
Guidelines for writing a welcome letter
You will receive a letter and photo from the student who has been placed with your family. It is important for you to prepare a letter of welcome accompanied by one or more photos to be sent back to your student.
There are two reasons why preparing a letter is important. First, it helps the student’s parents know who their son or daughter is going to be staying with. This is reassuring for them. Second, your student will bring small gifts for each family member so it is helpful if they know the age, gender, and interests of the members of your household.
Tips for what to include in your letter
Here are some general guidelines of what to include in your letter:
- First, welcome the student to your home and then tell him/her who you are. Give all family member names, ages, and what they do (work, school, etc.) Although we tend to be a little more reserved about giving our age to others in Canada, it is completely acceptable and expected in Japan. You will see that this information is given in the letter from your student.
- Next tell the student what your interests are — hobbies, sports, things you typically do in your family. You can combine this by responding to what the student might have said; for example, “We see that you enjoy playing tennis. We also like to play tennis so maybe we can have a game together when you are staying with us.”
- You can mention what kind of food the family enjoys eating and ask the student if he/she has any favourite food.
- If you have pets, you should tell the student a little bit about them. “We have a dog named Sparky. He is a very friendly Golden Retriever who loves playing with his toys.”
- Finally, tell the student that you are looking forward to his/her arrival and wish him/her a safe trip to Canada.
Photos
For your photo(s) try to make them reasonably current and make sure that they include all members of the family who are living at home. Identify each person in the photo so it is clear who they are.
Timing
Please ensure you submit your letter and family photo no later than 2 weeks after you receive your student profile.
Letter and Photo Submission
Please email your letter (preferably in Word format) and photo(s) to colleen@canadianinternational.ca, and copy homestay@canadianinternational.ca.