Huntsville Area CIEE Events: December 2012

WE SAY GOODBYE TO THREE CIEE STUDENTS

Three area CIEE students, all of whom arrived in January, left the program in December. They're all great kids and we will miss them very much!

Juneseong from South Korea

(hosted by the Powers Family)

Lucas from Brazil

(hosted by the White Family)

Harry from South Korea

(hosted by the Pickard Family)

CIEE CHRISTMAS PARTY!!

Tracy and Keith Roberts, Min Jeong's host parents, had the CIEE Christmas party at their lovely home. Each student brought a dish from their home country to share and everything was delicious! Everyone enjoyed getting together with their friends, wonderful food, foosball, a spirited game of Dirty Santa and playing outdoors in the Roberts huge backyard on an unseasonbly warm December afternoon.

The spread!!!

Students pose in backyard

Deborah Neel organizes a rousing game of Dirty Santa

The kids really get into it

A group of students visit at the dining room table

COMMUNITY SERVICE AT CHRISTMAS CHARITIES YEARROUND!!

On the evening of November 27, a group of CIEE students, host parents and Local Coordinators spent several hours sorting non-perishable food items for Christmas Charities Yearround which would be delivered to area needy families so that they could have a hearty Christmas dinner. Together, our group sorted 2,617 items!

Since I forgot my camera, here's a picture of last year's volunteers

CIEE INTERNATIONAL MEETING

In November, area LCs Cheri Mulkey and Jim and Mary Powers attended the CIEE International Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, a training session offered annually for qualified Local Coordinators held in a different international city each year. More that 160 LCs from all over the US, all of whom placed at least 5 students, attended this year's meeting. CIEE sponsors approximately 1400 high school students from over 55 different counties each year.

Jim and Mary with sweeping view of Lisbon in background

Jim and Mary at entrance to narrow medieval Lisbon street

STUDENTS FROM OTHER AREAS COME TO HUNTSVILLE!!

Almost 60 CIEE students from Arkansas, Tennessee and Georgia joined us in Huntsville in October for a weekend of exploration of our area. We visted the US Space & Rocket Center, historic downtown Huntsville, and beautiful Cathedral Caverns. We also had time for shopping, dining and fun at one of the local malls.

Students at US Space & Rocket Center

Students in front of Pre-Civil War church in downtown Huntsville

Huntsville area students at mouth of Cathedral Caverns,

thought to be the largest entrance to a public cave in the world

ATLANTA TRIP A LOT OF FUN!!

Six exchange student, two host sibs and three chaperones had a great time in Atlanta in September. We visited Six Flags, the World of Coca Cola and the CNN World Headquarters.

Ready for some fun! Zhen's host brother Darius, Zhen, Shiyuan, Jialin, Victoria, Luisa, Shara and Jialin's host sister Sydnee pose in front of the mini-van just before we departed.

Six Flags Over Georgia

Everyone enjoyed the hotel pool

The World of Coca Cola

CNN World Headquarters

WELCOME POOL PARTY A BIG SUCCESS!!

Second year host mom Deborah Neel who is hosting two students this year, Mayom from Thailand and Shara from Germany, had the CIEE welcome party for at her lovely farm in southern Tennessee for the second year. Everyone enoyed one another's company, a refreshing dip in the pool and visiting the farm animals!

We had a great turn out (here everyone poses for a group photo)

A few students enjoy the pool before we eat

Lisa (left), Deborah's student from 2011/12 who is attending UAH this year,

joined the fun (here she and Mayom, one of the students Deborah is hosting this year,

are enjoying watching everyone have fun in the pool)

Everyone was getting hungry so Kieth and Jim grill some hamburgers and hot dogs

Everyone brought food to share and the serving table was very impressive

Mary shows our grandson Hank the farm animals (afterall we are on a farm!)

Hank contemplates pulling Gama's earing but he's too sweet

THIS YEAR'S STUDENTS HAVE ARRIVED!!

We have another great group of students in our area this year! Here are a few of them as they are greated at the airport by their host families. This year's CIEE family consists of 17 exchange students from 7 countries (Brazil, China, Germany, Norway, South Korea, Spain, and Thailand) and some truly awesome host families.