VANGUARD SCHOOL ALWAYS MOVING FORWARD | | |
Dear Parents,
Last year, in a brief moment of impatience and self-reflection, we asked ourselves a question that was simple yet profound: who, in the field of education, would take on the responsibility of innovating the very model of “school”? Who would rethink its purpose, consider the real needs of our young people, and the skills they need to develop for the life we must prepare them for?
And above all… who would dare to take the plunge? Not just to dream of “A Different Kind of School,” but to dream it with enough boldness to try to bring it to life.
In a moment of clear-headedness—or perhaps gentle madness…—we told ourselves that the adults of tomorrow cannot wait any longer… and Vanguard School must actively contribute to this change. It has the expertise, the boldness… and the responsibility to try.
So we decided to take action by surrounding ourselves with new partners and new areas of expertise—people who share our passion and our desire to explore and transform “school.”
We’ll be welcoming your child in just a few days, but know that we’re more motivated than ever to keep moving forward. We want to use our expertise not only to benefit your child, but also to benefit all those who do not have the privilege of attending Vanguard and who could benefit from all the pilot projects that will come to life within our walls this year. All our projects will share the same starting point: the needs of our young people and the desire to better prepare them for what lies ahead.
So this year, we’ll have plenty to share with you…
Follow us on social media.
Read our monthly newsletter.
And take a closer look behind the scenes.
You’ll be able to see our progress…
On behalf of the Vanguard School management team and all our staff, make the most of the last moments of summer.
And as always, don’t forget to tell your child that we’re incredibly excited to see them again…
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Annie Lamarre
Director General
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Our educational community is pleased to welcome Julien Dufort as Director of the Francophone high school, cycle 2. His professional background is enriched by a wide range of experiences in both the public and private sectors, at the elementary and high school levels, and in both French and English. More recently, he has focused his career on working with students with learning difficulties—a stepping stone that has led him to us!
With a wealth of professional experience under his belt, Julien Dufort is joining the Vanguard community to continue his own learning, contribute his expertise and unique perspective, and help us constantly improve and innovate for the benefit of the children.
Our 2026 - 2027 Management Team
Elementary: Andréanne Chagnon achagnon@vanguardquebec.qc.ca
Anglophone High School: Andrea Harding aharding@vanguardquebec.qc.ca
Acting Franco HS, 1st cycle: Francis Belley fbelley@vanguardquebec.qc.ca
Franco HS, 2nd cycle: Julien Dufort jdufort@vanguardquebec.qc.ca
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Access to the Parent and Student Portal will be restricted until the start of the school year. During this period, however, you will still have access to essential services such as OPUS card requests, school supply lists, and account statements.
In addition, several useful documents are available in the “Information” section of the portal, including:
- School transportation
- School calendar
- Code of conduct
- Uniforms
- Cafeteria services
Do you have the Coba app? To have all school communications at your fingertips, download the COBA Campus app, available on Android and iOS. It will allow you to view your child’s schedule, report an absence, and communicate with the school.
| | School photos will be taken on September 9, 10, and 11. More details will be provided later in a message from your child's sector secretary. | |
The cafeteria service will resume on September 9. Please make food arrangements for your child by then.
We're reminding you that we'll launch a new online platform this year. The old platform will therefore no longer be operational. The link to the platform will be sent to you at the end of the month, and it will be available starting August 31, 2026. If you wish, you will need to create a new account.
Current account balances will be transferred to your school account statement—either as a credit if you have a balance in your favor, or as an invoice if you owe money.
| | To apply for an Opus Card, go to the school's Portal and click on the “Opus Card Application” tab. You will then be redirected to the STM website to complete the procedure. | | | | |
ORGANIZED BY THE SCHOOL SERVICE CENTER
The School Service Centre will contact you directly.
ORGANIZED BY VANGUARD
Your child's schedule and pick-up location will be sent to you in a detailed email before the start of the school year.
For more information, please contact the transportation department at our school by email.
| | Wearing the uniform is mandatory starting on the first day of school. However, in the event of a delivery delay, students will be allowed, on an exceptional basis, a black T-shirt with pants or a skirt in good condition, without any tears. For a reminder of this information, please visit the school’s Portal, under the section “MY School / Information / Start of the School Year / Dress Code,” or the “Parents” tab, “Policies and Rules” section on our website.. | | It's back-to-school time, and you can't find our school calendar updates? No problem! They're available on our website in the “Parents” section" as well as on the Portal. | | |
School is like a second home. It is important to establish guidelines (which may differ from those at home) that enable us to live together harmoniously, with respect for others.
We encourage you to read our code of conduct and take advantage of the start of the school year to discuss these essential guidelines with your child so that everyone feels comfortable. We all know how deeply childhood wounds can affect us, so it is up to us, and to you, to equip our young people to learn both self-respect and respect for others. Take a look at the school's portal, under the section "MY school / Information / Back to school / Code de vie“ or on the school's website in the ”parents" section and discuss the subject with them.
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An updated version of your account statement will be available on the COBA portal starting August 24, 2026.
In accordance with the educational service contract:
- 50% of the balance is due at the start of the school year, on September 1, 2026,
- and the remaining 50% is due by February 1, 2027.
To access your account statement, please follow these steps:
Step 1:
- Visit our website.
- Click on the “Portals” tab located at the top of the page.
- Select “Parents and Students Portal” from the three portal options.
Step 2:
- Log in to the COBA portal using your credentials.
- Go to the “Account Statement” section.
- Download the updated statement available from August 25.
To make a bank payment:
Please follow the instructions provided in the following link: Bank Payment Instructions
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Vanguard School invoices are associated with a customer account number that you must record for future bank payments. Please add us to the list of organizations to which you wish to make payments, and you're all set!
If you have any questions about your account statements, please don't hesitate to contact us.
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We remind you of the importance of respecting parking spaces reserved for people with reduced mobility and charging areas for electric vehicles. These spaces are essential to ensure accessibility and the proper functioning of our facilities for everyone. Parking there without authorization may inconvenience those who need these spaces and compromise access to these services.
In addition, if your child drives to school, please note that they must park on Isabey Street, as the school parking lot is reserved exclusively for staff members.
We appreciate your cooperation in maintaining a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for our entire school community.
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VISIT THE « PARENTS » SECTION OF OUR WEBSITE
A “ Parents” section has been created on our website to provide you with information that we consider useful. Please feel free to consult it before calling us.
There are 2,400 parents... and Rosette, our exceptional receptionist, who is always happy to answer everyone with her infectious good humour, unfortunately cannot respond to everyone in a reasonable amount of time if many of you contact her at once. So please take a few moments to look at this section before calling us.
Please feel free to send us your suggestions for improving this section by writing to us via the Contact section. Helping you is one of our priorities. Let's never lose sight of the importance of always being (school and family) models of respectful communication at all times.
| | ALL ABOARD FOR THE ELEMENTARY BACK-TO-SCHOOL | | |
This year, the elementary school team will welcome your child under the theme “All Aboard”! This theme will inspire their activities and capture the children’s imagination throughout the year. It's more than a theme—it is a commitment to strengthening school-family collaboration.
So please tell your child that the entire staff is looking forward to seeing them on August 28, starting at 7:45 a.m. We know that some of you may be a little anxious about this day, but don’t worry—we’ve thought of everything. You’ll find all the details in this message from the principal, Ms. Chagnon.
Please note that the day will end at 2:40 p.m. To help us plan for students’ departure, please let us know how your child will return home by filling out this form.
| | The daycare service will officially open on August 28 from 2:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. for registered students. If you need a spot for your child and they are not yet registered, please contact the daycare. | | |
An associate teacher on our team will be accompanied by her service dog, a Golden Doodle named Cactus. Unlike a pet, a service dog is a “working dog.” He has received specialized training to assist his owner with her daily activities. His presence in the classroom is essential and governed by our school’s inclusion policies.
Cactus’s arrival at school presents a wonderful learning opportunity for the students. We have already planned a presentation to explain to the children how to behave. We are aware that some students may have allergies or feel apprehensive around dogs. It’s important to know that the Golden Doodle is a breed known for its hypoallergenic coat, which greatly minimizes the risk of reactions. Furthermore, if your child has a particular fear of dogs, please do not hesitate to let us know so that we can gently support them and ensure their comfort. Please feel free to discuss this with your child. They may already know Cactus, since he was also at the school last year.
We are confident that this experience will support our volunteer program.
| | | HIGH SCHOOL BACK-TO-SCHOOL SCHEDULE | | |
It’s back-to-school time, and we’re delighted to share some helpful information to help you prepare your child for their first few days of school.
First Day of School: August 28, 2026
Schedule: 7:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
To learn more about how the first few days will unfold, we invite you to read the message from the high school principals, Ms. Andrea Harding and Mr. Julien Dufort. We’d also like to take this opportunity to let you know that the back-to-school parent meeting will take place on the evening of September 10.
| | UPDATES TO THE HIGH SCHOOL CODE OF CONDUCT | | |
When registering or re-registering your child, you reviewed the HIGH SCHOOL Student Code of Conduct. To help ensure a harmonious environment that is conducive to learning for everyone, we would like to draw your attention to a few updates and important points for the coming school year:
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Section 2.1 – Attendance and Punctuality: Clarifications have been made regarding the exact time students are expected to arrive in the morning, as well as the procedures for managing late arrivals. Arriving on time helps students settle into class smoothly and avoids disrupting classroom routines.
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Section 2.2 – Uniform Policy (Dress Code): As we begin the school year, we would like to firmly reiterate the importance of fully complying with the prescribed dress code. We are counting on your continued support and vigilance to ensure that your child wears the required uniform each day, starting from the moment they leave home.
Where can you consult the Code of Conduct? For your convenience, the Codes of Conduct are available at all times on the school website and in the official documents section of the COBA Portal.
We thank you in advance for your diligence and continued cooperation in supporting your child in following these guidelines, which are essential to the well-being of our school community.
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BACK-TO-SCHOOL PARTY
The student council is organizing a big back-to-school party for students on September 3. It will be a day without uniforms (theme to be announced). Change of clothes and one-piece swimsuits are allowed with shorts or a T-shirt; no bare chests.
In case of rain, the party will be postponed to September 4.
HIGH SCHOOL FAIR
A fair will be held on September 11, where students will be able to move freely between booths to discover and learn about all the extracurricular activities offered during the year.
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The Vanguard Foundation Golf Tournament remains, year after year, our major fundraising event in support of the students and the School’s mission.
The 2026 edition is already generating a great deal of enthusiasm:
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More than 125 business community participants are expected.
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More than 50% of last year’s golfers have already reserved their spot.
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Nearly 75% of tickets have already been sold.
Your support directly contributes to the success of this important fundraising event. Join us for a memorable day in an exceptional setting!
Not a golfer? Here’s how you can help:
1. Sponsor a hole
By sponsoring a hole, your company will benefit from privileged visibility among our business community and partners, while making a concrete contribution to the success of Vanguard School students. It is a wonderful way to combine visibility, engagement and impact!
2. Volunteer for the day
We are looking for a few parent-and-child volunteer teams to help with:
- Welcoming participants.
- Refreshment stations.
- Supporting event operations on the course.
A few hours of your time can make a real difference.
3. Donate prizes for the day’s contests
- You can also support the tournament by donating items to be awarded to the winners of the various contests held throughout the day.
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