Welcome Dinner

Every year I have a huge welcome dinner in conjunction with the host family/student orientation.

Host families and students come to have a refresher on the rules and regulations as well as learn more about the cultures that are being represented by the kids. We also learn some great communication skills related to  hosting situations.

I also ask each student to bring items with them that represent them so the host families and other students as well as myself can get to know them.  This year I actually remembered to take pictures of the tables!

Welcome 2012 Students!!!

What a great group of kids this year!   What is the most exciting thing for me I think is that 5 of my families are families that have hosted before!  It is so great to know that these families enjoyed the experience so much that they want to do it again and again!

The 2 new families are equally as amazing in their excitement to host.

This is going to be a great year!

This year the countries represented are small but It will be fun to really get to know the cultures in greater depth.

Italy - 1
Germany - 1
Norway - 2
Spain  - 3

Placement time!!!

Placement time is in full swing!!!  It has been more difficult this year than any other year ever to place in Utah!!  There has been a HUGE increase of families wanting to host and organizations hiring coordinators and still there are only 328 spots in the whole state.  If you are one of the lucky students to come then shout for joy!

I am excited for all the new students to arrive!

Spring Blues

Spring means the time to go home is ever closer.  This year we never really had winter so the students and families started feeling this early on.

Sometimes this can come with negative feelings. We call these feelings Pre-Departure Anxiety.  Everyone feels them and just as everyone is unique they show these feelings in many different ways.

Some will pull away from the family or the family from the student, some will use anger to make it easier to separate when the time comes, some will all of a sudden not want anyone out of their sight... the list continues on  and on of how one can show these feelings.

Sometimes if these feelings come and there is no communication about them then the outcome is very sad.  It happens every year somewhere in the US when a host family and student don't talk about what they are feeling and why. They pretend as if all is well and it grows to a point where it can't be fixed anymore and the student must be relocated.  I have had such an instance this year and it makes my heart very sad.

Situations like this can be very easily avoided by talking first to each other and then to me as the coordinator.  I have received training to help in this capacity. I love it when I can help a family through a difficult time and we come out victorious.

Snow Fun!!

Every year we try to make it up to the tubing hill.  Some years are more successful than others. This year was almost a no go. THERE WAS NO SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The resort had to make snow just so the hill could open!  I have never before in my life seen that area with so little snow in the dead of winter.

We still had a great time and can't wait to take the kids next year!