With many still displaced with the Fort McMurray wildfire, some students from up north have made their way south for the remainder of the school year.

The Foothills School Division has seen new registrations from Fort McMurray students who may not have a place to go to school after numerous structures were destroyed in the blaze that ripped through the city.

Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Pam Rannelli says registrants are located all throughout the division.

"Right now we believe we have around 12 students registered," she says. "They're all through our division, we have some in Okotoks at the high school, some in High River and Red Deer Lake. They're registering where they have family or where they're staying currently."

She says when students are coming into a new environment so late in the school year it can be a tough transition from the distractions in the outside world to going back into a learning environment.

"First and foremost kids have to feel safe and welcomed. If they don't feel safe and comfortable or welcomed that can make learning very difficult so that's first task is letting those new students know we as a division are here for them."

Rannelli says the division has had experience in situations like this after being hit locally in the 2013 floods.

"We know from our experience with our students in High River after the flood that the routine of school and the everyday going to school and going through the same routine, seeing some friends was really important in their recovery in a traumatic event like this."

Students from Fort McMurray in Grades 3, 6 and 9 do not have to write provincial achievement tests this year as Alberta Education has exempted those students from writing and for those in Grade 12, the diploma exams are also exempted and will only be required to write the exams for meeting the admission requirements asked for by post secondary programs.

High River students were exempted from exams back in 2013.