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Eastern Christian Schools offer a well-established Homestay (Host Family Boarding) program, as well as school-owned housing on the high school campus. Our homestay program successfully places students with Eastern Christian host families. Our host families have strong ties to the school, and most of our host families have children who are current students or graduates of Eastern Christian School. A number of our host families have a family member who is on the faculty or staff. We believe that a family environment provides numerous advantages for international students including:

  • Accelerated English acquisition in a total immersion environment. Students in English-speaking homestays demonstrate significantly higher gains in standardized test scores than students who are in a native-speaking environment
  • Ongoing cultural adaptation and understanding
  • Personal attention from a family
  • Consistent communication about a student’s well-being between parents and the homestay family
  • Homestay placement based on the student’s profile and preferences
  • All host families undergo a rigorous screening process, which includes an application, interview and background check. Host families support the mission of Eastern Christian Schools and are committed to providing a caring home environment for students from another country

The homestay includes:

  • A private room
  • Three balanced meals a day
  • Transportation to and from school, activities and New York area airports
  • Guidelines for students and homestay families that ensure clear expectations for daily living
  • School-sponsored host family activities such an an International New Year Celebration in February involving both host families and students
  • Ongoing access to a Homestay Coordinator who arranges student placement in a host family, facilitates communication between families and students, and assists in transportation to and from airports at breaks

We have a 95% international student retention rate indicating students’ satisfaction with the homestay program and Eastern Christian School. 

Most students prefer to stay in a homestay but some students prefer a boarding environment. We also have small, faculty-led dorms which house 4-5 students.

 
View Photos of Boarding Options


Questions?

If you have any questions please contact our Host Family Coordinator, Sandra De Marco, by email at sandrademarco@israelgutierrez.net