February 2026 GMS Host Family Application
Dear GMS Families,
In February 2026, GMS will be a part of the Japanese exchange program. For the past 28 years, students have been coming to schools in West Kelowna as part of the Kasugai-Kelowna Sister City program. This year, GMS is hosting 50 students! This will be an amazing cultural experience not only for your family but also for our students' visiting.
Some informational pieces for you:
- Students arrive in the evening on Wednesday February 18th and leave in the morning on Monday, February 23rd. Host families will need to pick up and drop off students at GMS.
- The Japanese students will attend school at GMS on Thursday, February 19th and Friday, February 20th and will participate in your child’s classes (lunch is provided both days).
- There will be group activities planned for our GMS students and the Japanese exchange students to participate in on Friday February 21st.
- Thursday evening, Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday are your opportunity to spend time as a Canadian family. It is up to your family to decide what you would like to do. Further to that, our planning team is organizing some activities for the students (attending a Kelowna Rockets game, ice skating, indoor soccer, snowshoeing -- these are some of the ideas that we’re considering).
- An informational meeting in January (date/time TBA) will include more details about the program, as well as some fun language learning and cultural pieces. Families will be informed of the meeting date by email.
- The Japanese students do know some English and will be encouraged to practice their English through everyday use. The students are generally very polite and sometimes quite shy.
- A criminal record check and completed driver's abstract will be required of all host family applicants – please see the office for forms or to see if this has already been completed.
- Homestay families will receive $100 for each Japanese student hosted in your home. These funds will help offset costs associated with hosting during this cultural exchange.
- This year, we are offering an opportunity to enter a draw for free Airpods, if families sign up to host before January 9, 2026!
- CHECK OUT THE INFORMATION FLYER FOR MORE INFORMATION
We know it will be a memorable one for you and your family. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns. Please complete the online form here or use the QR code below so we have a record of interested families and the additional information that we require. Thank you for considering this amazing opportunity and for supporting this very important relationship with our sister school in Japan.
