Crossing Continents - Kells Student Thrives at the Language Center

On a beautiful May evening, Dana lit up the stage with the school rock band at the unforgettable Kells spring concert. The Music program is just one of the countless opportunities Dana has seized since arriving from Tehran in 2022. From rocking out on the guitar to diving into Coding Flex, dominating the Math Competition Club, and making waves on the swim team, Dana has truly immersed himself in the vibrant life at Kells. His journey began at the Kells Language Center (LC), where the warm, enthusiastic welcome from teachers and peers set the tone for the whirlwind of learning, growth, and unforgettable experiences that awaited him here at Kells Academy.

The Goal - Mastering English for a Brighter Future

At the Language Center at Kells Academy, the mission is simple: help ESL students achieve fluency in English so that they can integrate fully into Kells High School. Since its inception, the Language Center has helped students from all over the world to achieve this goal, with resounding success.

Since its founding, Kells has welcomed students from all over the world. To meet the needs of our international students, Kells introduced boarding and homestay options and the Language Center. This map hangs proudly in the main office, with red and blue markers showing the countries of origin of Kells students.

New Beginnings - From Tehran to Montreal

Dana, currently in Grade 11 at Kells, is a shining example of the positive experience students can expect from the Language Center. Dana came to Montreal from Tehran, Iran in the fall of 2022. He chose Montreal because he already has family here. When they recommended Kells Academy, it felt like the perfect fit. Dana’s main goal was to perfect his English, but he also wanted to work on his French because he had already started studying French in Tehran. Upon arrival in Canada, Dana joined a small cohort of other international students to begin his ESL education; small class sizes are a hallmark of the ESL program. At the Language Center, the student-teacher ratio is 1-10 so that each student can get the individual attention and support they need. Our learning specialist met with Dana to assess his level of English and he was placed in a class with students who were at a similar level. This is done strategically so that students can practice together and challenge each other as they progress towards fluency.

At the Language Center, our students benefit from the one-on-one attention of our expert Cambridge CELTA-certified teachers.

Settling In - Building Confidence and Friendships

As an international student, you might imagine that Dana’s biggest challenge would be overcoming the culture shock of arriving in a new country. For him, the adjustment was easy, as he had family around to support him. He also found it easy to make friends at the Language Center, as everyone there had a shared experience–a recent move to a new country–and a common goal–to master English. Dana met one of his best friends at the Language Center.

Ms. Georgieva, the coordinator of the LC and Dana’s teacher, knows the Kells Academy Language Center is crucial because it is the first educational stop for most Kells students who have left their homeland in search of a good education and new opportunities. The friendly environment the school provides and the teachers’ support help each student build their study skills and master their academic performance to a level which equals the skills of native speakers. Ms. Georgieva still remembers Dana’s first day at the Language Center. His positivity and enthusiasm quickly earned him the respect of his classmates. He was always prepared for class, willing to learn, and unstoppable in his efforts to be fluent in English. His self-discipline was admirable and it motivated his classmates to do well in class. Lastly, his curiosity to always learn something new led to high academic achievements. This is what it takes to succeed and thrive at the LC.

Dana uses his self-discipline and curiosity as he prepares for national math competitions with the Kells Math Competition Club. Most recently, he wrote the Canadian Senior Mathematics Contest, provided by the University of Waterloo.

Overcoming Challenges - A Personalized Approach to Learning

Dana found his time at the Language Center challenging, but rewarding. For him, spelling and grammar were the biggest challenges, but his teachers at the LC gave him the extra support he needed to push through. Dana described it as a tutoring approach–the teachers at the LC spend time one-on-one with each student, paying special attention to each student’s areas for growth. Dana also noted that the approach at the LC is not just geared towards learning the mechanics of English. At the LC, the teachers cover the English curriculum in such a way that the transition to mainstream classes will be seamless because the students will already be familiar with more advanced concepts, like literary devices and writing style. After just one term at the Language Center, Dana was ready to integrate into mainstream classes at Kells High School. He was quick to mention that he still uses what he learned at the LC in his mainstream English classes.

Excelling Beyond the Classroom - Dana’s Academic Growth

Dana’s biggest challenge as he transitioned from the LC to the High School was History. He was not as familiar with Canadian history as his Canadian peers and he found the specialized terminology difficult, but his teachers were very supportive and willing to help. Dana attended after-school tutoring with a History teacher and was paired with another student through the peer tutoring program; this extra support and practice helped him stay on track. Dana mentioned that the friendly and supportive atmosphere at Kells is one of his favourite aspects of the school. He has found that Kells is a true community, where everyone knows each other. Dana has also enjoyed his extracurricular life at Kells; he is on the swim team, he plays guitar at Music Club after school, and he participates in Math competitions.

Dana brought the house down with the Kells band at last year’s spring concert.

Discovering New Passions - A Bright Future Awaits

Like many Kells students, Dana has also discovered a new interest through his involvement in the Flex program. Dana chose the Coding Flex Class when he first arrived at Kells. Ever since, his goal has been to study Computer Science at university. After mastering English through his time at the Language Center, we know Dana will have no trouble mastering Javascript, Python, HTML, or any other programming language he comes across.