home Programs Diversity Department

Diversity department

Services at Kingsland Centre

Kingsland Centre is the location of the Diversity Department. It is the hub for services to support new immigrant families. Families are welcomed and oriented to the school system. Four service functions are provided to assist
Go to Admissions

Assessment Services

If your child speaks a language other than English at home, it is recommended that an English Language assessment be done. This assessment of listening, speaking, reading and writing will help to inform the school whether your child would benefit from ESL classes or other language learning supports. The Assessment staff will explain school programs. They will also explain language proficiency levels and programming for English Language Learners.

Settlement Services

In-school Settlement Workers are available to assist families who are newcomers to Calgary. They can answer questions about employment, accommodation, transportation, health care, adult education, recreation and various community services. They can also accept clients for longer-term settlement support. In-school settlement workers are also located in various schools throughout the Calgary Board of Education. This service is provided by Citizenship and Immigration through a partnership with the Calgary Bridge Foundation for Youth.

Interpreter Services

If you need an interpreter to help with registration, please ask the Admissions office when you make your appointment. Interpreters are also available to assist with parent/teacher meetings and interviews. Interpreters are available in 70 languages.

Interpretation and Translation Services of the Calgary Board of Education also respond to system-wide requests for:

• Translations of system documents
• interpreters for parent-teacher conferences
• phone contact to students, parents or guardians to communicate about student attendance, field trip consents, health/immunization
• parent orientations  about school system or about specific programs ( e.g. Outdoor Education, Health Education, Grade 4-6 Human Sexuality program, Child Protection: "Who do you tell?”, etc.)

Diversity and Learning Support Advisors

The Diversity and Learning Support Advisors work with parents, students and CBE staff to provide the following supports:

• Facilitate first language and cross-cultural communication
• Help build learning and communication capacity between home and school
• Advocate for equitable programming and services for students
• Engage with students at a learner and personal level
• Provide students individualized in-school learning and personal support
•  Maintain communication with parents of non-adult student
• Conduct presentations to CBE learners on cultural diversity and curriculum/learning differentiation
• Participate in learning teams to support students’ learning and work towards improving any behavior concerns
• Collaborate, identify and address issues of racism and discrimination
• Provide guidance and support through faith and cultural values
• Assist in resolving home conflicts
• Network with key community leaders and institutions
• Initiate referrals and solicit support and services from community agencies
• Assist students and parents through the process of acculturation

Advisors’ language skills include Arabic, Cantonese, Dari, Farsi, Hindi, Korean, Mandarin, Pashto, Punjabi, Spanish, Swahili, Urdu, and Vietnamese. Their services are available by request or referral.