Westfield High School - Yamate Gakuin High School Exchange Info
Part One of Exchange: Hosting Yamate Gakuin High School at
Westfield High School
Hosting Dates: Friday April 12, 2024 - Friday April 26
(dates may fluctuate by one day due to flight times and time difference)
In April of 2024, 40 Japanese 11th graders (16-17 years old) from Yamate Gakuin High School in Yokohama, Japan will come to Westfield for a two week homestay.
- Two students of the same gender will be paired and stay with the same host family whenever possible. If there are uneven numbers of female or male students, then we will have some single students needing host families.
- Although not mandatory, it is preferred that guest students stay with host families whose child is the same gender as well as relatively the same age. However, families will be considered if no high school aged students live in the household.
- The sole objective of the homestay program is for the Japanese students to be immersed in English and to be able to practice their language skills. They ask that all host families keep English as their home language to provide them with an English speaking environment.
Host Families are expected to:
- Welcome our Japanese guests into your homes
- Share your everyday lives and elements of American culture
- Help guest students practice their English skills in a supportive manner without criticism
- Provide transportation to and from WHS each day (via school bus, car ride, car pool, etc.)
- Provide 3 meals a day for the duration of the two week stay (including sack lunch or lunch money for school)
- Offer care, support, and comfort as they may experience homesickness
- Attend the Welcoming and Departing Ceremonies held at Westfield High School
- Attend a Japanese Culture Evening hosted by our guest students
During their stay, our Japanese guests will attend classes at Westfield High School on most school days. They will visit classes in small groups or with buddy students. They will not visit the same classes every day, nor will they follow their host student each day. There will be 2-3 excursions during school days, where representatives from WHS will take them on field trips to cultural or heritage sites.
Weekends are designated for guest students to spend time with their host families. No events or excursions are planned by the school on these days. Host families are welcome to plan their own itineraries.
Please contact Stacey O’Brien with any questions at obriens@wws.k12.in.us / 317-687-6903
Sign up to Host and/or Travel: Link to form
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Part Two of Exchange: WHS Students Travel to Japan
Travel Dates: Friday July 19, 2024 - Saturday August 3rd 2024
(return date may fluctuate by one day due to flight times and time difference)
Interested Westfield High School students in grades 10, 11, or 12 during the 23-24 school year will travel to Japan for two weeks in July of 2024. Students who hosted Japanese students in April will most likely be hosted by one of the same students in order to continue building that international friendship. American students will be hosted in pairs whenever possible, and they will stay with a Japanese family for two weeks.
What Travelers Can Expect:
- School in Japan will not be in session, so WHS exchange students will not be attending classes.
- There will be a Welcome Ceremony upon arrival.
- Yamate Gakuin will host a Culture Day event to introduce Japanese culture to WHS students and WHS/District staff chaperones.
- WHS students will participate in three excursions during the two weeks.
- Yokohama Excursion
- Tokyo Excursion
- Tokyo Disneyland Tour
- WHS exchange students are NOT required to speak Japanese. The Yamate Gakuin students will serve as interpreters where needed.
- In preparation for the trip, we will host a series of orientation meetings at WHS to provide some cultural information and basic phrases in Japanese.
Approximate cost: $2200
(This is the cost of the 2023 exchange. Subject to change based on transportation cost fluctuations)
- The cost will cover airfare and all domestic travel while in Japan.
- Japanese host families will provide three meals a day, so students generally will not need to pay for meals.
- Students will be expected to bring spending money for the 3 excursions in Japan and for any “extras” that they may want to buy in airports or while out and about in Japan.
Please contact Stacey O’Brien with any questions at obriens@wws.k12.in.us / 317-687-6903
Sign up to Host and/or Travel: Link to form
