Range Lake school to welcome refugees
'It will be great for our students', says school principal
Evan Kiyoshi French
Northern News Services
Friday, February 19, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The four school-aged Syrian refugees expected to arrive in Yellowknife in the near future will be attending Range Lake North School, and the student body is getting ready.
Range Lake North School assistant-principal Darryl Mitchener looks over laptops which will be loaded with Arabic-to-English language programs to help the Yellowknife-bound Syrian refugees learn English. - Evan Kiyoshi French/NNSL photo |
Principal Courteney Lizotte said her students have been fundraising for the family of six Syrian refugees who are currently in Beirut, Lebanon.
"It's exciting," she said, adding the exposure to a new culture will benefit the students. "I think it will be great for our students. It's always good to get different perspectives."
Yellowknife Education District No. 1 (Yk1) superintendent Metro Huculak said a member of the resident group sponsoring the family told him the four Syrian brothers - ages 13, 10, nine and seven years - will likely attend the Borden Drive school. Huculak said he suggested the children start attending class shortly after they arrive to get them acquainted with their new community, rather than making them wait until the new school year begins in the fall.
"As soon as they come, let's get the kids into school, learning English and making friends," said Huculak.
The district has cobbled together a number of older laptops which they'll load with programs to help children begin learning their new language.
"And not only the kids, but the parents as well," said Huculak. "We're loading up some laptops with programs that the kids and the parents can be able to learn English at home."
Huculak said the school district doesn't have any Arabic speakers but has worked with non-English speakers before - often Filipino students.
"We were able to put together English language programs for them and the kids pick it up really quickly," he said. "Hopefully, we can transition the kids nicely so they can enjoy school and do well."
Lizotte said the students have held a number of fundraisers for their new classmates.
"We sold candy grams throughout Valentine's week, and all the proceeds go to the family," she said, adding a family dance scheduled for tomorrow night at 6 p.m. is also raising funds for the Syrians.
He may only have two days warning before his guests arrive but Bob Horton - one member of the group helping the family to settle in the city - said the territorial government will tip him off when an arrival date is set.
Currently, the family is waiting for the green light from the Canadian government and it can't be determined when they may arrive.
Horton said after a meeting he and group members had with representatives from the city and the territorial government last Friday, he suspects the GNWT will know when the family will arrive before he does.
"One of the things we (the sponsor group) don't know is we have no idea when they're arriving, and they said, 'Well, we get an update every single day of how many people are settled in each community. As soon as we know, we'll let you know'," said Horton.
The departments represented at Friday's meeting included the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority, Aurora College and the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, according to Horton. He said the representatives wanted to pick the brains of the sponsoring group and to share information.
Horton said there is still much the group doesn't know about their incoming charges.
"There's still tons of unknowns and we're just going to have to roll with it," he said, adding the Syrian's future home - a condo in the CloudWorks building near After 8 Pub - is almost ready.
"The painting is getting closer to being complete, we're starting to load in some of the furniture as we collect it," he said. "And then we're into waiting."
Horton said he's holding back his excitement.
"It's one of those things you can't let yourself get too excited because you can't sustain that for two or three months," he said. "I'll get excited when we have a date. Which might only give me two days to get excited, but that's OK."
Umesh Sutendra, spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Services, confirmed by e-mail YHSSA was among the agencies present at Friday's meeting. The representative and spoke about the supports the group can make available to the involved families.
Jayne Murray, spokesperson for Aurora College, stated in an e-mail the college sent a representative to listen and get more information.
Jacqueline McKinnon, spokesperson for ECE, confirmed department staff plus representatives of other GNWT departments met with the group.
"To informally share information about the process for sponsoring a Syrian refugee family and what services and assistance might be available," she stated by e-mail.
City hall is hosing a meeting Tuesday to talk to the various groups that have formed aimed at settling refugees in Yellowknife.
Mayor Mark Heyck said he expects to hear updates from groups working on projects similar to Horton's at the meeting.
"It's a follow-up town hall to get updates from those groups that have proceeded to at least start to go through the process of bringing Syrian refugees to Yellowknife," said Heyck.
"Also, to allow for some networking opportunities to people who may be interested in forming their own groups."
