The end of the school year can be both exciting and challenging. Make it the best it can be by following these guidelines.
Safety and AFS Policies
As the school year draws to a close, AFS knows that for many high school students, events like Prom and end-of-year parties can be fun and exciting milestones. Especially for an event like prom, students may not know what to expect beyond what they’ve seen in the movies. You will need to be sure that your student is dressed appropriately and prepared with a safety plan in case their peers end up celebrating a bit too much. To ensure a safe and positive end of year for your student, we recommend sitting down with your student to review AFS’s safety guidelines. The below AFS policies and guidelines can be a great starting point as you talk to your student about how to stay safe during this time of year.
Final Exams and Transcripts
While not particularly fun, both final exams and securing transcripts are also important parts of the end of school year experience. The exam structure in the U.S. reflects a possible cultural difference between school systems that students would not get a chance to experience if they do not participate to the best of their ability. AFS also advises students to request a copy of their U.S. transcript from their school before departure, as these can be much more difficult to obtain once your student returns home. This document serves as evidence of their academic participation, classes taken, and grades received in the case they need to demonstrate this for future endeavors.
Make sure your student has any documentation that they need from the school BEFORE the school closes or reduces their hours for the summer. This may include an official transcript, a record of attendance, a class syllabus for a subject for which they hope to get credit, or even the need for an apostille.
If your student needs something special, like an apostille, to take back to their home country, they may request an official (stamped and sealed) transcript, but the host student will need to work with you and your state’s Secretary of State’s office to apply for the apostille to be affixed to the transcript. This may take time and may incur a cost, so knowing this in advance is very important to prevent needing to ship the official document to the student in their home country after their departure.Return all school materials
Handling Leftover Lunch Funds
End-of-Stay Orientation
Please be sure to check with your liaison to confirm the dates and times of any end of the year activities in your local community. End-of-Stay Orientation is mandatory to help process and prepare students for returning to their home countries.
Meeting with your Liaison
All host families are required to meet with their liaison in person at least once between January 1st and prior to student departure. Monthly contacts with host families and students continue until departure. Please notify your liaison of any travel plans (i.e., spring or summer holidays).
Please reach out to your liaison if you have any questions or concerns about end-of-the-year activities with your students.