We are Newcomers to the
area. How do I register my child for
school?
·
Parents must contact the Newcomer &
International Student Welcome Center (NISWC) to register. You will need to call or email the NISWC to
make an appointment to register your child if:
o Your
child was born outside of Canada……………..or
o The
language spoken most often at home is not English
Who should register at the
Newcomer & International Student Welcome Center (NISWC)?
·
Kindergarten to Grade 12 students born outside
Canada, regardless of language spoken at home
·
Kindergarten to Grade 12 students born in Canada
who do not speak English at home and/or whose parents do not have Canadian Citizenship
What can I expect at my
registration appointment?
·
We will collect the documentation, as outlined
in the pre-registration form and will complete the registration process
·
We will tell you about our School District and
the programming for your child
·
We will schedule a time for your child to start
school
·
The process will take approximately ½ hour
Do I need to bring my child
with me when I come to register for school?
·
You do not need to bring your child(ren) with
you, however, they are more than welcome to come. We encourage both parents to come to learn
more about the education system in New Brunswick and to have an opportunity to
ask questions
How old does my child have
to be to register for Kindergarten?
·
Children must be five years old before the end
of December to be eligible to start school in September of that calendar year
We will be arriving in the
Greater Saint John area after the school year has begun. How soon can I register my child for
school? Is there a deadline for
registration?
·
You can register your child for school as soon
as you arrive and have an address in the community. We offer continuous enrollment and register
new students throughout the school year.
Although we make every effort to place a student in their community
school, students who arrive part way through the school year may need to be accommodated
in a school that is not in their community, if there are space
limitations. A student would attend
their community school the following year.
Why do I have to register my
child at the NISWC?
· For students born outside of Canada, we need to ensure
they have all the proper documentation to be eligible for school in NB. For
students born in Canada but parents who are not Canadian Citizens,
documentation must be submitted for approval of school privileges. Students not registered with the NISWC would
not receive EAL support, if required. As well, we can help to support any
questions you may have about your child attending school.
Can parents/legal
custodians/guardians register by telephone, fax or email?
·
If you live in a rural area of Anglophone South
School District, arrangements can be made for an alternate registration process
by contacting NISWC
Do I need to register my
child for the move from elementary to middle school/high school?
·
No. Once
you do your initial registration with the Center, the schools will
automatically advance your child, as required.
Can I register my child
during the school break of July and August?
·
Yes, you can by contacting the Center. That said, due to vacations, etc.
appointments may not be available every week, however, we will get back to you
as quickly as possible with an appointment time.
What documents do I need to
bring to the appointment?
·
Please refer to the Registration Checklist for the required documents. Please bring
original documents and we will make copies for our files.
My child is already
attending a school in Anglophone South School District, but we are moving to
another area within the school district.
What do I need to do?
·
Refer to School
Eligibility to determine if your child’s school will change based on your
new address and which school they will now attend. If the school does not change simply advise
the current school of the new address.
·
If the new address does require a change in
school, visit the new school with proof of the new address to fill out the
necessary documents. They will confirm
if space is available at their new school and will provide a date to begin
classes there. You should also let your current school know that your child
will be leaving.
·
Your new school will notify your old school and
arrange to transfer the student records.
·
If there is a change in address and/or school
during the summer months, please contact the NISWC to help you facilitate this
change.
·
If you are moving out of the Anglophone South
School District boundary, please contact the school to let them know.
It is also IMPORTANT to let the Newcomer &
International Student Welcome Center know if your child will be changing
schools and/or moving out of the School District.
DOCUMENTATION
/ ELIGIBILITY
Why do students have to
provide school report cards or transcripts?
·
School report cards or transcripts are used by
school administrators to better understand the student’s educational background
and to help them make appropriate decisions regarding programs and courses
Can I register my child if
I don’t have all the required documents?
·
The registration cannot be completed and your
child will not be able to attend school until all relevant documents have been
submitted.
Do I need to translate all
the documents into English?
·
All documents must have English translation for
registration. Translations must be certified
by a professional.
What does “proof of
address” mean?
·
If you are renting an apartment or house, you
can bring your lease agreement. If you own your home, you can bring your NB
Property Tax Assessment or a copy of your Purchase and Sale Agreement. In either case you can provide a recent
utility bill or statement with your name and address on it.
I don’t have a permanent
address yet. Can my child go to school?
·
You can register for school as soon as you have
confirmed a permanent residence. If you
have purchased a home or signed a rental agreement for a future date, you can
register for school in that community, even before you officially move in. Transportation would be the responsibility of
the parent until they move into the new residence.
Can my child go to school
outside of their community?
·
Students are registered based on where they
live. However, you may complete a Transfer Request Form to apply for your child to be
registered in a school outside of your zone.
This request is reviewed by the Director of Schools for a decision and
acceptance is not a guarantee. There
must be a justifiably defined educational need or purpose for
the request. If approved, transportation
would be the responsibility of the parent.
Does
my child have to pay tuition to attend school?
·
If the parent has a
Work Permit, Parental Study Permit (and is attending a full-time course at a
designated learning institute) or Permanent Residence status, there is no tuition
fee.
My
parents do not live in New Brunswick. Do
I have to pay tuition fees if I want to attend school in Anglophone South
School District?
·
According to the
Education Act, only children living with a parent/legal guardian in NB can
attend school without paying fees. If
you do not have one parent living with you full-time that has immigration
status in NB, you will be required to pay tuition, regardless of the student
status.
My
parents will not be living with me while I am studying. Does your School District help make homestay arrangements?
- The School District does not arrange homestays. Atlantic Education International (AEI) is the only agent authorized by the New Brunswick Department of Education and Early Childhood to provide this service.
- During COVID recovery phase, all restrictions and guidelines are
reviewed on a regular basis and may impact changes to the above.
I
am applying for a Study Permit for my child and I need a Letter of
Acceptance. What do I need to do in
order to receive a Letter of Acceptance?
·
We can provide a Conditional
Letter of Acceptance to Anglophone South School District. We would need the following:
o
Newcomer International Student Registration Form (complete as much information as possible)
o
Application Fee of
$250.00 (Canadian Funds)
·
The letter would be
emailed to the email address provided
How
do I pay for the Conditional Letter of Acceptance?
·
A non-refundable
application fee of $250.00CDN must be paid prior to the issuance of the
letter. An invoice for this amount will be sent to you. We DO NOT accept e-transfers or electronic credit card payments. This fee may be paid by cheque
or bank draft made
payable to The Minister of Finance and sent to
the following address:
Newcomer & International Student Welcome Center
Anglophone South School District
490 Woodward Avenue
Saint John, NB E2K 5N3
What
if I am unsuccessful in getting a Study Permit and I have prepaid tuition; can
this be refunded?
·
Tuition is refunded
by cheque and is issued to the same person who originally paid. The $250 application fee is non-refundable.
I
have a Parental Study Permit to study in Canada. Can my child study in NB without paying
tuition fees?
For your child to attend school without paying
tuition:
·
The child’s
parent/guardian’s study permit must be for the duration of their official
course of studies
·
The child’s
parent/guardian must be enrolled in a degree or diploma program at a publicly
funded institution or in a degree program at a private post-secondary
institution in NB. The following is a
list of institutions that would fall under Section 12 of the Regulation. This was developed with assistance and clarification
from PETL (Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour):
o
An educational
institution designated under the Degree Granting Act (Yorkville University and
the University of Fredericton)
o
An educational
institution, as defined in the Degree Granting Act, that is established under
an Act of the Legislature (University of New Brunswick, Mount Allison
University, St. Thomas University, Université de Moncton, Crandall University,
Kingswood University , St. Stephen’s University and The New Brunswick Bible
Institute)
o
An institution
established or operated under the Adult
Education and Training Act (i.e. New Brunswick College of Craft and Design)
o
Maritime College of
Forest Technology
o
The
Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB)
o
The New Brunswick
Community College (NBCC)
·
It should be noted
that there are other educational institutions in the Province which are under
the Private Occupational Training Act (POTA).
As these institutions are under POTA, and POTA is not one of the act mentioned
under Section 12 of the Regulation, dependent children of parents attending
those institutions would not be eligible for free school privileges.
·
The Private
Occupational Training Act governs private college institutions. The Act excludes registration of language
schools and religious schools. Click here for the current list of POTA institutions.
If
I have a Work Permit in Canada, can my child go to school without paying
tuition fees? Do I need a Study Permit
for my child?
For a child to go to school without
paying tuition:
·
The child’s
parent/legal guardian must have a valid work permit issued by IRCC that is
valid for a term of one year or more,
AND
·
The child’s
parent/legal guardian must be a resident of New Brunswick
To see if your child requires a study
permit click here
What
if a student is already enrolled in a school and the parent/legal guardian’s
immigration status changes? Does the
student have to leave school?
·
Children who are
already enrolled in schools will not be withdrawn from school while their
parent/legal guardian is dealing with immigration matters, provided they submit
supporting documentation that they are in a transitional period (e.g. changing
status from Temporary Foreign Worker to Permanent Resident or Study permit,
etc.) Other cases will be dealt with on
a case by case basis.
PLACEMENT
QUESTIONS
Which school is best for
my child?
·
Each school has its own unique culture; however
all schools deliver curriculum and hire teachers/staff as outlined by the NB
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
How do you determine what
grade my child will go into?
·
Students are placed based on birthdate and will
normally be placed in their age appropriate grade level:
Grade placement based on age of the student as of
December 31st
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Grade
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K
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1
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2
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3
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4
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5
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6
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7
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8
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9
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10
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11
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12
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Age
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5
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6
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7
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8
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9
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10
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11
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12
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13
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14
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15
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16
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17
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What school will my child
attend?
·
Your child’s school will be assigned based on
where you live and providing there is space at registration time. Parents do not choose schools.
What happens after I
register my child at the Newcomer & International Student Welcome Center
(NISWC)
·
After you have registered your child and all
documents are submitted, we will inform the school of the registration and your
child will start usually within 2 days.
What happens if my child’s
school has reached grade level capacity?
·
If a grade level or school is at capacity level,
he or she will be placed in another school per district approval. A student can transfer back to their
community school when/if a space becomes available or they can choose to wait
until the beginning of the new school year.
Transportation will be arranged for the student by the school district
if your child is placed in another school temporarily that is more than 1.5 km
from your residence.
If my child has a special
learning need, what do I need to do?
·
If your child has special learning needs, bring
all available records, assessments, learning plans to the registration
appointment with you. We will send a
copy of these records to the school and the Educational Support Services team
who will work with you to identify required supports for your child.
What happens if my child
has little or no English?
·
Your child’s English language skills will be
assessed once they are in school. Extra
language support will be provided, if required, by EAL teachers at your child’s
school.
OTHER QUESTIONS
What fees are charged by
the school?
·
Please refer to your child’s school website for
more information on school fees.
Is transportation
available for my child?
·
Yes, students who live more than 1.5km from
their school are eligible for transportation.
·
Parents are responsible for the safety of their
children to and from the school bus stop.
Parents of children in Kindergarten to Grade 2 are required to escort
their children to/from the bus stop morning and afternoon or to/from their home
as walking student’s morning and afternoon.
Click here to
see if your child is eligible for bussing.
What qualifications does
my child need to graduate from a New Brunswick high school?
·
Students are required to fulfill the
requirements set by the Education and Early Childhood Department. Click here for
further information.
Where can I get
information about school holidays?
·
The Anglophone South School calendar has
information about the school year. An explanation of these holidays can be found here.
How can I be involved in
my child’s education?
·
Parents and local community members dedicate
time, energy, and enthusiasm to school projects, and they are the backbone of
many special programs and initiatives.
If you have any free time, you can become a school volunteer. There are many ways to get involved and your
child’s school would be more than happy to give you some ideas.
How do I start
volunteering?
·
The safety of students is our number one
priority. All adults, including
volunteers who work in our schools must do an online training regarding the
safety of children and provide a police background check. Please check with your child’s school for more
information on volunteering.