Orientation

Orientation for my scholarship students was a great time of getting to know the kids and preparing for the coming school year. All of these students are here on highly competitive full scholarships funded by the U.S. Department of State, and they are wonderful kids! They are outgoing, intelligent, and a lot of fun. I am looking forward to working with them this year.
Back: Fatma from Germany, Alibek from Kazakhstan, Igor from Russia
Front: Leo from Germany, Zevar from Tajikistan, Claudia from Germany, Bohdan from Ukraine

Syngergy

Synergy: The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.

Is that definition clear enough for you? If not, let me give you an example:

10-year old boy, energy level = 10
+ 15-year old boy, energy level = 10
2 boys together, energy level = 30

We have finally found a match for Caleb's energy! He and Igor have so much fun together, stalking each other with Nerf guns, going for bike rides, and playing basketball.

I somehow had the idea in my head that Caleb would settle down as he got older, but I'm beginning to see that's not the case. Igor is not hyper at all, but he loves to be active, which is just fine with Caleb. All the kids are getting along so well with Igor and we are really enjoying getting to know him. He is fluent in English and although he is a little quiet, he has a good sense of humor and an easy smile.

His first morning here, he and Caleb woke Julianne up by shooting a round of Nerf darts at her as Elisa watched on laughing. The Nerf guns have been wildly popular around here this week and the kids are all getting along well and having fun.

Igor is here!

It seems like we've been waiting forever, but Igor is finally here. He's darling! We were all surprised at how tall he is--much taller than the pictures on his student application. He informed us he was 11 in those pictures. :-) (He's now 15 years old and about 6'1")

He has pretty clear blue eyes and a wonderful smile that he has shown us lots of during his first evening here. He and Elisa actually look like they could really be brother and sister.

He fits right in and the kids have had a great time with him. He and Caleb have already teamed up on Elisa-- Igor held her while Caleb tickled her. I think Caleb is going to enjoy this!

His English is great and we all love his accent. I believe this will be a new accent for Brad to add to his collection and I have no doubt that he will have it down pat very soon.

Portland

It's been crazy busy around here greeting students at the airport, getting Igor's room ready for him, and looking for host families for these last remaining students. Yet despite the hecticness, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to make a quick trip to Portland to see Beth & Steve and the girls who were there to see Caroline play in the Little League softball world series. We got to watch one of her games and do some shopping with them. After a wonderful lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory, we grabbed Tina (who had flown in from NC) and headed home.

One of the top items on Tina's must-see list was the elk at Dean Creek. She wasn't disappointed! There was a herd of them near the fence, and they even showed off a bit for us. So neat!

Bubble gum, bubble gum. . . .

Tip of the day: Don't give a 6-year old unsupervised access to gum while you're on the phone.

Today's quick fact: A 6-year old can fit 11 pieces of gum in her mouth and still talk well enough to tell you many pieces are in there.

First arrivals

The first of the exchange students arrived today. Greeting students at the airport is one of my favorite parts of the job. (Although I will admit I have many favorite parts of my job!) I love meeting the students for the first time, and having what has until now only been a photograph become a real person!

Today's arrival included:

Anna Lena from Germany Anna's host family went to Germany over the summer to visit relatives and were able to meet Anna and her parents, so this was not a first meeting for them--more like a reunion.

Flavia from Brazil (far right) Flavia is a natural beauty--both on the inside and the outside. She is so sweet and friendly. I've chatted with her online for months and I am eager to get to know her this year.

Now I'm getting ready for next week...when seven more of my students arrive!