
coming up with ideas for proj-
ects.
The girls settled on an idea for
a holiday song that would raise
money to buy presents for underprivileged families in the area.
They remixed a holiday classic,
Little Drummer Boy, and put a
little bit of their own style and
personality into it.
“We put our own little twist to
it,” Koikaran told CTV’s Christine Long last week. “So we add
whatever we want to add, it’s not
like we’re just copying off someone. We’re being ourselves when
we’re singing it, so it’s […] what
we like.”
“Just in terms of showing them
how to give back to the community, it’s very important for them
to realize how blessed they are
and […] if they’re doing good in
their community, good will come
in return. It’s also going to boost
their self-esteem; so, it’s just a
great opportunity for them to use
their talent to give back,” Newton said on Global Television last
week when the young women of
Girls Unite performed their holiday song on live television for
thousands of Montrealers.
Newton is thrilled to offer programming like this to students,
and says the arts often tend to
get overlooked compared to
traditional academic subjects.
“The arts present another way
for youth to learn, and provides
opportunities for youth to succeed,” she says. “Simple creative
activities are some of the building
blocks of youth development and
boosts self-esteem.”
The organization has also partnered with the Pearson Educational Foundation in efforts to
continue providing excellent programming to students from all backgrounds. Having
gone to Beaconsfield High School
herself from 19921997, Newton has
a special place in
her heart for Lester
B. Pearson School
Board. To find out
more information
about OWTA or
Girls Unite, visit
www.overturewiththearts.com or
email info@overturewiththearts.
org.
To learn more about the Lester B. Pearson School Board’s
Autism Spectrum Disorders Centre of Excellence, visit:
http://www.lbpsb.qc.ca/eng/asdn/index.asp
Chairman’s
Report
to Council
by Suanne Stein Day
Greetings from Beijing! As
you get into the meat of tonight’s
meeting, I will be meeting with
Education representatives at the
Canadian Embassy here in Beijing, before boarding a plane to
Hangzhou to speak at an International Education Forum on
modernization of educational
management and preparing students for future success. China
has recognized the progress that
Lester B. Pearson has made. The
next week following will include
meetings with 5 different school
systems in both the secondary
and vocational sectors, across
the country. Another whirlwind
tour!
As November winds down, our
schools are getting ready for the
holiday break. It seems like we
just started the school year yesterday and our children are already learning about how different people celebrate the season
with different customs. More
than the differences, they are
learning about all the similarities
that their friends of different cultures have. It is truly a wonderful time of the year.
December will welcome about
2650 Syrian refugees to Quebec,
with as many as 3650 more in
2016. LBPSB has made it known
that as a leading school board
and as part of the Anglophone
community, we are willing to
and able to help educate the refugees. While Bill 101 restricts
any of the youth sector from attending our schools, we have
been approached to help educate the adults in our Continuing Education department. We
expect to see many young adults
who need to finish their secondary education and many young
professionals who may need retraining or Quebec attestations
in their current career as well as
the obvious language training
schools. I have been in touch
with Minister Kathleen Weil’s office and sit on a City of Montreal
committee that has representatives from virtually every sector
getting ready to house, educate
and care for the newest Quebecers. My only wish is that no children are excluded from effective
classrooms to help them settle
and integrate into their new environments. They have been
through enough. It is wonderful
that we are able to contribute to
this extraordinary circumstance.
I had the pleasure this past
month of attending the premiere
of The Silent Majority, a film
about bullying and violence in
high schools. Based on the true
story of a young Quebecer, the
film was shot mostly at Westwood Sr. High School. Our stuSee STEIN-DAY page A2
A2Pearson News
Chechile,
from page A1
Pearson Education Foundation Annual Report
Message from the President
without which we would not be
The Pearson Educational Founable to enjoy the freedom to learn dation continues to evolve in a
in a progressive and democratic continuous steady manner, exploiting the diverse strengths of
society.
the members of the Board of DiLight a Dream
rectors.
On Friday, November 13, Light
a Dream held its annual Casino
Night and Auction. Light a Dream
helps to enable young adults with
special needs to learn in a business environment, while providing the community with quality products and services – they
make great candles! I was very
happy to hear that over $20,000
was raised to help this organizaBarbara Freestone,
tion continue to achieve its goals.
President of PEF
Winter Safety
Two are retired administrators,
We all know that this time of with a profound understanding
year means that winter is on our of pedagogy, and a lifetime of exdoorstep, and last week’s snow- perience at what the classrooms
fall certainly made that point very really need. This knowledge
clear. As we begin to turn our drove a major change effected in
thoughts to the upcoming holi- 2014: moving the grant applicadays, I would like to remind all tions due date from December to
of you that it is critical to remain June, and the allocation decisions
focused and cautious when driv- from late January to October, aling in school zones. Children can lowing projects to run almost the
sometimes get caught up in the full academic year instead of only
activity at hand and forget to look the tail end.
Others, current employees
both ways before stepping into
the street. It is also very impor- of the Lester B. Pearson School
tant that your child or children Board (LBPSB), maintain expansive networks with the business
be suitably dressed to wait for the
community, with politicians,
bus or walk to school, as well as
with the arts, and with social
to play outside during recess or
services, providing invaluable relunch hour.
sources at fund-raising time, and
Major School Change
Since the launch of the Major School Change consultation
process back in March, we have
received a great deal of feedback
from schools and community
members in the form of written
briefs. As of the deadline for the
receipt of the briefs, we have received more than sixty of them,
running to about three hundred
pages. On November 17th, 18th
and 19th, those of our consultative partners who wished to do
so were invited to speak directly
to the Council of Commissioners
and administration at three public hearings. Each of these sessions was streamed live over the
internet, and the recordings of
the sessions are available on the
Board’s website in the MSC 20162017 section (http://www.lbpsb.
qc.ca/eng/msc2015/indexV2.
asp). We value the recommendations of all those who submitted a
brief or made a presentation and
are grateful for the level of engagement of our community.
Find out what’s
happening at the
Pearson
Educational
Foundation
Visit the PEF
website at:
pef.lbpsb.qc.ca
Novembre/November 2015
partnerships for programs.
Several board members have
careers in business, finance and
accounting. Leveraging this expertise, PEF’s reporting of its finances has been streamlined and
clarified, making it quicker and
easier to see the status of any
single fund, or of the whole at
any moment in time. In addition,
changes in our banking over the
last few years has maximized investment income and minimized
banking costs.
Members with extensive experience in technology and graphic arts further enrich the group,
which comes together through
the shared deep commitment to
excellence within the public education system in general and in
particular in the initiatives that
maximize the potential of every
student of the LBPSB, from kindergarten to adult.
The Board of Directors continues to be eternally grateful to our
amazing operations manager, Sue
Grand, whose dedication, diligence and attention to detail keep
the Foundation functioning like a
well-oiled machine.
More than ever, PEF seeks sustainability in the projects and
programs that it funds, either by
funding only materials that will
stay in the schools to be reused
year after year, or by solidifying
long term recurrent dedicated
funding sources.
Science and Technology
Probably the thing PEF has become most known for around
the school board is our commitment to hands-on Science and
Technology equipment, and in
particular, robotics kits. In 201415, with the on-going support of
two great partners, the Trottier
Family Foundation and The Eric
T. Webster Foundation, we furnished $9100 of Science Manipulatives and $30,000 in kits and
computers for robotics, much of
it necessary upgrades to already lenges. PEF supplied molds and
well-established school-wide ro- tools enabling Light a Dream to
botics programs that had been de- diversify from candle making to
veloped via PEF support in previ- soap making.
ous years.
A number of the science projects
centred on Kindergarten or Cycle
1 (grades 1&2) students. The
teachers know that inculcating
the basic principles of scientific
methodology and promoting the
development of inquisitive minds
at an early age will enrich their
students’ lives throughout school
and beyond.
And students from 3 other proWe are particularly proud of a grams for these students ages
John Rennie High School (JRHS) 18-25 have been able, with PEF
project using robots and sensors funding, to attend yoga classes at
to collect air quality data from the YMCA in Pointe Claire. Many
around the school, and analyse of these students realized how
it, and consider strategies for im- much they enjoy non-competitive
provement. This is real applied physical activity and have joined
science: monitoring air quality is zumba, aerobics and other regular
one of the new-in-2014 require- classes at the Y in their free time
ments for Leadership in Energy as a result! Long-term funding for
& Environmental Design (LEED) this wonderful program is being
certification
for commercial actively sought.
building!
Arts et santé
De plus, la FPÉ a de nouveau
Nous sommes heureux que nos
payé les inscriptions aux trois com- écoles, bien qu’elles soient très
pétitions organisées par l’Alliance concentrées à dispenser les propour l’enseignement de la science grammes STIM (science, technolet de la technologie (AEST-EAST ogie, ingénierie et mathématiques)
sciencetech.ca ), soit à Robotique et ÉDHAA, ne négligent pas de
CRC Robotics, à l’Expo-sciences veiller au développement de jeunes
Montreal Readultes équiliPEF is proud to award brés.
gional Science
Nous
& Technology Denis Thivierge and Héloïse avons fourni de
Fair et à Robo- Thibodeau with Honorary l’équipement
Junior. Pour Lifetime Membership Awards sportif, des arla deuxième for their many years of ticles de cuisine
année conséc- service as board members and et des ingrédiutive, Robo- supporters of PEF’s projects. ents pour les
junior a été Thank you for your generosity p r o g r a m m e s
tenue à John and time!
de cuisine aiRennie.
En
nsi que du
2014, la CSLBP a délégué six matériel pour les arts visuels et
écoles pour participer et une mé- les arts d’interprétation. Nomdaille de bronze a été remportée; bre d’entre elles sont en train de
en 2015, 11 écoles ont envoyé passer au programme STIAM (sciplusieurs équipes. Vingt équipes ence, technologie, ingénierie, arts
de la CSLBP se sont classées en et mathématiques!) dont font parpremière ou en deuxième place tie toutes les activités ci-dessus.
et ont décroché trois médailles de Parmi les exemples de matériel
bronze et trois médailles d’argent que nous avons fourni, signalons
(sur un total de 16).
les tabourets Hokki pour toute la
Pour couronner le tout, les neuf salle de musique qui permettent
créateurs de Mini-Putt Plus, un aux élèves de trouver des posiprojet d’entrepreneuriat de l’école tions confortables pour tenir leurs
secondaire Beaconsfield, qui ont instruments, qui sont parfois très
remporté les compétitions de la gros, et de bouger au son de la
CSLBP et de Montréal, ont été in- musique pendant qu’ils jouent
vités à assister au gala provincial à et les iPads pour composer de la
Québec. Le billet, qui coûtait 100 musique, exactement les mêmes
$, était trop cher pour certaines fa- que ceux utilisés dans le baccalaumilles. La FPÉ a donc payé les frais réat du programme de musique à
d’entrée pour les élèves, et tous l’Université McGill.
ont pu être présents pour recevoir le grand prix pour leur jeu sur
l’enrichissement des habiletés en
arithmétique!
Supporting Exceptional
Students
Materials that assist in enhanced
learning for students with special
needs is always a priority for PEF.
Many schools have realized that
often the only thing hyperactive
kids need in class is the opportunity to move. PEF furnished “energy stations” with simple exercise
equipment around their buildings, and in classrooms, the marvellous “Hokki Stool” replaced
regular chairs, allowing the students to rock, jiggle and wiggle
silently and safely, burn off the
excess energy, and maintain their
concentration.
Another priority demographic
for PEF support are young adult
students with intellectual chal-
Rona Cupak Winter Wear Fund
This has become one of PEF’s
most important and longest-running programs. Increased awareness by the staff, as well as, sadly,
increasing financial difficulties for
many families, results in the requests for snowsuits, boots, hats
and mitts growing year over year
throughout the board’s territory.
We have secured long-term support from snowsuit wholesaler
Ested Industries, for which we are
most grateful, and all proceeds
from the John Killingbeck Memorial Fund are now directed to the
Cupak. Sales of a generous donation of facial care products by Canus to our general fund allowed us
to cover the 2014 shortfall from
non-designated assets. In total
$13, 400 was spent on snowsuits,
boots, hats, and mitts last winter. Going forward, all donations
our commitment that no student
of the LBPSB should ever have to
face a Montreal winter without appropriate warm, waterproof clothing, at both the elementary and
secondary levels.
Programme CFER de recyclage
de palettes - Lasalle
Le CFER (Centre de Formation
en Entreprise et Récupération) est
un réseau de programmes dans les
écoles secondaires du Québec qui
sert à préparer les élèves qui ne
finiront probablement pas leurs
études secondaires en leur faisant
acquérir des habiletés professionnelles et fondamentales pour
entrer dans le marché du travail.
La CSLBP offre depuis longtemps
deux programmes à l’école Riverdale et, depuis 2013, un nouveau
programme à l’école secondaire
Lasalle dans le cadre duquel des
palettes brisées sont ramassées,
recyclées en bois d’allumage et
revendues. À la fin de l’hiver,
une occasion s’est présentée pour
améliorer grandement la viabilité
financière de ce programme autofinancé, qui a été étendu à la réparation et à la revente des palettes.
Pour ce faire, il fallait un chariot
élévateur. Un entrepreneur de Lasalle a offert de nous en vendre un
au prix coûtant de 8 000 $ (même
s’il avait reçu des offres du double
de ce montant par d’autres acheteurs intéressés). Il y a des anges
partout! La FPÉ a accepté et a l’a
acheté, ce qui a assuré la survie du
programme qui aurait peut-être
fonctionné au ralenti à cause de
revenus insuffisants.
Overture with the Arts
A very interesting partnership
has been developed with Overture
with the Arts (OWTA) .This young
organization, based at the Riverdale Community Learning Centre
and headed by powerhouse Akilah
Newton, provides workshops and
extra-curricular classes at lunch
and in the afternoon in music,
dance, graphic and performance
arts to students in the north-east
sector of our board who would
never be able to afford them at market rates. Developing their marketable skills and keeping the students
in the school enhances academic
success and lowers drop-out rates
in a fun way. As they are not yet in
possession of a CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) charity registration,
we have successfully applied for a
number of grants from foundations
and government funding agencies
to pay for these programs. In addition, PEF has taken on a mentoring
role as OWTA matures and prepares to apply for full charity status
in a few years.
Looking at the Year Ahead
The Second Annual Fun Run in
May, 2015 doubled in participants
and revenues, and efforts will be
made to exponentially grow this
super family event in the coming
year.
And we are always open to novel
fund-raising suggestions; it is vital
that we keep it fresh.
PEF will continue to seek out
and foster partnerships with other organizations, businesses, and
sports clubs, and apply for more
grants from funding foundations,
to expand our existing programs,
while keeping our ears and eyes
through the LBPSB payroll deduc- open to new ways to support the
tion plan will be directed towards students of the Lester B. Pearson
the Rona Cupak Fund; we hope School Board.
Education is a public trust. The
that this measure will ensure the
long term automatic viability of need is great. We will not falter.
Stein Day,
from page A1
dents had the chance to watch
the filming, participate as extras
and engage the actors in discussions on bullying. What a wonderful learning experience. And
what fun to see our movie star
Principal, Sheila Honeyborne on
the big screen!
Our schools are moving forward with wonderful programs
being taught in inspiring spaces.
I have visited the STEAM room at
St. Anthony’s and the new amazing spaces at Dorset elementary.
This latter school has benefited
from the incredible generosity of
Burovision, who reorganized the
library, a new STEAM room and
the staff room with new modern
furniture and equipment allowing our student’s to feel comfortable and safe in their learning
environments.
And lastly, we have been
working hard with community
partners in Quebec to provide
information to our government
on School Board structures. The
Minister of Education appears to
be completely disconnected with
what’s happening in schools or
school boards today and has
refused to engage with any education leaders to understand
the strengths we have out there
and how WE would like to see
improvements in our systems.
The proposals that he has talked
about do not begin to address
the ultimate raison d’être for our
existence, that is to achieve student success. We are prepared
to continue to work towards
success for each student. Our
results are proven and we wish
to contribute nothing more than
that to our community.
Excellence
in Vocational
Training
and
Adult
Education
This could be your
opportunity to:
• Master a vocational
program
• Complete a high school
diploma
• Obtain pre-requisite
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CEGEP or vocational
education
• Improve your language
skills
• Upgrade your
employability skills to
become more competitive
in today’s workforce
• Receive free counseling,
support, and referral
services
visit our website at:
www.
pearsonskills.
com
Pearson NewsA3
Novembre/November 2015
LBPSB’s Student Services Department hosts presentation on
Teens and Alcohol abuse by Director General of Educ’alcool
by Viviane Briand
Consultant in Addictions
Prevention/Health Promotion
Student Services Department
Working together to increase
awareness of teen alcohol abuse
On Thursday November 26th the
LBPSB’s Student Services Department was proud to host a dynamic
and informative presentation on
Teens and Alcohol abuse by Mr.
Hubert Sacy, Director General of
Educ’alcool. This event brought
together professionals and paraprofessionals of our high schools
and adult education centers,
nurses and social workers from
the health and social service network and youth counsellors from
Fosters drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, all of whom work
together to prevent and reduce alcohol and drug related problems
among young people through
education, awareness and early
identification. This presentation
is part of the on-going series of
workshops on adolescence and
risk taking offered annually by
the Student Services Department.
One participant, Melissa Wallach
who works with older teens and
young adults at PACC Vocational Center stated the following:
“Even in adult ed this issue is relevant. I found him (Mr. Hubert
Sacy) to be an excellent speaker
and all the material he shared was
relevant and important. The way
he presented made it light and interesting. The timing was perfect
and the message was clear.”
Schools and parents make a
difference
Research in neurobiology indicates that the teen brain is wired
to take risks. Teens who consume
alcohol often engage in risky behaviors such as participating in
drinking games, combining alcohol with other substances and
drinking in large quantities. Early
alcohol use increases risks of incidents and accidents, risky sexual behavior, violence as well as
road accidents. As adults, efforts
that encourage teens to delay the
age of initial intake can make a
significant difference, and when
adolescents do start drinking, all
efforts to promote moderation
need to be made. The prevention
of alcohol-related risk behaviors
among teens requires a multifacetted approach that includes:
increasing knowledge of the risks
and realities of alcohol abuse,
enforcing attitudes that promote
moderation and providing adolescents with appealing positive
alternatives. Effective prevention
requires finding a balance between providing support and implementing necessary measures
of control.
Although as educators and professionals we have an important
role to play, parents involvement is paramount in influencing outcome for teens. This has
led Educ’alcool to create a number of classroom resources as
well as a guide for parents. These
resources are available on the
Educ’alcool website at http://educalcool.qc.ca/
Sometimes students are the
best teachers
Because of the entrenched culture
among young people whereby
drinking large amounts of alcohol
and getting drunk is valued and
moderation may be considered
uncool, it is sometimes difficult
for adults to promote the value
of moderation without sounding
“preachy”. Student leaders can
play an influential role in educating their peers. As stated by one
participant, Stephanie Miller, a
Guidance Counsellor who works
at Beaconsfield High School and
at the Gordon Robertson Beauty
Academy “The importance of
teaching teens moderation and to
learn to police themselves was a
very important point that Mr Sacy
so eloquently explained throughout his presentation”. Educating
student leaders to increase awareness among their peers can be an
effective approach for schools and
community groups to consider.
Beacon Hill 50th Anniversary:
The Celebration Continues
This year begins the 50th anniversary celebrations of Beacon Hill Elementary. Congratulations to grade
4 student, Ella Cloutier, whose logo
submission was the winning design!
A beautiful new banner is deco-
rating our school entrance and
students are currently in the process of working with artist Seguin
Poirier to create a mural for the
school. Each student will have a
tile within the mural, commemo-
Responsible drinking is about
all of us
Although the focus of Mr. Sacy’s
presentation was on adolescents
and alcohol abuse it also provided us with a fascinating overview
of alcohol consumption among
the general population in Quebec. Educ ‘alcool also provides
practical information on drinking guidelines, tips when hosting
parties and no-nonsense advise to
encourage us to enjoy the pleasure
of alcohol while keeping risks to a
minimum. Great advise to keep in
by Christine Beaton
mind with the upcoming Holiday
season. I’ll toast to that!
The 7th annual Spotlight on the
Arts took place last Friday November 27 at the Palais des Congrès. As part of the 2015 Quebec
Provincial Association of Teachers Conference, the activities
ranged from workshops to educational movies to roundtable
discussions.
The 2015 QPAT Conference
was presented over the course of
two days – Thursday November
26 and Friday November 27 –
and was accessible to all educators in Quebec. The goal of the
conference is to bring educators
up to date with the latest information concerning their classrooms, their pedagogy and their
students. Educators could participate in presentations on a range
of subjects including sustainability in classrooms, the power of
picture books and how to incorporate iPads in a student’s learning process.
Spotlight on the Arts was a fourhour presentation given in collaboration with MA[D]2, a subcommittee made up of representatives
from the nine Anglophone school
boards in Quebec. Suzanne Nes-
bitt, Educational Consultant for
libraries and cultural programs
for the Lester B. Pearson School
Board, is co-chair for Spotlight
on the Arts. Its goal is to increase
awareness of the importance of
the four arts – music, art, drama
and dance – as well as to harbour
expertise in Arts Education. Its
members believe that inspired art
teachers inspire students to reach
new heights of self-expression
and self-awareness, creating true
life-long learners.
The presentation consisted of
multiple activities and exhibitions. The ArtHive went on for
most of the day and consisted of
hands-on art creation for teachers in visual arts and music. An
Art Hive is a community art space
that welcomes all artists and promotes inclusion, respect and art
learning. Teachers were encouraged to join in, familiarize themselves with different techniques,
materials and tools, through art
making explorations that can be
brought back to the classroom to
use with students. There was also
an ongoing mural creation by
students in collaboration with EN
MASSE. The organization works
with artists from all sectors of the
rating this grand anniversary.
Here are a few pictures of the
preparations, along with the final
product. More exciting activities
to come for this special year at
Beacon Hill!
7th Annual Spotlight on the Arts
art world including graffiti, alternative comics and illustration.
A roundtable discussion led by
Sylwia Bielec about technology in
the classroom was the first presentation of the day. The discussion
was called “Harnessing ubiquitous technology for Arts Education” and focused on encouraging
arts teachers to embrace technology in the classroom rather than
fight it.
There were two workshops
given as a part of the presentation. One by Martin Labrie, titled
“The Timeline Codex: Teaching
History for Art, Drama, Dance
and Music without … a Scene!”,
aimed to help art teachers incorporate history in their art lessons.
The second workshop was called
“Inspired by Today!” and was
given by Melissa-Ann Ledo. Its
purpose was to encourage teachers to move beyond traditional
approaches to teaching art and
allow their students to channel
their inner creativity.
The day’s activities ended just
before noon with the presentation of the hands-on art productions made by teachers as well as
the mural made by students.
Greendale Elementary Receives $16,000 from Chapters/Indigo
For three weeks every fall,
Chapters/Indigo unites employees, customers and their communities in raising money to rejuvenate elementary-school libraries
across Canada. Through their
in-store and online FUNdraisers,
they help their adopted school
or community group fund the
programs that mean a lot to the
school community.
As part of this annual fundraising initiative that took place
between September 20 & October 10, high needs elementary
schools from coast to coast were
paired with Indigo, Chapters and
Coles stores to raise funds for new
books which are in short supply.
When the school hosts an in-store
FUNdraiser, Indigo donates 10%
in cash or 20% in Indigo Giftcards
of all purchases made by invited
guests during the function.
When a school registers for the
Online FUNdraiser, people are
encouraged to go on-line daily
and vote (adopt) for the school
of their choice. In each province,
the school that receives the most
adopts during the competition
period receives $10,000 from
Chapters/Indigo. The school that
receives the second most adopts
is awarded $7,500 while the third
place school is awarded $5000.
This money, in the form of gift
cards, can be used to purchase
books for their school library.
Greendale Elementary was adopted by Chapters Pointe-Claire
this September. The Greendale
Home and School Association
took the lead in organizing the
in-store and on-line
fundraisers that netted Greendale over
$11,000.00. In addition,
Greendale
came third in the
province of Quebec in the on-line
competition and as
a result, will receive
an additional $5000
bringing
Greendale’s total to over
$16,000. Teachers
are eagerly anticipating the arrival of
the gift cards so that
they can start ordering books for the
library. Well done
Greendale community!
Do you have an
article to submit for
the Pearson News?
Please send your articles and
pictures to your Principal who will
forward them to us.
Questions or comments? Email Dan
Mullins at [email protected]
A4Pearson News
Novembre/November 2015
Remembrance Day Ceremony at St. Patrick Elementary
by Michael Rabinovitch,
Principal, St. Patrick
November 11th, 2015
The students and staff of St. Patrick Elementary came together on
November 11th to commemorate
our veterans and fallen soldiers
during the annual Remembrance
Day Ceremony. We were honoured with many special guests
who included two veterans and
an RCMP officer – all of which are
parents of some of our students.
The students who are involved
in Sparks, Beavers, Cubs, Brownies, Guides and Scouts dressed
in their uniforms and joined the
procession lead by our piper.
Our students lead the way with
poems, performances and definitions about Remembrance Day.
The grade 4s recited “In Flanders
Fields”, written during the First
World War by Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John
McCrae. A group of our grade
6 students performed the poem
“Why Wear a Poppy?”, written by
Don Crawford. The entire school
joined together in singing “Song
of Peace” by Mary Donnelly and
George Strid. Two students from
each class gave definitions about
Remembrance Day and one student in each grade level lit a can-
dle in memory of our soldiers.
As a proud school community,
we honoured those brave men
and women who believed in democracy and fought to protect the
very freedom we are able to experience today. We will remember.
Below is a list of Commissioners along with their school board locals.
Ward Communities Commissioner
The Lester B. Pearson School Board
Digital
Citizenship
Digital
Citizenship
Program
Program
The Lester B. Pearson School Board
(514) 422-3000
Local
Chairman
All
Suanne Stein Day
30101
1
Lasalle/Verdun
Mary Ann Davis
30121
2
Lasalle/Lachine
Frank Di Bello
30122
3
Lachine/Dorval
Joshua Arless
30123
4
Pointe-Claire
Noel Burke
30102
5
Pierrefonds-Roxboro
Nan Beaton
30125
6
Dollard-des-Ormeaux
Craig Berger
30126
7
Kirkland/Dollard
Laura Derry
30127
8
Beaconsfield
Martin Sherman
30128
9 Pointe-Claire/Beaconsfield/Baie d’Urfé/Ste. Anne
Eric Bender
30129
10
Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue/Île-Perrot
Domenic Pavone
30130
11
Off-Island North
Daniel Olivenstein
30131
12
Off Island South
Wayne Clifford
30132
Parent
Sharad Bhargava
30161
Parent
Sandra Buckingham
30162
Parent
Frank Clarke
30162
Parent
Student
Student
Executive Committee
Council of Commissioners
Monday, December 7
Monday, December 14
Michael Nalecz
30163
Cierra Leitman
Tyler Nacke
5:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m. Board Room
Board Room