Ahh... The feast of Thanksgiving, then Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, followed just a week later by New Year's Eve and New Year's Day! 'Tis a busy season, for sure. For our students, it's likely their first time celebrating these holidays in the U.S. Family traditions vary from household to household, and when an ICES exchange student is added into the mix, the old can become new again.
New for the student, as they deepen the relationship with their host family and community as they share in cherished traditions. And also new for the host family, as the wonder of a student's first American Christmas becomes a reality right before their eyes! So turn up the holiday music, make another leftover turkey sandwich, hang some Christmas lights, and let's go shopping...
The holidays are here!
ICES Students Making An Impact
Congratulations to Marta Vicens Palou (Spain) for being chosen as the Roane County High School (WV) Student of the Month winner for October! She is being hosted by the West family and is investing her exchange year in Spencer, WV.
Also celebrating is Pablo Gutierrez Navas, hosted by Jeff and Brenda Pouliot in Hudsonville, MI. He was on the Hudsonville HS water polo team with his host brother, Cam, this fall and their team not only made it to the state finals, but they won the match. He also earned honorable mention on the regional and state teams. Congratulations Pablo!
Congratulations to Junior foreign exchange student Lu Libera Canudas for being named first team all 6-man WKLL kicker in Rexford, KS, where he played for Golden Plains High School. Lu is being hosted by the Tourville family.
JuliaNurmi from Finland not only received special recognition from her English teacher, Mr. Biundo, but also received congratulations from the principal for making straight A's! Great job, and congratulations Julia.
Holidays In The USA!
It's always great to see when long-held holiday traditions become fresh and new again. Hosting a student from another part of the world creates the perfect scenario for that to happen, as you can see below!
Eva Torres, making a gingerbread house with her host sister
Adrian Alonso, getting the Turkey started with the Moore family in Lafayette, Louisiana
Lucia decorating her Christmas tree.... with the help of a sweet little elf!
The Always Exciting ICES Blog
There has been a lot of activity in the ICES blog lately, from presents and turkeys to students and sports! Let's take a look at our most recent posts.
Five-star Gift Ideas for Your Exchange Student
Christmas is a time of festive decorations, scrumptious treats, family traditions—and gifts! But before you head out to start shopping, here are a few things you should keep in mind.
Widely celebrated by Americans across the country, Thanksgiving is an integral holiday to our history. While many celebrate the holiday with turkey, the actual story of Thanksgiving often goes overlooked.
Congratulations to Monica Serrano Aguilar for being chosen as our very first ICES Student of the Month for this school year. Her host Mom, Keara, wrote a wonderful email nominating Monica for this honor.
Congratulations to Loretta Brown, the ICES Coordinator of the Month for November! A first-year coordinator in Mena, Arkansas, Loretta is providing outstanding support to her students and host families.
Recently, Loretta went above and beyond to provide comfort and support to a student who had an unfortunate accident and needed surgery. She stayed with the student the entire time and kept the host family—who was home with their newborn baby—promptly updated. Loretta’s team says she always exceeds expectations and is a joy to work with. As the Coordinator of the Month, Loretta will receive a $200 Visa gift card. Thank you, Loretta, for all you do!
A Letter From Paris
Tyler Jones (from California) recently provided an update from Paris. He is living in France with the ICES Study Abroad Program until June of 2023.
"One of the things I love most about school here is the flexibility of classes! One day you might start at 10, and the other at 8. You could also have 2 or more hours of lunch, which means that going to the centre ville with your friends to hang or study is so convenient! Every school also gets off at 12 every Wednesday to give you some time to have fun during the week. However on normal days, the majority of students finish at 6pm, so be prepared for that!"
ICES is excited to send American Students like Tyler to other countries through our Study Abroad Program! It's a great way to:
Learn a new language and culture
Become more independent
Make new friends and build lifelong bonds
See the world
If you know a student that would be interested in the ICES Study Abroad experience, simply direct them to the link below.
If your exchange student is going the extra mile to adapt, integrate, and share cultures, you should nominate them for Student of the Month! It's a high honor that comes with some great prizes.
There are several ways you can keep in touch with all things ICES right now, and for years to come.
To subscribe to the official ICES Blog, click here.
To follow the ICES National Facebook page, click here.
And if just want more information about ICES and our ongoing mission to positively impact the world through cultural exchange, visit our website.
"Bridging the gap of cultural diversity through high school youth exchange is the most important and effective way for our youth to come together as one to build a better tomorrow for our world and loved ones." ~ John Crist, President and CEO, ICES
Holiday and Winter Stories
For most students, this season they will experience their first American Thanksgiving or Christmas, and for some their first snow! Share your Holiday and Winter stories , and you might just see them pop up in our social media, blog, or newsletter.
Send your memories to stories@icesusa.org. Please include the student's name, home country, and the host family's name and home state.
Happy holidays!
International Cultural Exchange Services, 375 N. Stephanie Street, Bldg. 16, Henderson, Nevada 89014, United States, Toll-Free within USA: 1-800-344-3566 Call from outside USA: +1 434-993-1973
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