Newcomers' Guide to Elementary/Secondary School

Frequently Asked Questions

Who wrote the guides?

The Newcomers' Guide to Elementary School in Ontario is a project of the Settlement Workers in Schools program (SWIS), a partnership between agencies in the settlement sector, school boards and Citizenship and Immigration Canada. The text was written by stakeholders in the program and reviewed by the Ministry of Education. The guides were designed by The Type and Image Group.

Is there any restriction on the number of copies I can print and distribute?

No. Feel free to make as many copies as you wish.

Can I extract or select only certain paragraphs or sections?

Yes. The order of the text in the translations is in the same the order as the English.

Why aren't the guides available in print form?

The guides are an electronic resource for newcomers, settlement workers and schools to download and distribute as necessary. The cost of printing and distributing the guides in each section and language would be prohibitive.

How can I get more information about the Settlement Workers in Schools Program?

Click here to download an Adobe Acrobat PDF brochure (230 KB) with more information about SWIS, including contact information.

Will there be other versions of the guide?

Yes. There are guides for the English language secondary school system and for the French language elementary school system. A guide to the French language secondary school system is also available. The guides can be downloaded from www.settlement.org/edguide.

What was the process for translating the guides ?

The guides were translated by professional translators who are knowledgeable about the school system. Each translation went through a two step review process. Comments about the translations are welcome. Please use the feedback form at the bottom of each page.

How was the choice of languages decided?

The choice of languages reflects the languages spoken by the largest groups of recent newcomers and is based on the arrival statistics collected by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Where can I send comments and suggestions about the guide?

Comments and suggestions on any aspect of the guides are welcome. Please use the feedback form linked to at the bottom of each page.

Can I make copies of the CD to distribute?

Yes. Credit should be given to the Settlement Workers in Schools Program and Citizenship and Immigration Canada.