Yellowknife (May 14/04) - The student body at Weledeh Catholic school has been growing steadily for a number of years, but one source of growth has taken the district by surprise -- an influx of English as a second language students.

Just eight months after assistant principal Simone Gessler stepped in to become the unofficial teacher for the program, 36 students are enrolled.

It's the only ESL program in Yellowknife and it's feeding on its own success. As word has spread, children of recently-arrived families have flocked to the school.

"Now that we have a program, they want their kids to access that," says Gessler.

In December, 13 new students from the tiny island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean enrolled at the school all at once, almost doubling the program.

Students from the Phillipines, China and Armenia have joined the program as well.

Gessler estimates there are three students in each class who are recent immigrants to Canada. Most speak little or no English.

"It's a phenomenon that we can't ignore," says Kern Von Hagen, YCS superintendent.

The district is getting some financial help from two local diamond cutting companies that employ the parents of some students, but nothing so far from the territorial government.

"We've presented the case. We have not had a response," says Von Hagen.

Weledeh was at full capacity last September and the new ESL program shows no sign of slowing down, but Von Hagen isn't planning on turning anyone away.

"If somebody wants this kind of program, we're prepared to offer that," he says.