Toronto school board 'ready to go' for arrival of Syrian students

After weeks of anticipation,Syrian refugeesare expected to land in Toronto in the coming days.

Many of them are families with children who will go to schools across this city. It won't be as easy as filling in empty desks though.

Karen Falconer,the Executive Superintendent of the Toronto District School Board, is upfor the challenge.

"We actually do feel prepared," she toldMetro Morning. "It's part of what we do all the time wewelcome refugees on a regular basis."

TheTDSBhas two newcomer reception centres in the city.

Metro Morning10:11TDSB And Refugees

They are coming, but where will they go to school? Matt Galloway spoke with Karen Falconer, she is the Executive Superintendent of the Toronto District School Board.

Most of the Syrians coming in the near futureare privately sponsored refugees. TheTDSBhas "incredibleinfrastructureto support refugees coming in," said Falconer, includingESL classes for both high school-age and adult students.

The Toronto schools will likely lean on sponsors for communication, but getting students into classrooms is something the school board is able to do.

"We know what to do when they arrive," she said. "We're at the mark, ready to go."

Special staff will assist new students

That process starts when the new students arrive at the school. There will be special office staff to assist them. From there, there is a program to assess how ready the new arrivals are to enterhigh school classrooms.

The addition of all the new students will not be challenge-free, however. The most serious unanswered question for theTDSBis where new arrivals toToronto will live.

"We're more interested in that than anyone else," said Falconer. "Where you livedictates what schools you attend."

That is out of the hands of the school board. What it is focusing on, Falconer said, wasfundraising guidelines and how to use volunteers. She said theTDSBwants to "capitalize on volunteer energy out there" and make sure effort and money is directed in the right places.

Falconer said there will besome periods of adjustment. She said it's important to remember the situation istemporary, for both students and the schools. She said the only way to know how well the school board did in their resettlement efforts is to look back after a year.

"We've done this beforelarge influxes of people have comein past and we'veadjusted in order to manage it," she said, adding that the students and teachers involved have grown from the process.

Either way, she said, the board must do its part in this Syrian refugee crisis.

"Bottom line is that thealternative is frightening," she said.

If you're a teacher, Metro Morning would like to hear from you. Have you had refugee children in your classroom in the past? How prepared were you then? And how prepared are schools now?

Tweet us at@MetroMorningor call the Vox Box at416-205-5807.