SCHOOLING IN CANADA, (KINDERGARTEN TO HIGH SCHOOL)

1. Welcome Centre for new students in Ontario

2. At what age do kids start school?

3. When do kids start reading and writing?

4. Schooling in Canada - how does it work?

5. School lifestyle & adjusting

6. Support for Special Needs children in mainstream schools

1. WELCOME CENTRE FOR NEW STUDENTS IN ONTARIO

When you arrive in Canada you will start the process of finding a home and schools. Once you know where you are going to live, you will know which region you belong to! Go to your region's website and find the welcome centre. Make an appointment for your children. We found this to be very informative and reduces anxiety levels for sure! I was blown away when we got the the Halton Welcome Centre, a lovely lady came to us and welcomed us in Afrikaans! I nearly cried. This is a great process in assessing your children/s academic level. You can channel all your questions to the staff at the Welcome Centre, they are very helpful. A question we had was whether my daughter would have to take French in Grade 9. In this instance, the school gave her the credit for French since she had Afrikaans as a second language in South Africa. Make sure you check this website to see which documentation to take along with you and what will be covered at that meeting.

DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED FOR THE WELCOME CENTRE MEETING:

• Proof of child’s age

• Proof of address (two documents required)

• Proof of child’s citizenship or immigration status