Loving SF families are needed to host girls from Nakamura Gakuen, (our sister school in Fukuoka, Japan), for 10 days in March 2009. The girls arrive in the afernoon of March 5 and return the morning of March 14.
During that time, your exchange student:
- will come to school with your daughter and attend English classes, cultural activities and take a few field trips
- will accompany you to the grocery store, sports practices or other family activities during evenings and weekends (she will want to experience the variety and pace of the American teenager!)
- will have homework from her own teachers who will be accompanying the group
- will help with setting the table, cooking, or playing with younger children
All of the exchange students speak some English and have electronic dictionaries.
This program has provided a very special family activity for St. Francis families for over fifteen years and is available to all SF families. The girls become good friends and the families often maintain contact even years later. Some letters and photos from past Japanese visitors are posted in the exchange display case.
It's easy to become a host family:
- The host sister (your daughter) can pick up an application in the front office or you can download it below
- Complete the application (all arrangements are made through PeopleLink, an exchange agency with whom we have worked for over 15 years)
- Include a brief welcome letter
- Attach a snapshot or two of your daughter and your family
- Return your application, letter and photo(s)... applications will be accepted until we have placed all exchange students
- Attend an orientation meeting in January or February (date tba)
- If you would prefer to host a Japanese teacher, please let Mrs. Gaines know.
We also need parents who are available during the day to help with some of our activities.
Note: Host sister is required to have good citizenship. Your exchange student needs her own bed but can room with your daughter.
Student Travel to Japan (Spring 2009)
A cultural exchange program brings new understanding and appreciation of others. Staying with a host family is not only fun but also brings an appreciation how others live in a special way that can’t be achieved just by touring a foreign country.
St. Francis students will be traveling to Japan in early June to stay with Nakamura Gakuen host families, explore the area, and attend classes in cooking, martial arts, flower arranging, tea ceremony, and Japanese language. Students will visit Shinto shrines, the famous Hakata shopping center, and the Peace Memorial in Nagasaki.
SF exchange students will take their final exams early. Students return home prior to the start of summer school classes. Frequent flyer miles can be used to offset airline costs. Students are accompanied by SFHS staff, allowing the girls to immerse themselves in a different culture in a loving and supportive environment. Students do not need to know Japanese.
Applications are available in the front office.
