STUDENT INFO

Powell River School District #47 offers the International Education Program to students who want to improve their English, meet new people, see our beautiful country and enjoy our Canadian lifestyle. Most of our students come from Asia (Taiwan, Japan, Honk Kong, Indonesia) and from Central America, South America and Europe.Student photo

STUDENT STUDY PERMIT (VISA)

It is the responsibility of the International student to obtain visiting student authorization by applying to the Canadian High Commission in the student's country of residence. The applicant must submit the following documents to the Canadian High Commission:

It is the student's responsibility to update their student authorization as required. Final acceptance to the Program will occur only when the necessary visiting student authorization has been obtained and tuition/fees have been received by the school district.

MEDICAL INSURANCE

Students are responsible for arranging their own travel plans in order to be present for registration on the day the program commences.

Upon arrival in Canada, students will be assisted in applying for medical benefits through the BC Medical Services Association (BCMSA). Students are also assisted in acquiring private insurance coverage for the three month waiting period before BCMSA takes effect. There is no dental insurance coverage available.

WHAT TO BRING:

Powell River is a modern community with most goods and services available to its residents. However, students are advised to bring the following items from home:

Clothing: Students dress very casually at school. The most common clothes are jeans, sports shirts, runners and a light weight jacket such as a wind breaker. There are occasions which require more formal attire, therefore, students should bring several outfits for these special events. A winter jacket, gloves and a scarf are required for the winter months.

School Supplies: All school supplies can be purchased in Powell River and the school provides the students with all required textbooks. However, students may want to bring extra reference books from home with which they may feel more comfortable. A bilingual dictionary would also be useful.

Personal Items: It is advisable to bring an extra pair of eye glasses. All electrical appliances should be 110 volts. Packsacks and sunglasses are commonly used. Any brand name item should be brought from home as it may be difficult to find the same product in Powell River. Any personal items such as photographs and favorite music would probably be enjoyed and will help make the student feel more at home. Student photo  

 

SCHOOL PROGRAMS: Powell River School District #47 has an enrolment of 3,300 students. International students are registered in grades 8 - 12 and will enjoy small class sizes of about 25 students. Local students and teachers welcome International students and provide plenty of friendly assistance.

District schools have a vibrant and exciting student population who are accustomed to hosting International students. The schools are technologically state of the art with fully equipped science and computer labs which are always available for the students' use. The arts are also a very important aspect of student life in Powell River as the majority of students are enrolled in choir, band, drama or the graphic arts.  

 

ENGLISH as a SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL):

All first year International students are required to enroll in ESL. Their English ability will be evaluated throughout the school year in order to determine if they will benefit from continued ESL support.

The ESL program includes attention to the four main areas of communication in English: reading, writing, listening and speaking. The reading component of the program includes the reading of short stories and novels and focuses upon story structure, comprehension and vocabulary development. The writing component of the program includes work on sentence structure, vocabulary development and paragraph and essay writing. Four Brooks girls A large part of the listening and speaking components of the program deals with connotations of words and phrases and becoming sensitive to which language, eg. slang, formal, colloquial, is appropriate for which situation. Emphasis is placed on Canadian and teen culture throughout the program.

The District's unique English Immersion program includes community focused activities for International students. Day trips away from school into the community to enjoy recreational facilities or to practice newly found English language and comprehension skills are an integral component of the ESL program.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES:

Powell River offers its youth a variety of exciting recreational activities at the school and community level. Students are extremely active with popular team sports such as:

Badminton * Basketball * Bowling
Golf * Rugby * Soccer
Swimming * Table Tennis * Track and Field
Volleyball * Baseball * Weight Training

There are also many wonderful clubs to join at the school such as:

Astronomy * Chess * Counter Attack
Graduation * Library * International Student
Newspaper * Skiing * Yearbook


Extreme Mountain BikingThe Students' Council is a very active and positive group of students. They plan and provide exciting events for the school population, like dances and other social activities for the students to enjoy. The community of Powell River also provides endless recreational opportunities for its residents. Fishing, boating, sailing, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, mountain bike riding, rock climbing and wind surfing are all popular activities. Whale watching draws curious crowds every spring and fall. There is also easy access to snow boarding and downhill skiing mountains.

Residents also enjoy a magnificent Recreation Complex with Olympic sized swimming pool, leisure pool, swirl pool, gym and fitness studio, theatre for the performing arts and two ice rinks. Powell River offers the combination of natural surroundings and the services of a modern centre to provide leisure opportunities for all.