1. General Information
We have carefully selected and screened our homestay families to provide comfortable, safe, learning environments for our students. We expect our families to be supportive of the student so they can learn about Canadian life and culture from a warm and caring family. We hope that the homestay family will benefit by learning about the student's country and culture.

This should be based on mutual respect and trust for each other's customs and traditions. The student should be given many opportunities to practice language skills and participate in Canadian activities and cultural events.

2. Guidelines for Homestay Families
You have agreed to host an International student for a period of several weeks to as long as one year. Please ensure that the student feels welcome and treat him as a member of your family. Encourage him to speak English at all times, especially if you have another student from the same country. Please try not to have more than 2 students speaking the same language at one time. Set aside at least a half hour a day, maybe at the dinner table, to converse with your student, and don't be afraid to correct his errors of grammar or pronunciation-he's here to learn! Encourage him to read aloud to you, maybe from the newspaper or a magazine, while you're preparing supper.

Help the student adjust to Canadian culture by having family discussions on general topics relating to your family and your lifestyle. Include the student in family outings as appropriate. If the outing involves a major cost outlay, such as a weekend ski trip, make sure the student knows the expenses involved, and what he will be expected to pay. A written, itemized list of costs (e g. meals, lift tickets, rentals, admission fees) would be very helpful. Explain the activity thoroughly, so the student understands what to expect, and how formal or informal the occasion, so he knows what to wear, and what will be expected of him. If you're going out for dinner and you expect him to pay his share, let him know the approximate cost beforehand. If he declines to go, make sure he can fend for himself at home or have him make alternate arrangements. If you attend church regularly, invite him along, just a casual invitation; don't make it seen like he's obliged to go.

You are expected to provide a clean, private, furnished room for the student, with clean linens and towels once a week. Allow the student access to home laundry facilities to do their own laundry and linen, if you prefer this, or provide laundry service for them at no additional cost. Show them how to use the washer and dryer - and make sure they understand the instructions!

Normally our homestay families provide 3 meals a day. Since it is common in Canada for students to prepare their own breakfast, show them what is available and how to prepare it. The same applies to packing lunch. If you prefer for your student to pack his own lunch, take him through the steps and let him know what he can and cannot use for his lunch. The student should be informed of normal family meal times and be advised that he should call home if he will be late or absent for a meal. He should be strongly encouraged to try Canadian food, keeping in mind that Canada is a country of immigrants and that "Canadian " food can vary widely. No special effort need be made to accomodate the student, (except in cases of food allergies, or religious beliefs), unless you want to. Trying foods from the student's country can be quite interesting, and you may even learn to like Kimchi! If you have a "help yourself" policy please make sure the student knows if some food is reserved for another meal or is off limits.

Most families like to pick up their student at the airport. Make a sign to hold up so he can find you. If it is not feasible for you or you are unable to pick up your student, please let us know in advance so we can make alternate arrangements to pick him up. Take your student on a tour of your neighbourhood, show him the post office, where to buy bus tickets, find out if he needs to open a bank account, and explain Canadian currency to him. If possible, take him to and from school the first day so he becomes familiar with the route. If, as we hope, the student is still with you at the end of his stay in Canada, providing transportation to the airport at the end is definitely recommended.

Most students will have arranged for international calling cards. A separate, private phone installation for the student is not necessary, unless you require this. In this case, please help the student make arrangements. Make very clear what financial arrangements for long distance charges the student should make if he has no calling card - calling collect, or leaving a deposit for phone calls if he is allowed to make them on your line. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL HOMESTAY CALGARY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR TELEPHONE CHARGES INCURRED BY ANY STUDENT.

Explain, or better yet, provide a written list of house rules as soon as possible so your student is clear on what is expected of him with regard to family chores, bath and shower times, meal times, off-limits areas of the home, lights out, whether guests are allowed to stay for a meal or not, and other family issues. Deal openly and fairly with your student, but be sensitive to cultural differences and issues. Do not require (or even request - the student will probably find it impossible to refuse) the student to baby sit.
We require that each homestay maintain comprehensive insurance on their property while hosting a student, and provide us with proof of such insurance on request. We request that each student be provided with a house key and advised which doors are locked and when. If you decide not to keep your student or to withdraw from the homestay program, please give your student and HOMESTAY CALGARY 2 weeks notice (except in the case of serious wrong on the part of the student, where removal will be immediate). Last but not least, please keep in touch with us if you encounter problems or difficulties, or should a serious medical or other emergency arise.

3. Guidelines for the Student
Your homestay family has been carefully chosen to provide a safe and comfortable home for you during your stay in Canada. They are eager to help with your learning experience, to teach you about our country and culture, and to learn about your home, your lifestyle and your country. Spend time doing things with your family and you will have a much more enjoyable time and so will they. You are a guest member of the family, and while they will respect and trust you, as you should respect and trust them, you must follow some guidelines. These include:

• Keeping your room clean, and neat, and cleaning up after yourself in the kitchen, bathroom, family rooms
  
• Helping out with household chores if this is expected of you.
  
• Maintaining good personal hygiene - in Canada this usually means a daily bath or shower, but please be considerate of other family members and limit time so there is hot water for everyone.
  
• Behave as a polite member of the family. They will provide you with a list of house rules regarding meal and shower times, keeping to normal family routines, calling home if you are going to be late or absent for a meal. Ask permission before bringing guests home, and remember that you are responsible for their behavior and any damage they might cause while visiting your home. Normally guests leave before the family retires for the night but if pre arranged, they may be allowed to stay over night.
  
• If you or a guest should accidentally break or damage something. TELL YOUR HOMESTAY FAMILY IMMEDIATELY. Try to work out a solution to pay for any damages - if you and your family cannot come to an agreement, inform HOMESTAY CALGARY and we will try to resolve the situation.
  
• Speak English as much as you can with your family. Don't be discouraged if at first they have difficulty understanding you. Also, you will have difficulty understanding them at first, so don't be afraid to ask them to please speak to you slowly and clearly. Make sure you understand completely when instructions are given to you. Ask for them to be repeated if you're not sure.
  
• Watch English television programs, especially the news, and discuss the contents with your family. Read the newspaper and magazines of interest to you. Accept the correction and constructive comments of your family with good humour. Remember, they are there to help you learn.
  
• Try new foods when they are offered to you at mealtimes. In Canada it is considered courtesy to at least try new foods even if you later find you don't care for them. Remember that this is a land of immigrants and you will be offered a wide variety of foods at home and when you eat out at a restaurant. Ask for your homestay family's help with the menu when eating out. At first, you may suffer some mild stomach upset due to the change in diet, again this is normal. Inform your homestay family of this and eat lightly for a few days, If you have any other health problems that may affect your daily life or the life of others around you (e.g. diabetes, hepatitis, foot fungus) please let your family know.
  
• You must pay for all Long-distance telephone charges you incur (local calls are free). If you do not have a long-distance calling card, the family may allow you to use their telephone and pay them when the bill arrives. Or, they may ask you for a deposit for long-distance charges. Make sure to come to an agreement with them before you incur any charges. If you are a long-term student and want your own private telephone line installed, you must pay for installation and all other costs. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES will either your homestay family or HOMESTAY CALGARY pay for any of your telephone bills
  
• If you plan on staying out very late, or staying overnight at a friend's, tell your homestay family so they don't worry about your safety. Providing a telephone number where you can be reached in case of an emergency is a good idea. If you plan on changing homestays or moving to an apartment, you must give your family 2 weeks notice before you leave. In case problems or difficulties arise, try to resolve them with your family first. In severe difficulties, contact HOMESTAY CALGARY and we will try to resolve the situation. Remember that patience, tolerance, and above all, understanding, can help eliminate many problems. If you cause extreme difficulties or fail to respect the homestay family's rules, you will be removed immediately and will forfeit the remainder of your homestay fees for that study block. In other words, IF we can find another homestay family to accept you, you will be required to start paying fees for a new 4 weeks block starting on the date you were moved. Severe infractions of the rules will result in HOMESTAY CALGARY withdrawing your homestay privileges with NO refund.
  
• Please make arrangements to pay your homestay family the quoted fee as soon as possible after you arrive, by traveler's cheques or in cash. Your family will assist you with banking if you need help. You should pay your homestay fees for each month thereafter on the first day of the new study block.
  

Remember: Be patient. Be open minded. Ask questions. Ask for instructions to be repeated. Don't get discouraged or upset when you are corrected. Try to relax and enjoy your new family.

4. Responsibilities of Homestay Calgary

• To ensure that students are as carefully matched as possible, to meet their needs, and their prospective homestay family's lifestyle requirements.
  
• To help the homestay family and the student resolve differences, once an initial attempt has been made by both parties
  
• To be available and act as a resource in cases of medical emergencies or personal situations related to the student.
  
• To ensure that the student has adequate medical insurance for the duration of the stay, and that the homestay family has comprehensive home insurance while hosting a student.
  

HOMESTAY CALGARY reserves the right to discontinue Homestay priveleges immediately and without notice if a breach of this agreement takes place, either by the student or by the Homestay host.

Posted by admin at 04:03 PM