Program helps nervous Regina students prepare for move to new school

Two groups of kids in Regina got to meet some of their new classmates this week as they get ready to move to a new school.

Regina’s Imperial School and McDermid School will both be closing their doors for good at the end of this school year. In September, students from both schools will move into the city’s new Tawâw School.

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To help make that nerve-wracking move a little less scary, the school’s staff and the Tim Hortons Foundation joined forces to host a four-day event aimed at helping students become more comfortable with their future classmates.

Katie Wheatley, executive officer of programs and operations with Tim Hortons Foundation Camps, said the event sounded like the perfect fit for her organization.

“When we learned of what was happening, we thought ‘Oh, my goodness, everything that we do at Tims camps is about building community. Is there a way that we could potentially contribute to building a classroom community and a school community through doing experiential activities with kids from both schools?’” said Wheatley.

Around 75 students took part in this week’s events, working on skills like communication, team building and conflict resolution.

Wheatley said many of the students seemed nervous and shy when the events started on Tuesday, but those feelings seemed to quickly fade away.

“They came in and their shoulders were up a little bit. They seemed a little unsure as to what they were about to experience and maybe a little cautious with some of the kids from the other school,” said Wheatley.

“But now we’re on Friday, and you can’t tell which student is from which school, and you see those shoulders just totally relaxed. You’re hearing laughter. You’re seeing kids smile. So we know that, at a minimum, they’re starting to feel comfortable with each other,” she said.

Students in both schools will meet again in September when a new school year begins at Tawâw School.