New kids on the block

First glimpses of a new world of learning.

Settling in at school

On Wednesday morning, six kids, all a little shy and nervous, all a little excited, headed to Bloomfield with their father and a host of volunteers to tour Pinecrest Memorial elementary school and enroll in classes.

The tour itself is nothing out of the ordinary— it’s the tour principal Kim Myderwyk offers all new students—this group was just a little different. As they walked the halls, the kids were accompanied not only by their dad, but by a volunteer couple who could translate the tour from English to a Syrian dialect of Arabic.

At the front office and in the classrooms were signs in Arabic, translated into English: “Welcome.”

As they walked from classroom to classroom, they not only learned where they would be spending their days, who their teachers are and where the washrooms were, they also picked up useful words along the way.

Halfway through the tour, the procession stopped to listen to a rock’n’roll rendition of O, Canada.

Less than a month into their arrival in the County, learning the language and getting to know the people is the focus.

Two of the girls, nearly oblivious to the rest of the crowd, were latched arm in arm with a woman who was helping them name their surroundings.

The woman is Kailey Ellis Chapman, co-coordinator of the children’s steering committee of PECSyria with her sister, Mackenzie Ellis. The committee’s job is to support the needs of the children in the family— a job that, like children, is unpredictable.

“There was a mandate for the children’s committee, but they arrived and that sort of went out the window,” says Ellis-Chapman. “It’s more just on a need-to basis. Education and services in the community that are good for children, and just getting them introduced to other children their ages.”

Myderwyk says the introduction went well, as has the new students’ experience at the school so far. Each child has been paired with a buddy who can help them get to know what school at Pinecrest is like and perhaps form friendships, as the kids teach each other their respective languages.

“It’s gone really well, it’s been really quite heartwarming to see,” says Myderwyk. “It’s been surprising to see how quickly they’re picking up the English.”

Along with the six kids at Pinecrest, four have begun attending PECI, similarly supported to learn the language and make new friends.

Ellis-Chapman, who has learned as much Arabic as she has taught the kids English, says it’s a wonderful experience.

“It’s great. They’re amazing, and it’s been life changing. It’s been really awesome.”