Student Life

Programs for Successful Integration

    • Student Involvement at WLHS

WLHS realizes one of the major challenges faced by new international students is adapting and integrating to their new environment, school system, and the  different cultural beliefs and behaviors of their new diverse community. Integration into the new environment can be made even more difficult due to English language barriers, shyness, or feelings of isolation. These sudden changes in the students' lives can create stress and a feeling of not belonging which can lead to barriers in learning and slow down the integration process.

To help to reduce this anxiety, adapt faster, and feel accepted in our WLHS family, our international program staff has developed successful, innovative programs focused on successful integration of our international students.

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  • American Student Mentor to New International Students Program

    Each new international student receives one special American student mentor for their entire first year at WLHS. Student mentors go through a selective application and training process which allows them to uniquely understand the challenges faced by new international students and implement specific ways to support and help their new international student mentees. Monthly activities include relationship building games and talking sessions that allow students from different language and cultural backgrounds to appreciate each other. Mentors make a big difference in the first year of a student's life at WLHS. New international students repeatedly report this program as highly successful in the goal of helping them get integrated, make friends, and feel accepted and confident.
                                                             

Examples of Monthly American Mentor and New International Student Activities:

  • Team games
  • Small group discussions 
  • Presentations on various cultural learning topics and seasonal school festivals and activities 
  • Snow Tubing
  • Lunar New Year party
  • Christmas Party
  • Celebrating Cultures festival
  • Badminton Tournament
                                                             

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  • New International Student Parent Orientation

    Parents, relatives, or friends that accompany the new international student to our WLHS campus receive a one-day orientation and activities to acquaint them with the school environment and systems. WLHS values our relationships with our students’ parents, stateside relatives or friends, as partners in educating and guiding their children into a successful high school life.  

    • Introduction and presentation from WLHS president, principal, and international student program staff
    • School tour
    • Orientation to the “onCampus” online management system which allows parents the ability to check their child’s course schedules, assignments, course materials, grades, attendance and behavioral record, and course instructor information 
    • Tour of Milwaukee’s famous sites, Lake Michigan, and lunch out with the school president

  • Global Leadership Student Team

    WLHS values strong student leadership organizations. The Global Leadership Student Team consists of five American and five International students that assist in organizing and advising new international students and their American student mentors. The diversity of the team contributes to creating relevant and popular activities for students to develop strong diverse cultural friendships.

  • New International Student Orientation

    New international students receive 5 days of intensive orientation that launches them for success and integration before they even officially start school. Our new international student orientation program consists of:
    • Meeting an American student mentor for an afternoon of:
      • cross-cultural sharing and learning
      • self-introduction presentations to better know each other’s backgrounds
      • school tour games
      • a neighborhood tour of the many stores and restaurants around the WLHS campus
      • introduction of the many co-curricular sports, clubs, and school organizations
      • dinner together to continue to get to know each other 
    • Learning the school’s “onCampus” online management system which allows students and their parents a central location course schedules, assignments, materials, and teacher evaluation and feedback 
    • One-on-one meeting with their student services counselor for guidance on course selection and planning, as well as an introduction to the school’s counseling services  
    • “How to be a Successful International Student“ presentation by ISP staff and Global Leadership Student Team; includes topics on culture shock, getting involved in WLHS sports teams, clubs, competitive non-sport teams, leadership organizations, American school culture, communicating, health and wellness
    • Banking and cell phone information 
    • Immigration and visa information
    • Wisconsin State Fair outing 
    • Tour of famous Milwaukee places, and Lake Michigan
    • Orientation to residential life in dormitory (Honey Creek Hall) 
    • ACCESS English test and ELL program information 
    • Understanding school rules and dress code 
    • Social games and activities with dormitory classmates and supervisors
    • Shopping trip 
    • First day of school orientation for new students 
    • Athletics and fitness center orientation

Residential Life Program

The Residential Life Program within the WLHS Dormitory (Honey Creek Hall) cares for not only the physical needs of our students, but the spiritual, emotional , academic, and social growth of students during their formative teenage years. Weekly “House Meetings” divide students into Dormitory families with a designated dormitory staff teacher. The Dormitory staff teacher guides students through a curriculum surrounding the topics below. 
  • Community and Cultural Competence
  • Health and Mental Wellness
  • Intrapersonal Development
  • Academic Preparedness
For more information on the ways the WLHS Residential Life Program prepares and assists students for successful integration, click here.
330 N. Glenview Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53213
Phone: 414-453-4567  |  Fax: 414-453-3001