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

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.