Where to find Newcomer Orientation Week programs
BLOG EXCLUSIVE, By Nastasha Alli
It's common knowledge that making friends and "fitting in" is the biggest challenge many high school students face. But when you're new to Canada, that problem triples in size. As the first day of school gets closer, the idea of walking into a classroom full of strangers becomes increasingly terrifying.
Thankfully, there's a solution. Get your kids signed up, NOW.
What is Newcomer Orientation Week?
Newcomer Orientation Week (NOW) is a program funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada for high school students who are newcomers to Canada. Over four days, students learn about the Canadian school system, how to navigate through classes, and how to participate in after-school activities. Led by fellow students called "peer leaders" (also once newcomers themselves) in each of the participating schools, the NOW program helps newly-arrived students become comfortable with their surroundings before school officially starts in September.
The NOW program allows newcomer students to meet peer leaders, guidance counsellors, settlement workers, and other newcomer students at their respective schools. For any teenager, particularly those new to Canada, those early connections and friends can make a world of difference.
Throughout Newcomer Orientation Week, students:
- participate in group sessions and practice introducing themselves
- learn how to read a timetable and understand "change room routines"
- learn about school clubs and extracurricular activities
- learn about graduation requirements
- explore their school by playing a "scavenger hunt" game, where they look for items in different locations (such as the gym, cafeteria, and music room), and
- are even given combination locks to practice opening their lockers.
But there are other important benefits to attending Newcomer Orientation Week, besides knowing where to find classrooms.
"This program is about high school students finding their voice in Canada," says Darcy MacCallum, Provincial Coordinator for the Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) program that runs NOW.
According to MacCallum, a lot of this year's peer leaders were previous NOW participants. Most, he added, participated just one year ago; in that time, those students have since developed their communication skills and confidence greatly.
"We're seeing the potential...of these high school students being unleashed," he says. "The real genius of this program is in leadership development."
"To me, that had incredible implications," MacCallum adds. "Not just for the school, but for Canada as a whole. These young people can play a big role in this country. They can contribute in a significant way. And if that's what they see (coming through this program), I think we've accomplished a ton."
To find out if your child's school has the NOW program, scroll to Page Two of this .pdf file from the SWIS newsletter to see a list of all schools in Ontario offering the NOW program (you can use the search function at the top of the page).
If your child is between grades six to eight, check out the Welcome and Information for Newcomers (WIN) program. This pilot program, now in its second year, has a similar structure to NOW, but currently has fewer participating schools in Ontario.
For more information on in-school settlement programs across Ontario, please visit the links to your region: