The Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington Catholic District School Board is committed to providing a welcoming, safe environment for all students so that they can become the best they can be. We offer specialized programming for English Language Learners based on their individual needs.
“English Language Learners are students whose first language is a language other than English, or is a variety of English that is significantly different from the variety used for instruction in Ontario’s schools, and who may require focussed educational supports to assist them in attaining proficiency in English. These students may be Canadian born or recently arrived from other countries. They come from diverse backgrounds and school experiences, and have a wide variety of strengths and needs.” (Supporting English Language Learners. P. 5)
Policy 2.5.1 in Ontario states “School boards will implement programs and services that will enable English language learners to continue their education while learning English.”
We offer English as a Second Language and English Literacy Development courses at three of our secondary schools and we offer individualized supports to English Language Learners and their teachers throughout the Board. Teachers work together to ensure that students are able to learn to the best of their abilities and develop their abilities and skills in using and understanding the English language.
When families arrive at one of our schools, the school team, consisting of the principal, ESL or classroom teachers, Chaplain at secondary school and other support staff such as resource and guidance teachers, along with our partners at the New Canadians Centre, will conduct an intake meeting to get to know the student and their family. Registration forms will be completed at this time as well. Once the student is registered, an initial assessment will be completed with the student so that teachers have a clear idea of the student’s strengths, abilities with Language and Math, and areas to work on.
At the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board, we have a strong partnership with the Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) team through the New Canadians Centre in Peterborough to offer a variety of support to our multilingual learners. The invaluable support of the SWIS team helps our students and their family members to integrate into the life of the school and the community. In this video below, the SWIS partnership between the New Canadians Centre and both local school boards is highlighted, you will learn more about the benefits of the program and how to connect students with SWIS team members.