Settling into School Life
Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) provide support to families or guardians of students enrolled in the schools within the Viamonde and MonAvenir school boards who have recently moved to the Hamilton and Niagara region to help them through the first steps of integrating into their new school. They are present in French-language schools to:
- Provide settlement services to newly arrived students and their families
- Help students integrate into Ontario’s school system and Canadian society at large
- Respond to the needs of students and their families during the process of integration
- Encourage the families to access existing resources and settlement services in the community
- Organize activities and workshops to assist students and families with their integration
- Provide cultural interpretation services between parents and school staff
- Oversee homework club
Students participate in activities based on their age group:
- My Lunchbox (Kindergarten to Grade 2)
- Cultural Differences – Part 1 (Grades 5–6)
- Passport to Discovery – Part 2 (Kindergarten to Grade 8)
- Winter Parade (Kindergarten to Grade 8)
- Volunteering (Grades 7–12)
- Challenges of Integration and Adaptation (Grades 7–12)
- Presentation on Daily Life (High School)
In addition to an introduction to the Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) program and an overview of the CSCHN’s services, workshops cover topics such as:
- Your child’s daily routine
- Getting to know the local area
- Ontario’s school system
- Homework
- Engagement with the school
- Positive discipline in the home
- Best intercultural communication practices
- Healthy snacks
Our workshops introduce the components of the SWIS program to teaching staff working at the schools where our services are offered:
- Overview of services available in French at the CSCHN
- Challenges faced by immigrants while integrating into Canadian society
- Overview of immigration status categories
- Best intercultural communication practices
Contact
For more information, please contact the SWIS Team Lead at 905-734-1141 ext 2246