Aihua

Pick up
As soon as an incoming foreign teacher books a flight, he must forward the flight details to both the Academic Director and the FAO.
The DOS and the FAO must assure that the apartment is ready for the new teacher: it must be clean and tidy, and contain all items that the school has promised to provide according to the terms of the Accommodation Agreement Form. (This needs details of what apartment should possess) Utilities should be paid up. There should be drinking water available, and there must be enough electricity to last for the first day at least.

The FAO and the DOS must arrange for the school bus, and an English speaking member of staff, either the foreign teacher’s assigned Chinese buddy or a senior foreign member of staff, to meet the incoming teacher at the airport. They must prepare a sign with the teacher’s name on it, so that the teacher can easily recognize them at the airport.

The new teacher will be delivered to his apartment. Once the teacher has checked the apartment, the Accommodation Inventory Form should be signed. The teacher should receive a Welcome Pack, including _______. Arrangements should be made with the teacher to meet the Academic Director, to receive orientation, and to register at the police station.

(buddy system). Formalize and put in co-teachers’ contract, and in responsibilities.

Accommodation
Teachers are provided with shared accommodation in privately owned two bedroom apartments throughout the local district. These apartments are never more than ten minutes by car from the school. The apartment will contain cooking facilities (a rice cooker, kettle and a frying pan), a television, a fridge, a washing machine and bedding. Teachers must pay their own utility bills. Before a teacher arrives, the foreign DOS and a member of the maintenance team must check the apartment, to make sure that everything is in order: that it is tidy, that it has water, and that all utilities are paid up and working. They should bring in a cleaning lady to dust and tidy.

Although we encourage teachers to live in the school apartments, particularly teachers who are new to China, teachers may choose to find their own apartments and receive a monthly housing allowance of 1000 RMB. A one bedroom apartment may cost from ___ to ___ per month, and teachers will need to supplement this from their wages.

The teacher should agree with the Academic Director regarding whether they wish to stay in school accommodation or receive a housing allowance when they accept the offer of employment. Once a teacher has made a choice regarding school accommodation or housing allowance, they may not opt to reverse this except between the two main school terms, and with prior agreement from the Academic Director.

Upon receipt of the apartment keys, the teacher must sign the Accommodation Agreement Form, and the Accommodation Inventory Form with the FAO.

Teachers are expected to keep the apartments clean and tidy, and to respect their roommates.

Any problems with accommodation should be brought to the attention of the Chinese member of the Teaching Department designated as a ‘buddy,’ the FAO, and they will help the teacher to fill out a Maintenance Request Form. If the problem is serious or persistent, the teacher should bring this to the attention of the Academic Director.

Welcome Pack For New Foreign Teachers
Before a new teacher arrives, the FAO should prepare a Welcome Pack for the teacher. This Welcome Pack should be given to the new teacher at the airport. It should contain: _____________.

Aihua Essential Info
School Name – Aihua Foreign Languages Academy

Address – Gucheng Nanli, Shijingshan District, Beijing, P.R. China, 100043

Address in Chinese – 北京市石景山区古城南里（古六小北楼）“爱华外语“楼

Telephone Numbers

Aihua (+86 10) 68823304

David Cotter Academic Director __________

Mark Watkins Foreign DOS– _____________

Cindy Pan FAO – _____________

Raymond Murphy Teacher Trainer ___________

Ivy Huang Chinese DOS _______________

Map of the area: Attached

Your Address

In Pinyn

In Chinese

Your Chinese “Buddy”
One of the Co-Teachers has been assigned to help you settle in to life in China. They will help you solve problems you may have in your first few weeks and will help you with translation for example when you are setting up a bank account or buying a mobile phone.

Your buddy is _____________. Her telephone number is ____________.

Bank info
The best bank to join is the Industrial and Commercial Bank. There is a branch in the Constellation M Store across the road from the school and this is the bank that you have to pay your gas and telephone bills in and where you can charge your electricity card, so it’s the most convenient.

Gas
The gas in most apartments is on a meter – someone will come and read your meter and give you a bill or will leave the bill by your door. Pay this at the Industrial and Commercial bank.

Electricity
Electricity is paid on a card system. DON”T LOSE THIS CARD. There is a meter outside your apartment door. This will show how many units you have left – when you get down to about 20 its time to charge your card. You can charge the card at the Industrial and Commercial Bank or at the machine in McDonalds (it is all in Chinese and you will need a compatible bank card)

Water
The water for the taps is on a meter – someone will come and read your meter and you pay them there and then – otherwise you will have to go to the water department to pay the bill.

Telephone
The telephone is paid once a month – no bill will be sent but they will call you and tell you how much needs to be paid and you go to the Industrial and Commercial Bank with your apartment phone number and your landlords name to pay the bill.

Drinking water
Drinking water is supplied in 18ltr bottles and this can be organised through the school. With most places if you pay for 10 or 12 bottles (about ¥120) they will supply a dispenser/water heater for free.

Your Chinese “Buddy” will help you to sort out these things.

Post
The best address to give as a postal address is the school address:

Aihua Foreign Languages Academy
Gucheng Nanli,
Shijingshan District,
Beijing, P.R. China, 100043

Buses
Buses are usually regular and very cheap ¥1-2 to get to the school. Your Chinese “buddy” will help you find out which buses go to the school from your apartment.

Subway
The subway is a really convenient and cheap way to get in to the centre of Beijing. Tickets cost ¥2 for any stop on Line 1 or 2 (the red or blue lines). To go further (on Line 13 or the extended red line) costs ¥5 if you buy the ticket at Gucheng. The subway starts at about 5am and stops at about 10.30/11pm (depending on the stop).

Transport card
You can get a card from the subway station for a deposit of ¥20. Charge this up to ¥1000 and this can be used on the buses and subway (cuts out the need for change on the buses and queuing on the subway).

Taxis
Proper taxis (the ones with the signs on the roof) are always on the meter – if they don’t put it on with you get in the taxi tell them to do so. They start at ¥10 before 11pm and ¥11 after and the fare goes up in ¥2 increments.

Black taxis
Black taxis are illegally operated taxis run by local people. Be aware that you are not covered by insurance when traveling in them. They can be found around the subway stations and outside KTVs, and restaurants. They cost ¥10 but longer journeys need to be negotiated. Don’t pay any more than ¥10 for short journeys – and for really short journeys this can be negotiated.

Orientation of New Foreign Teachers
Within a week of arrival, the new teacher should receive formal orientation from the DOS and the Teacher Trainer.

This orientation should utilize the Aihua Orientation PowerPoint file. This may be found in the Aihua Folder at: Aihua/New Teachers/orientation. The orientation should address the following issues:__________

Locker key, library, Level Testing,

Chinese Lessons
Aihua will provide Chinese lessons for its foreign teachers. During our two main teaching terms, Spring and Autumn, we will provide one hour of teaching per day, from Monday to Friday, for each of three levels of students. The foreign teachers must arrange the timetables for the Chinese lessons with the Coordinator of the Chinese Teaching Program. Only one lesson will be provided for each level each day, so teachers must agree amongst themselves upon a regular timetable. Once a timetable is agreed upon, classes may only be rescheduled if the cancellation is the fault of the school.

The school will suggest teaching material for these classes, but the students may choose to use other material.