The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board says the transition to the classroom for 11 children who are Syrian refugees has been a smooth one.
The adjustment so far has been incident free but Associate Director of Education Cathy Geml admits it's a process.
"We have to keep in mind; it's early," she says. "They've only been in our schools for a few weeks, so sometimes it takes a little bit of time for us to see where they are academically."
The children are part of the more than 450 refugees who have arrived in Windsor over the past couple of months. While some come to the region from urban centres in Jordan and Turkey, others have come from refugee camps.
Geml says some of the students may experience mental health challenges, but "it's well within our means to handle."
The youngest student enrolled so far is in Grade 2.
Geml says learning in an environment where students can trace their ancestry all over the globe means acceptance isn't a problem and schools have been very accepting.
"When our first refugee arrived, the school had banners made and welcomed him at the front door," she says.
While the board won't receive any extra funding for enrolling Syrian refugees, it does receive funding per pupil, so it will get a bump in funding in September from the province.
