Parents from five of the six English Montreal School Board (EMSB) schools up for closure got creative in briefs presented to the board Monday night.

Governing board representatives from Wagar, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Patrick School, McLearon and St. Gabriel School highlighted the strong points of their schools, while proposing to increase the EMSB’s dropping enrollment rate by implementing new programs in the curriculum.
 

Students and staff at Wagar High School, already struggling with the possible closure of their school in June, are also  having to deal with a lack of sufficient administrative support.

According to Zora Maher, the school’s governing board chair, Côte St. Luc’s only high school is losing administrative resources in its crucial final year of existence. Due to low enrollment, Wagar now only has access to a part-time principal, a vice-principal who has been working there less than a year, two new secretaries and a part-time guidance counsellor. The school’s many at-risk students are paying the price, Maher said, as their academic success is directly related to continuity and assistance from administrators who know them.



 

Police, Canadian Jewish Congress, Wagar High School principal Michael Christofaro and officials of the Kol Yaacov Synagogue agreed last week to find ways to prevent further confrontations at the Côte St. Luc storefront synagogue.

The meeting took place in light of a scuffle that erupted two weeks ago Tuesday after a former Wagar High School student spat inside the synagogue two weeks ago Tuesday. A window was broken, and an injured occupant of the synagogue was arrested. According to witnesses, the occupant said he was reacting to what he felt was an anti-Semitic gesture.

Wagar High School principal Michael Christofaro says he is meeting today with Canadian Jewish Congress to discuss an incident which happened a week ago Tuesday at a storefront synagogue in Côte St. Luc.

The incident, which allegedly included Wagar students, led to a broken window at Caldwell Avenue’s Kol Yaacov Synagogue and injuries to an adult student at the synagogue.

Police were called to investigate an incident that led to a broken window and injuries to an adult student at a Côte St. Luc synagogue Tuesday afternoon.

According to witnesses, the fracas began when a former Wagar student passing the Congregation Kol Yaacov storefront at 5771 Caldwell St. spat on the door. A fight broke out between the passerby and an occupant of the synagogue. The man was later taken to hospital for treatment.

With the closing of Wagar High School next June a distinct possibility, a variety of groups and organizations are expressing interest in acquiring the facility.

The English Montreal School Board announced at its Aug. 25 council meeting that Côte St. Luc’s only public high school is slated for closure along with five other schools. The board designated the Wagar facility as the preferred site for the relocation of the Marymount Adult Centre.

The English Montreal School Board should explore the possibility of selling Wagar High School to the City of Côte St. Luc, should it close, for use as a local recreation facility, says CôteSt.HampWest borough chairman Robert Libman.

Wagar, with a current enrolment of 269 students in a building designed for 600, is one of several EMSB schools slated for closure next year. The board estimates Wagar’s enrollment will have dropped to 223 by 2008-2009 if it isn’t shut before then.

Mario Dumont, leader of the Action démocratique du Québec, visited Wagar High School on March 20 to mark the International Day for the Eradication of Racial Discrimination.

He addressed a school assembly, stressing the importance of diversity and respect for different cultures, and received a standing ovation. Later he joined students for a multicultural lunch in the cafeteria.

From the onset of Black History Month to "Anti-Racism" Day (March 21), Wagar  High School students have been busy delving into their roots, (and exploring family trees) preparing for  their annual Multicultural Celebration, emphasizing citizenship, distinctiveness, mutual interest, and respect.

"There is a team of students at Wagar that have all the right stuff of young leaders," says Community Spiritual Animator Gladys Batten-Baldwin." These young people are characterized as being thoughtful and gifted volunteers who work regularly in the community, or students who embrace a discussion about morality, religion, social, and political issues, or sometimes, they are both."

Ms. Baldwin notes that the academic year began with an after school trip to  the nearby Caldwell Residence where Wagar students presented in song, and learned about the Jewish holiday of Succoth. Subsequently, a number of  students began volunteering regularly on Friday mornings to walk with seniors from Maimonides Geriatric Hospital Center at the  Cavendish Mall. 

For many seniors, this is their only outing in the week and they depend on our students. Some of the students continued to help out at Caldwell during special events and   doing deliveries for the local CLSC (René Cassin).

"Some of our Muslim students who were attending orientation to work with seniors, respectfully juggled an after school orientation meeting with making sure they were home in time for their family's evening breaking of the Ramadan fast," says Ms. Baldwin. "These are amazing, dedicated, well-rounded Wagar students. They are our unsung heroes, and our seekers and makers of meaning. They live rich lives and add richness to the lives of people they touch.  I am privileged to work with them."

Wagar High School (5785 Parkhaven) in Côte Saint-Luc will hold its  fourth annual Multicultural Celebration on Thursday, March 20, 2003 (11 am) on the eve of the International Day for the Elimination of Racism. Students will be treated to a special guest performance by the Union United Church's Men's Gospel Choir. Local dignitaries will be on hand.