CALGARY- They’re in the leadership program at Belvedere Parkway School and they’ll be some of the first to welcome their new classmates from Syria.
“They’re safer now that they’re coming to Canada, so we should be happy that we’re giving them a new life,” said Tobi, a student, busy colouring a ‘Welcome to Canada’ poster.
In January as many as 200 Syrian refugees will start classes in Calgary and Belvedere Parkway is one of four elementary schools that has room to accept some of the younger students.
“The students, the first response that they gave was that they clapped and cheered when I announced this at an assembly. I’ve had a huge response from parents, they’ve been so supportive,” Principal Derek Rakowski said.
There will be small class sizes for the Syrian refugees, about 15 students each, along with a teacher trained in teaching English. Christine Oliver is the supervisor of English Learning for the Calgary Board of Education.
“We expect the students to have very little or no proficiency in English when they get here. We’ve really been strategic in this, in creating those spaces where they get that really specialized support while at the same time being part of a regular school community.”
There will also be psychologists on hand in order to help these children, many of them severely traumatized, adjust to their new lives.
“These are children, they are coming from very difficult circumstances to a whole new world,” Oliver explained.
While they will be in separate classes in the beginning, the idea is to slowly integrate the students. Rakowski has confidence his students will be welcoming.
“Our school has huge diversity already around socio-economics, around cultures, so our school is really used to pulling in new kids.”
Braeside, Keeler and Penbrooke Meadows School will also welcome elementary-aged refugees in the new year.
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