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Page THE HERALD Wednesday May 1391 SchOOl NeWS- Fitness fever Daniel Sztachta front left was getting weary nearlng the of this fitness demonstration he fellow student Jason Lescak front right and other students gave to parents during St Francis of Assist s Open House held last Thursday night to demonstrate what children studied and learned dur education week Herald photo by Lisa Boonstoppel Pot Halton Hills Public Library in Georgetown was the forum for the Regional Battle of the Books com petition Thursday involving elementary schools from Halton Hills Burlington Oakville and Milton Pictured above the St Francis of Catholic School team goes up against New Central Battle of the Books Public School on their respective knowledge about books St Francis of Assist team members include left to right D ana Stevens Christy Busby Sarah Mike Doyle and Daniel Young Absent from the photo team tute Julie Herald photo Special school project Displaying the bags of refuse Harrison Public School students filled from litter fn Cedarvale Park In Georgetown last Thursday are Grade 5 students left to right Lisa Jackie Grant Janine Samantha Arundell and Stephanie Students cleaned up garbage from the playing fields and streams which the school makes use of for outdoor learning and recreation as part of a special school proiect Herald photo by Lisa Boonstoppel Pot Hosting students Hosting an exchange student can sound pretty scary What if it t work out t if expen sive Who pays any medical bills Don t you have to be a rich family The truth is it may be easier than you think and is sure to be a rewarding experience for the whole family Just ask any of the families who have hosted students in Canada since the program began in 1978 They are likely to tell you that it was one of the best things their family has ever done Each year Canada brings nearly foreign students from more than tries to Canada and volunteers around the country go about fin ding host families said Julie Finlay a volunteer in Georgetown Right now there are students all over the world waiting to be notified that a has been found for them she said The students to years old are carefully screened by AFS Interculture Canada before they are accepted on the pro gram AFS Interculture Canada looks for young people who are flexible and adaptable with good academic records and a genuine interest in sharing their own culture and learning about a new one When looking for host families Canada has one main criteria the family should provide a nurturing and sup portive environment The mam thing the family must provide is a family type atmosphere That does not necessarily mean your traditional nuclear family said Julie Exchange students just need the same com mitment and caring that all teenagers do These are kids who are really interested in the world around them All they need is a family that is willing to open their home and share the Canadian way of life In addition to the careful screening process the students are all medically in sured by AFS Interculture Canada One reason some families are hesitant to host a foreign student Is the fear that it won t work out That is a fair concern says Julie but the wonderful thing about AFS Canada is that it provides a tremendous support network for the family and the student In fact the hallmark of AFS Inter culture Canada is the caring support it provides to all its par ticipants When students come to Canada ongoing support is pro vided at the local level to both students and the host families Because there are sometimes language and cultural barriers it is important that the student and family not feel alone We are careful not to interfere in the ex penence but the student and the family know that we are here if they need us said Julie AFS Interculture Canada prides itself on fostering friend ships that usually last a lifetime The experience also brings the world a little closer to home and can be especially important for younger family members Families can host for six to 12 months If you are interested to find out more about the hosting program call today the AFS In terculture Canada representative in the area Julie at 9075 or the national of fice toll free at AFS Canada is a not for profit volunteer tion which purpose is to promote global education and interna development through inter cultural exchange programs In Canada also sends nearly 300 Canadian students abroad Contest winners Georgetown High School student Sara Lynn placed in the top n a Un vers ty of Waterloo French Contest in which approximately students from across Ontar participated recently Sara Lynn received a book pnze for her participation in the contest The annual contest awards the first place winner a one month all expenses paid trip to the summer language institute at the University of Tours France This years winner was Newton of North Park Secondary School n Brampton Portuguese cooking Parents visiting St Francis of Asslsi School last Thursday night got to taste traditional Portugese food students studying Portugal helped make Holding up the tasty fare is left to right Botelho Edward Beek and Adrian Carrelro The Open House was held to display dent proiects representing what they learned during education week Herald photo