Farewell Party

We had our end-of-the-year party on Saturday, May 14, at 10:00 a.m. at the clubhouse of the Renaissance subdivision in South Huntsville thanks to the generosity of Valerie and Brad Dunham.  Their son, Alan, is Marvin's best friend.  Unfortunately, the weather was quite cool, but everyone had a great time and a few brave souls went swimming!

 

After eating some delicious food, we went around the room and everyone who wanted to shared something that happened during the past year that was funny or interesting.  Thanks everyone for such great stories!!! 

Here are some photos from the party.  Ignore the date stamp.  Obviously it was messed up! 

 

Upcoming Events for March and April

Saturday, March 19, Chattanooga
We'll depart from Huntsville at 9:00 a.m. and return around 9:00 p.m.  The day will start with a lunch cruise on the Tennessee River including a Deluxe Deli Buffet.  Next, we'll visit the world famous Tennesse Aquarium with an option of seeing their IMAX movie for an additional $6.  After the Aquarium we'll have dinner in one of several nearby restuarants; you can choose.  Finally, we'll top the day off with a stroll over Chattnooga's walking bridge to the other side of the river for ice cream.  And the good news is you get all of this for just $20 plus dinner and ice cream thanks to the wheeling and dealing of Chattanooga LC Team Leader Laurel Sapp.  The cost for adults will be $30. 

Friday, April 1 - Sunday, April 3, Memphis (depart after school on Friday and return Sunday afternoon)
We'll visit Graceland, Elvis' home, and the Memphis Zoo.  There'll also be time to explore historic Beale Street, home of the Blues, the Mississipi waterfront, and the historic Peobody Hotel with it's famous marching ducks.  We'll be staying in downtown Memphis within walking distance of Beale Street, the Mississippi waterfront, and the Peobody.  The cost will be approximately $125 which will include two nights lodging, two hot breakfasts and admissions to the attractions.  Lunches and dinners will be on your own.  If we don't have enough drivers and have to rent a van the cost will be closer to $150.

San Diego National Meeting

We enjoyed monsoon weather in sunny San Diego while attending a very fun and informative national meeting.  One of four students in the whole country selected to be on a student panel, Tim was definitely the star with his humor and extraordinary talent playing the violin.

Happy Chinese New Year!

The CIEE New Year's Party was a huge success.  We ate delicious food and enjoyed great company.

Chi & Tim cooking for the CNY party 



Chi & Mary Beth



Jim & Mary in Chinese jackets





Black History Month

Kate, Brian, Charles, Tim, Marian, Marvin, Saskia, and Clara climbed aboard the big white van with Jim at the wheel to travel to Birmingham to tour Civil Rights sites. Birmingham was an important hub of activity during the Civil Rights movement. Here, they pose in front of the 16th Street Baptist Church, site of a bombing in 1963 by anti-segregation radicals, that killed four young girls during the height of the movement.

The Year of the Rabbit

Happy Chinese New Year!  Jim and Mary will be hosting a Chinese New Year's party at their house Sunday, February 13, at 5:00 p.m.  Please RSVP ASAP. (Sorry for the late notice.)




Please remember to attend the Civil Rights Tour (required of all grants students, cost covered by scholarship) Saturday, February 12.  We will depart Huntsville at 8:30 a.m. (we'll meet at a centralized location, based on who's coming) and return at approximately 4:30 p.m. The day will start with a tour of the 16th Street Baptist Church, site of a KKK bombing that killed 4 black girls in September, 1963, during the peak of the Civil Rights movement.  Next, we'll have lunch at Mrs. B's, a nearby restaurant specializing in soul food, and after lunch, we'll visit the Civil Rights Institute, a museum focusing on the Civil Rights movement in Alabama.  The combined cost for admissions will be $8 for students and $17 for adults.  Jim has reserved a 15 passenger van which the scholarships will pay for so there's no extra cost for that.  Lunch should be under $10 per person.  (Again, all costs are covered for grants students).

Grants Meetting in Atlanta

Marion, Saskia, Clara, Kate, and Krystyna attended the Grants Meeting in Atlanta,Georgia, with Jim, January 27-28.  They joined grants students from South Carolina, Florida, Chattanooga, TN, and Atlanta, GA, and had a great time touring the State Capitol, CNN, and the Federal Reserve Bank.