THREE NEW STUDENTS ARRIVE IN JANUARY!

Two boys from South Korea and one from Brazil arrived in the area on January 5, 2012, bringing the total number of CIEE exchange students in the North Alabama - South Central Tennessee cluster to 20.  Please join me in welcoming all three students!

 

Juneseong from South Korea is attending Pope John Paul II Catholic High School in Huntsville. The Kopfinger family is hosting Juneseong.

 Seonyeeong from South Korea is attending Glencoe High School in
Glencoe.  He is in a double placement with the Garrison Family.

Lusas from Brazil is also attending Glencoe High School and is being hosted
by the Garrison's.

CONGRATULATIONS GEORGE!

Egyptian student George Philoubos was recently selected to attend the Civic Education Week conference in Washington DC.  The one-week conference is put on annually by American Councils for all YES, FLEX, and A-SMYLE students. Students are selected based on a program-wide essay competition.               Congratulations, George!

The Civic Education Program is a special workshop for approximately 100  YES, FLEX and A-SMYLE students currently living in the United States. The program provides an opportunity  for participants to gain a better understanding of some of the democratic concepts and values that are such an integral part of these programs. Participants will also have a chance to learn firsthand about the federal system of government and other important issues through discussions, briefings, and meetings on Capitol Hill.

CIEE CHRISTMAS PARTY

We had a good turn out for the CIEE Christmas party held at the neighborhood clubhouse of Marshall Wise and her family.  Thanks Marshall, for providing such a great place for a party!!  All of the students brought a dish from their home country and we had a real feast.  Didn't know we had so many good cooks in our group!

    The exchange students pose in front of the Christmas tree

    Just a small portion of the home-cooked foods the students prepared

Annie's host brother Peirce takes a liking to Kuvvat who donned a Santa hat

                       Ulrich (above) and Leon (below) playing Dirty Santa

CHRISTMAS CHARITIES COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITY

On Saturday, December 3, ten students and two LC's spent the morning packing boxes full of ingredients for Christmas dinner for needy families in the area.  Everyone had a great time working together for a good cause.  We packed several hundred boxes!

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