School

By: Felicia on Feb 06, 2019 04:03 PM EST

Hello fellow future Canadians!

My teenage son is still in middle school and has very good grades. Im afraid he won't be able to adjust to a new life in Canada and his graders will suffer because of this challenge. What options do I have to help him settle? Is there any way to make sure he succeeds?

God bless,
Felicia

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My Chinese son (homestay) was in this situation last year. He had excellent grades prior to coming to Canada....his overall averages were between 97-99% for most of his classes. Last year, his grades were still excellent, but not nearly so good (between 60 and 85%). He lacked confidence in his English skills (though he spoke and comprehended quite a lot better than he thought he did). He also had some friends come to Canada at the same time so he had an advantage. He still had that adjustment period and it did, briefly, affect his grades. This year is his second year with us, and the difference from last year is like night and day. He's far more relaxed and open, his English skills are far better and he's more confident. He does a lot more outside of school and home and has a lot of new friends from Canada and around the world (international program). He's also volunteering with our local animal shelter. Last year, he only went to school and came home. He didn't do much with friends, and when he did, it was mostly online. I asked him what he thought would help your son. He said the support of his family (us), his friends and the school staff are what helped him the most. He said when he stopped criticizing himself and becoming stressed over his grades, they improved greatly. He was always diligent in his studies and that's important, but he realized other things are just as important. He suggested your son join some activities he likes to meet new friends and be active in the community and in the school. He thinks that his grades were affected by the adjustment period, but he pushed through and now his grades are back up to where they were in China. He said your son should not put too much pressure on himself if he needs that adjustment time. If he works hard, the grades will balance out again. A good support network is most important though.

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