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On his final day as Principal of St. Gabriel Elementary School Jim Daskalakis takes pride in leaving such an incredible mark

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Montreal, June 5, 2024 - Jim Daskalakis is retiring as Principal of St. Gabriel Elementary School in Pointe St. Charles and on Friday, June 21 he  presided over his final student talent show and then bid adieu  to a highly successful 40 plus  year career in public education. Students show their love for Mr. Daskalakis. Mr. Daskalakis spent 27 years as a teacher and vice-principal at FACE (Fine Arts Core Education) School downtown.  When he arrived at   St. Gabriel in 2011 the school’s enrolment was down to 103 and it was in danger of closing. By having the school embrace the arts, Mr. Daskalakis began to turn the fortunes around. He firmly believes that every student should get exposure to the world around them, not only through academics, but also through the Fine Arts. As he prepares to move on, the student population has grown to 214 and more young families are moving to the Pointe and choosing St. Gabriel. Mr. Daskalakis gets a gift from the school. Here is a musical set by the stu
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Katharine Childs leads the successful entrepreneurship program at St. Gabriel Elementary School

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  Written by Travis Hall, Educational Consultant, Career Development This time of year, schools are recognized by the   OSEntreprendre provincial student entrepreneurship contest for the projects they worked on during the academic year. St. Gabriel Elementary School  in Pointe St. Charles has developed a proud reputation in the competition over the years and this is in a large part due to the hard work of Katharine Childs, the leader of the school’s entrepreneurship program. The first thing that one realizes upon meeting Katharine is that she is very passionate about her work. Such is her passion that every year, under her guidance, multiple projects are submitted by every grade level at St. Gabriel School. She believes that every child, no matter their age or level, can participate in a project. And this includes preschoolers! No one is left out. Katharine is proud to add that all projects are spearheaded by the students themselves, even at such a tender age. “Students are bright, cr
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Award-winning writer, actor, director, producer Iris Bahr to speak at HSM Adult Education Centre

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Montreal, June 7, 2024    - Award-winning writer, actor, director, producer and host of the hit X-Rae and Near Death podcasts Iris Bahr will speak to students at the HSM Adult Education Centre (3711 de Bullion) in the Plateau on Tuesday, June 11 (6 pm). She is in town to perform at the   St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival. Her shows run through June 16  at the  Cité-des-Hospitalières at 251 Pine Avenue. Tickets are available here .    Iris has written two humorous memoirs. She also co-authored Book of Leon with comic JB Smoove.  Her books have been translated into numerous languages and one is currently being adapted into a feature film. Iris Bahr countless TV shows, Iris is best known for her recurring role on Curb your Enthusiasm, where she plays the Orthodox Jewish Girl who gets stuck on a ski-lift with Larry David, Hacks, The Conners, and her cable series Svetlana, executive produced by Mark Cuban, which she also wrote and directed for two seasons. Her critically acclaimed solo
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EMSB pleased with latest Court of Appeal win on Bill 96

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Montréal, June 2, 2024 – The English Montreal School Board (EMSB) is pleased with two Court of Appeal rulings issued late Friday afternoon pertaining to Bill 96, An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec. Court of Appeal Justice Geneviève Marcotte has rejected a challenge by the  CAQ government to a Quebec Superior Court decision rendered in April that provided the EMSB with a partial stay of provisions of Bill 96 and the Charter of the French language. That ruling also benefited other English language boards and the Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA). In addition, the EMSB’s request to appeal the same Superior Court decision that declared English language school boards to be “school service centres” was granted, and will be heard by the Court of Appeal once the Superior Court has ruled on the rest of EMSB’s Bill 96 challenge. Seven of the eight other English boards, as well as the QESBA, joined the EMSB challenge. “The fact that the Charter of
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Tired of violence: Options Alternative High School flips it out

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Montreal, May 31, 2024 – On Friday, May 31, students at Options Alternative High School   in Ville Émard concluded the academic year by metaphorically flipping violence out of Montreal by completing their challenge of flipping two tractor tires the distance between their school and the mid-way point of the Champlain Bridge.  Social worker Julien Bérube and Options' Jason Gannon with students. Annually, Project Development Officer Jason Gannon looks for unique ways to inspire his students. This year, he acquired two huge tractor tires weighing 550 lbs each and from May 1  to 31,  nearly 40 students, each in pairs, committed to flip the tires a total of 5,000 times. “This idea was borne out of two students in conflict. The expected response would have been traditional disciplinary action, but the staff, led by head teacher James Bray, decided to try something new,” said Mr. Gannon. “The students chose a teacher advocate and came together in a restorative circle. This action, is an e
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Special Olympics Olympiad held at McGill

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Photos and Video by EMSB Marketing Student Intern Rachel Campbell Montreal, June 4, 2024 - English Montreal School Board Special Education Consultant Sarah Lynch, Coordinator for the Centre of Excellence for the Physically, Intellectually and Multi-Challenged, reports that he Special Olympics’ Olympiad  held at the McGill Fieldhouse on May 31 was a big success. This collaboration between Educational Services and the Centre of Excellence for the Physically, Intellectually and Multi-Challenged grew from last year’s participation of 80 student athletes to 159 students this year from 12 different schools, under the supervision and support of more than 25 professionals and consultants and over 40 teachers and support staff.  The event was well attended by EMSB management, professionals and consultants from the Lester B, Pearson School Board and the EMSB, student coaches, principals and parents. The  Ministry representative for the anglophone community was in attendance as well as the Direct
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Two new challenges added to EMSB nrichment program

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Montreal, May 30, 2024- During the 2023/2024 school year, various schools across the EMSB took part in programming offered by the Gifted and Exceptional Learners team of five facilitators headed by consultant Dr. Camelia Birlean.   • Caribou international online math contest, aimed mostly at Grades 3 to 6. • Battle of the Books reading competition (Grades 4 to 6). • Global Issues Problem Solving (Grades 5 and 6). • Public speaking and debating (Grades 5 and 6). New this year were: • “SkillFire” creative thinking program from Destination Imagination (Kindergarten to Grade 3). • Let’s Talk Science Competition, a national STEM-based curriculum (Grades 6 to 8). These programs are traditionally offered to students who require further cognitive stimulation than what is usually offered through regular class instruction. Participants are given the opportunity to improve teamwork, public speaking and math skills, critical and creative thinking, effective researching and broadening
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