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EMSB to offer online instruction only for students Wednesday in response to teacher strike

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The Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers has filed an official strike action to express their dissatisfaction in their collective bargaining negotiations with the Government of Québec. This right to strike is scheduled to begin at 12:01 am and end at 9:30 am on Wednesday, April 14, 2021. The teacher’s union has declared that teachers will then begin their regular duties. The strike action will affect the educational services offered to students. Several options were considered to mitigate the effects of the strike action, which included the closing of schools, modifying the instructional day or a migration to online learning. The strike will have major repercussions on bus schedules, daycare services, and logistics that could compromise the health and safety of our students.  Therefore, on Wednesday, April 14, the English Montreal School Board schools will offer virtual online instruction education to all our students. As students will be learning remotely from home, daycare and
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EMSB pleased with decision to return to high school hybrid model

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Montreal, April 6,  2021 -  The English Montreal School Board will have no difficulty in adjusting to the latest directives from the Quebec government to return to a hybrid model for  students in Secondary III, IV and V as of Monday, April 12. “We have implemented this very model for most of this year,” said EMSB Chair Joe Ortona. “Last week our system was placed under tremendous duress when we were told that we had to send all high school students back on a daily basis.” Mr. Ortona noted that last week the EMSB  agreed to send Secondary III students back.  As of Tuesday, April 6, this was expanded to 16 other high schools in the system. However, plans called for  six  other schools, which were programmed with a hybrid model for Secondary IV and V students, to continue to follow that path through the end of the academic year   “We respectfully ask the Quebec government to please retain this hybrid model for the rest of the school year,” said Mr. Ortona. “Our staff, students and parents
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EMSB responds to government directive on high school attendance

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Montreal, March 31,  2021 -    In response to the directive from the Quebec Ministry of Education that students in Secondary III, IV and V were  to return to school full-time as of Monday in red zones, the English Montreal School Board, after having carefully assessed the situation in each high school, has agreed to go forward with this plan where possible. This is consistent with the statement from the EMSB last week when it was  decided to stagger the return to school for the grades affected by this new directive and allow for the schools to properly plan and prepare for the full-time integration of secondary students in EMSB buildings and allow the Board to take into consideration the specificities of each school. All EMSB Secondary III students are now back in class. As of Tuesday, April 6, this will be expanded to 16 other high schools in the system. However, six schools, which were programmed with a hybrid model for Secondary IV and V students, will continue to follow that path t
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EMSB did not distribute Metallier Masks

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Montreal, March 27, 2021- The English Montreal School Board wishes  to confirm   that the following make and ID number of procedural mask , supplier Metallifer, number SNN200642 , was not distributed at any of our schools or centres. This is in response to a report that the provincial government sent out a directive on Friday saying that those  masks have “a potential for early lung toxicity.”   About the English Montreal School Board With a youth and adult sector population of more than 37,000 students, the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) is the largest English public school board in Quebec. Established on July 1, 1998, when the province created new boards along linguistic lines. Our network consists of 77 schools and centres. For more details, visit the EMSB website at www.emsb.qc.ca . -30- Contact: Michael J. Cohen Communucations and Marketing Specialist English Montreal School Board 514-826-0383
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Nicholas Katalifos appointed new EMSB Director General

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Montreal, March 25, 2021- The Council of Commissioners of the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) announced today the appointment of Nicholas Katalifos as its Director General, effective March 29.   Given the fact he is not immediately available to fulfil these duties, Pelagia Nickoletopoulos will serve as Interim Director General. Mr. Katalifos has worked for the EMSB and the former Protestant School Board of Greater Montreal for 29 years. For the past three years he has served as the Principal of the Wagar Adult Education Centre in Côte Saint-Luc. Prior to that he was the Principal of three elementary schools – Roslyn in Westmount and General Vanier and Pierre de Coubertin in St. Léonard – and he was the Vice Principal of two elementary schools – Gardenview in St. Laurent and Westmount High. He began his career in the education system as a teacher. Mr.  Katalifos has been integrally involved with community groups and associations, particularly as they relate to special needs. Sin
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EMSB Chair calls for Merton School staff and parents to be added to pilot project for COVID-19 vaccinations

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The English Montreal School Board welcomes the news that staff in close contact with students at  two additional schools in the West End will be vaccinated as part of a pilot project by Santé Publique Montréal. However,  Chair Joe Ortona expressed his concern that Merton Elementary School in Côte Saint-Luc has still not made the list. Last week the  EMSB learned that parents and staff in direct contact with students at four schools would be vaccinated:  Coronation Elementary School and Project Mile End Alternative High School in Côte des Neiges, John Grant High School in Côte Saint-Luc and Sir Mortimer B. Davis (Social Affairs School), based at the Jewish General Hospital.   Today, Mountainview Alternative High School  and the Wagar Adult Education Centre in Côte Saint-Luc and Marymount Academy International  in NDG have been added, but not Merton. "We understand this is a pilot project and that Santé Publique officials have decided to proceed based on postal codes, but we do beli
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EMSB generally pleased with the decision to vaccinate staff in pilot project; another school closed due to the variant

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The English Montreal School Board welcomes the news that staff in close contact with students at  schools in the West End will be vaccinated as part of a pilot project by Santé Publique Montréal. On Wednesday the EMSB learned that parents at four schools would be vaccinated:  Coronation Elementary School and Project Mile End Alternative High School in Côte des Neiges, John Grant High School in Côte Saint-Luc and Sir Mortimer B. Davis (Social Affairs School), based at the Jewish General Hospital. The EMSB had written to Santé Publique Director Dr.  Mylène Drouin asking for staff to be included. EMSB Chair Joe Ortona expressed his concern that not all school staff will be included in this campaign. "In-school administrators, custodial staff and volunteers who are in the building regularly should be on the list as well," he said. "Based on the documentation we received earlier today, that is not the case." Mr. Ortona reiterated the EMSB's call to have staff at all
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