Key takeaways:
- Teachers watch students for signs of trauma.
- School officials state students on P.E.I. have greeted their new Ukrainian classmates.
Nearly a dozen students from Ukraine are settling into Island schools after escaping the battle in their home nation.
Janet Perry-Payne, the Department of Education’s administrator of English as an Additional Language (E.A.L.) and French as an Additional Language (FAL) programs and services stated that the students attend schools in the East Royalty province Charlottetown, Cornwall, Summerside, and O’Leary. More will be set in the coming days.
She said it could be challenging for students to begin at a new school, but they need to get into a routine and bond with new friends.
“We have to remember that the students have left their homeland of Ukraine under tough circumstances. So there are lots of very raw emotions. We’re observing very closely to make sure that, you know, we’re able to help the students the best way that we can with those feelings.”
Island students are conscious of the crisis in Ukraine and have been very welcoming, Perry-Payne said.
Also read: Gas price up on P.E.I.
Education officials are also doing everything they can to give them the supports they require.
‘Secure place’
“Teachers work with those kids and students every day, so it’s a safe place to show how you’re feeling,” Perry-Payne said.
“And if we’re seeing external signs of trauma or strong feeling, we make sure that we’re joining with the counseling help at the school.”
For students who have a problem speaking English, Perry-Payne said schools provide platforms such as games, music, and other activities to describe themselves.
“Education is one of those foundational things that all families worldwide want and require for their kids. It provides structure. It provides that feeling that we’re living at a time where things can be, quote-unquote, every day.”
Source – cbc.ca
