GTA school confident it's ready to welcome Syrian refugee students

Thornwood Public School in Mississauga says it's ready to welcome refugee students. With 520 kids who have roots in about 80 different countries, it's a boast they're confident they can back up. 

Roberto Di Prospero, Thornwood's principal, told CBC News the school's rich diversity is an asset, placing it in a unique position to help.

"Our students know what it's like being a newcomer coming into a school, so they have that empathy, that understanding," Di Prospero said. He added that Thornwood has "a process in place that welcomes (newcomers), orients them, connects them to the community services, so we feel we can access that when any newcomer comes to the country." 

• Toronto expecting 2,600 privately-sponsored Syrian refugees, government map shows

• How Canadians can help child refugees arriving in Canada​

• Syrian refugee children tend to be resilient but face unique health issues

​​Jude Abedi is in Grade Five at Thornwood. Arabic was her first language when she started in kindergarten, and she hopes her peers will treat the newcomers with the same respect that allowed her to thrive.

"It doesn't matter if you're a different skin colour, if you speak a different language or from a different religion, I just find it stupid when people just say, 'Oh look at him, he's Arabic, he's a terrorist,'" Abedi said.

Staff don't know when or how many Syrian students will arrive, and Di Prospero admits the uncertainty could pose a challenge.

But pediatrician Dr. Joelene Huber raised another concern.

"In the first few months, families are just trying to get a roof over their heads and there's a lot of excitement about arriving in Canada, but in the weeks and months that follow, they may start to have nightmares or post-traumatic stress symptoms and we have to be careful and monitor that.

"For any child that's been through the trauma of war or civil war, experienced having to flee from their country, you definitely can see children who have nightmares, post-traumatic stress issues," Huber added.

Feeling like they belong to a community is crucial to their emotional well-being, she said.

"If children have a safe and secure attachment when they arrive here – which is usually at school – if they have supportive friends and teachers who really care about them, those make a huge impact on the resilience of a child coming to Canada."

Di Prospero is confident Thornwood will provide that supportive environment.

"Wherever our students come from, they will have an identity that's confirmed and feel almost instantly connected to our school and community," he said.