Chairperson’s Report from Council for January 2026
With January comes a sense of renewal – new beginnings. With this new year, 2026, at the LBPSB, we have been immersed in launching the year with a vision of possibilities and realities to enrich and optimize student learning in a safe and caring environment. Although the first week back after the holiday break can require some re-energizing, it is not long before everyone is in synch and fully engaged in their work for the month ahead leading up to the March break.
We are in the midst of our 2026-2027 official registration for new students, which is from January 19 -January 30th. On the LBPSB home page there is a welcoming message – It says: Why choose the LBPSB? The Lester B. Pearson School Board prioritizes equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed for today’s world. Our students benefit from a rich bilingual educational experience, as we offer exceptional instruction in both English and French. These programs not only enhance language proficiency but also promote cultural understanding and global awareness.
Please, spread the word about our school board, as well as letting everyone you know who might not know the importance of obtaining certificates of eligibility for English education (even if they have opted for French education, for now). On the LBPSB website, under the Admissions tab, the steps for this application process are clearly explained, and as well, the QESBA is currently promoting English Education eligibility. Please see their website for more information.
This evening we will be officially receiving and approving the Annual Report for the 2024-2025 school year. Once it is posted, I urge everyone to read through the report which provides detailed insight into the work and activities at the school board during the last academic calendar year. In the Introductory remarks, shared with Dr. Cindy Finn, we state:
We are pleased to present the 2024-2025 Annual Report of the Lester B. Pearson School Board. This report highlights the activities over the past year that supported the mission, vision and values of our learning community.
The Lester B. Pearson School Board prides itself on working collaboratively with all partners and stakeholders. Our Commitment to Success plan is anchored in the belief that all students can learn and that sustained efforts are needed by all involved so that our students can grow and thrive. Our improvement efforts are fueled by actions that enable us to better meet the academic needs of all students, enhance the leadership efforts of our schools and centres, and place social-emotional wellness for students and staff at the heart of what we do.
In 2024-2025, we continued to ground our work in our commitment to equity, diversity, dignity, and inclusion. We recognize that we have students and staff with diverse life experiences, identities, and needs. We promote safe and caring learning environments by focusing on student and staff voices, using data to reflect on our actions, and to guide our decision making. This steadfast commitment is even more impressive against the backdrop of a world that is ever-challenging, uncertain, and complex.
The Council of Commissioners and the Administration of the LBPSB work hand in hand to best serve our students. The 2024-2025 school year was also a time for school board elections across the English School Board network. In November 2024, a new council of commissioners for the Lester B. Pearson School Board was installed. Considerable efforts since then have focused on issues of governance and advocacy to ensure the vitality and vibrancy of the English education network.
The accomplishments documented in this report are the result of the commitment and dedication of our staff. They also reflect the collaborative ways in which personnel work with parents and other partners to provide exceptional educational services in a safe and caring climate. We wish to express our appreciation for the efforts of all who make up the Lester B. Pearson community.
Thus, it is with pride that we present the 2024-2025 Annual Report of the Lester B. Pearson School Board. We are unwavering in our commitment to public education and will continue to provide the highest quality of services to enable each student to find their individual pathway to success.
In the upcoming month of February we will celebrate staff appreciation week and we will be watching the winter Olympics and cheering on our favourite teams. We will be honouring the legacy of Black people in Canada, and regionally in the Province of Quebec and in Montreal, during Black History Month. At the LBPSB, Black history is a recurring education topic in February, but is also part of learning at any time in the year when the opportunities arise to both celebrate Black history and to understand how critical it is to stamp out anti-Black racism.
On a solemn note, tomorrow, January 27th, is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, where worldwide and here at LBPSB we will remember the victims of the atrocities of the Holocaust and reflect on the danger of antisemistism. This, too, is part of the LBPSB curriculum, critical to ensuring our students understand past history and current realities and understand how critical it is to challenge injustices.
January 29th, also solemnly, is the National Remembrance Day of the Quebec City Mosque Attack shooting in 2017. You may see some people wearing green felt squares leading up to and on this day to symbolize this remembrance.
In these trying times as the world around us seems to be spinning out of our control, let us remind ourselves what we can control – that basic humanity, caring for each other, compassion and hopeful messages, and sharing heaping spoonfuls of kindness when we have the opportunity, can help our community to be the best it can be for the students of the LBPSB.
