Welcome Ms. Aguirre - New Settlement Worker

Father Daniel Zanon would like to welcome Ms. Aguirre who will be our new school Settlement Worker.  Ms. Aguirre will be at Father Daniel Zanon every Monday and Tuesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  Ms. Aguirre will support any new families at Father Daniel Zanon who are new to Canada.  Ms. Aguirre will:

· Provide students and families with information and support to deal with settlement needs e.g. school registration, how to get around, types of housing, legal rights, how to get childcare, immigration issues, etc;

· Connect families with appropriate school, community programs and resources through referrals depending on families’ settlement needs;

· Provide newcomers with support for adjusting to a new society e.g. understanding school culture, classroom expectations;

· Enhance cross-cultural understanding between school staff and newcomer families;

· Facilitate culturally-sensitive communication between school and families on non-academic issues;

· Organize information sessions for parents and students about school and community resources; and

· Assist school staff connect with newcomer families and provide them with information about newcomer communities and their specific needs.

We welcome Ms. Aguirre to Father Daniel Zanon and look forward to having her at the school.