My best experience since I’ve been in the United States was when it snowed last weekend. All the exchange students from my area were at a Halloween party playing games outside when it started. I had never seen snow before, and watching fall was a surprise I will not ever forget. 

After the party all the exchange students came to my host family’s house to a sleep over and we played a lot of games and had a lot of fun. We watched the snow pile up outside and after a while decided we had to get a closer look.

When there was a lot of snow outside, I went with my friend to take pictures and she fell into a snow bank. It was so funny! I loved my first contact with the snow!

In the morning I made a snow man with my host family and some of the exchange students. I loved this experience and I cannot wait until the next snow storm.

Carolina Telles Matos

Brazil

The students of International Student Exchange and their Area Representative (Nancy Jo Wilson) put together a Pumpkin Painting Event for the children of Clifton-Clyde Area on Oct. 15, 2011. Youngsters who attended the event were invited to paint pumpkins, make ghosts, have their faces painted, play games and meet exchange students from all over the world.

20 foreign exchange students have been placed around North Central Kansas this year, and 17 of them were able to come and attend the event with the children.Thanks to generous donations from several local organizations including The Clifton American Legion who donated the Legion Hall; Sutton Family Farms from Norway, Kansas who donated the pumpkins; and Wal-Mart Super Center of Concordia, Kansas who donated a gift card to help purchase materials, the students and local children all had a chance to take part in the cultural exchange experience and spend an afternoon of fun with peers. Other donors for the event included SSC Trucking Inc. of Miltonvale, Kansas; Galen Haas; Sandy Schwab; Eva Schwab; Trisity Pope; Ashley Crowl; Sharon Hartman; and Leah Schwab.

As part of the ISE exchange program, students who participated at this event were able to log hours for ISE’s Project H.E.L.P, a community service component required of all students hosted here in the U.S. Host families of the students also volunteered to help make the day fun and eventful, lending their help and support to the students they sponsor.

The children and their family members who attended were able to meet students representing the countries of Vietnam, Thailand, Slovakia, China, Taiwan, Brazil, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Ecuador, Venezuela, Spain, Germany and Turkey. Thank you for all those that donated to help make this event possible, and thank you to Clifton-Clyde High School for giving our students a chance to study and learn in the United States.

International Student Exchange would like to congraulate Chinese exchange student, Tianhua Yang, for winning first prize in the Gesso Italiano (Italian Chalk) Competiton for his rendition of "Michaelangelo's Bust of David With Butterflies." The 2011 competition drew over 180 artists from all over the country, including many students from San Diego and surrounding cities. Winning in the division for "Best Educational Team," Yang not only took home the satisfaction of a job well done, but a small cash prize as well. Below are photos of his stunningly vivid portrait.

ISE would like to extend congratulations to the recently married Mr. and Mrs. Quarberg. The wedding photo below shows the happy couple and their wedding party, including Eduardo Moura, who returned from Brazil to be Mr. Quarberg's best man. Mr. Quarberg hosted Eduardo in the '04-'05 exchange program, and they bonded so well  that Mr. Quarberg had Eduardo back to share in the ceremony. Eduardo was only too happy to oblige, and stands proudly as his former host father begins his life with his new bride. We wish them all luck and happiness in the years to come.

Please click the link below to read an excerpt from an article written by Neil Bostock, the husband of Regional Director Barabara Bostock, in support of continuing the exchange program at a time when the economic bottom line seems to take precendence to global understanding. This article appeared this past summer in Mr. Bostock's local newspaper, and we all feel strongly that his words are a very appropriate start to the revival of the ISE Blog Page. Enjoy.

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ISE students in Corning, NY helped prepare meals for Meals on Wheels. Regional Advisor of the Evergreen Region, Lisa Bruce, organized this event to help the exchange students learn about the importance of volunteering in communities.

12 ISE students in Texas recently participated as actors in a Haunted House called the Boneyard as part of their Project HELP volunteer requirements. The Boneyard is a non profit Haunted House (http://www.theboneyard.org/ ) in Arlington, Texas.  The Boneyard's proceeds benefit Special Olympics. The kids had a blast scaring people in all different accents! The owner of the Boneyard said the kids all did such a great job and he invited them back to help out.

It was a great time for a great cause!

The two Norwegian exchange students hit the Cornbelly Corn Maze on Saturday to celebrate birthday as well as the Halloween Spirit. It's one of the largest mazes in the USA - Thanksgiving Point, Lehi, UT. 

As the school year rolls on, ISE would like to take a moment to reinforce the positive nature of volunteering in your community.

Here are some ideas for community service in your area!

·         October is breast cancer awareness month- buy small pink ribbon, small safety pins and have the students make breast cancer awareness ribbons. Ask the students to pass them out at school, church, Wal-Mart, etc. Make it a fun evening by ordering pizza and/or having a contest to see who can make the most ribbons!

·         Have the students bring pumpkins to the local nursing home or children’s hospital for Halloween!

·         Have a coat drive! Each year people buy new winter coats, so as the cold winter months are approaching have the students, in their schools, churches, local stores, ask for old coats. Have a deadline of November 15^th to collect the coats. Once all collected, bring to a church or homeless shelter in need.

·         Don’t forget about our furry friends! Ask the students to volunteer at the local animal shelter.

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.  ~Anne Frank

Every year the East Montgomery County Fair Association sponsors a BBQ cook off for adults and another for students enrolled in school.  The school age children must be between 9 yrs and 18 yrs of age.  The adults compete on Friday and Saturday and the children compete on Sunday. 

The students compete in the following catagories:  OPEN  CHILI  RIBS  CHICKEN

This year three of Splendora High School foreign exchange students joined with an American student to compete.  The three are:  Fernando Romanatto from Brazil, Alonso Moreno from Mexico both whom reside with David and Becky Rogers and David Straka from Slovokia who resides with Joanne Glau and family.  Their American team mate is Cheyenne Ebarb from Splendora TX.
Their team name was appropriately named "International Cookers".

For their OPEN entry they cooked a pork loin stuffed with boudin, the CHILI receipe was supplied by a friend of the host families, the RIBS were pork baby back, and the CHICKEN was leg/thigh quarters.

The cookers are required to do all the work without help from the adults.  The adults are allowed to monitor and instruct the young cookers.  All the meat entries are inspected before the cooking begins and must be cooked on a wood burning pit except for the chili which must be cooked on a burner outside.

Our International Cookers are the very proud and excited winners of 1st Place in the OPEN entry and 1st Place in the CHICKEN entry!!!!  Their host families and friends are also very proud of their accomplishments.  Fernando was quick to tell us that this is the first time he has ever won anything!!

The EMCFA BBQ Cook-off is just the beginning of the Fair that is followed by area students, who are involved in FFA and 4-H, compete with their animals.  After the competition is complete and the placement of the animals is complete there is an auction.  Before the auction, on the weekend after the cook-off, there is a buyers dinner.  The auction brings in large sums of money that goes to the student that many use to help pay for their college education and to additional scholarship funds.

Over the years many Exchange Students have been involved in the Fair through the FFA program at Splendora High School.  This is, however, the first year that any have competed in the Kids Q.  Once again the I.S.E. Exchange Student Organization has been represented in a positive manner that the school officials in the area are sure to remember in future years.