Hosting a Student – Building a Family

Hosting a Student – Building a Family

February 13, 2015

For many years now many schools have claimed that their school fosters a strong sense of community. Indeed, the word is so replete in K-12 education that I wonder if it still has meaning. Nonetheless community is one thing you feel when you visit The Academy. It is a palpable, yet almost indescribable sensation of belonging to one another, for the benefit of one another. In fact I feel it so much at The Academy that I am sometimes prone to describe it to people as “family,” a word which a student recently reminded me applies here better than most.

And as a family, we offer some advantages that other schools do not, one of which is the opportunity to host an international student. Now, other schools also have international students. They generally stack the roster with many of them to fund their programs; so many, in fact, that the international students tend to clump together. They live in a certain part of the dormitories and work and eat together. Not at The Academy. We welcome our international guests as full members of our community – our family. We ask that they give of themselves as we all do, share their ideas and experiences, and enrich our understanding of the large world.

Part of that experience is a home stay. We invite them to be part of our home families as well. They are our brothers and sisters, our friends joined together in study, work, play, and laughter. While hosting a student for the year presents some challenges, those who have done it extol that its rewards are far greater.

While hosting a student for the year presents some challenges, those who have done it extol that its rewards are far greater. If you are curious about hosting a student for the remainder of this year and/or for next year, please contact Sabine Mauri for more information.

Dr. Brian Bloomfield
Head of School, Academy at Charlemont

Hosting a Student   Building a Family