PHOENIX (AP) — International flags flutter from the ceilings of the outdoor hallways at Valencia Newcomer School, where more than 200 children from around the world are learning English skills and American classroom customs they need to succeed.

When the school year begins, the refugee and immigrant children often don't know the rules. A kid might be fascinated with a light switch they excitedly turn off and on. Another is startled by a whistle or a helicopter buzzing overhead that recalls conflict back home.

But fears melt away as the kids adjust, said Valencia Principal Lynette Faulkner, who...