District 7080 Canada
Youth Exchange
Manual
Chapter 4
The
Inbound Student
INBOUND STUDENT GUIDELINES
The
purpose of these Guidelines is to assist you in planning your departure to
Canada by providing information on how to obtain your Visa, Student
Authorization and other documentation, your responsibilities, our
responsibilities, what to expect during your year in Canada and what we expect
of you.
Read the Guidelines carefully together with the District 7080 Youth
Exchange Program Rules.
TIMETABLE
Students from the northern hemisphere and some
from South America arrive during July and August with most arriving about the
middle of August. Most students from the southern hemisphere arrive
between the middle and end of January. Plan your arrival and departure so
as not to disrupt your education on your return home.
Our school year is from the beginning of
September until the middle of June. The second semester normally starts during
the first week of February which is convenient for the January arrivals.
The exchange is a one year exchange. You should not plan to return
home for at least 11 months.
Summer arrivals should be here until at least
the end of the school year; January arrivals should expect to spend Christmas
and New Years in Canada.
VISA, STUDENT AUTHORIZATION,
IMMUNIZATION AND VACCINATION
Once you have received your completed Guarantee Form which specifies the
name of the school in which you will be enrolled, you may apply for your
Canadian Visa and Student Authorization. You should apply at the nearest
Canadian Consulate or Embassy and request an expiration date of the month-end
one year from your month of departure.
When applying for your Visa, find out what immunizations and/or
vaccinations will be required in addition to those listed on the Immunization
and Vaccination Form. Please be certain
that you have protection against the diseases specified by both countries
before you leave home.
Under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (Ontario), it is mandatory
that all students up to 18 years of age attending school be immunized against
the following diseases: diphtheria, tetanus (lockjaw), poliomyelitis, measles,
mumps and rubella (German measles), tuberculosis, smallpox and whooping cough.
This Act authorizes
the local Medical Officers of Health to order the suspension/exclusion from
school of any pupil who is not immunized or in the process of being immunized
or who does not qualify for an exemption. Exemptions may be granted for medical
and/or religious reasons on completion of the proper Statement of Exemption by
your physician.
District 7080 is located adjacent
to the United States and many students travel to the U.S. with their host
families or on Rotary trips during their stay in Canada. We strongly recommend
that you obtain a U.S. Multiple-Entry Permit before leaving your home
country. It will also be required if
your travel arrangements require you to enter Canada from the United
States. This must be obtained at the
nearest U.S. Consulate or Embassy and will require documentation of your
Canadian status.
TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS
Your final destination
into D-7080 will be Lester B. Pearson International Airport in Toronto, (code
YYZ). As soon as your travel
arrangements are completed advise the D-7080 Vice Chairman handling your country
of all travel details including airline, flight number, date of departure and
date and time of arrival.
You should label your
luggage both inside and out with your own name and the address and telephone
number of your first Host Family or Host Counselor.
Do NOT
carry packages whose contents are unknown to you for any friends or strangers
at any time.
ARRIVAL
You must have the Student Visa
with you when you arrive in Canada.
Failure to do so could result in your being refused entry.
On arrival your
Student Visa will be validated by the Canada Immigration Inspector.
Advise the inspector that your Exchange is
for one full year and involves student activities after the end of the normal
school year.
Failure to do so may result in August to August students
receiving a visa valid only to the end of June. This may prevent participation
in the month long student trip to Western Canada during July. [Show this paragraph to the Immigration
inspector to help you explain.]
You will be met at the
airport by a member of your Host Club and normally your first Host Family. There may also be a member of the District
7080 Youth Exchange Committee on hand to meet incoming flights.
Carry the name, address and
telephone number of your first Host Family or Host Counsellor with you just in
case you are not met at the airport as arranged.
CLIMATE
Ontario covers a large area and has a wide range of climates, grouped
into two main regions - an arctic and sub arctic climate area in the north and
a humid continental zone in the south.
District 7080 is in the most southerly part of Canada at approximately
the same latitude as Northern California, Northern Japan and Southern
France. It experiences a relatively
moderate climate due to its proximity to the Great Lakes. The average annual
precipitation is approximately 900 mm. with about 42 percent of the annual
total falling in the growing season of May to September.
A blanket of snow usually covers
much of the region from December to March.
During this period temperatures may dip as low as -20 C or rise above
freezing. In summer, maximum
temperatures in excess of 30 degrees C are not uncommon. The January mean temperature is -6 C and the
July mean is 22C.
PRESCRIPTION
DRUGS AND GLASSES
If you
are presently receiving prescription medication take a sufficient supply to
last at least one month.
If you
require this medication during your year on Exchange, take a clearly-typed
letter from your physician stating the nature of your problem and the
prescribed treatment so that it may be continued under the supervision of a
physician while away. Physicians should
be asked to use generic terms rather than brand names when specifying
medication.
Customs
officials may question unidentified medications. Take your supply of medication
in the original prescription container. The cost of medication is the student's
responsibility.
If you require corrective glasses take an extra pair and a copy of your
current lens prescription.
MONEYCanada has a decimal currency system.
We use coins in denominations from one cent to two dollars. Paper currency is used for larger
denominations.
The approximate 2011 Canadian Dollar cost of some normal items is:
Cinema
|
$12 [$7 on Tuesday]
|
Lunch
|
$10 [for school lunch or at McDonalds]
|
Bus
fare
|
$3
|
Jeans
|
$30 to $50
|
Rock
Concert
|
$75 to $150
|
Your Host Rotary Club will provide you with an allowance of
approximately $125 CDN each month and will also provide transportation and
accommodations for you to attend the District Conference and various other
programs specifically related to our Youth Exchange Program. Students are not
permitted to do paid work to supplement their allowance. Non-paid volunteer
work is permitted and encouraged.
RESERVE FUND
You are required to provide and keep replenished a reserve fund of at
least $500 to meet extraordinary out of pocket expenses. A jointly controlled bank account will be set
up with your host counsellor. Whenever
your funds in the account drop below $500 they must be replenished
HOSPITAL, MEDICAL, ACCIDENTAL DEATH &
DISMEMBERMENT AND REPATRIATION INSURANCE
Insurance is required to pay for unexpected costs incurred because of
accidents or sickness while you are away from home. Adequate coverage must be in place before you
leave your home country.
We expect Inbound Students to purchase the insurance recommended in
Canada. There are a few exceptions where
District 7080 has a reciprocal arrangement with other districts to except each
other's insurance as adequate. Unless
you have been specifically told this is the case, you must purchase the
insurance recommended in Canada. Only then, are we sure that the host family,
host club and District 7080 are protected in the event of a severe loss.
CLOTHING
If you have a distinctive national costume typical of your country or
region, please bring it. There will be
many opportunities to wear it and it will be considered suitable for any formal
occasion.
You are responsible for having appropriate clothing for the exchange but
if you come from a warm country without snow you may find a better and less
expensive selection of clothing for the winter months available in Canada. You
will need to bring the money with you to cover these costs.
LAPEL PINS, CLUB BANNERS, VISITING CARDS, GIFTS
Most Exchange Students bring 200 to 300 lapel pins to give out and
exchange at school, at Rotary and Youth Exchange functions.
Many students find visiting cards with their picture on them very
useful. Check with your Sponsoring District
to find out if they are supplied for you.
Inexpensive gifts, typical of your home country, for your host families
on departure, birthdays, Christmas, Mother’s Day and other special occasions
are very popular. A supply of
"Thank You" notes should also be included.
SCHOOL
During your stay you will be enrolled in a high school. You are expected
to take part in school activities as if you were a Canadian student. You must attend school full time except when
attending Rotary functions or traveling with host Rotarians or families.
Ontario has 2 publicly funded school systems, the Public School and the
Separate School Boards. Public Schools
do not normally require uniforms.
Separate Schools do normally require uniforms. However, if you are enrolled in a school
which does have uniforms your host club will assist with the cost and will pay
any required tuition. You may have to
purchase some textbooks.
HOST FAMILIES
In most cases, students coming to our District stay with three host families during the year. Host families may or may not be Rotarians and
may or may not have children at home.
You may have your own private room but this cannot be guaranteed.
While here you will be treated as a member of your host family. This
requires a lot of adjustment on your part as you must fit yourself into the
life of the host family.
COUNSELLOR
Your Host Rotary Club will appoint an experienced Rotarian as your
counsellor, who, with their spouse, will be your main contact and confidant
during the year you are with us. Your
Host Club counsellor is responsible for the joint administration of your
reserve fund, school enrolment, and your general welfare.
BEHAVIOUR AND ATTITUDE
While you are being hosted as a Rotary Exchange Student in District
7080, remember that you are an ambassador for your country and Rotary. People often judge your country by your
behaviour. Maintain high standards of
behaviour so that you will leave others with a good impression of you, your
country and of Rotary.
In the closeness of the Host Family you are expected to accept criticism
and comply with discipline.
PARENTS OR RELATIVES VISITING THE STUDENT
As outlined in the Youth Exchange Program Rules, visits by parents
and/or family are not forbidden but are not encouraged. The arrival of parents or relatives in the
middle of an exchange is often disruptive for the student and the host
family.
Visits by friends from home are
strictly prohibited.
Planned visits must be cleared with the District 7080 Chairperson and
host Rotary Club.
Visits should not be considered until the student has completed more
than 9 months of the exchange year.
Visits should be of short duration and should not interfere with the
student's normal routine or conflict with planned Rotary activities including
the optional trips.
TELEPHONE CALLS AND
SOCIAL NETWORKING
Telephone calls to or from the student, while easily made, should be
saved for special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas or
other holidays as otherwise they can dilute the exchange experience.
Some hosting districts forbid telephone calls home [other than an
initial "I've arrived" call] within the first three months to speed
adjustment to their culture.
Now that
emailing, Facebook and Twitter are common, communication with family and
friends back home is easy and usually quite instantaneous. With programs like
Skype, phone calls now become free, with no charge to the host family. With
this internet connection, host families may find it difficult to control how
much internet time a student has (especially when internet cafes are
available). However, students should try to limit their internet use
(especially in the first quarter of the year) to no more than an hour a day.
This will allow them to focus more on the culture at hand and not the one back
home. Communication with friends in your host family can be done in other ways
(cell phones etc).
Correspondence by fax, E-Mail, or old fashioned
letter writing work just as well and can be shared with more people. Writing letters is still a fantastic way to
communicate with home because it makes
writing home a fun process, and is exciting when you receive a new letter. It
also makes contact with people back home more special but also more
limited.
PUBLIC SPEAKING, SLIDES & PICTURE ALBUMS
During
your stay in Canada, you will be expected to speak to Rotarians, other Service
Clubs, youth groups and school groups.
When you will do this
presentation will vary, some students may have to present earlier on in their
exchange, others at the end, while others may have to do small presentations
throughout their exchange.
Being prepared is the best option. Before arriving it is best to
prepare a small slide show or PowerPoint (on the computer, memory stick or CD).
Many students also bring a picture album of
photographs to show to host families, school friends, Rotarians or people you
visit for dinner or on weekends.
Many students also bring a picture album of
photographs to show to host families, school friends, Rotarians or people you
visit for dinner or on weekends.
It is suggested that the presentation and picture
album should cover the following aspects:
·
Your family and home.
·
Your special interests such as
school, sports, trips, hobbies.
·
Special local sites, historic
and scenic points of interest, national points of interest, festivals.
LAPTOPS
Whether or not
you take a laptop is a personal choice; many former exchange students recommend
that you do.
QUARTERLY REPORT
You will be required to write a brief quarterly report to the District
7080 Youth Exchange Chairperson. If so
requested, copies will be made available to your Sponsoring District.
Optional TRIPS
Canada is a very large country and it is a very diverse country. It is
over 9000 kms from east to west. The optional trips made available to our Inbound
students provide an opportunity to see more than just Southern Ontario.
Rotary-approved trips at a cost of approximately $3000 are available to
Inbound Exchange Students in June and July during the summer vacation
period. The trips are optional and the cost is your responsibility. Check with your host counsellor as
reservations must be made early. Written
parental consent is required.
GENERAL PROGRAM INFORMATION AND RULES
All Inbound students and their parents are asked to carefully read the
Expectations for Exchange Students and Parents.
As a condition of accepting a student into District 7080 the student and
the student's parents must sign one copy of the rules and return it to the
address given on the form.
Exchange Students are here to mix with and make friends with other young
people. The more the student participates, the wider the circle of friends will
become. Do not confine friendships to
fellow Exchange Students. Participate to
the fullest, sharing the family life, the school life and community life.
Welcome to
Canada.