CHI Washington North Fall Newsletter

Dates to Remember:

Welcome to the 2012-2013 School Year.

April 20th-22nd Weekend with all students from Washington and Oregon

May - Host family appreciation. (Date to be announced.)

From the Area Administrator: I am very excited about our first Washington North News Letter of the school year. I want to thank all of our host families who have opened their homes and hearts to our students. Also to our wonderful High Schools who support us and huge thank you to all our Academic Coordinators who work very hard for our students. I know this year will be one of the best years yet. Please email me if you have questions or concerns. chilucinda@chinet.org or call 425-923-7273. Love, LuCinda

We are looking for host families for fall 2013/2014. The students will be available in January.

CHI Washington North Fall Newsletter

Since our students arrivals and getting settled in they have been very busy:

Student Birthdays:
September
Felix Julian Klinke 9/5/1996

Fun Fact: CHI works

with students from more than 100 countries.

Fun Fact: Tom Areton (founder

of CHI) arrived in the United States from Czechoslovakia in October 1968.

Fun Fact: On November 1st, 1980,

Tom and Lilka (cofounder) opened California Homestay Institute. (They never dreamed their small organization would grow beyond the borders of California.)

Elena Eguiarte 9/12/1996 Esra Coskun 9/22/1995 October Duc Minh Nguyen 10/5/1995 Jessica Messner 10/15/1996 Minh Anh Nguyen 10/18/1995 Trung Duc Pham 10/22/1995 November Jiseop Shin 11/7/1994 Wanwan Chen 11/10/1995 Yosita Fuangfoowongrat 11/11/1995 Igor De Haes 11/15/1994 Khangal Byambadorj 11/16/1995 Maria Teresa Mostoles Martines 11/20/1995 Chen Ye 11/20/1995 Alice Odile Marie Triquet 11/21/1995 Chaeri Park 11/21/1994 December Gianluca Calzavara 12/1/1994 Panchita Siripattanakorn 12/5/1995 Jin Joo Shin 12/15/1994 Claire Canteri 12/20/1994 Jula Ella Thormann 12/26/1996 Iris Veronique Didier Ryckaert 12/30/1994 January Joana Talia Zoey Hartmann 1/7/1997 Juliana Demartini Brito 1/15/1996 February Jana Hrdlovicova 2/08/1996 Leonardo Felippe de Oliveira Barbosa 2/17/1996 Esperanza Macarena Corral Lopez 2/25/1996 March Elena Jimenez Guerra 3/10/1997 Greta Sophie Gunilla Petersen 3/13/1996 Tim Philipp Krueger 3/18/1996 Nicolas Sebastien H Docquier 3/24/1994 Maria Gabriela Peraldi Sada 3/30/1996 April Ines Garcia Encabo 4/14/1997 Kristina Ferechova 4/18/1995 Linzhi Zou 4/19/1996 Daniela Quintanilla Aguirre 4/19/1996 Fabienne Jahnel 4/21/1997 Pauline Nathalie Mosch 4/21/1994

CHI Washington North Fall Newsletter

A very special to all of the wonderful

CHI Families for opening their hearts and homes:

Baker Family Bartolovic Family Baye Family Bishop Family Castro Family Collett Family Coonts Family Cross Family Crowther Family Cybula Family Dailey Family Darst Family Dickson Family Edwards Family Federighi Family Garcia-Graves Family Garka Family Gough Family Gradwohl Family Hartley Family Hayes Family Haynes Family Hill Family Ingerson Family Johnson Family King Family Logelin Family Lum Family McCarroll Family McCutcheon Family Mergens Family Miller Family Pugh Family Reimers Family Rios Family Rolf Family Rosenstein Family Schmeichel Family Schmidt Family Senchantixay Family Smith Family Thorn Family Tungate Family Van Datta Family Van Sickle Family Vig Family Volluz Family Wallace Family Weller Family Yeoman Family Young Family

May Mizuki Suga 5/12/1995 Carolin Heinius 5/14/1996 Leticia De Faria Vidale 5/18/1995 Paula Henrike Liebig 5/20/1997 Franziska Hoffmann 5/26/1996 Bianka Brnusakova 5/26/1995 Sataphorn Limpabandhu 5/27/1995 Nanako Ueda 5/28/1995 June Andrea Estebaranz Escribano 6/4/1996 Lennart Liefke 6/6/1996 Melody Miriam Paul 6/9/1994 Marcella Silverio Queiroz 6/14/1995 Giulia Rondena 6/28/1995 July Jose Gonzalez Puga 7/4/1996 Aomi Sato 7/5/1996 Yago De Pazos Azpeitia 7/7/1997 Tran Bao Ly 7/13/1995 Steffy Caroline Andree Dubois 7/13/1994 Celin-Nadine Weisser 7/18/1996 Sinje Tahnee Stockter 7/30/1995 August Carla-Luise Eck 8/22/1995

AC Birthdays:
Trisha Adams 09/05 Karen Edwards 10/06 Katrina Baye 10/07 Michelle Slater 10/17 Kim Levesque 11/20 Tina Sweet 12/18 Cyndi Pugh 12/20 Debora Keyes 12/26 Colleen Divacky 02/05 Helga Freeman 02/12 LuCinda Mountifiled 03/02 Tanisha Lowery 06/01 Coralee Tungate 06/15 Kerry Yeoman 06/23 Nancy Jones 06/30 Lynann Dejarnett 08/05 Cathy King 08/17

Thank you to all of the Academic Coordinators for their hard work. The dedication they show to our students and their faith in Cultural Homestay International is undoubted the best in the US. Without these special people and the great schools that participate with us, this educational and cultural program would not be what it has grown to be today.

CHI Washington North Fall Newsletter Big city girl finds American dream in small town!!
October 3, 2012 by David Svien

Belgium and Coupeville meet, as Wolf cheerleaders Iris Ryckaert (right) and Breeanna Messner share a moment on the sideline. Iris Ryckaert is taking full advantage of her time in America, playing volleyball in addition to cheering. Her partner here, Emilee Crichton (on left) also does both. Iris Ryckaert is not from around here, and yet she fits right in. The bubbly Coupeville High School senior, who is balancing dual roles as a Wolf cheerleader and a volleyball player, hails from Belgium. Now the foreign exchange student has swapped all-day school and close access to the mall in a 20,000 person city for a town where theres still a blinking light at one of the two main intersections and where she can live out her slice of the American Dream. Having no clue of where she would be placed she lives with a host couple in Oak Harbor and their three little children Ryckaert came to Coupeville with no expectations. What she has found has delighted her, however. I like Coupeville because its small, so everybody knows everybody and people are very nice!, Ryckaert said. The advantage of this small school is that I could participate in the high school sports and that its easier to make friends. Im really happy to be in this lovely small town called Coupeville!, she added. Chance has it right! Because all goes well. At home, Ryckaert attended school from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM each day, with another two hours of homework on top of that. Facing an American curriculum has not been especially daunting for her, but she has enjoyed the small differences. School is very, very different in Belgium. Here its very easy, Ryckaert said. But what I really like in the school here, is that the teachers and the student are like close together. Because in Belgium there is a big distance between teachers and student. They are stricter. But here we have a lot of fun with teachers. The addition of sports to her life in Europe they opt for club sports over high school teams and Ryckaert played a bit of tennis has been a great cause of joy for this world traveler. I was so excited and I really wanted to be part of a high school sports team. It was one of the things that I really wanted to experience here, Ryckaert said. Ive never played volleyball before, but I really love it!! I will probably continue volleyball next year in Belgium, she added. I really like to practice sport every day and to stay in good shape. The games are very exciting for me, even when we lose! Never one to back down from a challenge, Ryckaert also dove head-first into that most American of pastimes, waving her pom poms for the most peppy coach in all the land, cheer guru Sylvia Arnold. Cheerleading, cheerleading we dont have that in Europe either, Ryckaert said. Its typically American, so I really wanted to experience cheerleading, too! 4

CHI Washington North Fall Newsletter

And I love it! Its very funny and its like in the American movies, or its part of what you can call the American dream, she added. I love cheerleading, and all the girls inside the team are lovely! Ryckaert, who has an older sister who lives in the South of France, plans to return to the highly-charged academic life after her year abroad. She will attend the university in her city and study economics. When she does go home, she will take back valuable lessons with her. I always wanted to leave one year after my high school years, Ryckaert said. The main reason is, of course, to perfect my English, because it is, for me, essential for my professional future. But its also a human and cultural experience because I meet a different culture, so different people. And thanks to this year, I will be mentally stronger, because its not always easy to be far from my country and my family, she added. Its not easy to live something totally different. So, Ill be more mature to confront my future life.

2012-2013 Orientation Meeting

This year we held our Student Orientation at Best Western Cascadia Inn in Everett WA. The students were able to meet with their Academic Coordinators and get some valuable information for their stay here in the USA while getting introduced to other CHI Students in the area. It was wonderful to see everyone.

CHI Washington North Fall Newsletter Happy Birthday to Esra Coskun!

Letter from CHI founders on Founders Day:

Dear Friends, Congratulations to all of you on the 32nd birthday of CHI. The continued health and vitality of our organization is due to everyone's individual effort. Working together we have created wonderful synergy, a symphony of achievement, giving the world so much more than any one of us ever dreamed of. You have enriched so many lives, changed so many fates, and affected so many futures! Very few people get such an exalted opportunity, and a corresponding responsibility, in their lives. You are indeed very special... Next year will mark an important milestone. CHI will be 33 and I will be 66. (Yes, I was 33 when Lilka and I started CHI.) Strangely, these numbers are significant in almost every culture. From Judaism to Christianity, from Buddhism to Shinto, from mathematics to science, 33 and 66 are in ample evidence. For me, there is a certain elegance, symmetry and balance in these numbers. This, exactly, is also my wish for all of you at CHI in this crucial year. Both Lilka and I are certain that peaceful harmony and wise foresight will guide us safely through 2013. Happy Birthday, CHI! With love, Tom and Lilka

CHI Washington North Fall Newsletter The Students getting settled in with their families and friends:

Above: Bianka Brnusakova and with her host sisters and brother. (Van Sickle Family)

Above: Yago De Pazos Azpeitia with his host family, the Vigs. Above: Giulia Rondena form Italy

Left: Damla from germany, Patrick from Germany, Doglas form Brazil, Carolin from Germany and Kristina from Slovakia.

The Tradition of High School Homecoming:

Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America. It usually includes activities for students and alumni, such as sports and culture events and a parade through the streets of the city or town. Homecoming is an annual tradition of the United States. People, towns, high schools and colleges come together, usually in late September or early October, to welcome back alumni and former residents. It is built around a central event, such as a banquet and, most often, a game of American football, or, on occasion, basketball, ice hockey or soccer. When celebrated by schools, the activities vary widely. However, they usually consist of a football game played on a school's home football field, activities for students and alumni, a parade featuring the school's marching band and sports teams, and the coronation of a Homecoming Queen (and at many schools, a Homecoming King). A dance commonly follows the game. When attached to a football game, Homecoming traditionally occurs on the team's return from the longest road trip of the season. The game itself, whether it be football or another sport, will typically feature the home team playing a considerably weaker opponent. The game is supposed to be an "easy win" and thus weaker schools will sometimes play lower division schools. 7

CHI Washington North Fall Newsletter

Homecoming Court- The Homecoming Court is a representative group of students that, in a coeducational institution, consists of a King and Queen, and possibly Prince(s) and Princess(es). In a single-sex institution, the Homecoming Court will usually consist of only a King and a Prince (for a male school) or a Queen and a Princess (for a female school), although some schools may choose to join with single-gender schools of the opposite gender to elect the Homecoming Court jointly. Generally, the King and Queen are students completing their final years of study at their school (also called seniors), while the Prince and Princess are underclassmen, often with a Prince/Princess for each grade. Recently, some high schools have chosen to add categories, such as Duke and Duchess, to extend the representation of students to include a category in which students with special needs are elected. In high school, 17- or 18-year-old students in their final year are represented by a King or Queen; in college, students who are completing their final year of study, usually between 21 and 23 years old. Classmates traditionally nominate students who have done a lot to contribute to their school, then students vote for members of the Court from the nominees. Once the Homecoming Court candidates are announced, the entire student body votes for the Queen and King. The voting is often conducted by secret ballot, but other methods may also be used by certain schools. Local rules determine when the Homecoming Queen and King are crowned. Sometimes, the big announcement comes at a pep rally, school assembly, or public ceremony one or more days before the football game. Other schools crown their royalty at the Homecoming football game, a dance or other school event. Often, the previous year's Queen and King are invited back to crown their successors. If they are absent for whatever reason, someone elseusually, another previous Queen or King, a popular teacher, or other designated personwill perform those duties. Usually, the Queen is crowned first, followed by the King. The crowning method also varies by school. Homecoming court members who are not crowned king or queen are often called escorts or royalty. They are often expected to participate in the week's activities as well. At some schools, a Homecoming Prince/Princess, Duke/Duchess, etc. (often underclassmen nominated by their classmates) are crowned along with the King and Queen; sometimes, middle school and junior high students may partake in the high school activities. The Homecoming Dance- usually the culminating event of the week (for high schools)is a formal or informal event, either at the school or an off-campus location. The venue is decorated, and either a disc jockey or band is hired to play music. In many ways, it is a fall prom. Homecoming dances could be informal as well just like standard school dances. At high schools, the homecoming dances are sometimes held in the high school gymnasium or outside in a large field.

CHI Washington North Fall Newsletter

Many of our students participated in one way or another in this American high school tradition and we were able to get some of their pictures:

Pictured: Panchita Siripattanakorn from Thailand with her friends for homecoming.

Pictured Above: Melody Paul from Belgium showing her homecoming support, and sense of humor.

Pictured Below: Yago de Pazos Azpeitia from Spain being crowned Sophomore Royalty at the Homecoming Football Game in Sequim.

Pictured Right & Below: Celin-Nadine Weisser from Germany with her friends.

CHI Washington North Fall Newsletter

Homecoming Continued:
Our "son" Felix Klinke made homecoming royalty for the junior class. Tonight is the big football game where they will be driven around the field and go up on stage. Afterwards is a dance. What an exciting day for him. The GarciaGraves Family

Pictured Above: Sataphorn Limpabandhu (Tong) from Thailand and, Celin-Nadine Weisser. That was so fun! I very like it! And I'm very happy in here because I got the best host family (Jan Hayes) she so kind and I love her. Thank you. Tong.

Pictured Above: Paula Liebig from Germany, out to dinner for Homecoming. It was lots of fun :) Paula

From all of us at Cultural Homestay International, we hope you had a wonderful Holiday Season and have a fantastic year.
Elena Eguiarte from Mexico and host sister Lauren dressed up for Crescent high school cultural days.

Contact Publisher: If you have something wonderful to share about your student or students, send all the information to me including pictures, what they did or received, vacations you went on, ECT Please contact me at: Calais Johnson chicalais1@hotmail.com

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