The first day of high school, or junior high for that matter, is already a stressful endeavour, but even more so if your first day of school is in a brand new country.
That was the experience for over 20 students this week starting at their new Bow Valley school in Canada, a few having been in the country for only a few days.
But thanks to Bow Valley Settlement Services and the Newcomer Orientation Welcome (NOW) program, starting a new school year in a new country is a lot less stressful.
In its fourth year, the program provides orientation for the children of new permanent residents to Canada, with close to 85 per cent of the students coming from the Philippines. It pairs the students with peer leaders in the school community – from Grades 7 to 12 throughout the entire Bow Valley – who have already experienced going to school in a new country.
Program coordinator Jeanie Godfrey said peer leaders, by sharing their experience and personal stories, let the new students know they are not the only ones going through such an experience.
“That is a really comforting thing to learn,” Godfrey said. “(The program) makes sure the kids are successful, they have the skills and they understand the expectation of what this new school life will bring.”
The program is funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada and is the only one in the country that starts at Grade 7. The reason is because Banff Community High School goes from Grades 7 to 12.
“The Newcomer Orientation Welcome is in response to knowing that the school systems here are so different from their home countries,” Godfrey said. “It is not only building the skills and having them understand what those expectations are, but building friendships in the school, so there are kids they can lean on and turn to for advice through the year.
“They are building that system of support within their own school, but also across the community and that is what has been really successful. Kids from Our Lady of the Snows are making friends from Banff Community High School that have been a part of the program and we hadn’t really thought about when we started inviting all schools.”
Grade 12 student A.J. Yabut participated as a peer leader this year. He said he appreciated going through the program himself when he first arrived and shared his experience with the new students.
“I was teaching them that someday they will be in my place, helping other people instead of me helping them,” Yabut said. “It was really hard for me adapting, but with the help of the peer leaders I slowly adapted and, more importantly, had friends to guide me in school.”
He said having a locker was a particularly new experience for him, something Godfrey also acknowledged. Having lockers, attending a regular indoor gym class, making presentations, asking questions in class and advocating for themselves are all new experiences for the students and their parents. Settlement Services also provides a checklist for parents to understand the expectations of a Canadian school experience.
Having only been in Canada for two-and-a-half months, Andrea Dela Cuesta said the NOW program provided an excellent experience and opportunity to become acquainted with her new school. Going into Grade 10 at BCHS, she said going to school in a new country can be nerve-wracking.
“The first day is really nervous,” she said. “(The program) was good because it gave us an idea of how to start school. It is super – I met half of the classroom and all of them are really supportive and friendly.”
Go to www.banff.ca/settlement for more information on Settlement Services in the valley or visit their Facebook page.
