Our Short Stay Guidenotes 2006

Guiding Notes For Host Families – Short – Stay Visits
We look for host families who wish to interact with students, talking to them and getting to know about their family and culture, taking them places maybe to play a game of football with your own children, bowling or just a walk around Newark or your village. They must be made to feel like part of the family. There must be at least one adult female in your family. We are not interested in families who are only interested in extra income.

• Short stay visits mostly take place between February and June and children typically stay for 2 to 5 nights with each family hosting between two and four children.
• English must be the spoken language at home
• Students must be accompanied if walking or driven to and from collection points.
• Students must not under any circumstances, be allowed to make their own way to/from the meeting point.
  Full board is required – this includes breakfast, a packed lunch and main cooked meal in the evening. A substantial packed lunch is also required on the day of departure.
• Students are out all day with the rest of the group. Depending on the length of visit, they will visit Newark, Nottingham, Lincoln, Sherwood Forest etc.
  Our groups usually (unless you are directed otherwise) meet in the Potterdyke car park next to the bus station on Lombard Street in Newark at 8 to 8.20am each morning and the normal time for collection is around 6.30pm, apart from the first evening (arrival) which is sometimes later. Please see our website www.fromallaroundtheworld.co.uk and look in the box on the front page called Short Stays which has regular updates for host families including FOOD LISTS and the ITINERARY etc, which are downloadable for you to print off.
• Students are often tired on the night of arrival, as they will have travelled all day. Please give your students a light meal upon arrival and vegetarian, just in case you have a vegetarian and were not aware previously. Cheese & tomato pizza, fries & peas & ice cream is a good choice and can be quickly prepared before collecting the student.
• Economical wholesome meals are recommended and mild curries, lasagne, spaghetti Bolognese and shepherds pie are among some of our successful recommendations.

We will give you the age of the group & sex of your student before the visit, but not always their names. However, next year we hope to be able to offer both their names and emails and a photograph. We put on our website, your photograph and your PIN and Family name and send your email to the students beforehand so that both parties can get in touch if they wish.

Meals
Please make sure that at least one member of your family eats with the students in the evening. The main exercise of these trips is culture, it is important for the children to understand about our daily living.
The packed lunch or picnic should provide two sandwiches or four slices of bread, or bread rolls, plus yoghurt, crisps, fruit, a cake and a drink. A hot, cooked meal should be provided in the evening.
Please provide bread and water on the table when eating at all times. French people are accustomed to eating with this and appreciate it when provided in England.

Bedroom/Bathroom
Students may share a bedroom but not a bed (unless they specifically ask to do so). Beds must be a proper separate bed and not lilos, sofas or camp beds. Bunk beds are acceptable for students of 16 and under.
Please provide students with a clean towel and flannel and show them how to use the bath and shower.

Going out at Night and General Discipline

• Students are not allowed out at night on their own or with any of your children.
• They are allowed out with a responsible adult. They are your responsibility during the evenings/mornings during their stay.
• If you have any problems at all, please contact us immediately and we will speak to the group leader.
• Please do not run the students around to see their friends in the evening unless you particularly wish to see their host family. You are not a taxi service; please let us know if you receive such requests.

· It is very important for us to maintain good host families. We work hard together with the school and family to make the experience positive. Many incidences are caused by misunderstandings due to the language barrier.
· Please see one of the leaders and your local organiser or telephone should any problem arise. They will nearly always be sorted out by immediately addressing the problem and not leaving it to fester.
· Do not, under any circumstances, complain to us after or when the student returns, there is absolutely nothing we can do to remedy a situation at this point.

Telephone and Money
It is normal for host families to allow the children to telephone home when they first arrive to let their parents they have arrived safely and it would be appreciated if you would adhere to this. A brief call is always appreciated by anxious parents.
We use from our computer www.voipbuster.com which is a service allowing you to call a telephone. For a small charge, many places, usually including France can then be called for free.

Do not lend money at any time or allow unlimited access to your telephone.

Damage
Any damage claims must be notified to your local organiser immediately. We will pass on claims but you must have adequate insurance to cover it as From All Around the World are not liable or responsible and no reimbursement from the school or French company is guaranteed. It is a good idea to check the student’s rooms before they leave on the final morning; this is for damage or for items left.

Insurance
We strongly recommend using waterproof mattress covers while having students, not only for the rare occurrence of bedwetting but also for spilled drinks etc.
Please place valuable objects out of the way of temptation while students are in residence. Game Boys and designer clothes etc are almost impossible to retrieve once students have left.
Health
Should the student have an accident or takes ill, contact your local organiser immediately. Do not under any circumstances give medical treatment – not even paracetamol or aspirin. The group leader has instructions on treatments or medication to be given.
Payment
All of our payments are by BACS and you will be paid within 5 working days of the students leaving, into your bank account.
You will only be paid for the number of nights you accommodated the student and so if for instance, a student has to be removed to another family, you will only be paid for the time spent with you.
· Acceptance by you of this condition is implicit in your acceptance of the guests. If students require to be moved because you are in breach of the above guidelines, then you may forfeit the right to any payment.

Finally ---- On the day/evening of arrival, please check the website www.fromallaroundtheworld.co.uk for your personal time slot, or call on any of the above numbers – this may change throughout the afternoon depending on roadworks etc. So that you are not kept waiting at the meeting point, we can update you on the arrival time.