Beyond the Classroom: A Practical Alliance for Supporting Newcomer Students

This session explores the critical partnership between educators and the Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) program. SWIS utilizes school-based settlement workers to support newcomer students, families, and schools. While EAL instruction addresses language acquisition, students often face concurrent settlement-related challenges, including cultural adaptation, familial resettlement, and systemic unfamiliarity. We will outline frameworks for effective teacher-SWIS collaboration, including communication protocols, referral procedures, and co-developed strategies to mitigate these barriers. Participants will gain practical insights into leveraging SWIS expertise to cultivate culturally responsive and inclusive classroom and school environments.