Polyvalente de l'Érablière
Encyclopedia
The Polyvalente de l'Érablière (or also called École Secondaire de l'Érabliere; English translation: Sugar bush High School) is a french language
public high school
located in Gatineau
, Quebec
. It is located in the Côte d'Azur/Limbour district
of the Gatineau sector at the intersection of rue de Cannes and Boulevard la Verendrye.
It was opened in the Fall of 1978 and the student
population came primarily from the surrounding Limbour and Mont-Luc and Touraine subdivisions. At that time, the school was built in the middle of a large vacant field with little development around it. Today, several condominium projects have been built around the school. In addition, Boulevard La Vérendrye was also extended in 1999 as a freeway towards the Alonzo Wright Bridge with a partial interchange
connecting the school. Also, multiple bike paths were built in the vicinity south towards Mont-Luc, Cantley
and the lower Limbour area, west towards rue Saint-Louis, Chelsea
and the Hull
sector and east towards the lower Côte d'Azur area, Touraine and eastern section of the Gatineau sector. Additionally, a large stairwell at the back of the school offers an easier access to students from the Mont Luc and Limbour areas. The stairwell was subject to controversy in 1993 when the school administration
criticized the former city of Gatineau for using property that belonged to the Commission Scolaire des Draveurs
. The project was halted but later completed after a compromise between the two parties.
Today, students come from all across the Gatineau sector and some from the Hull sector as well as from the Cantley
and Val-des-Monts
municipalities.
, shirts, sweaters and pants depending on the season.
After a delay of the delivery due to problems involving the distributor, Mini Polo, uniforms were distributed to all students by the end of 2004. New demands and new collections of uniforms were also responsible for the delay. There were also problems during the distribution of the uniforms when several of the articles were missing or not delivered properly. The problem was fully resolved by the end of 2004.
In addition to the difficulties surrounding the delivery, the dress-code was met with some opposition, mainly by the student population, some of which defied the new code. Prior to the official decision by the administration, a student petition
was circulated to show their opposition to the new rule. However, a telephone survey
conducted by the school's administration showed that 72% of parents were in favor of the use of the uniform at the l'Érablière High School
Prior to this policy, there were also protests made by students in 1993 and 1999 contesting the dress code policy of the school. In 1993, over 150 students were suspended due to their participation in a marching protest. Their true intentions were to publish the fact that all pieces of clothing were going to be made in other countries, therefore forcing over a thousand students to participate in a transaction with other countries, which was not to the advantage of the province of Quebec at the time. All clothing ended up being made in Mexico, Thailand and other foreign countries.
for skilled students, called "Programme Micro-Informatique"; English: Micro-Computer Program. Many projects in all courses on this program requires the usage of the computer and an admission test is requires with a high mark to obtain a spot for this program.
web site : [www.jags.ca.cx]
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
public high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
located in Gatineau
Gatineau
Gatineau is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is the fourth largest city in the province. It is located on the northern banks of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario, and together they form Canada's National Capital Region. Ottawa and Gatineau comprise a single Census...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. It is located in the Côte d'Azur/Limbour district
Neighbourhoods of Gatineau
List of neighbourhoods in the City of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.-Aylmer Sector:* Centre-Ville Aylmer* Champlain Park* Deschênes* Glenwood* Lakeview Terrace* Le Plateau * Les Cedres* Lucerne Nord...
of the Gatineau sector at the intersection of rue de Cannes and Boulevard la Verendrye.
Start and development
The school is one of the smallest high schools inside the city of Gatineau. It enrolls approximately 1,200 students from Secondary 1 to 5 and other groups such as the Cheminement Particulier Continu (Continuous Individual Advancement) and the Cheminement Particulier Temporaire (Temporary Individual Advancement).It was opened in the Fall of 1978 and the student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
population came primarily from the surrounding Limbour and Mont-Luc and Touraine subdivisions. At that time, the school was built in the middle of a large vacant field with little development around it. Today, several condominium projects have been built around the school. In addition, Boulevard La Vérendrye was also extended in 1999 as a freeway towards the Alonzo Wright Bridge with a partial interchange
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
connecting the school. Also, multiple bike paths were built in the vicinity south towards Mont-Luc, Cantley
Cantley, Quebec
Cantley, Quebec, Canada, is a rural municipality north of the city of Gatineau, east of the Gatineau River, located within Canada's National Capital Region approximately 15–20 minutes from Parliament Hill. The population in 2006 was 7,926. Between 2001 and 2006, Cantley had the largest population...
and the lower Limbour area, west towards rue Saint-Louis, Chelsea
Chelsea, Quebec
Chelsea is a municipality located immediately north of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada and about 7 miles north of Ottawa. Chelsea is located within Canada's National Capital Region. In 2006 the population was 6,703....
and the Hull
Hull, Quebec
Hull is the central and oldest part of the city of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the west bank of the Gatineau River and the north shore of the Ottawa River, directly opposite Ottawa. As part of the Canadian National Capital Region, it contains offices for twenty thousand...
sector and east towards the lower Côte d'Azur area, Touraine and eastern section of the Gatineau sector. Additionally, a large stairwell at the back of the school offers an easier access to students from the Mont Luc and Limbour areas. The stairwell was subject to controversy in 1993 when the school administration
Academic administration
An academic administration is a branch of university or college employees responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the institution and separate from the faculty or academics, although some personnel may have joint responsibilities...
criticized the former city of Gatineau for using property that belonged to the Commission Scolaire des Draveurs
Commission Scolaire des Draveurs
The Commission Scolaire des Draveurs is a public Francophone school board operating in Gatineau, Quebec. The school board was created in 1986 in the old city of Gatineau about 15 years before amalgamation...
. The project was halted but later completed after a compromise between the two parties.
Today, students come from all across the Gatineau sector and some from the Hull sector as well as from the Cantley
Cantley, Quebec
Cantley, Quebec, Canada, is a rural municipality north of the city of Gatineau, east of the Gatineau River, located within Canada's National Capital Region approximately 15–20 minutes from Parliament Hill. The population in 2006 was 7,926. Between 2001 and 2006, Cantley had the largest population...
and Val-des-Monts
Val-des-Monts, Quebec
Val-des-Monts is a municipality in the Outaouais region of Quebec, Canada, located about 40 kilometres north of Ottawa. It has a population of 10,139 residents. Formed in 1974 by the merger of the towns of Perkins, Saint-Pierre-de-Wakefield and Poltimore, it consists mainly of farms and mountainous...
municipalities.
Uniform policy
In April 2004, the school administration, led by principal Micheline Boucher, decided to adopt a strict dress-code by imposing that all students wear uniforms, consisting of polosPolos
Polos generally refers to a high cylindrical crown typically worn by mythological goddesses.Polos may also refer to:* The plural of polo* In music, the polos is one of the interlocking parts of Kotekan...
, shirts, sweaters and pants depending on the season.
After a delay of the delivery due to problems involving the distributor, Mini Polo, uniforms were distributed to all students by the end of 2004. New demands and new collections of uniforms were also responsible for the delay. There were also problems during the distribution of the uniforms when several of the articles were missing or not delivered properly. The problem was fully resolved by the end of 2004.
In addition to the difficulties surrounding the delivery, the dress-code was met with some opposition, mainly by the student population, some of which defied the new code. Prior to the official decision by the administration, a student petition
Petition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....
was circulated to show their opposition to the new rule. However, a telephone survey
Opinion poll
An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...
conducted by the school's administration showed that 72% of parents were in favor of the use of the uniform at the l'Érablière High School
Prior to this policy, there were also protests made by students in 1993 and 1999 contesting the dress code policy of the school. In 1993, over 150 students were suspended due to their participation in a marching protest. Their true intentions were to publish the fact that all pieces of clothing were going to be made in other countries, therefore forcing over a thousand students to participate in a transaction with other countries, which was not to the advantage of the province of Quebec at the time. All clothing ended up being made in Mexico, Thailand and other foreign countries.
Micro-Computer Program
The school also has a special computer programComputer program
A computer program is a sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task with a computer. A computer requires programs to function, typically executing the program's instructions in a central processor. The program has an executable form that the computer can use directly to execute...
for skilled students, called "Programme Micro-Informatique"; English: Micro-Computer Program. Many projects in all courses on this program requires the usage of the computer and an admission test is requires with a high mark to obtain a spot for this program.
Individual Learning Programs
There is also a program for students having behavioral or learning difficulties. The program is called Cheminement Particulier Continu (Continuous Individual Advancement) in which students learn in a different way, conducting various types of activities in addition to their regular one. There was also the Cheminement Particulier Temporaire (Temporary Individual Advancement) which was heavily used before the students were sent to regular and larger groups.Junior football team
The school is also home to a Juvénile AA (junior) football team called the Jaguars who were Division II provincial champions in 2004. In 2007, the team won the Outaouais Division I championship but lost to the J-H Leclerc Incroyables (Granby) in the provincial final.web site : [www.jags.ca.cx]