EMSB kicks off Kindergarten Registration campaign with French-only press conference

During the month of January, the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) will be celebrating how the French language is cultivated at its schools through the arts. On Tuesday, January 9 at Dante Elementary School in St. Leonard, programming was unveiled at the Board’s first-ever press conference held exclusively in French.  

EMSB Assistant Director General Jack Chadirdjian  and EMSB Educational Consultant Sonya Jean were the emcees. One of the special guests was Stéphane Tétrault, a celebrated Canadian cellist who has made international headlines. He attended the EMSB’s FACE and Royal Vale schools. When he was enrolled at FACE elementary school, he didn’t speak English. By the time he graduated Royal Vale High School, he was bilingual and went on to become a professional musician. 

In January, several artistic and cultural events will be happening at schools during the month. This is part of the Quebec government’s La culture à l’école program.

One special feature is an online advent calendar for January with each clickable date opening a window into a mini cultural experience. Created by the team of pedagogical consultants for French as a Second Language in elementary schools, the calendar was designed for teachers to explore, with their students, the diverse aspects of Quebec culture in French. Available in two versions appropriate for younger or older students in elementary school, many aspects are covered including songs, literature, sports, dance, painting, cooking and more.    

Calendar for the older ages : https://bit.ly/3sWoVfw  

Calendar for the younger ages : https://bit.ly/3RljsZ4  

At the press conference, the EMSB  recorded a podcast in French and had guests visit classrooms to speak to students directly and answer their questions. 

The  EMSB is also very pleased to have surpassed its expectations for the 2023-2024 academic year, having hired nine new teachers from France. This brings its contingent from that country to a total of 12, who are teaching in nine elementary schools as generalists across all grades, and three in high schools who teach the French language as well as other courses taught in French.

About the English Montreal School Board 

With a youth and adult sector population of more than 35,000 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, the EMSB network consists of  73 schools and centres. For more details, visit the EMSB website at www.emsb.qc.ca.