This year, the Jésus-Marie school (EJM) in Beauceville is celebrating its 50th anniversary. On this occasion, EnBeauce.com went to meet its director, Nathalie Fortier.
In post for 7 years, Nathalie Fortier is also a former student of Jésus-Marie. She will have seen the school transform over the years, with the aim of always meeting the needs of students and teachers.
If the EJM celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2023, its building is celebrating its 100th anniversary. In fact, before 1973, the latter was the Beauceville normal school. It was administered by the Religious of Jesus-Marie since 1923 for girls. The school will become mixed in 1966.
« When the normal school closed, the nuns rented the building to the CSSBE while they thought about what to do next. As their primary dream had always been the education of young people, they chose to open a coeducational private school in 1973 », explained the director.
« They started modestly with a first cohort of 28 students. Three nuns were there to teach. Subsequently, the school has always been concerned with meeting the needs of the children and the population of the region. Over time, the boarding school gave way to larger classes. There were over a hundred residents at the time. ».
The arrival of the first lay people
With the number of students increasing over the years, the nuns, who also had their duty to fulfill in the community, gradually gave way to lay teachers to help them.
But this change never changed the main objective of the EJM, which was to remain attentive to children, families and the community to best meet their needs. “ The school has always continued to develop, whether lay people or nuns at the helm », added Nathalie Fortier.
Regarding the values transmitted to the EJM, they have always been the same since its beginnings.
« First of all, respect. Self-respect, but also staying true to your family values to be able to develop well. Respect others and respect the environment. This is how the environment is healthy, safe, how you can develop and how you feel good. Everything has to do with family. When we talk about Jesus-Mary, we talk about the house. We say welcome home ».
A school in constant evolution
Despite a century-old building and walls steeped in history, the Jésus-Marie school is continually seeking improvement to meet the needs of its students. When she arrived seven years ago, Nathalie Fortier’s first major project was to reorganize the spaces.
« The first year, I wanted above all to meet the young people, the teachers and to “experience the school”, to be able to establish priorities. The first thing I did was the technology lab, because we taught technology, but we didn’t have any. I wanted to provide a safe and adapted environment to meet educational needs », Detailed the former student.
« Then, I wanted to resolve life problems. We therefore moved the living environment to the ground floor and outside. Pedagogy and teaching were placed on the 3rd then on the 4th floor. The administration arrived on the second floor. To do this, we created a living space on the ground floor, with the Garaga space. We set up the science laboratory on the 3rd floor, next to the technology laboratory, so that teaching could be gathered in the same place. ».
After this reorganization, the Jésus-Marie school tackled the library, which had become too small for a current class group. Thus, the nuns agreed to give up their chapel in order to build a new library.
« With the new training room which will be built next to the gymnasium, space will be freed up on the 2nd floor to further expand the library », added Nathalie Fortier.
Obviously, all restorations or modernization are carried out each time with respect for the building. The goal is to modernize without damaging the old.
In important short-term projects, the new training room is currently under construction in order to offer more modern equipment to students and other potential users.
« We want to finalize the cafeteria and build an outdoor classroom. We also want to complete the exterior infrastructures and develop them so that they meet the needs of students and teachers. », added the director.
Highlights throughout school
When Nathalie Fortier was asked about the highlights of recent years, her first thought was to remember her first day.
« My first official return to school with the students. It was a day with great emotions. I was back home, but as director. It was a wonderful day ».
« I also remember the day when I had to bring a former teacher out of retirement, because I needed a quality French teacher. So I brought Marcel Roy out of retirement and he is now the president of the foundation. It’s a real thing “, she mentioned again.
Obviously, each time a nun has to leave school, it is also a heartbreak for the Jesus-Marie “family”. “ They know that when they leave, they don’t come back. It’s a lot of detachment for them, and for the rest of us, it’s difficult ».
To conclude, Nathalie Fortier had a message to convey to future students, who will choose to study at Jésus-Marie.
« The message would be to choose us, because they want to choose us. I don’t just want them to come because their parents say it’s a good school. I want them to come visit us and meet us. Because if they feel good, safe, with programs that they like, they will learn to surpass themselves and they will be able to achieve their dream. » she concluded.
2023-11-12 23:12:05
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