École internationale de Montréal

École internationale de Montréal (Secondaire) (lit. "International School of Montreal (Secondary)") is a small French high school located in Westmount, Quebec. It is a part of the Commission scolaire de Montréal (CSDM).

About the school

Most people use the acronym ÉIM (EIM) or ÉIMS (EIMS) when referring to the school. Its principal is Julie Duchesne. The school is situated near the Westmount Public Library. The school was opened in 1988 and is a International Baccalaureate (IB) school.^[2] The school uniform consists of a choice between red, white or grey polos and between a marine-black vest or jacket. Students were free to wear anything non offensive and not too short on the bottom, but since fall 2016, students are imposed to wear marine or black unicolored clothing on the bottom.

Even though the high school is public, it has an admission exam that sixth graders do in October each year. Usually, the school admits 120 students per year (4 classes of 30), but those who studied in École internationale de Montréal (Primaire) has the priority to be admitted to EIMS without any admission exams. The students from École internationale de Montréal (Primaire) who choose the school varies from 40-60 per year, thus making only 60-80 places for students from other schools. The number of students doing the admission tests varies from 600-1000, making the acceptance rate vary from 6%-13%.^[3]

In 2015, the school ranked 7th within all of Quebec's high schools, making it the 2nd best public high school in Quebec and 1st in Montreal.^[4]

In 2016, the school ranked 3rd within all of Quebec's high schools, making it the best public high school in Quebec and Montreal.^[5]

School life of a student

Usual Schedule

The school usually opens its doors at 7:55, school begins at 8:15 and ends at 15:10. A school day for the students is divided into 5 periods of 75 minutes:

• Period 1: classes for all (from 8:15 to 9:30);
• Period 2: classes for all (from 9:45 to 11:00);
• Period 3: classes for Sec.4-5, lunch for Sec.1-3 (from 11:10 to 12:25);
• Period 4: classes for Sec.1-3, lunch for Sec.4-5 (from 12:30 to 13:45);
• Period 5: classes for all (from 13:55 to 15:10).

The school also offers after school activities (called "Activités parascolaires") such as: guitar classes, improvisation, jewelry making, etc.

Homework and Projects

Homework and projects are often given by teachers and the students are expected to give them in at the due date. Projects are often related to the IB Program and students are supposed to do the projects while respecting the presentation code presented in the "How to Present a Written Work Guide" ("Guide de présentation des travaux écrits" lit. "Written Assignment Presentation Guide") and developing their profiles from the IB Learner Profile.

Evaluation

The students are often evaluate throughout the school year both in the Ministry of Education (MEES) way and the IB way. At the end of each semester (beginning November, end January and end June) there are several examination days when classes are cancelled and students come to school only when they have exams. In May there are also two fixed examination days for the provincial exams from the Ministry of Education (MEES).

Promotions

At the end of the year, students get promoted to the next year based on their results from the examinations. For different grades, different achievements are imposed:

• Sec.1: if the student obtains a result inferior to 60% in French or Mathematics, he/she will be suggested to take summer classes;
• Sec.2: if the student obtains a result inferior to 60% in French or Mathematics, he/she will have to take summer classes. If the student obtains a result inferior to 60% in French and Mathematics, he/she will have to leave the school;
• Sec.3: if the student obtains a result inferior to 60% in French, Mathematics or English, he/she will have to take summer classes. If the student obtains a result inferior to 60% in French and Mathematics or obtains a result inferior to 60% in 4 classes, he/she will have to leave the school;
• Sec.4: if the student obtains a result inferior to 60% in French, Mathematics, English, History and Citizenship Education, Sciences and Technology or Environmental Sciences and Technology, he/she will have to take summer classes. If the student obtains a result inferior to 60% in French and Mathematics or obtains a result inferior to 60% in 4 classes, he/she will have to leave the school.

Graduation and Diplomas

Students at EIMS graduate with up to 3 diplomas.

• Ministry of Education (MEES): The MEES gives the normal High School Diploma (DES). To obtain this diploma, the student has to pass these following classes: French (Sec.5), English (Sec.5 Advanced Program), Mathematics (Sec.4 or 5), Sciences and Technology (Sec.4), History and Citizenship Education (Sec.4), Ethics and Religious Cultures (Sec.5), Physical Education (Sec.5) and Arts (Sec.4 ou 5).
• IB: The IB gives the International Education Certificate. To obtain this diploma, the student has to have done all the hours of community service; based on the IB evaluation criteria, he/she should obtained at least a 3/7 for his/her Personal Project (PP), at least 2/7 in each subject groups and at least 28/49 when the subject groups' results and PP's result are added.
• SEBIQ: The SEBIQ gives the DESI (International Secondary Education Diploma). To obtain this diploma, the student has to get his/her High School Diploma (DES) and International Education Certificate; pass advanced French, advanced English, Spanish, Mathematics SN (Sec.5), Chemistry or Physics (Sec.5), Contemporary World Geography and Actualities and Personal Project (PP).

Activities

During the school year, students have many activities too.

Big Show (Grand Spectacle)

The students audition for the year end show called Big Show around October and the show is often on the second Friday of May in École St-Henri's auditorium. The Sec.5 are the ones who organize the audition and sell the tickets.

Christmas Activities

Christmas Activities is usually the last day before Christmas vacations (this activity was cancelled in 2015), students choose activities to do at school, there are usually karaoke, board games, gingerbread house making, dance, videogames and more.

Cultural Week

Cultural Week is usually a week during February where students taste food from all over the world. There are also shows and students can learn different cultural arts.

Dances

Throughout the year, many dances are held in the gymnasium of the school on Friday nights (or nights before a no school day), there are many theme for the dance such as Christmas Dance, Valentine's Day Dance, Spring Dance, End of Year Dance, etc.

End of the Year Party

The school often rents a field where students play soccer, frisbee, inflatable attractions, water dunk tank and eat hot dogs, popcorn, cotton candy cookies and popsicles.

Green Day (Journée Verte)

Green Day (Journée Verte) is often in the beginning of June, there is also no class on that day and students go on trips to La Ronde, cycling roads, aerial forest courses, archery fields, and more.

Sports Week

Sports Week is usually in the end of the year. Classes compete with each other in sports such as soccer, track and field, flag football, ping pong, and more. The winning classes (4 classes, 2 in Sec.1-3 and 2 in Sec.4-5) get pizzas and churros.

Thematic Days

Thematic Days are days where students are allowed to not wear the uniforms if they match up with the theme. Often, there are other activities on these days too. Some examples of the themes are:

• Anti Discrimination Day: students wear black and white.
• Christmas Day (which is usually the day before Christmas Activities): students wear white, red and green.
• Earth Day: students wear green. In the morning, teachers would be waiting at nearby metro stations and would walk with the students (instead of taking the bus), those who walk get a stamp and can exchange for food and get to participate in a draw for gift cards.
• Fans' Day: students wear clothing related to fandoms they belong to.
• Pyjamas Day: students wear their pyjamas. Student often get hot chocolate and cookies during lunch.
• Valentine's Day: students wear white, red and pink. Sec.5 students often organize a sale for kisses, chocolates and songs a week before. Students can buy those for their friends, loved ones and even teachers; they can also write letters and put it in a box where all the love letters are. On Valentine's Day, some of the Sec.5 students will go from class to class to give the kisses, chocolates, songs and letters.

Week of French

Week of French is usually a week in March where classes compete with each other and the teachers on knowledge in French grammar, vocabulary, songs and poetry. The winning classes (4 classes, 2 in Sec.1-3 and 2 in Sec.4-5) get pizzas and churros.

White Day (Journée Blanche)

White Day (Journée Blanche) is often in the end of February, there is no class on that day and students go on trips with the school to go ski, ice skating, watch movies and more. (In the school year of 2015-2016, this activity was cancelled due to strikes.)

School Trips

The school often organize trips to take the students outside of Montreal too. For example, Sec.3 students usually go to Tadoussac, Sec.4 students to New York City and Sec.5 students to Chicago. The Sec.1 and Sec.2 also had a trip once to Lac-Mégantic. (In the school year of 2015-2016, all the trips were cancelled due to a lack of education time caused by the strikes.) During summer, the school also organizes a trip to Italy for all the students. For summer 2016, the destination changed to Paris and Rome.

Teams

EIMS has several sport teams, such as a soccer team, a flag football team, a badminton team; it used to have a basketball team and a cheer-leading team. The school also has its own improvisation team.

Classes offered

Mandatory Classes

The school offers these following mandatory classes:

• Advanced French (class given in Sec.5);
• Arts (class given in Sec.1-4);
• Arts and Multimedia (class given in Sec.5);
• Contemporary World Geography and Actualities (class given in Sec.5);
• English, second language (separated in regular and advanced classes in Sec.1-3 based on placement examination done in sixth grade);
• Environmental Sciences and Technology (class given in Sec.4);
• Ethics and Religious Cultures (class not given in Sec.3);
• French, language of instruction;
• Geography (class given in Sec.1-2);
• History and Citizenship Education (class given in Sec.1-4);
• IB Design (class given in Sec.3);
• Literature and Theater Arts (class given in Sec.1-3);
• Mathematics (choice between SN or CST in Sec.4 and 5);
• Physical Education;
• Sciences and Technology (class given in Sec.1-4);
• Spanish, third language (class given in Sec.1-3, separated in regular and advanced classes based on placement examination done in sixth grade).

Option classes

EVEN MORE STRESS FOR ALL

References