According to the federal government, NSW will take in up to 7,000 of the 12,000 Syrian and Iraqi refugees the Australia has committed to resettling.
Many will make western Sydney their new home.
Welcoming fresh faces has been a priority of Auburn North Public school in Sydney for decades. One in six students at the school of 670 are refugees.
Principal Mark Harris says schools in the region are preparing for the influx of Syrian and Iraqi refugee children.
"We believe that happy children come from happy families,” Mr Harris told SBS.
“We ensure that the parents are involved in programs themselves."
The school holds daily classes as part of its New Arrivals program, which helps to support the kids as they learn a new language: English.
"The aim of these programs is to give the students the critical speaking and listening, reading and writing skills they need to be in their mainstream classrooms,” teacher Renee Strong said.
"There'll be more interpreters, more bilingual aid. There'll be more teachers required.”
One of those programs is held in a demountable classroom named Harmony House, where the students' parents are offered regular lessons of their own.
"Many parents, they come here. They have English classes here, craft classes here, cooking classes here,” a newly arrived mother from Pakistan explained.
“We don't feel that we come from a different place. We are making friendships with them, and we know about the different cultures. We don't feel alone."
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St John's catholic primary school also has many refugee students, and Principal Antonella Dolores said it is increasing its resources ahead of the new arrivals.
"There'll be more interpreters, more bilingual aid. There'll be more teachers required,” she said.
“But the social wellbeing will be critical and quite important as well."
Virginia Francis from the Sydney Catholic Education Office added it is an initiative not restricted to a single school.
"Conversations have already started in other dioceses as well so we know how to pull together to work efficiently and effectively,” Ms Francis said.
“We know what we need to do, and we're at the ready to do that."
St John's student Garang Shamir moved from Egypt as a toddler and is now a school leader.
His family only spoke Dinka when they arrived, but the 10-year-old said he now feels right at home and has his teachers to thank for this.
"They had teachers that helped me throughout the years, and it makes me feel happy so if other students have trouble, they'll just help them," he said.
Resettlement agencies have indicated that one in five of the new arrivals are set to be under the age of four.
Mr Harris said that means getting the kids settled-in and ready for class is crucial, and just one part of his school's long term plan to give students tools to excel in later life.
"We don't dumb down the curriculum for our children, they don't want that,” Mr Harris said.
“They want to be challenged, they want to aspire. We want to get them to a point at the end of year six where they will fly in high school, and become very successful people."
But it's not just schools, charity groups are also on board.
Zoe Paleologos from Anglicare Sydney said the organisation will try to help families on three fronts.
Students taking part in Auburn North Public School’s ‘New Arrivals’ program. Source: SBS
"English as (a) second language, early learning through play and humanitarian counselling,” Ms Paleologos said.
“The plan is that refugees will feel very supported when they arrive. They will have access to supports and services that will help them settle and thrive."
The Refugee Resettlement Coordinator General for the NSW government, Professor Peter Sherhold, believes a well-planned resettlement process is extremely important.
"If we're gonna prepare well for this, part of it, of course, is getting Commonwealth and State Government beaurocracies and agencies to work together,” Professor Shergold said.
“But we all know that refugees are successful in a new country if the whole community is involved."
The Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has said only 29 refugees from the 12,000 total have resettled in Australia since December.
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"About 9,000 people have been interviewed and assessed and are being processed through health, security and character checks," he said.
"More than 1,600 visas have been granted to people displaced by the conflict in Syria and Iraq."
