When my own family moved to Hillingdon, UK from Toronto, Canada I worried that my children would not know anyone their own age, whether they would be able to continue with their passions and perhaps, slightly less importantly, would I cope with driving on the other side of the road!
But this is where an international school is ideally placed to ensure a smooth transition. Their expert pastoral care teams and counsellors have specialist expertise and many, like ACS Hillingdon, an international school on the outskirts of London, have developed unique programmes, just like the Welcome Team, to help families adjust to their new environments.
Meet the Welcome Team
The Welcome Team or Transitions Team, as it is sometimes known, is a group of existing parents and teachers who are on standby to help new families settle in to the school and local community. Within 24 hours of the Welcome Team being notified of a new family’s arrival, a team member will email a special ‘Welcome Letter’ with details about the school’s latest events, contact details and a special ‘Welcome Booklet’ – an invaluable local directory of services and information. And it’s not just new families that receive this special treatment but also returning students and families who might have come back to the school community after a year or two studying or living somewhere else.
