Hello my name is Fatimah Ekbal and I am the Multicultural Liaison officer (MLO) at Alta Vista P.S. I am pleased to be here and I look forward to meeting and working with you.

The days that I am here are Tuesday and Wednesday from 9:30 am to 4:30 p.m. My extension is 164

Here are some of the services that MLOs (Multicultural Liaison Officers) provide:

MLOs work with schools and communities:

• Provide information to newcomers about the education system and the roles and responsibilities of students and parents

• Refer newcomer families to community resources to help and adjust to life in Canada

• Inform Parents about the educational and social development of their children and about events at the school

• Provide support services and advocacy for students and parents

• Provide language , cultural interpretation and mediation at meetings between staff members, parents and students

• Help immigrant parents get involved in their children’s education through understanding ; volunteering ; becoming a School Council Member

• Promote cross-cultural competency training and workshops for school staff and students

• Run our ESL Summer Camp, the Step Ahead Program and special Projects like NOW (Newcomer Orientation Week for students attending HS) and WIN ( Welcome& Information for Newcomer students in the middle grades)

• Multicultural Liaisons  work directly in the schools serving immigrant students, parents, school staff and the community in more than 20 languages