SHS- GEORGE BROWN COLLEGE HOMESTAY PROGRAM Guidelines for Homestay Living How the Homestay Program Works Welcome! The George Brown College Homestay Program is an excellent opportunity for you to improve your English skills and learn about the Canadian way of life. The model is designed to give you an experience of Canadian lifestyle. Therefore, the facilities and food and household routine are typically Canadian. Customs may vary from the culture that you come from and you should be prepared to adjust and adapt to cultural and lifestyle differences. Our homestay families have different backgrounds as Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in the world. This will give you a great chance to learn about other cultures. Homestay placements are consistent with Canadian standards on equity, fairness, and respect. You might expect to experience environments which are different from what you know in your home country, but included this Guide is lots of useful information you will need to help you adjust to your new Canadian home. Please take the time to read everything. And enjoy your Canadian Adventure! Length of Stay and Start Dates The minimum Homestay length is 4 weeks. You must give your host family 2 weeks notice if you plan to leave any time after these first 4 weeks. The Homestay start date is considered to be the Toronto arrival date stated on your application form. Student Homestay Services Inc. must be given at least 2 weeks notice if any changes to the start date are made. Late arrivals will not be refunded for homestay days missed. Applications cannot be processed without an estimated date of arrival. Meal Plan Options The costs for meal plans are based on competitive pricing for the Toronto area. Please note that prices are subject to change. 2 meals (breakfast and dinner) $725/4 weeks Canadian Funds 3 meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) $775/4 weeks Canadian Funds
If you chose the 2 meal plan, (breakfast and dinner) you will be responsible for buying your lunch 7 days a week. If the 3 meal plan is chosen, your Host Family will provide you with lunches; you can take your lunch to school on weekdays. A lunch is a bagged lunch, usually consisting of sandwiches, a piece of fruit and a drink. Preparation of breakfast and/or lunch is at the host s discretion. The host prepares dinner. Kindly inform your host family no later than 5:00 p.m., should you choose not to be home for dinner on any particular evening. Please advise your host family of any food allergies or dietary restrictions you may have. You may also wish to purchase additional snacks or specialty food items at your own expense. Foods between meal times are considered snacks. Each host family will have their own preferences, please discuss this with your host. Payment You are required to pay in full 4 weeks of homestay to Student Homestay Services Inc. before your application may be processed. This payment is non-refundable. Please see the attached calendar page for a payment schedule sample. If you wish to extend your time in Homestay, you will need to continue to pay Student Homestay Services Inc. every 4 weeks. Changing Homestays Your homestay can be changed after your initial 4 week booking. You must give 2 weeks notice to your host family before calling the Student Homestay Services Inc. office at 416-480-0678 to have a new homestay arranged for you. Your homestay will be changed before the initial 4 week period only under extremely special circumstances agreed upon by both George Brown College and Student Homestay Services Inc. Postponing Your Start Date A minimum of 2 weeks notice must be given if you need to delay your arrival into homestay. The placement fee is a non-refundable fee. If you are postponing and still require homestay, you will have to re-apply and pay the homestay placement fee again. 2
Cancellation Penalty Failure to pay the full 4 weeks of homestay or cancellation of the homestay Agreement without 2 weeks notice prior to your scheduled arrival date means that you will be charged a 2 week penalty of $350. Student Homestay Services Inc. will hold back this fee from original fees paid as compensation to your host family for any inconvenience as a result of the cancellation. Distance to School Homestays are generally located between 30 and 60 minutes from George Brown College by public transportation. Your host family will show you how to use the public transportation system and help you find your way around your new neighbourhood. Homestay Placements When matching students to families, we try to be thoughtful and sensitive to your needs and requests. However, it may not always be possible to match all of your requests to a host family. In such cases we will do our best to find an available family that is the closest to the things you have asked for. Airport Pick-up We can arrange to pick you up at the airport upon your arrival in Toronto. If you have requested an airport pick-up, our representative will greet you at the airport with your name on a sign. The driver will take you directly to your homestay. The cost for this service is $85 Canadian; the fee is non-refundable. A minimum of 72 hours is required to reserve airport reception service. It is the student s responsibility to inform us of any changes to the flight number. Please phone 416-888-9282. If you are unable to inform us of your flight change, our representative will not be at the airport and you will have to take a taxi to your homestay. For example, certified Air Flight Services offers a government approved flat rate from the airport. They are located outside the terminal at an area specially designated for airport limousines. The price is approximately $50 - $60 Canadian. There are currency exchanges at both terminals. If you have not requested an airport pick-up, your arrival date and time should still be listed on your application form to ensure that your host family will be at home to welcome you. It is expected that you will go directly from the airport to your homestay. Your host has arranged to be at the home according to your flight schedule. If for any reason you are delayed, you must contact your host immediately. 3
About Your Homestay Home Away From Home Meeting Your Family Not only will you want to meet your host family, they will also be eager to meet you! When your family first meets you they will probably want to know a little bit about you. It is good to talk with your family so that they will know more about you and the things you like. You will learn more about your host family, as well. Household Routines All homestay houses must follow the rules we have specified in our guidelines. Therefore, many of the homes will have the same rules. However, there are some other, smaller rules, which may be different from home to home. These rules are there to make things more comfortable for all members of the household. In this way, everyone will be able to enjoy living in the home. To help clarify these issues, we strongly encourage you to sit with your host and fill out the homestay discussion sheet located at the back of this package. Every homestay is unique. The following are the guidelines for homestay living. Your host has been trained to respect your needs. In the interest of health and safety we ask that you respect the rules in the host s home. Failure to follow homestay guidelines will be discussed with students on an individual basis and could lead to your being requested to leave your homestay at your own expense. Housekeeping We encourage students to help with mealtime chores (clearing the table and putting your dishes away, washing any pots that you use if you do any cooking). You are not expected to do any housework or babysitting. You can use the common areas in the home. Students and host families should respect each other s privacy and not go into each other s bedrooms without permission. It is important that you realize it is still a room in someone else s home and should be respected. Students should keep their own bedroom clean and tidy. 4
House Keys You will receive a key to your homestay. It is important that you take special care of the house key as it is a means to getting into the home and your host trusts you with it. House Pets Many Canadians live with pets, usually cats and dogs. In Canada, cats are very clean and friendly. Please understand that there will be a much larger range of homestays if you are able to live with pets. Family pets will not enter your bedroom unless you allow them in. Please be sure to specify whether or not you are comfortable living with pets in the space provided on your application form. Your Bedroom Your bedroom will be completely private with a door that fully closes. It will have a bed and a desk with a lamp on it. There will also be a place for you to hang your clothes and store your belongings. Your homestay host will respect your privacy and not go into your bedroom without permission, unless it is absolutely necessary. Students should clean their own rooms and empty the garbage at least once a week. Your homestay family will give you items like a bar of soap, towels, pillows, bed sheets, etc. You are responsible for providing your own shampoo, shower gel, and other toiletries. Students should not leave a lot of money in their rooms. For safekeeping, excess money should either be put into a bank account or changed into travellers cheques. Please do not eat or store food in your bedroom as this may attract insects and create a bad smell. Your bedroom may be on the main or second floor of the house, or some homestays have finished lower levels where people commonly eat and/or sleep. These rooms are fully furnished in a very nice way and are equally comfortable. Energy Conservation It is common for most homes in Canada to take part in an energy conservation program. Here are some common ways to save energy; Turn lights out when you are not in a room 5
Wear long-sleeved clothing or sweaters in the home during winter time Keep showers to a reasonable length (15 20 minutes as a maximum) Hosts keep the temperature of their homes at a reasonable level during the winter time Recycle hosts may have separate places to put the items you want to throw out. Often, paper, tin cans and plastic items will all be sorted and put into different places. Your host will explain this to you after you arrive. Laundry Laundry facilities and detergent are included in the price of homestay. Students are responsible for washing their own clothes. It is normal for students to do their laundry once a week. You should make sure that you fully understand how to use the machines. Some hosts may feel that their machines may be difficult to use and will, therefore, want to do your laundry for you. You should only do laundry if you can do a full basket. This is because it takes a lot of electricity to run a washing machine. Hosts will not want you to use it if you only have a few pieces of clothes to wash. If your host lives in an apartment building and there are coin machines, your host will pay for your laundry. You should not be charged for using the laundry facilities. If you have any concerns about paying for laundry, contact the homestay office at 416-480-0678 or by email shs@homestayservices.ca. Washroom Most Canadian families share a bathroom with the family. Students are responsible for their own toiletries such as toothpaste, shampoo, makeup, lotions, deodorant, etc. Many families in Canada do not have large hot water tanks. Therefore, some hosts may ask you to take showers for not more than 15 20 minutes. This is because you might run out of hot water and will have to wait for the cold water to heat up again. There may be a connection between the water supply used to wash the dishes, the shower and the washing machine. It may be necessary to schedule when you will take your baths or showers. For safety reasons, please dry the floor and sink area after every use so that others will not slip on the floor, as it can get very slippery. You are not to dye your hair in your homestay as the dye will stain anything it touches and can cause damage to the home. Women should not put sanitary napkins in the toilet but rather wrap in tissue and put it in the garbage. No other objects, other than toilet paper should ever be put into the toilet bowl. Please put used toilet paper in the toilet bowl and not in the garbage. 6
Mealtimes Please advise your host family of any food allergies. It is important to tell your host the foods that you like and do not like. Do not worry; they will not be upset to hear that there is something you do not like. However, you must keep in mind that your host will cook Canadianstyle food and is not required to cook food from your country. Food between meal times is considered a snack. If your family is enjoying a snack together, they will include you. Students will need to purchase other items they wish to eat that are not available in the homestay. Students may also wish to purchase specialty foods/brand name items at their own expense. In Canada, the biggest meal of the day is the evening meal. This should be a well-balanced meal. Breakfast is the smallest meal. Possible breakfast choices are cereal, toast, eggs, fruit, etc. Students usually prepare their own breakfast. You should phone your host family (by an agreed-upon time, for example 5:00 p.m.) to tell them if you will not be home for dinner. If you come home late for dinner, your host will leave food in the fridge that you can heat up. Telephone You are allowed to use the telephone in your host s home when calling within the Toronto area. There is no charge for local calls within the Toronto area. Many hosts will have a time limit for how long you should use the phone at one time. If you are going to make an extra long phone call you should discuss it with your host. To be fair to your host this should not happen very often. It is important to realize that many hosts use their phone for business as well as personal phone calls. Your friends and family should not phone you on the host s phone after 10:00 p.m. or before 8:00 a.m. Though there is a time difference from country to the time in Canada, it is still important that you do not wake up your host family. If you are a person who is going to use the phone a lot then you may want to buy a cell phone or sometimes use a pay phone. Students are responsible for paying 100% of their long distance phone calls. You should use a calling card when you phone long distance. It is important that both students and host get their phone messages. Please discuss with your host if you can answer the phone and use the answering machine. Please respect the host s wishes. 7
Internet Internet access is not a part of the regular homestay fee. Some host families may allow use of their internet access for an additional charge. The industry standard for this service is an additional $50 every 4 weeks. Hosts are charged for internet usage, so internet should be for emailing purposes and browsing the internet. Streaming movies, music and videos and downloading are not permitted. Students should purchase a long-distance calling card in order to communicate with friends and family overseas and should not use programs like Skype, which use up a lot of gigabytes. Students must provide their own laptop if they wish to access the internet in homestay. Internet is available at George Brown College s Open Access Centre, computer labs, and the Learning Resource Centres (are all open until 10:00 p.m. for internal use). There are also many cyber cafes and libraries that have internet. Houseguests If you wish to invite a guest to visit your homestay you must have your host s permission in advance. Guests are not permitted to sleep overnight in the home without permission from your host. Smoking In the interests of health, hygiene and fire safety, smoking is not permitted in Homestays. If you do smoke you must smoke outdoors only. You may be asked to leave your Homestay at your own expense should you choose not to follow this rule. Communication, Courtesy and Respect You are encouraged to communicate openly with your host family. They understand that it will take some time for you to adjust to a new language, new food, a new family and a new city. They will do their best to make you feel more comfortable. Please remember that you have the privilege of living in someone else s home. Please be courteous in your interactions. For example, kindly inform your host family if you make plans for day or weekend trips/excursions when you will be away from homestay meals or nights. Please respect the privacy and belongings of your host family and any other international students who may also live in the home. 8
In addition to all of the above, there may be other rules to abide by, rules which are specific to your homestay. Please use the Homestay Discussion Sheet as a guide to discuss such matters with your host family. Health Insurance All George Brown College students must have valid, complete and extensive health insurance coverage. You will be automatically enrolled and charged for this program when you are accepted at the College. It is your responsibility to pay any costs which may arise if you are not insured. George Brown College, Student Homestay Services Inc. and host families are not financially responsible in any way. Please be sure to list any health concerns (allergies, for example) that we should be made aware of, in the appropriate space on your application form. We hope your time in Homestay is a great one. Homestay Feedback Your input is greatly appreciated. We will email you a Homestay Evaluation Form that helps us see how you are getting along in homestay. We ask that you fill in this form and return the completed form to our office. Homestay Questions or Concerns Please contact Student Homestay Services Inc. at 416-480-0678 or by email at shs@homestayservices.ca if you have any questions your host family cannot answer. Please report any difficulty that arises between you and your host family to the Student Homestay Services Inc. counsellor. You may phone between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Please do not hesitate to talk to us at any time regarding any concerns you may have. The staff at Student Homestay Services Inc. is always here to help you. GEORGE BROWN COLLEGE STUDENT HOMESTAY STANDARD AGREEMENT 9
Terms and Conditions By completing and signing the GBC Homestay Application and paying the homestay placement fee, students confirm that they have read, understood and agreed to comply with the terms and conditions below of the George Brown College Homestay Program as operated by Student Homestay Services Inc. HOMESTAY PROGRAM DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER This homestay disclaimer applies to all student participants in the GBC Homestay Program. I understand and assume any and all risks related to my participation in this program, and hereby agree to waive, release and absolve, and to indemnify and hold harmless George Brown College and its officers, Directors, employees, agents, and independent service providers (including, but not limited to homestay hosts) from any and all liability for any or all loss or damage howsoever caused, including without limitation, property damage, personal injury, illness or death that may arise from the homestay program or participation in the homestay program. I have read and understood the conditions and guidelines outlined on the George Brown College website and on homestay applications. I understand if I participate in this program that I will possess comprehensive health insurance coverage for medical and emergency. George Brown College students are automatically enrolled in a student health insurance program upon registration. If I become ill, injured or incapacitated while in homestay, George Brown College, Student Homestay Services Inc. Coordinators, or the host family may take such actions as any of them considers necessary, including medical treatment for me, and I will release George Brown College from all responsibility and expense. George Brown College does not assume any responsibility for injuries to Homestay family members or guests or for damage to property and possessions caused directly or indirectly by the Student. In the event of an extended emergency situation (e.g., extensive influenza penetration of Canadian society), communications related to George Brown College student homestay placement will be made in accordance with the planning principles utilized by GBC for emergency management (e.g., GBC pandemic plan). Student program participants are responsible for: 1. Reading all information regarding the George Brown College Homestay Program as outlined in the Guidelines for Homestay Living. 10
2. Agreeing to a minimum homestay length of 4 weeks starting on the Toronto arrival date as stated on his/her Application Form. Applications received or deferred requests within 5 business days or less may result in placement changes within Student Homestay Services Inc. discretion. 3. Giving an estimated arrival date on the application form in order for processing to occur. 4. Understanding that a minimum of 72 hours notice is required for airport reception service. 5. Agreeing the airport reception fee is non-refundable. 6. Giving the host family 2 weeks notice prior to leaving after the initial 4 week homestay period. 7. Understanding that changes to homestays will only be made after the initial 4 week period when extremely special circumstances necessitate a Homestay move as mutually agreedupon by both George Brown College and Student Homestay Services Inc. 8. Paying, in full, and directly to Student Homestay Services Inc., 4 weeks of Homestay fees, in advance of placement, and understanding that this payment is non-refundable. 9. Agreeing to pay the 2 week penalty fee of $350 in the event of cancellation of this Homestay Agreement without 2 weeks notice prior to his/her scheduled arrival date or failure to pay the full, initial 4 week Homestay fee. 10. Continuing to make payments to Student Homestay Services Inc. every 4 weeks, if the student wishes to extend the time in Homestay beyond the initial 4 week period. Payments must be made 2 weeks in advance; please refer to your payment schedule. 11. Not smoking in the host family s house. 12. Not using the host family s telephone line to make long distance calls. 13. Inviting guests into the Homestay only with prior knowledge of and permission from the host family. 14. Discussing with the host family, the rules specific to his/her homestay and abiding by these rules. 15. Respecting the privacy and belongings of the host family and other international students who may also live in the home. 16. Having current, complete and comprehensive health insurance. 11
17. Understanding that while he/she may not be matched exactly as requested, in every case, Student Homestay Services Inc. will make every effort to provide the most appropriate Homestay available to the Student. 18. Complying with all the terms and conditions as outlined in this agreement. Failure to follow any of the above mentioned terms and conditions may result in the Student having to leave the Homestay at his/her own expense. A parent must assume all responsibility for any student below the age of 18 years. All students under 18 must Custodianship documents before being registered at George Brown College and submit documents to International Centre upon arrival. 12