Hosting International Students in your
home
If you are interested in
becoming a hosting an International Student, please
complete WIE's
Homestay Family Application Form
and
our Homestay Coordinator will get in touch with you.
Minimum basic
requirements for hosting students:
Students
should be provided with:
-
Meals - 3 meals a day
and snacks, including a packed lunch during the
school week.
-
Laundry – washing and
ironing.
-
Bedroom with a table
or desk, chair, mirror, reading lamp, bed with linen
and blankets or duvet, heating system, chest of
drawers and/or wardrobe.
Chores:
Students should not be expected to do a lot of chores,
but should be asked to tidy their room and participate
in family chores such as setting the table and doing the
dishes.
Transport:
Host families are responsible for showing students how
to get to and from school. If the student is to
take a bus or walk a short distance, a host parent
should accompany the student on his/her first day.
It may be necessary to accompany the student for the
first few days or a week if the student is nervous about
getting to school. Students under 18 should not be
expected to walk to WIE alone and should not be allowed
to a bicycle unless they are very competent.
Toiletries:
Students are asked to provide their own soap,
toothpaste, shampoo, and personal toiletries.
Please show them how they can buy more, for when they
run out.
Heating:
Adequate heating must be provided.
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Communication:
Students must have access to communication channels so
that they can keep in touch with their
families. It is not unusual for a student to want to
call his/her family a day or two after arriving so
please show them how to use the telephone, but explain
that phone bills must be paid by the student. It is desirable that email/Skype access is
also provided.
On Arrival:
WIE organises a shuttle to meet the student at the
airport and bring him/her to your home, or to the
school, depending on the time of day.It is very welcoming if
homestay families can also go to the airport.
Student Care:
Host families are responsible for your student during the
school term, including school holidays.
Students aged under 18
require extra care and supervision, so it is your
responsibility to know where your student is and how
he/she can be contacted, at all times. A mobile phone
number is not adequate as an only means of contact, you
should also have a physical address of the student's
whereabouts. Students aged under 18 must not be left alone in the house for any
reason. If this is inconvenient because of an emergency
please contact WIE. Sudents
aged under 18 are not allowed to stay at a friend's
place overnight without WIE's approval.
When your student goes out, please ensure that he/she is
carrying telephone numbers and addresses of both the
school and the host family. Students should also have a phone
calling card to use in
public phone boxes.
Host families may need to be mindful of the
developmental needs of older children.
Homework:
Students are regularly given homework by their teachers
and are expected to do some each day. Older students are
usually more motivated to study but host families may
need to encourage and help younger students with their
homework.
Student Behaviour:
Host families should expect the same standard of
behaviour as would be expected from their own children
of a similar age, but make allowances for cultural
differences.
Illness:
In the case of serious illness or accident/emergency
follow the emergency and accident procedures listed in
the Accident and Emergency Procedures form,
provided by WIE.
Safety:
It is the host family's responsibility to care for
the student in a way that ensures they are kept safe from
harm and their emotional well-being is nurtured.
Contact with your
student's parents:
It’s a good idea to make contact with your student’s
parents. A letter/email introducing yourself and family
members and some regular contact about the student
throughout the year will be greatly appreciated by the
parents.
Changing Homestays:
Students must give at least two weeks notice or two
weeks board in lieu of notice, if they want to move out. Students may never change
homestays without the knowledge of the school. If a
student is to be moved, the host family will be advised of
the reason why.
Language:
Your student will probably be unfamiliar with New Zealand
accents (even if he/she has good English) and colloquial
expressions and may take time to adjust.
Host families should attempt to learn some basic
greetings in the student’s language. Learning a few
phrases of your student’s language helps to show respect
for their culture and may help them feel more welcome
and cared for.
To apply to be a Host Family for WIE, please download and
fill out
Homestay Family Application Form.
Our Homestay Coordinator will process your application
and is available to assist both students and host
families throughout the hosting period.
More information for homestay family:
Information
for Homestay |
