Oyen high school attracts international students

By Joan Janzen

Prairie Rose Public Schools is excited to announce the creation of an International School Program to attract students from other countries to their Prairie Rose family. South Central High School in Oyen is one of the schools in Alberta recruiting students from grades 7-12.

Adelee Penner, Director of International Education, said her role is meeting with parents and students who are interested in coming to Alberta. Students from Brazil, Columbia, Spain, Mexico, Germany, France, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand are desiring to come to Canada. They can choose to come for one month, two, six or ten-month periods, depending on the experience they are wanting.

“It’s an ongoing process because students can stay for long or short time periods,” Adelee explained. “If kids want to come to our program, they need to have a certain level of English capacity.” However, English requirements aren’t necessary for students who are coming for one month to see Canada and learn the language. Most students who come to Alberta have some command of the English language.

“Some foreign students can’t come in person and study with us online and finish up in person,” Adelee said. “We want to give our students a chance to learn what’s happening around the world and foreign students a chance to check out Canada.”

Alberta is known for its high standard of education, an attractive attribute for people who want to come to Canada. When meeting with parents from different countries, parents tell Adelee about their desire to have the best education for their kids, the opportunity to learn English, and about our culture. Prairie Rose schools can meet all those needs.

Baseball and hockey programs offer students the opportunity to participate in sports, as well as agriculture academies in Irvin and Foremost offer on-farm experience. Eagle Butte in Medicine Hat offers an aviation program, resulting in students earning their private pilot’s licence after three years.

Prairie Rose Public schools have much to offer their students; however, Adelee described the homestay families as the most important part of the program. “They welcome them, teach them the about Canada, how people live, how we shop, the distances we drive and enable the students to see the country up close and personal,” she explained. Homestay families welcome students into their homes as part of their family and give them plenty of opportunity to speak English.

“We had billeting for the baseball and hockey programs, so our parents have been an important part of those programs. Now they will be really important to us because we can only accept students if we have a home to put them in,” Adelee said. Because Prairie Rose Public Schools have quite a few foreign students who would like to start school in September, a call is being put out for homestay families.

“We are excited about the opportunities, and we believe it will bring diversity to South Central High School,” Adelee concluded.

Families who wish to participate in the homestay program can email heatherschneider@prrd8.ca

Sakura Ito from Osaka, Japan, joined Prairie Rose School Division for three years. She graduated from Eagle Butte this June.