Back to School with Newcomers and Their Families

As we look to the new school year, we all want to offer our warmest welcome to students and their families. It’s especially important to greet our newcomer students and their families with purpose and compassion. Educators have the magic it takes to intentionally create an environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and supported. 

Newcomers are people who have recently arrived in the United States from another country as refugees, immigrants, or asylum seekers. They also bring a wealth of cultural and linguistic diversity to our schools, enriching our classrooms with unique perspectives and experiences. 

It’s essential for schools to be aware of unique challenges experienced by newcomers as they adjust to a new culture, language, and educational system. Many have suffered trauma on their journey or in their home country and need a safe place to land. By understanding their backgrounds and needs, we can better support their transition to our country, and improve their academic success.

Here are a few ideas for welcoming newcomer students and their families to school:

• Communicate in Their Language: Provide translated materials and interpretation services to ensure that newcomer families can access important information and participate in school activities.
• Understand Cultural Norms: Newcomer families may have different expectations about the role of family members in education, the importance of homework, and the appropriate way to communicate with teachers. Collaborate with families to create a plan for communication.
• Create a Resource List: Use our Newcomer Resources template to be sure your newcomers and families know about the many resources available to support them. Visit the Office of Refugee Resettlement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for inspiration!
• Offer Orientation Sessions: Host orientation sessions for newcomer families to familiarize them with the school’s policies, procedures, and resources.
• Organize Social Events: Host social events where newcomer families can meet other families, make friends, and learn about the community.
• Honor Cultural Heritage: Provide opportunities for students to share their cultural heritage with the class, and ensure content material includes connections to all cultures.

Our school communities can be a place of compassion and stability for newcomers. With the above tips in mind, we can make sure newcomer students and families have what they need for a great school year.

If you’d like more strategies for empowering student newcomers and their families with the tools they need for success, check out course 5308: Empowering Multilingual Newcomers with Language and SEL Support.

About the Author

Betsy Butler (she/her) is a Professional Learning Specialist at Teaching Channel. She holds a B.A. in English, a Master’s in Education, and has been teaching since 1992. Betsy uses her three decades of teaching experience to write and revise our courses while selecting the perfect accompanying texts. Her specialty areas include ELA, special education topics, behavior management, and mental health.

Fun Fact: Betsy’s daily conquest is solving the New York Times crossword puzzle!