International Students Enjoy the Beautiful Game November 2019

Students from WSD’s International Education Program enjoyed a day of teamwork, physical activity and fun during the program’s first-ever Winterpeg Soccer Showdown.

The invitational tournament, which took place Nov. 20 at the University of Winnipeg’s Axworthy Health and RecPlex, also included international students from the Louis Riel School Division and the University of Winnipeg Collegiate. The WSD International Education Program fielded four teams for the tournament, comprised of students from seven WSD high schools.

The WSD student soccer players and scorekeepers hailed from 10 different countries: Brazil, Japan, Vietnam, China, Germany, Spain, Mexico, Italy, Iran and Bangladesh.

“I think the soccer tournament went really well,” said International Education Program Director Debra Parker. “Like English, soccer is a universal language; most of our students already know the rules and the grammar of the game. And the timing was really perfect…not only did the Soccer Showdown take place during International Education Week, but mid-November is an ideal time for international program students from across WSD to reunite, three months after their arrival at the beginning of the school year. At three months is when students’ culture shock and homesickness really begins to set in. Sharing the familiar game and sharing the language with their cultural peers from WSD or from the other programs brought students a taste of home, just when they needed it.”

Lunch for the day was sponsored by WSD’s health insurance partner guard.me .

WSD’s partner Canada Homestay Network is always looking for families to host its international students. Interested families can find more information about this rewarding opportunity at  www.whyihost.ca .

For more information on the WSD International Education Program, click here.

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