ROUND ROCK, Texas — More Afghan refugees are expected to arrive in Texas in 2022. A middle school classroom at Round Rock ISD is making sure they feel welcomed.

“Some of the students were expressing that you never have to experience what you experienced before, you’re a tough cookie. Giving them a sense of empathy, but also a sense of hope for the future,”  Michelle Stoeffler, an art teacher at Deer Park Middle School in Round Rock said.

As a new year begins, she’s reflecting on 2021 with her 6th grade classroom. 

“We talked about how scary it must be, to be in a country that is being taken over,” Stoeffler said. “Also how desperate the families must be to be going to the Afghan airport jamming into a flight.” 

Stoeffler’s students decided to write letters to Afghan Refugees children arriving in Texas. Nearly 2,000 Afghans have resettled in Texas since August but more are on the way. According to Refugee Services of Texas, 1,488 more are expected in 2022, and about half of all arrivals are children. 

“Between Austin, Houston and Dallas, those are going to be our major sites,” Ashley Faye, the development director for Refugee Services of Texas, said. 

A representative for Austin ISD reported, "As of November, we currently have 386 Afghan Students enrolled in AISD, including 50 newly arrived Afghan students this school year. Total number of refugee students is approximately 850."

Faye explained once an Afghan child arrives, they are immediately enrolled in the school system through a case manager.

“We wanted them to feel welcomed and start a new life in Austin,” Sayan Bista a 6th grader in Mrs. Stoeffler’s art class, said. 

With a language barrier, translations were made, so the Afghan children could understand the students' words, ensuring the refugees were in good hands.

Students also offered a reminder, for people already living here in the United States.

“Our home, the U.S, was founded by immigrants,” William Ward, a student in Stoeffler's class, said. “We would love to welcome more immigrants.”