INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

English Immersion

English Immersion - Program Overview

Every summer, students age 10 to 15 come from all over the world to take part in the FaySummer English Immersion Program. Offered as a five-week concentrated summer program for international students, our program offers a combination of academics, cultural interactions, summer camp activities with our domestic day campers, travel experiences, and total English language immersion. The FaySummer English Immersion Program is an ideal setting for students to improve their English skills through daily classroom instruction, with opportunities to put their English language skills to work in activities with American students who are enrolled in other summer programs.

The Program
At the beginning of the session, teachers assess each student’s skill level and place him or her into one of three levels: Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced. At each level, students focus on improving fluency and developing the necessary skills to become a successful language learner.

Students enrolled in the FaySummer English Immersion Program take key academic classes each morning, with electives and camp activities scheduled in the afternoons. In addition to daily coursework, students have an activity block scheduled after dinner and are expected to complete approximately one hour of homework each night.

Throughout the summer, teachers continually assess student progress and send home regular program updates. Teachers also provide an end-of-summer written report on each student’s progress, along with a summary from the student’s advisor. All English Immersion students may choose to take the TOEFL, Jr. at the end of the session.

Our Campus
English Immersion takes place on Fay School’s 66-acre campus in Southborough, Massachusetts, 25 miles from Boston and 190 miles from New York City. Students have access to all of the school’s state-of-the-art facilities, including two pools, athletic fields, tennis courts, gyms, indoor rock climbing wall, outdoor adventure course, theater, visual arts center, and Innovation Lab for our “makers."

Daily Schedule

8:15 Breakfast

8:45 Class Time

10:15 Snack

10:30 Class Time

12:00 Lunch

1:00 Elective 1

2:30 Elective 2

4:00 Dorm & swim time

5:15 Dinner

6:00 Evening activities

8:00 Dorm time/
Tech time/shower

9:00 Lights out!

One five-week session
International Students, ages 10-15

July 14 - August 16, 2019

Application Information

FaySummer welcomes international students who are ages 10 – 15 to apply to our English Immersion Program. FaySummer seeks the best candidates from a variety of backgrounds to enhance the cultural diversity of our camp. Early submission is important as space for the program is limited.

To Apply:

- Complete the 2019 English Immersion Application and supporting documents found here. Completed applications can be scanned and emailed as an attachment to Chris Ridolfi, Director of Auxiliary & Summer Programs at cridolfi@fayschool.org

- Submit the program deposit of US$3000.00
Payments may be made through Flywire or directly to the school by contacting the program director for wire transfer information. If accepted, the deposit becomes non-refundable and is applied to the final tuition balance. Tuition includes daily program instruction, housing, meals, weekend activities, and 24-hour supervision, as well as individual health insurance for the duration of the program.

All applications will be reviewed on a first-come first-served basis. Decisions will be emailed beginning February 1 until the program is full.

All accepted students will be required to submit, accurately completed in English and signed by a physician, a health record, permission to treat form, record of physical exam and record of immunization through our online system. A link to the online system will be provided in the acceptance email.

Please note: All non-native, English-speaking students with a permanent address outside of the United States must register as an International Camper in our English Immersion program.

English Immersion FAQ

List of 6 items.

Housing

English Immersion students stay in double or triple rooms in an intimate, home-style setting with a common room and shared bathrooms. Teachers and counselors live in the dorms with the students, providing 24-hour supervision and care.

The English Immersion Program is a language immersion program. It is important that students have every opportunity to speak English to practice their skills. Therefore, we strive to match each student with a roommate who speaks a different language so that all are encouraged to speak English.
Meals

Fostering good nutrition is a key component of our program. Students eat meals together in Fay’s dining room; our kitchen staff prepares meals from scratch with high quality ingredients, and there is a major emphasis on local sourcing and environmental sustainability.

Meals are provided by Sage Dining Services. Click here to learn more about Sage's approach, which includes a focus on nutrition and cooking "from scratch."

Please note: Fay’s Dining Room is a ‘peanut free’ facility. Please contact us directly if your child has severe food allergies.
Visa Information

Students attending the English Immersion Program are able to enter the United States on a B-2 visitor visa. Fay School will not issue an I-20 to a summer student unless he or she is matriculating into the academic school year. In that case, I-20 paperwork will be issued through the Office of Admission.

A visitor visa (B-2) is sufficient to participate in our program because, according to the U.S. government, a person is allowed to enroll in a recreational enrichment course of 18 hours or less. English Immersion students participate in no more than 15 hours of language classes each week, and no academic credit is given for their course work.

Please contact Chris Ridolfi for more details at cridolfi@fayschool.org or 508-490-8247.

Click here for information about the United States' visa waiver program.

In the unfortunate event that your child is denied a visa and unable to enter the United States, you will receive a full refund for any tuition/expenses paid.
Transportation to and from English Immersion

We can arrange transportation to and from Fay School from Boston–Logan Airport and New York–JFK Aiport. It is recommended that you travel to Boston-Logan. All airport travel fees will be paid using the student’s incidental account. Click here for a list of fee-based concierge services, including transportation.
Health Services, Health Forms, and Immunizations

Fay School’s health staff are on campus each day to provide routine and emergency care. All lead staff and camp administrators are CPR and First Aid certified. Please contact the camp office if your child will be taking medication at camp.

All students participating in English Immersion must be examined by a licensed physician within the 13 months leading up to the start of the program.

Consistent with U.S. Department of Public Health requirements, all students must be fully immunized prior to attending the English Immersion Program. It is the responsibility of the family to submit proof of all immunizations (in English), with all documents signed by a licensed physician, before the student arrives. Without this proof, your child cannot attend the program.

If you are having difficulty obtaining certain immunizations prior to the start of the program, we can send you a link to a local clinic that may be able to assist. All students must have proof of all the required immunizations before arriving on campus. Please contact the Fay Health Office for more information at 508.490.8228.
Family Visits and Communication

If parents wish to take students off campus, they must make the appropriate arrangements with the School. It is important that students become fully integrated into our programs, develop relationships with their peers and dorm parents, and also immerse themselves fully in an English speaking program; we ask that families respect our visitation policy. We ask all students to participate in all our activities; however, we allow for visits on the following occasions:

Weekdays: Monday through Thursday between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. Please call or email to arrange visits with the Director.

Weekends: Students enjoy participating in our weekend activities, so please call or email the Director in advance to arrange visits and to confirm the best times when your child will be on campus from Friday afternoon through Sunday evening.

Meet the Director

Emily Gifford is the English Immersion Program Director. Emily came to Fay School in 2010; she earned her bachelor’s degree from Tufts University and her master’s degree in education from Boston College. During her time at Fay School, she has taught Latin, Ancient History, Chinese, English as a Second Language, and Algebra. In addition, she has served as a Class Dean, a coordinator of diversity, equity, and inclusion workshops, a fitness coach, and a dorm parent. She has organized and planned student trips to Canada, China, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, France, Greece, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, New York City, and Washington, D.C. Emily lives near campus and works closely with the FaySummer leadership team to ensure the quality of every student’s experience.

"When our son came back from English Immersion, he had so much to tell us about his life at Fay, from classroom discussions, to sports in the afternoons, to fun activities on the weekends, to new friends from around the world." -parent of English Immersion student