CIEE INTERNATIONAL MEETING IN BONNIE SCOTLAND!

Jim and Mary attended the CIEE International meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland recently and had a great time.  The weather was nice and the people were awesome!  We even managed to down some Haggis and surprisingly it was pretty good.  After the meeting, we traveled to Dublin for a couple of days to visit (not kiss) the Blarney Stone and other Irish treasures.

Jim and Mary on Princes Street in Edinburgh

Bagpiper on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh

Jim with Edinburgh Castle in the background

Blarney Castle grounds with the village of Blarney in the background from the castle tower

CANCELLED DUE TO LACK OF PARTICIPATION. MAY TRY TO RESCHEDULE IN THE SPRING.

FAMILY HIKE AND PIZZA PARTY

Saturday, November 19, 2:00 p.m.

Monte Sano State Park, 5105 Nolen Avenue, Huntsville, AL  35801

(There is a $3 per person admission fee for the park.)

Join your CIEE friends for a leisurely hike in beautiful Monte Sano State Park! Bob Goodwin, who leads hikes for Osher Life Long Learning Institute, the Tennessee Valley Trails Association, and the Huntsville Wildflower Society, will be our guide.  We'll hike the South Plateau Loop Trail, an easy to moderate 3 1/2 mile trail through some of the Park's most picturesque terrain, including the spectacular O'Shaughnessy Point.  The hike will take 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  Meet at the hiker's parking lot. After you enter the park, bear right when the road forks and the lot will be on the right.  If you get to the cabins, you've gone too far.  Please wear comfortable walking shoes (tennis shoes are okay).  After the hike, we'll drive to a nearby pizza place for an early supper. 

It's Happenin' in Huntsville!

On Halloween Weekend, CIEE students, host families, and local coordinators from Chattanooga, Nashville, and Arkansas joined us in Alabama for a weekend of fun activities in and around Huntsville.  With 61 students and 18 adults, it was a huge success!  Stops included the US Space & Rocket Center, Parkway Place Mall, the Twickenham Historic District, and Cathedral Caverns State Park.

CIEE students from all over the world at the US Space & Rocket Center

Huntsville student George from Egypt at the wheel of a Space Center simulator

(Unfortunately, he crashed!)

Huntsville area students at the Cathedral Caverns entrance

From left to right: Paula from Germany, Joy from Thailand, Norina from Germany, Ulrich from Germany, Jessica from Germany, Annie from the Republic of Georgia, and Kuvvat from Turkmenistan, kneeling

WHITE WATER RAFTING ON THE OCOEE

On September 17, twelve brave souls from the Huntsville area CIEE group traveled to Tennessee to join the Chattanooga group for a white water rafting adventure on the Ocoee River.  Here in fairly calm water, Sally gives the peace sign for the camera.  Also on the raft were Jim, Mary, Lisa, and Leon from the Huntsville area, and Jiangzhou from the Chattanooga area.

We move into one of several class 4 rapids and Sally's hands go back on the paddle.

We move into the roughest part and everyone gets really wet.  

We make it through just fine!

WECOME POOL PARTY A HUGE SUCCESS!

We had a great turnout for the first activity of the season.  It was awesome to see kids from all over the world having fun and enjoying one another's company.  Many thanks to Deborah Neel for hosting the party at her lovely country home, the perfect place for a summer get together!

Everyone enjoyed the food too, thanks to the cooks, Eloy and Leon, 

and all the delicious food the families brought to the celebration!

After dinner, Leon visits Deborah's horses.

Everyone's Here!!!

Nico from Germany with the Elrod Family

With the arrival of Nico on August 26, all of our area students have arrived.

We still have students who need placements so let your LC know if you have any ideas!

MOST STUDENTS HAVE ARRIVED!!!!

With the arrival of three Congress-Bundestag students on Saturday, most everyone is here.  But not quite!  We have a new host family, the Elrod's who live on a farm near Fayetteville, and their student will be here in a few days.  Here's a group shot taken at the airport Saturday.

Leon from China with the Powers family

Kuvvat from Turkmenistan with the Alcivar family

 Ana from Georgia with the McCormick family

George from Egypt, Eloy's 2nd student, arrives

 Marta from Spain with the Wise family

 Jingling from China with the Boyett family

Sawanya from Thailand (right) joins Ana in the McCormick family

 Sally from South Korea with the Todd family

 Lisa from China with the Neel family

Anika from Germany with the Mulkey family

Paula from Germany with the Miller family

Norina from Germany with the Winn family

Ulrich from Germany with the Willis family

Welcome to Our New & Returning Host Families & Students

We had a great Host Family Orientation this past Tuesday evening and some of our students have arrived!

Brian from South Korea with the Harwell family

Sarah from Germany with the Brown family

Jessica from Germany with the Chaplin family

Below is a tentative calendar of this year's events:

PRELIMINARY 2011/2012 CALENDAR

NORTH ALABAMA CLUSTER

(Please mark your calendars/details to follow)

Welcome Pool Party at Deborah Neel’s

Saturday, August 27, 4:00 p.m.

Ropes Course and White Water Rafting on the Ocoee River in Tennessee

(With Chattanooga Cluster)

Saturday, September 17, all day ($)

Space & Rocket Center, Ghost Walk, & Cathedral Caverns (required for grants students)

(Nashville, Chattanooga, & Little Rock Clusters will be joining us)

Saturday & Sunday October 29 & 30 ($)

Land Trust Hike and Pizza Party,

Saturday, November 19. 2:00 p.m.

Community Service Day at Christmas Charities Year Round (required for grants students)

Saturday, December 3, morning

Christmas Party

Saturday, December 10 (time/location TBD)

Chinese New Year Party (Year of the Dragon) at the Powers

Saturday, January 21, 6:00 p.m.     

Grants Students Mid-Year Meeting (GRANTS STUDENTS ONLY - required)

This will be a two day meeting, location, date and time TBD

Civil Rights Tour, Birmingham (required for grants students)

(16^th Street Baptist Church, Civil Rights Institute)

Saturday, February 18 (all day) ($)   

Chattanooga Tour - Tennessee Aquarium, Riverboat Cruise

(With Chattanooga Cluster)

Saturday, March 17 (all day) ($)

Memphis Tour - Graceland,

Beale Street

, & the Memphis Zoo

(With Little Rock Cluster)

Saturday & Sunday, April 14 & 15 ($)

Government Day (required for grants students)

 Thursday, April 26, 4:00 p.m.

Farewell Party

Saturday, May 19 (time/location TBD)

                                               

$ - Cost of activity TBD

MEMPHIS WAS GREAT

Although our trip to Memphis was a couple of months ago, we just came across these photos so this post is late.  On a Friday afternoon in April, Charles, Tim, Brian, Marian and Clara boarded a mini-van with Jim at the wheel for two days and two nights in Memphis, Home of the Blues, and we had a ball.  We were joined by students and LCs from Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Georgia.  Together, we visited Graceland, Beale Street, and the Memphis Zoo, and had time to relax, shop, and just get to know one another.

Clara and Marian have breakfast with Mississippi students Ika and Anna

The first day we visited Graceland

Tim and Brian were fascinated by the Jukebox

That night, the boys went to an NBA (Grizzlies) game and Jim and the girls along with Anna, Ika and Raphael from Mississippi had a night on the town at Beale Street.  Here we are at the Hard Rock Cafe.

 After dinner, we took a carriage ride back to the hotel

 The next morning we headed to the Memphis Zoo

 The Asian boys saw a Panda and all kinds of Asian animals at the Asian Pavilion

Congress-Bundestag Year-End Meeting

Jim and the three Congress-Bundestag students, Saskia, Clara,  and Marian attended the CB Re-entry meeting in Washington DC June 15 through 17, with all of this year's CIEE CB students.  The meeting included sessions to help prepare the students for going home, meetings with congressmen, and site seeing.

 Group photo of all 55 Congress-Bundestag students (can you find our girls?)

The three girls at the capitol

Three girls and Richard Shelby's office

Clara and Marian waiting for session to begin with other session

Saskia receiving certificate of completion

Clara receiving certificate of completion

Marian receiving certificate of completion

J

 Marian, Clara, Jim, and Saskia getting ready to board the bus to the airport

Clara in line to check bags before flying home

Marian takes a snooze at the airport before flying home