by Alycia Ambroziak

T h e s e four peo-ple may c o m e

from different areas and back-grounds but they all have one thing in common – they are adult learners attending adult and voca-tional centres at the Lester B. Pear-son School Board.

“You have showed such strength… …in going back to school and changing your lives,” LBPSB Director General Robert Mills told 70 students at a special celebration, part of the annual Adult Learners’ Week in Quebec.

“We may have opened the door, but it’s you that walked in,” he

added. “I hope you take great pride in what you have done – and in what you are doing.”

Students from all seven LBPSB Adult and Vocational centres – the Gordon Robertson Beauty Acade-my, the Pearson Adult and Career Centre (Vocational), the Pearson Adult and Career Centre (Adult Education), the Pearson Electro-technology Centre, Place Cartier Adult Centre, the Sources Adult and Career Centre and the West Island Career Centre – took part in the ceremony, each receiving a certificate recognizing his or her commitment to lifelong learning.

LBPSB Chairman Suanne Stein Day told students to be proud of their accomplishments.

“The decisions you have made

Director General’sReport to Council

by R. T. Mills

China – India I.L.P. Developments

I am pleased to report that a recent trip, as grueling as it was, to both China and India, has confirmed the ongoing expan-sion of our International Lan-guage Program. In China, Carol Mastantuono and I meant with our partners in that country and were pleased with the status of our agreements and the ongoing developments in that country. In India, we had the opportunity to meet with representatives of the Canadian High Commission, a step that elevates the profile of our organization with govern-ment officials. We were also able to confirm the continued expan-sion and growth in this market for both part-time and full-time students who will be studying with us in the immediate future.

Celebration of Adult Learners’ Week

This year’s Adult Learners’ Week celebration took place at the Board’s head office on the first of April, and it gave me great pride to offer my congratu-lations in person. The students honoured on this occasion are smart, hardworking and coura-geous. They have demonstrated a determination to improve their lives and the lives of their fami-lies.

Current Enrolment Projection and Staffing

At both school and Head Of-fice levels, tracking of enrolment for the next school year con-tinues on a daily basis. Initial teaching numbers have been as-signed to schools and organiza-tion of classes is now underway. Given the restrictive budget al-locations received from MELS in recent years, this is always a dif-ficult task, demanding flexibility and creativity. Please remember that adjustments will be made in many cases from now until the end of September.

We are hopeful that the new government will move quickly to provide our budgetary pa-rameters so that planning can be done effectively as the year pro-gresses.

Student End-of-Year Evaluation

Although evaluation of student progress is done on a continu-ous basis, the intensity certainly increases from this point to the end of the year. Students at all levels will undergo standardized tests mandated by MELS, in-school examinations and those

Chairman’s Report

to Council

by Suanne Stein Day

I have had so many opportuni-ties this month to see our students in action and I’m overwhelmed by the efforts put in by our school staffs to make learning so engag-ing and effective for them. The arts and sciences are more than alive – they are growing! I had the distinct pleasure of attending Annie at Sherwood Forest, Oliver at Riverdale and Peter Pan at St. Anthony’s. The amount of work that went into the details of these productions is obvious. Teachers, daycare staffs and support staff all work together to give children a learning opportunity they are not likely to forget.

Equally impressive were the schools that, this month, turned their gyms, hallways and class-rooms into art galleries. The cre-ativity of our teachers just blows me away. What they manage to achieve with pencils, crayons and paint, as well as clay, tin foil and glue is incredible. Teachers man-age to break down techniques so that even our youngest can pro-duce art. Our children are then SO proud to escort their parents, siblings and grandparents around showing them their creations. So thank you to all the schools that invited me to their art vernissages with a special shout out to Ver-dun Elementary whose Cat Gala brought art to a whole new level. I look forward to more in May.

On the science fronts, I just love watching what our students are doing with none other than Lego! This is not your grand-father’s Lego though. The new kits of Lego Robotics are teach-ing children analytical and pro-gramming skills at very young ages. The children, boys and girls, are engaged and excited about their learning and if we can hook them in grades 5 and 6 (or earlier!) maybe we’ll keep them challenged through to gradu-ation. And I know that no one has any doubts that these skills will be useful as this generation moves to adulthood. As I told the hundreds of people who attended this weekend’s Junior Robocup, the teachers who are supporting robotics are spending far more

See MILLS page A2

See STEIN DAY page A2

The Pearson NewsFROM THE DIRECTOR GENERAL & CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

Avril/April 2014 GRATUIT/FREEVolume XVI No. 9

FINALDU DIRECTEUR GÉNÉRAL ET DE LA PRÉSIDENTE DU CONSEIL

Do you have an article to submit to

Please send your articles and pictures to your Principal who will forward them to us. Questions or comments? Email Dan Mullins at dmullins@lbpsb.qc.ca

the Pearson

News?

to go back to school is huge and often very difficult,” said Stein Day. “You should be very proud of yourselves - we are very proud of you.”

Students from all walks of life – including one student who decid-ed to study at the Pearson Electro-technology centre after graduating from university – spoke about the journeys that led them to con-tinue their education, whether it was in the LBPSB’s building and public works program, comput-ing support, administration and computer technology, the food and beverage program, automo-bile mechanics, interior decorat-ing and display, health services, beauty care, electrotechnology or honing language skills and getting a high school diploma.

For Noor Alabdallah, her road to the Sources Adult Career Cen-tre began after she fled from a very strict grandmother in Syria.

“It was one year ago today that I arrived here,” said Albadallah who was born in Canada but then went with her parents to live in the United Arab Emirates and then, after her parents divorced, on to Syria to live with her very strict grandmother.

“But I had to leave, there was no future for me there,” she said. When asked if she was fleeing Syria or her grandmother, she re-plied: “Both”

Once back in Canada, Alabdal-lah said she knew she had to work on her language skills and that`s when she enrolled into the LB-PSB’s Sources Adult Career Cen-tre.

And Alabdallah has done so well, that she has been accepted into the Bio-pharma program at John Abbott College.

“I’m very proud of what I have accomplished,” she added.

For Nicole Gagne, the road was a different one.

“I was broke, not employed and a single mother,” she said. “I knew I had to do something for a better life, and enrolling at the Gordon Robertson Beauty Academy is one of the best decisions I ever made,” said Gagne who, at 41, was wor-ried that she would feel out of

place as an older student. “But from the beginning, I felt right at home,” said Gagne, as she praised the instructors at her school. “I am learning from the best.”

Philip Cunnington and his friend Matthew Cantin didn’t even know each other when similar tragedies struck their young lives.

Cunnington fell asleep at the wheel in August, 2010, after a long day at work in telemarketing.

“I was working too many hours and was involved in a head-on collision, causing a complete pa-ralysis of my lower extremities, making me wheelchair-bound,” said Cunnington adding that after three years of intensive therapy, he

no longer needed the wheelchair.Cantin had a similar story – two

years ago, he was a passenger in a car involved in a serious acci-dent in Saskatchewan, where he had been working as an industrial welder.

“I broke 34 bones, my back in five places, had internal bleeding and damaged my spinal cord – I was told by doctors that I would never walk again,” he said, adding that “I was determined to prove the doctors wrong.”

And he did – after six months of intensive physiotherapy, he could walk, perhaps with a limp but he walked on his own.

Both young men had a passion for mechanics and, by sheer coin-cident, met at a car repair shop.

“We got to talking and soon re-alized we shared a similar past and a passion for cars…” said Can-

tin, adding that he had already planned to study mechanics at the West Island career centre.

Cunnington decided to do the same.

Cantin and Cunnington will be graduating this year and while Cunnington plans to ultimately own a high-performance auto re-pair shop, preferably in the South-ern U.S. where he spent much of

his youth, Cantin wants to stay in Quebec and open a shop that spe-cializes in classic car restoration.

“Living with a physical handi-cap can be hard, but you cannot let life’s obstacles keep you from achieving your dreams,” said Can-tin, adding that he and Cunning-ton are living proof that no mat-ter the circumstances, there is no substitute for hard work and the determination to succeed.

For his part, Cunnington said the West Island Career Centre has been a big part of their success.

“We’d like to thank the West Island Career Centre and its staff for being a part of our journey,” he said.

Veronique Marin, director of the LBPSB’s Adult Education and Vocational Training division, said both teachers and support staff at the adult and vocational centres are inspired by the courage and determination of their students.

“It takes a whole team to make this happen,” she said. “And it is you, the students, that remind us why we do what we do every day – you are our inspiration.”

Noor Alabdallah fled from Syria, and her grandmother, dressed only in her pyjamas.

Matthew Cantin and Philip Cunnington both survived serious injury.

Nicole Gagne was broke and unemployed.

Why We Celebrate Adult Learners’ Week

by Alycia Ambroziak

The stage has been set for an Ultimate Battle of the Books.

Pierrefonds Comprehensive High School successfully defend-ed its title last week as Battle of the Books (BoB) champions.

It was standing-room only last Thursday (April 10) as the four top teams from all 12 Lester B. Pearson High Schools met for an adrenaline-filled evening of give and take as students replied to questions in both regular and lightning rounds from 14 books selected earlier this year by high school and board librarians.

Students from Pierrefonds Comprehensive High School, St. Thomas High School, Lindsay Place High School and La-Salle Comprehensive Com-munity High School were quick to answer questions posed to them by guest moderators Sue Smith, host of CBC’s Home Run, as well as Michael Chechile, LBPSB Director of Educational Ser-vices and Julian Taylor, the MELS liaison for school li-braries in the English sector.

In what was reminiscent of the Reach for the Top television show which pitted students from vari-ous schools on general knowl-edge, the students from the four LBPSB high schools had to quickly name the title and author of the book after be-ing given a clue.

For example: In which book does the main character steal a Walkman ? Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.

In which book does a golf cart and sports car col-lide? Dear George Clooney, Please Marry My Mother by Susin Neilsen.

In the end, it was a close race as PCHS tallied 83 points, com-pared to 74 for St. Thomas, 64 for Lindsay Place High School and 59 for LCCHS.

But as Chechile pointed out,

students from all four teams were really winners.

“There are no winners, no los-ers – everyone here has done an amazing job and we are so proud

of each and every one of you” he said.

Students agreed.Chris Carpenter and Huthai-

fah Alfallah of LCCHS said they loved the books on the reading

list which included Zom-B by Darren Shan, Burning Blue by Paul Griffin, Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol and Heist Society by Ally Carter.

“I love the books – and I especially love the competi-tion,” said Huthaifah, who read all 14 books.

Faith Riddell, a grade 8 student at PCHS, said she joined in the action this

year because “I like reading and thought this would be fun.”

Lindsay Place`s Cooper Slutsken and Nabeel Qureshi, both described the event as fun

and awesome.“My English teacher got

me into reading,” said Na-beel.

St. Thomas`s Jackie MacKenzie, a grade 7 stu-dent at St. Thomas High School said she took part in BoB because she likes read-ing “and I`m not good at choosing books.

“This has been a lot of fun,” she added.

And the battle is not yet over – for the first time ever, three schools that are part of the Que-bec Association of Independent Schools (QAIS) – Selwyn House, Trafalgar and Miss Edgar and Miss Cramp`s – held their own Bob, and winners of that compe-tition will meet with the LBPSB champions on April 29 for an Ul-timate Battle of the Books.

The public is welcome to attend the event which will take place at 6:30 p.m. on April 29 at the LB-PSB head office, 1925 Brookdale Ave. in Dorval. For more infor-mation, go to http://lbpsbbat-tleofthebooks.wordpress.com/

LBPSB Students Compete in Battle of the Books

A2Pearson News Avril/April 2014

Mills, from page A1 Stein Day, from page A1of the High School Leaving pro-

cess. The challenge for students and for parents is to achieve a healthy balance of preparation and study time as well as oppor-tunities for relaxation, remem-bering that this can be a some-what stressful time fot young people.

TOPS ShowThe annual TOPS show is

scheduled for May 2 and 3 and is an event not to be missed. Each year, this student-organized and produced event is a tribute to the outstanding talents of students throughout our school board and this year’s edition promises to be the best yet!

Administrative StaffingThe administrative staffing

resolutions that will be pre-sented later this evening re-flect a rather complex dynamic that matches the needs of our schools and centres and their respective communities with the needs and competencies of our staff members., Tonight, we will see a number of transfers, pro-motions and new appointments, all of which are designed to en-rich our organization. I extend to each of the appointees my best wishes for continued suc-cess and happiness as they un-dertake their leadership roles for the coming year.

by Alycia Ambroziak

Students h a v e s p e n t

much of the winter honing their voices, studying their parts and setting the stage for a variety of musicals and theatre presenta-tions at Lester B. Pearson schools.Here are a few:

Oliver!A musical version of the tale of a young lad who runs away from an orphanage only to hook up with a group of youth trained to be pickpockets by an elderly mentor – will be presented at 7:30 p.m. on April 10, 11 and 12 to River-

dale high School, 5060 Sources Blvd. in Pierrefonds. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors and $5 for RHS stu-dents with school ID. For more information, call 514--684-9920 or contact josiearcobelli@gmail.com

Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being EarnestA musical comedy for serious people featuring the music of Elton John, will take place at 7 p.m. on April 10, 11 and 12 in the Steve Murphy Auditorium at Pierrefonds Comprehensive High School, 13,800 Pierrefonds Blvd. in Pierrefonds. Tickets cost $12 for adults, $8 for students. For

more information, call K. Brown at 514-626-9610.

Evil Dead the Musical The Canadian-made comedic take on the horror franchise with characters and demons taking to song and dance that became a hit and moved on to off-Broadway, will the presented at Macdonald High School, 17 Maple Road in Ste. Anne de Bellevue, April 24, 25, and 26. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $10 in advance, $12 at the door. For more informa-tion, call Ms. Jones at 514-457-3770.

The Front By author Robert Caisley, this

play takes a trip back in time to war-torn London during the Blitz of World War II. The award-win-ning play will be presented May 1 and 2 at 7:30 p.m. at the Louise Chalmers Theatre at John Rennie High School, 501 Blvd. St. Jean in Pointe Claire. Tickets cost $12 for adults, $6 for students. Tick-ets, which cost $12 for adults, $6 for seniors and students, can be purchased at the door or can be reserved online at http://www.jrhsactorsstudio.com. For more information, call James Colley at 514-835-0969. Email: info@jrhsactorsstudio.comThe JHRS Actors’ Studio website is http://www.jrhasactorsstudion.com

than class time on the projects. Robotics clubs are popping up all over the place and teachers are striving to stay a step ahead of the students. They didn’t learn this stuff in school! Sometimes, in-evitably, it’s the students teaching the teachers and these teachers are OK with that too, because the students are still learning.

Thank you to all our school and board staff who are making this all possible. And let me take a moment to thank Mrs. Barbara Freeston, President of Pearson Educational Foundation. It’s the Foundation that makes a lot of these projects possible in our schools, raising funds and apply-ing for grants that are going di-rectly to the classrooms.

Congratulations to the Pierre-fonds Comprehensive Battle of the Books team who came in first at the Lester B. Pearson compe-tition. The students had to read several books this year and then answer questions on them, Reach for the Top Style. The PCHS team will be going to the Ulti-mate Battle of the Books tomor-row against the winner from the Quebec Association of Indepen-dent Schools.

St. Anthony’s hosted four other elementary schools for a presenta-tion by Free the Children on their We are the Change tour. Many of our schools have been involved with Free the Children for years. Their organization teaches our children that no matter their age or social standing, they can each make a difference. Our schools have been instrumental in build-ing schools in many third world countries, bringing water to those schools, bringing supplies and, in fact, students to the schools help-ing some of these communities to be self-sustaining. Our children are making a difference in the world.

There is so much more happen-ing in May and I am truly looking forward to it.

On the “Front” at John Rennie High School

Musicals and Theatre Around the LBPSB

by Alycia Ambroziak

Take a trip back in time

to war-torn London with the John Rennie High School Actors’ Studio Spring production of the award-winning play, Front, by Robert Caisley.Set in London during the Blitz - a period of intense bombing as Adolph Hitler attempted to de-moralize the British population and force defeat of the British government - Front looks at the Second World War through the eyes of the women left behind while the men went off to fight.

James Colley, program and play director at the JRHS Actors’ Stu-dio, said Front - which won the 1996 Kennedy Center/Fourth Freedom Forum Playwriting Award - explores the lives of vari-ous characters; some rich, some poor and some who are trying to just get through the war while others daydream of the future.“All the characters in this piece are searching for something they have lost because of the war. They are seeking stability, nor-malcy and love,” he said. “Cais-ley’s play takes the audience on a ride through one of history’s most infamous wars – the writing is visceral and engaging and pulls you through a spectrum of emo-tions.”The appearance of German bombers in the skies over Lon-don began on Sept. 7, 1940 and lasted until May 11, 1941 when Hitler called off the raids in or-der to move his bombers east in preparation for Germany’s at-tempted invasion of Russia.During the Blitz, an estimated 40,000 civilians were killed, 46,000 injured and thousands upon thousands of homes and industrial installations were de-stroyed and damaged.

Brought to life by 37 actors in the JRHS Actors’ Program which was founded in 1999 by Louise Chalmers, Front will be present-ed May 1 and 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the Louise Chalmers Theatre at the high school located at 501 Blvd. St. Jean in Pointe Claire. Tickets, which cost $12 for adults, $6 for seniors and students, can be purchased at the door or can be reserved online at http://www.jrhsactorsstudio.comFor more in-formation, call James Colley at 514-835-0969. Email: info@jrhsac-torsstudio.comThe JHRS Ac-tors’ Studio website is h t tp : / /www.jrhasactorsstu-dion.com If you’re won-dering who did the impres-sive poster for Front, it’s none other than Ashlyn Vo who graduated from John Rennie

High School in 2012. Vo, who is now studying illustration and de-sign at Dawson College, said she was happy to oblige when asked to create another poster for the JRHS Actors’ Studio presentation. “I did three of them when I was a student at John Rennie – I re-ally like doing posters ,” said Vo who also did last year’s stunning poster for Peter Pan. “Right now, I’m into watercolours and pen and ink.”

by Bev Leith

The show must go on! Despite a double sump pump failure which caused flooding in our school gymnasium the day before the event, the 6th annual Beacon Hill Art Gala was another success! On April 16th, almost 600 attendees were impressed by the variety and quality of the art work by our 322 elementary students. They were also entertained by the student

band Style from St-Thomas High School. Projects ranged from colorful button trees, to clay feet, and art pieces inspired by famous artists such as Miro & Mondrian. The staff did an amazing job of decorating individual picture frames which were won by raffle. With the gymnasium unavailable, the art was creatively displayed in the hallways, drama room and li-brary. Thanks to the hard work of the students, staff, and dedi-

cated volunteers, we were able to raise $4600! These funds will be used to purchase new xylophones for the music program and stage props for the drama program. Our art gala has replaced more traditional fundraisers such as chocolate bar sales or magazine drives, and more importantly, demonstrates to the students that their creativity is valuable and ap-preciated.

Our annual variety show took place on March 28, 2014. This year’s show was L.A. meets New York and proved itself to be an impressive display of talent at Lakeside Academy. The show contained comedy sketches that revisited the Saturday Night Live classics, dance numbers, singers

and bands. More than 300 fam-ily members, friends and teachers came to see the show, which was a huge success, with everybody having a great evening of enter-tainment. The Show was once again an opportunity for Lake-side Academy to showcase all of our talents. Well done to all who

took part especially Mr. Labesse and Ms. Schwartz for their dedi-cation in putting on this show. A big thank you goes out to all the choreographers, dancers, sing-ers, musicians, technical crew and backstage crew for a job well done.Looking forward to next year.

Ashlyn Vo designed the poster for “The Front”. She graduated from John Rennie High School in 2012, and is now studying illustration and design at Dawson College.

L.A. Meets New York Variety Show at Lakeside Beacon Hill Art Gala a Success Despite Adversity

To learn more about the Lester B. Pearson

School Board’s Autism Spectrum Disorders Centre of Excellence, visit:

www.lbpsb.qc.ca/eng/asdn

Click here to find out more about the LBPSB Strategic Plan for 2010-2015

Together We Learn: Partnering for Student Success

Pearson NewsA3Avril/April 2014

April 2 is World Autism Aware-ness Day and students and staff at Thorndale Elementary in Pier-refonds wanted to do something special to create awareness and help the local autism community in Quebec.They made their own paper glass-es, as part of the Miriam Founda-tion’s “See Things My Way” cam-paign, reflecting the importance of empathy and individuality in the treatment, support, care, awareness, advocacy and mobili-zation of people with autism.

“We did this in recognition of stu-dents with autism who have at-tended our school, for those who are attending our school and for the students who will be in our school in the future,” said teacher Adriana Di Valerio who orga-nized the special Autism Aware-ness school-wide assembly.“The unique talents and accom-plishments of these students have enriched our learning environ-ment and the Thorndale family,” she added.Staff and students were asked to

make a donation – and donate they did. A cheque for $1,152 was presented to the Miriam Founda-tion - a non-profit organization that provides an array of services to people with intellectual dis-abilities - at the school assembly.. “I am so proud of our students, our staff and our community,” said Patricia Higgins, Principal at Thorndale Elementary.“Thorndale truly is a small school with a big heart.”

Have you ever wondered about which websites are educational and, at the same time, won’t turn your children into bored zom-bies?The best people to ask aren’t adults but the students them-selves.That’s what teacher Carol Ren-shaw thought and so she asked her grade 5 and 6 students at Terry Fox Elementary to do some research on appropriate websites that combine learning and fun. “My students needed to learn how to use the Libreoffice programs effectively, so this was a solution that not only accomplished that goal but also increased awareness of w h a t makes a fun – as well as ap-propriate – website for kids.The students worked hard, researching and testing various websites and came up with their favourites.Antonietta Rampone, principal at the Pierrefonds Elementary school, was impressed enough to share the list with the school community via their website.“This is a perfect example of Digi-tal Citizenship,” she said.As far as Grade 6 student, Eliza-beth is concerned, she worked hard on the research “so kids can have fun websites to go that can help them improve in school and not go on to site that can teach them inappropriate stuff.”Here are the students’ favourites.

Carlus and Justin recommend... www.coolmath-games.com

Emma and Melissa recommend... www.softschool.com

Bilal and Noah recommend... www.reflexmath.com

Adam and Cassandra recommend... www.kizi.com

Matteo and Savannah recommend... www.wonderville.ca

Frederic and Jaden recommend... www.jumpstart.com

Kevin, Bailey and Evan recommend... www.interactivesitesforeducation.com

Jasmine and Sommer recommend... www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3

Luca and Lindsay recommend... www.knowlegeadventure.com

Ryan and Felix recommend... www.agame.com

Stravroula and Demiyah recommend... www.typingtest.com

Hannah and William recommend... www.uptoten.com

Sarah, Ashley, Jordan and Emile recommend... www.safekidgames.com

Lucas and Zara recommend... www.multiplication.com

Thomas and Gina recommend... www.scholastic.com/kids

Kayla, Ryan, Chloe and Francis recommend... www.mathplayground.com

Brandon and Sabrina recommend... mrnussbaum.com

Minam and Yuri recommend...

www.hoodamath.com/games

Sonali and Reanna recommend... kids.nationalgeographic.

com/kids

Thomas and Hamza

recommend... kids.discovery.

com

Victoria and Serena recommend...

www.poptropica.com

Emily and Emma recommend...

www.brainpopjr.com

Cassandra and Trivan

recommend... www.primarygames.

com

Johanna and Elizabeth recommend... www.uen.org

Madison and Gabriel recommend... www.arcademics.com

Take a good look at the poster for the Pearson Educational Founda-tion’s May 4 Family Fun Run.Notice that globe-shaped running legs logo about half-way down the poster?It was designed especially for the run by Stephanie Netto, a Secondary 1 student at Pierre-fonds Comprehen-sive High School. “I wanted to keep the design simple, too much informa-tion can make it dis-tracting,”said Stephanie who plans to take part in Family Fun Run in Dollard des Ormeaux’s Centen-nial Park.Stephanie’s entry was one of 50 en-tries submitted to the foundation in an across-the-board contest. “We were happy to receive so many entries – it was hard to choose,” said Maria De Wolfe, principal at Westpark Elementa-ry School and member of the Fun Run Steering Committee which is composed of Lester B. Pearson School Board principals and con-sultants.“The race is not only fun for the whole family,” she added. PEF president Barbara Freeston

said participants can choose to enter the 2K or 5K run or walk.“And skipping, hopping and even gamboling are also permitted,” she joked.“Our partner, the Running Room, is handling all the registration

and supplying running bibs,” she said. “Young children will get a thrill of participating in a real run, just like the grown-ups.“And Centennial Park is an abso-lutely gorgeous place to hold the run – Spring has finally arrived; what better way to celebrate than with a run for everyone.”The cost for each person is $5 – all of which all goes to the Pearson Educational Fund - plus a $2.50 registration fee for any group or family of up to eight people.

The $2.50 fee covers the on-line transaction costs at the Running Room.The Pearson Educational Foun-dation provides funding for LB-PSB school initiatives beyond the scope of regular government

funding. The foun-dation also sup-plies winter cloth-ing for students in need, assists the LBPSB’s Hungry Kids programs and furnishes equip-ment and ingredi-ents for cooking classes in several alternate and life-skills programs.As well, PEF pays registration for en-tries to science and robotics tourna-ments, funds sev-

eral summer camps for students with academic or affective diffi-culties – providing fun and a leg-up for the next school year - and manages a number of in-memori-am bursaries for the high schools.All participants in the Fam-ily Fun Run must register online by May 1 by going to: http://www.events.runnningroom.com/site/?raceld=10602.For more information about the Pearson Educational Foundation, go to: http://pef.lbpsb.qc.ca

World Autism Awareness Day at Thorndale Elementary School

Terry Fox Elementary School’s Favourite Websites

Check out what’s going on with the International Studies ProgramVisit us on the web at: http://www.lbpsb.qc.ca/eng/intlstudies/indexV2.asp

PCHS Student Wins Fun Run Logo Design Competition

A4Pearson News Avril/April 2014

Below is a list of Commissioners along with their home telephone numbers and school board locals.

Home 422-3000 Ward Communities Commissioner Phone # Local 1 Verdun/Nuns’ Island Douglas Flook 514-293-2417 4001 2 LaSalle South Sergio Borja 514-366-1611 4002 3 LaSalle Northeast Ruben Fazio 514-365-1638 4003 4 LaSalle West/Ville St-Pierre Frank di Bello 514-951-5834 4004 5 Lachine Patrick Whitham 514-800-9240 4005 6 Dorval Barbara Freeston 514-636-9315 4006 7 Dollard-des-Ormeaux East Nan Beaton 514-683-0491 4007 8 Roxboro/Pierrefonds East Craig Berger 514-421-6570 4008 9 Pointe-Claire East Linton Garner 514-696-7892 4009 10 Pointe-Claire West Marc Lalonde 514-426-7124 4010 11 Dollard-des-Ormeaux Center Ruth Dangoor Gdalevitch 514-906-7320 4011 12 Pierrefonds/Île Bizard Domenico Pavone 514-613-2684 4012 13 Dollard-des-Ormeaux Center/West Martin Sherman 514-684-2742 4013 14 Dollard-des-Ormeaux W./Kirkland E. Joe Zemanovich 514-624-2376 4014 15 Beaconsfield North Don Rae 514-697-9878 4015 16 Kirkland West Suanne Stein Day 514-798-8797 2322 17 Pierrefonds West Luisa Bulgarelli-Vero 514-694-0475 4017 18 Ste-Anne/Baie d’Urfé/Beaconsfld S./Senneville Judy Kelley 514-697-7619 4018 19 Île Perrot Susan Bartlett-Lewis 514-453-6650 4019 20 Les Cèdres/Vaudreuil-Dorion Angela Nolet 514-453-5462 2299 21 Hudson/St-Lazare Daniel Olivenstein 450-458-1413 4021 CPC Secondary Representative Laura Derry 514-696-6836 4026 CPC Elementary Representative Alexander Perelmiter 514-675-4567 4027

Executive Committee May 20, 2014 5:30 p.m. Board Room Council of Commissioners May 26, 2014 7:30 p.m. Board Room

CPIC: Teacher PD Deadline for Applications for

Professional Development: April 7th Events taking place after May 8th, 2014, may also

be applied for at the subsequent meeting.

In the News...Note to readers: Due to a technical problem we were unable to compile a complete list of In the News items for the month of April. Here, however, is a partial list of news items in which featured LBPSB students or staff.

March 28 – Clearpoint goes international. The Chronicle.

March 31 – Bilingualism battle – debating Bill 14, interview with LBPSB Chairman Suanne Stein Day. CBC Radio

April – Front: a Play about women and war. John Rennie High School. Montreal Families.

April 1 – Holocaust education lacking in schools. The Gazette

April 1 – CBC Homerun about Provincial Election Platforms concerning Education

April 2 – LBPSB reverses position on emergency measures. The Suburban

April 3 – Quebec votes – interview with LBPSB Chairman Suanne Stein Day. CBC Radio

April 3 – LBPSB vs. secular charter. CBC Radio Homerun

April 8 – Quebecers ready to put Charter of Values to rest. Global TV

April 8 – West Island Gazette re Election Results

April 8 – Global TV re Election Results

April 9 – Righting the Ship Horizon thrift-shop. The Chronicle

April 9 – Musically Yours. The Chronicle

April 9 – Al’s Josh Bourque at Sunshine and Springdale . The Chronicle

April 9 – Going Out with a Bang – The Front at John Rennie. The Chronicle

April 10 – McGill students for a day- and maybe beyond. McGill Reporter

April 11 – CJAD Barry Morgan re Schools Forbidding Teachers from Friending Students

April 16 – Battle of the Books. The Chronicle

April 16 – Pearson rejoices in Lib’s majority win – Stein Day hoping to gain more autonomy over the board’s surplus under a Liberal government. The Chronicle

April 17 – French for the Future and LBPSB students. Le Devoir

April 17 – French for the Future makes bilingualism fun for students. Global TV

April 17 – French for the Future forum. Radio Canada

April 17 – Le gout d’apprendre de de realiser ses reves. Le Messager de Verdun

April 23 – Beaconsfield students rock out for good cause. Montreal Gazette, West Island

April 23 – Eustace to run for LBPSB chair in first contested election. The Suburban

April 24 – Interview with LBPSB Chairman Suanne Stein Day regarding the new Quebec Education Minister Yves Bolduc. City Breakfast TV

April 24 – City TV Breakfast Television on the new Provincial Cabinet and the new Education Minister.

April 28 – CJAD Barry Morgan on Shooting Simulations at CSDM.

Strategic Direction 4: Promoting Wellness in a Safe and Caring Community

Strategic Direction 3: Enhancing School Col-laboration and Community Partnerships

The Strategic Directions

Strategic Direction 2: Fostering and Support-ing a Commitment to Professional Growth for All

Strategic Direction 1: Maximizing Student Success in a Culture for Learning

By Judy Kenworthy-Grant, PSI Regional Coordinator

Throughout the year, these PSI articles have addressed the Peaceful Schools International guidelines. The final guideline is: “Opportuni-ties For Professional Development For All Staff Focused On Creating A Positive School Climate”

As the staff of our schools grows and changes, it is crucial that the vision of the school and the means by which it is being achieved be clearly articulated to our new staff members. In ad-dition, all staff members benefit from on-going opportunities for professional development.

The diversity and complexity of our students’ needs – academic, social-emotional and physical

- require all of our staff to have a wide range of knowledge and skills. LBPSB provides a rich envi-ronment of Professional Develop-ment at all levels of our organiza-tion.

PSI activities within this environ-ment have provided workshops at both the Board and the School levels. Board-wide, the Annual Student Peace Summit provides a forum to introduce new materials and topics into the schools. In re-cent years, we have addressed Re-lational Bullying, Conflict Resolu-tion, Homophobia, Cyberbullying

and Restorative Justice. Work-shops have been presented at the Integration Aides’ PD days ad-dressing Conflict Resolution, An-ger Management and Relational Bullying. Workshops have been provided to train staff to lead Peer Mediation Programs and Big Wheels Programs. Many of these same topics have been present-ed at School-level workshops to teachers, daycare/lunch staff and students. On May 16th, our Safe and Caring Schools Committee is sponsoring a Professional Day Conference “Peace It Together”. It will be an opportunity to cel-ebrate and share the vision of Peaceful Schools. It will be an op-portunity to gain new skills and knowledge “for all staff focused on creating a positive school cli-mate”.

Peaceful Schools International – April Wenger Makes Big Impact at CWAby Alycia Ambroziak

Andrew Wenger may have

made a big Impact on students at Children’s World Academy last Thursday (April 3) – but students at the Ville LaSalle elementary school also made a big impact on him.“”It’s really impressive to see the excitement the children have – for school and for soccer,” the 23-year-old forward for the Montreal Im-pact soccer team said at the end of an hour-long visit at which Wenger talked to the enthu-siastic young crowd gathered in the gym about important values such as com-mitment and perse-verance.He also handed out awards to six stu-dents, showed off some of his soccer skills, and answered questions from stu-dents.Four students – Lauren t -Miche l Carrier, Theo Barratt-Lamey, Maria Lombardo and Christopher Juneau - were given the awards for the way they conducted themselves and contributed to the school’s Soccer Mania program which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.The other two students, Massimo Silvestre and Kobe Clarke, were nominated as Most Valuable Play-ers.Wenger talked to students about his road to the Impact, the obsta-

cles he overcame and encouraged them to embrace the principles of respect, tolerance and cooperation.When asked what his one piece of advice would be, he told the stu-dents to dream big and hang onto those dreams.“Find something you really enjoy and go for it,” he said.Daycare educator Elizabeth San-niti was given a plaque and Soccer Mania t-shirt in honour of the work she has done with the Soccer Ma-nia Program for grades 5 and 6.“When I started this program ten years ago, there were only about

20 kids taking part – now we have 150,” she said. “My goal was that everyone is welcome to play, no exceptions.”Children’s World Academy Prin-cipal David Estok noted that the principles of the Soccer Mania program go hand in hand with the principles the school offers in its International Baccalaureate Prima-ry Years program.“It is all-inclusive – students are en-couraged to participate regardless of individual skill level or playing

ability,” he said noting that among other things, the International Bac-calaureate Primary Years Program encourages such traits and attitudes as cooperation, integrity, commit-ment, confidence, enthusiasm, re-spect, tolerance and confidence.“Our goal with the Annual Soccer Mania Tournament is to provide a concrete, everyday context where these ideals can be applied,” he added. “In this way, the Soccer Ma-nia provides a constructive, orga-nized activity that promotes physi-cal fitness as well as the ideals of our IB program.”

Players from the Im-pact soccer team will visit Dorval Elemen-tary on May 1 and Christmas Park Ele-mentary on May 8.As well, tickets at spe-cial discount prices are available through the Pearson Educational Foundation for the April 12 Impact game against the MLS team Chicago Fire.Three dollars of every ticket sold will go to the foundation which provides funding for LBPSB school initia-tives beyond the scope of regular government

funding. As well, the foundation supplies winter coats and boots for children in need, assists the LB-PSB’s Hungry Kids programs, and supplies equipment for various ac-tivities – from cooking to robotics – and funds summer camp adven-tures for students with academic or affective difficulties.Tickets can purchased for the April 12 Impact game at the Olympic Stadium by going to the Pearson educational foundation website at: http://pef.lbpsb.qc.ca/>

By Ingrid Farkas, Evergreen Parent

E v e r -green El-ementa ry

has a longstanding tradition of celebrating the joy of reading in a truly lavish way. Beginning May 2nd, the tradition will continue when the whole school kicks off it’s annual “I Love to Read” week with a special assembly featur-ing storytelling. The festivities will continue for a week with nu-merous activities, planned by a committee of dedicated teachers, headed by Ms. Linda Cregan.

The theme this year is Magic and the idea is to highlight the en-chantment of reading. Evergreen encourages students to embrace the joy and excitement that read-ing offers. Through activities such

as Read my Shirt Day, Dress as your Favourite Magical Character, Storytelling Contest, Rock & Read and many more, students will have the opportunity to travel through the magical world of reading all week long.

Evergreen teachers want their students to discover the wonders of reading. By dedicating a whole week to this celebration, children will be immersed in reading activi-ties in all areas of learning. This year, activities will incorporate technology by giving students the opportunity to read stories over the intercom and through internet Google Groups. In addition, sing-ing and dancing will also be a big part of the celebration as the kids dance to “Gotta Keep Reading” at the closing assembly on May 8th.

The purpose of “I Love to Read”

week is to inspire and celebrate a love of reading. Children are al-ready intrinsically motivated and with a little push can easily reach new levels in their magical journey through literacy. A magical theme makes reading fun and diminishes negative feelings sometimes asso-ciated with reading. As Ms. Cre-gan says, “The children really do get involved and what better way to encourage reading.”

The true magic in reading is that it has a very real effect. It can enhance self-esteem, build con-fidence and open doors to whole new worlds. The written word is a powerful gift and through “I Love to Read” week Evergreen aims to weave it’s spell and charm all of it’s young readers into mak-ing reading a regular part of their every day lives.

The Magic of ‘I Love to Read’ Week

Back from left to right:Andrew Wenger, Theo Barratt-Lamey, Massimo Silvestre, Laurent-Michel Carrier, Maria Lombardo, Karen Heather (Daycare Coordinator), Liz Sanniti (Daycare Educator)Front from left to right: Chris Juneau, Kobe Clarke

Pearson NewsA5Avril/April 2014

O n Wednes-d a y ,

April 23 (1:00 pm -2:00 pm), St. Anthony School will be hosting a very special event – the “We Cre-ate Change Tour”. This event, or-ganized by Free the Children, is part of a 10-week road trip across Canada to help encourage Cana-dian youth to go further in mak-ing change. Spencer West (who has no legs and who still climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro on his hands!) is the main speaker. He is joined by special guests and We Day talent, Hannah Alper and the Toronto band Neverest. Other surprise guests will be sure to inspire and excite our students!

Spencer will be touring school communities to celebrate all of the positive change that Cana-dian youth are making during the Year of Education. FTC’s goal is to build 200 schools this year in needy countries and Spen-cer is promoting this cause. Our school has been given this honor because of the amazing contribu-tions we have made both globally and locally. It is such a privilege to have been selected to represent Montreal!

St. Anthony students from grades 3-6 will be invited to at-tend as well as students from neighboring schools. Several St. Anthony students will be recog-nized for their achievements and

some will participate on stage. There will be media coverage from TV and newspapers.

There is no cost for this event. Students are invited to visit the Me to We booth where FTC t-shirts ($20.00 or more) will be sold as well as the Rafiki (friendship) bracelets ($10.00). Proceeds will go towards the building of the 200 schools. Any purchases are completely optional.

Students who already own a FTC t-shirt should wear it for this event. Cameras are permitted.“Change starts with one child, one classroom,one dream, but when we work together,it reaches an entire generation.”

by Jane Preston

LA Tech, team 4955, recently competed at the FIRST robotics competition held at Stade Uniprix here in Montreal.

The competition pits teams from all over Quebec and North America in a game called Aer-ial Assist. The aim of the game was to pass a two foot diameter exercise ball between ro-bots on a team of three and try to score in goals at one end of the field. At the same time we were to defend against an opposing team also trying to score.

Having started from nothing this year the team has been on a huge learning curve, helped enormous-ly by our tireless mentors. These people from institutions such as McGill University, Dawson Col-lege, Bombardier and even the Canadian Space Agency helped us to learn the finer points of robot design and construction.

The competition days were highly pressurised events with all

sorts of repairs and adjustments having to be made by the team in order to be ready for matches. It was very pleasing not to miss a single game and be able to field an effective robot in each round.

However frustration grew over the course of the first day as, for a variety of reasons, seven matches passed without a win. This was despite the loud support of our team of cheerleaders and a contin-gent of grade 8 students.

The eighth and final game of the day came and with it the highlight of the day. Not only did Ethel the robot, beautifully driven by Seth Nadeau-McMorran, earn her first win but also managed to catch a ball thrown by another robot. This difficult feat was only achieved

twice in the whole weekend, and was the difference in claiming that maiden victory.

The following day confidence was high and Ethel again proved her mettle winning two out of

three games including a winning ap-pearance in the highest scor-ing game of the whole tourna-ment with the eventual win-ners.

Sadly this late run was not enough to pro-pel us into the final rounds of the competi-tion, but it was great for a rook-ie team such as ourselves to

prove we could build a working robot and compete with teams who have been around much lon-ger and have far deeper pockets.

The team can take great pride in having accomplished so much in such a short space of time. A huge thank you goes out to everyone who helped make our journey to the competition possible - it really was the hardest fun we will ever have.

For more information on LA Tech please go to our website; www.frc4955.com

E a r t h Day was celebrated

with flair at Mount Pleasant El-ementary in Hudson as students

showcased their upcycling – the process of converting waste ma-terials into new materials or products of better quality or for better environmental value – art

works. Schools across the Lester B. Pearson School Board celebrated Earth Day with various activities, artwork, gardening and recycling projects.

Lakeside Academy Competes in FIRST Robotics

St. Anthony Elementary to Host “We Create Change” Tour

Earth Day Celebrated at Mount Pleasant

The Lakeside Robotics Driving Crew

Ethel the Robot (#4955)

The Lakeside Robotics Pit Crew

The Lester B. Pearson School Board

Digital CitizenshipProgram

The Lester B. Pearson School Board

Digital CitizenshipProgram

Excellencein Vocational Training and

Adult Educationvisit our website at:

www. pearsonskills.com