Local schools ready to welcome Syrian refugees
Posted Nov 27, 2015 08:54:06 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Support plans are taking shape as Waterloo Region prepares to welcome new refugees.
As Canada continues to reveal its plans for resettling 25-thousand Syrian refugees by February, local public schools are offering their welcome.
Graham Shantz, Superintendent at the Waterloo Region District School Board, says because the board already welcomes students on a regular basis, they have support structures in place — including a welcome centre where new Canadians can be connected with community services and schools.
“What we’re truly focusing on right now is scaling up those services to be able to meet the projected demands and the projected number of new students that will be coming to the system,” says Shantz.
He adds that the board recently took part in a Region of Waterloo preparedness meeting, where they were able to connect with other services in the community.
Shantz says above all else, he wants new families and students to feel welcome.
“We are excited that they will be joining our schools,” he says.
“We have a group of professionals — our teachers, our principals, and all the support staff — that will be working very hard to make their transition a smooth one.”
Shantz also notes that the board provides ESL (English as a second language) flex support, based on wherever it’s needed:
“So if a family or school encounters a number of families moving into their catchment area that require that additional support, we have a flexible model which allows us to deploy some resources to that school to assist them.”
