Fancy a bit of history intertwined with modern education? You are standing before \u00c9cole Secondaire Cavelier-de-LaSalle. This French-language public secondary school is located in Montreal’s LaSalle borough.
\u00c9cole Secondaire Cavelier-de-LaSalle is part of the Centre de services scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys. It used to be part of the catholic school board Commission scolaire Sault-Saint-Louis. This changed in 1998. School boards were reorganized from religious to linguistic communities in Quebec.
The school opened its doors in 1964. Extensions were added later. In 2019, it had 1874 students.
Its name honors Robert Ren\u00e9 Cavelier de La Salle. He was the area’s first lord and a French explorer. He was born in Rouen France in 1643 and died in Texas USA in 1687.
In 1967, Quebec implemented “\u00e9coles polyvalentes”. This came from the Parent Commission Report of 1963-1966. Baby boomers and urban sprawl drove this change. These schools combined general and professional education. They came from a school reform promoting collaboration flexibility and openness.
The building has two stories and few windows. It is a monolithic block of brown bricks with concrete elements. Inside are regular classrooms science labs and art workshops. There is also a cafeteria a library and an auditorium. Sports facilities include a gymnasium.
Today you will also find computer labs and a music room. Nearby Laurier-McDonald park offers outdoor facilities. These include a 400 m running track soccer fields a baseball field and tennis courts.
\u00c9cole Secondaire Cavelier-de-LaSalle offers many activities. Students can participate in chess cultural trips and cooking classes. Dance debate club and environment brigade are also options. A fabrication laboratory improvisationnel theatre and media creation are available. Music musical theatre poetry and race club are also on offer. Robotics shows singing and slam are further possibilities. Science expo ski club and technical staging round out the activities. Students can also participate in theatre visual arts exhibition and yoga.
In June 2012, there was a video incident. A substitute teacher showed students a disturbing video. The teacher was suspended and a crisis team was sent to the school.
Isabelle Morin once taught French in the Dramatic Arts program here. Later she was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in 2011.
Several famous people are alumni of \u00c9cole Secondaire Cavelier-de-LaSalle. Jos\u00e9 Gaudet and Mario Tessier are humorists in Les Grandes Gueules. St\u00e9phane Rousseau is an actor and comedian. Marie-\u00c9laine Thibert is a singer.
\u00c9cole Secondaire Cavelier-de-LaSalle aims to create a stimulating and creative environment. Students are encouraged to participate in activities and projects. Teachers and staff are dedicated and generous. Each student can create a personalized path. This path prepares them for their aspirations.
The school uses technology extensively. It has a large computer park. This includes computer labs interactive whiteboards tablets and Chromebooks. The school wants students to be ready for tomorrow’s technological environment.
\u00c9cole Secondaire Cavelier-de-LaSalle emphasizes student success and celebrates achievements. It supports initiatives that allow students to excel. The school strives to ensure students succeed in their secondary education. The motto is “Towards success one student at a time one step at a time”. They aim to leave a lasting impression on their students’ lives.