English Language Learners (ELL) Requiring English as a Second Language(ESL) Programs
English as a Second Language programs are for students born in Canada or newcomers whose first language is not English or is significantly different from that used for instruction in Ontario schools. The students are integrated into the regular classroom programs according to age appropriate placement. ELL’s receive various amounts of English instruction depending on their individual needs. The ESL teacher may provide direct student service in small groups or they may support students in the regular classroom(s).
Welcome Letter for ESL Families:
Our school encompasses Grades 6-8, with classes in both English and French immersion. We typically have around 400 students enrolled each year. Please visit our website for all relevant information about the school: https://www.hwdsb.on.ca/kanetskare/ . Here are some of the most important details to get you started.
Contact information
Phone: 905-528-7975
Email: [email protected] Principal: Joanne Hall
Office Administrator: Tracie Murphy, Carolyn Wilson
Communication
Please note the Translate function at the top center of our website. You can use this function to translate all the content on our website into dozens of different languages. Please start with the Parent portion of our website: https://www.hwdsb.on.ca/parent/. Here you will see a variety of different avenues of communication you can sign up for. We highly encourage you to create an account on Parent Portal: https://ps.hwdsb.on.ca/public/home.html. The School Messenger App, https://go.schoolmessenger.ca/#/home is extremely useful as well. Follow the links for directions on setting this up. School Messenger is used to report student absences from school. School emails are also available in the app. You must sign in with the same email address you provided to the school when registering your student.
Finally, School Cash Online, https://hwdsb.schoolcashonline.com/ , is used anytime you need to send a payment for something to the school. Please note that field trips usually cost a small to moderate amount of money. You always have the option to contact the school to request a subsidy, which will be kept confidential. For communications from the school board, click on the Subscribe button in the top center of the website. Information about school bus services for students can be found via the HWSTS portal here: https://www.hamiltonschoolbus.ca/.
Parent Engagement
Our school council meets roughly every month. Nomination forms to join the council are sent home with students at the beginning of each school year. Any parent is welcome to attend the meetings. All the meeting minutes are posted to our school website.
Finally, anyone interested in volunteering will need to apply for a Vulnerable Sector Police Check first. You can find out how to do this here: https://hamiltonpolice.on.ca/how–to/get–backgroundcheck. There is a small fee to apply, please email the school if you need financial assistance with this. We encourage you to apply early as processing takes several weeks (vulnerable sector police checks are valid for 3 years).
Updated on Tuesday, January 14, 2025.