Author:
Hoss's Mom
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Date Posted: 19:55:27 03/23/03 Sun
>Unfortunately, not many parents have taken advantage
>of the message board. I'm not sure, if they don't
>realize they
>can, or if they are confused by the format. As I
>will be one of the parents chaperoning the Athens
>group to Delta, I've made a point of checking out the
>message board on a regular basis. As our son is
>presently on a student exchange in Germany, I find it
>helps me to stay informed with what the band is up to,
>plus it gives me a little more insight into the kids.
> I'm guessing it will be very different from what
>your students are use to.
>You're right about the weather. Unfortunately, we got
>pelted with a load of snow the last month, so we're
>probably
>going to have a late spring. In fact we set records
>for snowfall, and the Rideau Canal in Ottawa, just
>closed to skaters on the weekend, setting a record for
>staying open so long. Monday and Tuesday were
>beautiful here. We had a high of 12 Monday, so alot
>of our snow is finally starting to melt. However,
>they are calling for freezing rain overnight, so at
>this point our weather is still up and down. As we
>are planning a trip to a sugar bush, if our last
>exchange is any indication, rubber boots were part of
>the wardrobe for that trip. With any luck, the family
>he is staying with will have a pair he can borrow. We
>also did alot of walking when we went to Ottawa, so
>make sure he has comfortable shoes.
> At this point, I'd suggest either an all weather coat
>with a removable liner, or a coat suitable for fall
>weather. He
>could even get away with a spring coat, as long as he
>is wearing sweatshirts. While it is getting warmer
>during the
>day, we are still having cool nights, resulting in our
>furnace kicking in, and frosted car windshields in the
>early
>morning. All my family is in your area, so if it
>helps, our weather is comparable to the weather in
>Kelowna.
>I hope this answers some of your questions. If
>there's anything else you'd like to know, or anyone
>else, don't hesitate to
>email me. Looking forward to meeting everyone in May.
>Deb
>
>Adam had just turned 15 when he went on his first band
>exchange, to Spirit River, Alberta, so I can empathize
>with
>any parent sending their child on their first
>exchange, as I too had many questions, and worries.
>It probably will be a
>culture shock for everyone coming from Delta, as
>probably half our members are from farming families,
>1/4 live in
>rural areas, and the other 1/4 live in towns, with the
>biggest town being Athens - and it might have 1000
>people. It's ironic, because when we did the exchange
>with Spirit River, we turned out to be the Urban half
>of the exchange.
>While I don't know the newest members of the band, we
>are very involved parents, and have been band
>"groupies" as
>I laughingly call us, since Adam entered high school
>(high school here is grades 9 to 12 - was 13, but it
>was phased out this year). Being a small school, in a
>small town, I can assure you not much goes on that
>everyone doesn't know
>about. I chaperoned most of the activities that took
>place during the last exchange, and if that exchange
>is any
>indication, your son and the other Delta students
>should have a great time. Our only complaint last
>time was not
>enough down time - it was such a whirlwind of events
>that the younger kids were exhausted, and truthfully,
>so was I.
> As for billets, the kids are basically there to sleep
>and eat breakfast - although this time J.P. has set
>the Sunday aside to spend with the billet family -
>something we didn't have last time. They also always
>have what they call a "safe house" - somewhere the
>students can move to, if their billet doesn't work
>out, if that helps to also put your mind at ease.
Just thought I'd let you know those emails were written on March 19th, and thankfully, when Spring officially arrived, Ontario decided to get into the act as well, and we've actually had beautiful weather the last few days. It also rained three nights in a row (something you B.C. folks should be familiar with) and as a result, our snow has gone down considerably since Maureen first emailed me. We can actually see grass again...
Anyway, I'll try and keep you posted as it gets closer.
Deb
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