EMSB launches new website with general educational activities

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the English Montreal School Board has begun making a list of general educational activities available to parents and students via two websites: www.emsb.qc.ca/emsb/community/education and https://ecoleouverte.ca/en. The latter emanates from the provincial government. These activities are optional and will not be graded nor count for marks.

As of April 6, a list of grade level specific educational activities will be provided to school boards. These will be shared with the schools, and school teams will share them with the parents and students. These too will be optional, not to be graded or count for marks.

It has already been announced that all end of year Ministry exams are cancelled and year-end grades for the final report card will be produced by the teachers, using their professional judgement based on grades from the first two terms. This week, teachers are being asked to contact their students to see how they are doing and to suggest that they engage in some of the learning activities available to them.

“The EMSB has also worked very hard over this last week and weekend to create its own list of learning activities that parents and students can avail themselves of, starting Monday,” said EMSB Director General Ann Marie Matheson. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank our teachers, educational consultants, Student Services professionals and board directors for their hard work on this initiative! The goal in providing these learning activities is not to complete the regular curriculum, but rather to continue to stimulate student interest and learning.”

Ms. Matheson notes that next week school teams will take on a more active role in both providing appropriate grade level learning activities to their students and by supporting those students who were receiving their direct support prior to the shut-down. This process will be coordinated by principals and include members of their multi-disciplinary teams of teachers, resource teachers, special education technicians, guidance and addiction counsellors and other Student Services professionals.

EMSB Assistant Director General Evelyne Alfonsi also wished to thank those responsible for developing the comprehensive new educational platform aimed at helping students learn at home during this period of school closure. “This new space offers an exciting list of educational resources as well as a variety of learning activities to help keep our students academically stimulated,” she said. “New activities will be made available every Monday for our students from pre-school to Secondary V.”

The EMSB also has a message for its more than 20,000 Adult Education and Vocational Services students. “Your education matters to us,” says Angela Spagnolo, Regional Director for AEVS. “We understand that exams, assignments, stages and courses may not have been completed prior to the mandatory shutdown. Please know, that upon our return to school, we will do our utmost to ensure that your educational goals are met.”

Ms. Spagnolo explains that adult education works very differently than the youth sector. “When we’re able to get back, we will give them the opportunity to continue where they left off,” she says. “So. if they were ready to do an exam, we’ll give them the opportunity to do so. If they were in the middle of their stage, they’ll be given the opportunity to finish it.”