The first day back to class for students at Queen Elizabeth High School isn’t until Sept. 1 but on Wednesday, some students who are both new to the school and to Canada got a helping hand as they prepare for the school year.
Students’ peers spent the day at the school helping new students who have recently come to Edmonton from around the world to learn their way around the building and get an idea of what to expect once classes begin.
“We show them around the school, the lockers, we show them the office so that they feel comfortable when they come for the first day of school,” Hanan Mhadi, a peer support student, said.
The new students were matched with peers who could speak their language in order to help them get adjusted but a school official said it usually doesn’t take long for the newcomers to adapt.
“Once they come here and they find other newcomer students, they realize they are not the only ones who are new,” Dama Diriye, a settlement practitioner at the school, said.
The new students at Queen Elizabeth High School have arrived from countries including Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Uganda and the Philippines.
READ MORE: Edmonton summer camp helps Syrian students transition to school in Canada
A total of four schools in the Edmonton area are taking part in newcomer orientation programs this week.
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