The Settlement Workers in Schools program (SWIS) at West Vancouver Schools provides recently arrived immigrant families and their school-aged children assistance in adapting to Canadian culture and schooling. New students and their families face difficult challenges settling and integrating into Canadian culture due to barriers caused by language and cultural differences.
The primary focus of the SWIS program is to provide assistance to parents and their children with school-related needs. The SWIS program can help:
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- Increase parents’ understanding of Canadian culture and the BC school system;
- Increase parents’ involvement in the school and community;
- Access information, resources and North Shore programs and services;
- Facilitate meetings between parents and school staff;
- Facilitate workshops to provide information and support for parents in a group setting.
The SWIS program has proven very valuable in filling an important service gap by linking newcomers with the school system. By partnering with Impact North Shore (formerly The North Shore Multicultural Society), West Vancouver Schools increases and expands access to resources to provide better support to students and their families.
At West Vancouver Schools, SWIS services are available in Farsi, Mandarin and Cantonese. If additional languages are required, do not hesitate to contact the SWIS team for further assistance.
SWIS Office at West Vancouver Schools:
Hollyburn Elementary School, 1329 Duchess Ave, W.V. V7T 1H5
Farsi: Niloufar Farahani – 778-829-2932 (from Impact North Shore)
Mandarin / Cantonese: Bonnie Wong – 778-322-2932 (from Impact North Shore)
Our SWIS program is now offered through a partnership with Impact North Shore (formerly The North Shore Multicultural Society), which will oversee and manage these services.
Executive Director: Wendy McCulloch
Impact North Shore
207-123 East 15th Street
North Vancouver, BC
V7L 2P7