Brandon Sun - PRINT EDITION
Five-year-old Kyler Tan walks home from school with his dad Wen Zhi Tan Tuesday afternoon. Kyler is one of 144 new English as an Additional Language students in the Brandon School Division this year. (JILLIAN AUSTIN/BRANDON SUN)
Brandon School Division welcomed 144 new English as an Additional Language students this fall, bringing the total number up to 1,309.
One school that continues to see a high EAL population is École New Era School, which is currently at 162.
Principal Chad Cobbe said having the EAL reception centre located right in the school has been a big help.
"It just makes so much sense for the reception centre to be on site in a school," Cobbe said. "It is tremendously comforting for new families."
New EAL students come to the reception centre for an initial interview to determine the level of English proficiency.
"From there, in partnership with the school and with the division office, it’s determined what the most appropriate path would be for the learner," Cobbe said.
There is a four-week course for middle years students in grades 4 to 8.
"We give them a four-week ‘crash course’ … in English skills that they would be most likely to run into in their school and in their life in Brandon and whatnot," Cobbe said.
Cobbe said he was pleased with the planning done by senior administration and the school board, setting the school up with the staff that they needed to accommodate the projected population.
"We were poised and ready for what was coming," Cobbe said. New Era currently has roughly 535 students.
Wen Zhi Tan and family moved to Canada from China one year ago. He moved to Sixth Street so his son, Kyler Tan, 5, could attend New Era.
Zhi Tan said he was told by friends that New Era was a good school, and so far has found the staff to be "very helpful" as Kyler begins kindergarten.
The number of EAL students in the division has grown significantly over the past five years. Much of the increase is associated students whose parents immigrated to Brandon to work at Maple Leaf Foods.
Last year, there were more than 1,200 EAL students in the division. In 2006, that number was just 103.
Cobbe said there are EAL teaching staff designated to work with EAL students, and there are also EAL educational assistants.
Crocus Plains high school has the highest number of EAL students at 167. Other schools with a high EAL population include Betty Gibson, Meadows and Vincent Massey.
» jaustin@brandonsun.com
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition October 10, 2012
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Brandon School Division welcomed 144 new English as an Additional Language students this fall, bringing the total number up to 1,309.
One school that continues to see a high EAL population is École New Era School, which is currently at 162.
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Brandon School Division welcomed 144 new English as an Additional Language students this fall, bringing the total number up to 1,309.
One school that continues to see a high EAL population is École New Era School, which is currently at 162.
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