Before the holidays, about 40 students were enrolled in primary and secondary education at the Michel Lucius International School.
This week, another 60 or so people will join them. The International School is used to welcoming new students in the middle of an ongoing academic year, according to Pascale Petry, principal of the Michel Lucius International School. The school aims to integrate the children and teenagers into their normal classes with additional English lessons wherever possible. According to Petry, each case is examined individually. When students are ready, they can start with German and French in a flexible manner.
A type of “intermediate phase” has been created for children who cannot yet speak English, during which they are enrolled to a reception class with 10 to 12 hours of English lessons per week. Other subjects will be prepared as well. In addition, the English vocabulary is targeted to prepare the pupils for other classes. The student is subsequently placed in a regular class as soon as possible.
The early results, before to the holidays, have proven that this approach is quite effective. Children and teenagers also welcome the opportunity to make new friends and get back into a more regular daily routine.
Additional staff were hired to help deal with the increase of new students. The school places a particular emphasis on providing psychological assistance. Margarethe Schieser began working as an English teacher at Michel Lucius before the Easter holidays. She was put in charge of a group of Ukrainian students. These young people will attend different classes in a rotation system from Tuesday through Friday. Schieser and her colleagues will then determine who can be enrolled in which class.
According to Schieser, these students have a strong command of the English language. If there are any problems, the students help each other with schoolwork or act as interpreters between themselves. The new students, who will begin classes on Tuesday, will be taught in the same manner. They will also get the opportunity to become acquainted with the school and participate in after-school activities during this first week. Because the Michel Lucius International School has a diverse student body, a group of Ukrainian and Russian students has already formed to assist the newcomers.
Ukrainesch Kanner z’integréieren, gëtt eng Erausfuerderung - Reportage vum Diana Hoffmann
