July 11, 2012, our first outing. What a fabulous day! Our group of 15 headed for the capital around 9:30 am. We met with the Maryland students and their coordinator Kathie around 10:30. Our tour started with a stop at the Lincoln Memorial, and we walked through the Korean War Veterans Memorial and the World War II, to reach the Washington Memorial Monument. Although we had packed lunches, the students couldn't resist to see the largest McDonald in the nation, or the second largest in the world! After lunch, we made our way to the Capitol where Ron Jackson, a personal friend of mine was waiting for us at the Visitor's Center with a big smile on his face. The security officer was not smiling, and confiscated a couple of butter knives, and a bottle of perfume. Oh well, lesson learned. It was well worth it. We walked through the various rooms and corridors, admired various paintings and statues, experienced the whisper spot and met with Freedom, the statue who lives on top of the dome. It is a must see, and I strongly suggest to book a tour, if you have not experienced it yet. Our next excursion will be on the 19th. See you then!

WELCOME TO AMERICA

Welcome to all our French students.
The flight got in on time, even with a 50 minutes delay departure! And the students were released from customs within an hour. Wow. For the first time in 15 years, the families did not have to wait for the students. And we had no lost luggage either. They all made it and were happy to meet with their host families. Thanks to all for participating. The next time we meet (Discovery group) will be on July 11th, to go to DC and visit the Smithsonian museums.

HELP, time is running out!

HELP!

Time is running out! If you can help, or know someone who can, please let them know that we're are desperate for host families, specially for July. We're only a couple of weeks from the arrival, and I still have a lot of students who need homes.

Michelle Baker from the Gainesville Times wrote a nice article (read it here) and it was published, last Thursday (06/07/12) and I'm still waiting for calls! Please, spread the word, these kids already have their tickets and will not be able to come and realize their dreams if people don't step up! Please, pleease help if you can. It's only three weeks in your summer; but it means years of preparation for the French student.

Activities for the July DISCOVERY group have been scheduled and will be as follows:

Wednesday July 11 - Smithsonian Museums, DC (a no brainer)
Thursday July 19 - Medieval Times, MD (new this year)
Monday July 23 - Kings Dominion (my favorite)

As you see, we have something for everyone. Transportation will be arranged from Manassas and details will be available to our Discovery host families. As they say, the more the merrier, so our hosts and their children are welcome to join us, and I always enjoy the company and the help is most appreciated.

Piedmont Day - May 29, 2012 - What a success!!!
This was my first time, but will certainly not be the last! The perfect weather. I'm glad I had LEC water bottles and Eiffel Tower shaped cookies. A total of 20 families signed up to get more information. I met with the nicest family tonight, and have two more appointments for later this week. Start planning your summer NOW with your French student. Get to know each other through Skype, IM, etc. The sooner, the better. Thank you for making it a great day and for your interest, I can't wait to hear from you.

This summer share your world

You now have the chance to add an international dimension to your life by opening your home to a French student for three weeks this summer. If you want to know more about the homestay program, contact me. Dates are July 5 - 25, and August 2- 22, 2012. The students are aged between 14 and 18, speak English, have their own spending money and are anxious to live "the American Way". They are fully insured and have an emergency plane ticket in case of an emergency. They travel with an adult chaperon who will keep an eye on them. The chaperon and I share the same goal: to ensure a rewarding experience for both the student and the host family.

More Profiles

More profiles are coming. July is almost complete with 9/10 for immersion, and 12/14 for Discovery. We now need hosts.