Newcomer students set to start new school year in new country

A new school year set to beginand for many students, it'll be a chance for thousands of Windsor's youth to reconnect with friends and get back to the grind of reading, writing and arithmetic.

For dozens of new Canadians, it will be their first time in school here.

Understanding that, the New Canadians' Centre of Excellence just finished its Newcomer Orientation Week. The four-day orientation was held at Westview Freedom Academy and Catholic Central High School.

"The Newcomer Orientation Week program that we have allows them four days of friendship building and because of that, because of the program that we held at our school this week, they are already going into school having friends," said Natalia Uros, Catholic Central's English as a Second Language Department Head. "Ithink that, for the adolescents, is the greatest challenge. After that, everything will fall into place for them."

TheWindsor-Essex Catholic District School Board has already registered118 newcomer high school students, 65of whomwill be walking through the halls of Catholic Central next week.

The students are herefrom a number of countries, including Syria, Iraq, Columbia, China and several African nations. Upon arrival, they are partnered with student peer leaders, all of whom were once newcomers themselves.

"We are the face of Canada. Walking through the halls of Catholic Central, we certainly have cultural pride in our school. We have cultural tolerance, as well. All of the students understand one another; not always through language but they understand one another through the universal language of a smile and a handshakeand so that really does embody what it means to be a new Canadian and, eventually, a Canadian."

It seems to be working.

"They made friends with each other from different cultures. It was great. It was really good how they inter-mingled between cultures, they didn't juststay within their cultures, so they made friends which was great," said Catholic Central ESL teacher Vivian Revin-Kubik.

Meanwhile, 100 elementary and 80 secondary students will begin their Canadian school careers at the public school board. Backup staff have been called in to help with student assessments.

"In secondary [schools], students do need an assessment first, so that we know which programs to put them in, which courses they need," said Jan Foy,a teacher consultant with the Greater Essex County District School Board. "They're almost like the priority for us because we know that they need to get into school quickly."

On Friday, many of the elementary students and their families will participate in the New Canadians' Centre of Excellence'sWelcome and Information for Newcomers (WIN) program.

"It's almost like a dress rehearsal for what you'll be doing, where you'll be going and who your teacher is going to be and what your classroomlooks like," said IoleIadipaolo, NCCE'sManager of Settlement Workers in Schools program. "It's all very important in order to give parents the feeling that their children are safe when they are away from home and that the children have a way of actually gaining an understanding at how are community works, starting at the school level."

MohamadHassanAlsoukahas four children starting school next week, two in elementary and two in secondary. The Syrian family arrived fourmonths ago.

"It's very helpful because they gave us information about what we can do in the future in this country," he said. "I'm so happy because it's very safe. We faced dangerous times in Syria."

Lama Farah, 13, arrived from Syria. She barely spoke English.

"I came to Canada...without English and then Mrs. [Tejinder] Kaurhelped me very much. She teachme everything and I'm good now in English. I'm trying to translate and help everyone," beamedthe Syrian teen, who is now a student peer leader. "I hope to speak perfect English next year."

Alex Liburdi, an ESL teacher with the Catholic school board, said 23 elementary students, mainly Iraqi and Syrian, participated in the WIN program.

He said staffrely heavily on student peer leaders to bridge the gap.

"These students are students that speak their language, Chaldean and Arabic, and if they have questions, we're hoping that they'll kind of go to them as a friend would.They bridge the gap. All of our kids are very good at that," he said. "They've all come from that type of situation. Immaculate Conception School is where I'm at and we have a population of 200 students and a good 60 percent of that is Iraqi Chaldeanrefugees."