Google Translate Limitations Disclaimer

The electronic translation service on the Rainbow District School Board website is provided by Google Translate, a free third-party service.

Rainbow District School Board does not guarantee the accuracy, reliability, correctness or completeness of any translated information.

Translations are generated electronically and are not verified by qualified translators in the language of choice.

The translations are intended to capture the overall intent of the original material presented in English.

Before you act on translated information, please confirm any facts that are important to you or may affect any decisions you make.

Our goal in providing this tool is to make information more accessible to families whose first language is not English.

Thank you.

What’s happening in Rainbow Schools?

Milestone: First student graduates from Rainbow International

When Yixi Ren crossed the stage at Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School’s graduation ceremony on Thursday, June 7, 2018, he became the first student in the Rainbow International program to receive an Ontario Secondary School Diploma.

Since launching Rainbow International, Rainbow District School Board has welcomed students from Vietnam, China and South Korea into its schools. The students are enthusiastic about living and learning in Greater Sudbury and look forward to continuing their education in Canada.

“Yixi Ren’s graduation marks a milestone for us. It’s a tangible example of the success we have achieved in making Rainbow Schools a destination of choice for international students,” says Director of Education Norm Blaseg. “We congratulate Yixi Ren, our pioneer in the program, and salute the students who are following in his footsteps.”

Born in China, Yixi Ren moved to Canada in 2014 with his mind set on securing an exceptional secondary and post-secondary education. He lived in Vancouver for two years while he completed Grades 9 and 10.

In 2016, he decided to finish high school in a new city. “I moved because I wanted to speak and learn better English,” he says. “In cities like Vancouver, there are many Chinese students. We would always stick together and speak in Chinese. It was just like living at home.” He adds: “A cousin of mine lives in Sudbury, which made the transition easier for me.”

As a Rainbow International student, Yixi Ren took courses in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School, with a concentration in mathematics.

“Yixi is quite the success story,” says Melanie Bertrand, IB Coordinator and Rainbow International Program Lead. “When he arrived to study with us, he took the literacy test and passed on his first attempt. He is a really good student and he works very hard. His teachers often comment about the progression of his English fluency. His self-confidence has also improved immensely. We are so very proud of him.”

She adds: “It is becoming increasingly common for parents in eastern countries to send their children west to obtain an education. By welcoming international students into our schools, we are building global citizens who understand and appreciate different cultures here at home and abroad.”

Yixi Ren plans to study mechanical engineering at Laurentian University this fall. “One of my favourite things about Rainbow International is the variety of courses at Lo-Ellen Park. I took some IB as well as the Engineering Design course, which focused on Robotics. This helped me get ready for university.”

Having been accepted to the University of Guelph and the Univerity of Toronto, going to Laurentian was a purposeful choice. “I like it here,” he says. “For fun I go shopping and to the movies with friends. I visit Science North, volunteer, and in the winter I went ice skating for the first time, something I could not do in China.”

-30-

Media contact:

Nicole Charette, Senior Advisor
Corporate Communications and Strategic Planning
Rainbow District School Board, 705-674-3171 ext. 7217

Yixi Ren
When Yixi Ren graduated from Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School on Thursday, June 7, 2018, he became the first student in the Rainbow International program to receive an Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
Yixi and friends
Grade 12 students Duncan MacDonald, left, and Saraswati Vadnais, middle, joined Yixi Ren as he crossed the Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School stage on Thursday, June 7, 2018 to become the first student in the Rainbow International program to receive an Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
LEP graduates
Friends Duncan MacDonald, left, and Yixi Ren both graduated from Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School on Thursday, June 7, 2018. Yixi is the first student in the Rainbow International program to receive an Ontario Secondary School Diploma.