AFS San Diego

***407 N. Tremont St., Oceanside, CA. 92054***

Dear AFS Host Families and Liaisons:

The Post-Arrival Orientation for the AFS students is just around the corner – September 25-27. There are 5 mandatory orientations for all students. Please check www.afssandiego.org on the Events/Calendar page regularly for details and updates. Please also mark your own calendars accordingly, so these orientations don’t sneak up on you unexpectedly.

Ted Thomas and Zach Mulert will help lead the orientations. We will cover the AFS orientation materials and learning objectives at each orientation throughout the year. We also focus on common and specific issues that the students are dealing with at home and at school. In addition, this is a very important peer interaction and support experience for the students. They always have a great time and we would not want any of them to miss it.

Instructions for LIAISONS:

Since Friday, Sept 25th is a school day, we’ll expect the students to arrive in Oceanside between 5:00 – 7:00 pm. To minimize travel for families and to give the liaisons a chance to spend some time with the students, we are asking that the liaisons take their students to the event. Liaisons are also invited to stay longer or come back the next day. We suggest the liaison take the student out to dinner (doesn’t need to be fancy). We will have snacks available, but not a full meal.

If a liaison cannot take the student for whatever reason we expect that the liaison make alternate arrangements for the student to be taken to Oceanside, perhaps with another liaison or staff volunteer in the area. Please take this under your personal control to make those arrangements. Please let Jeff (our liaison coordinator) know via email or phone call, who will be bringing your student to the orientation, be that you or someone else.

Instructions for FAMILIES:

On Sunday, the families will pick up the students. Parents please arrive before 1p.m. Between 1:00 – 2:00 pm we will have 2 concurrent orientations for parents and students each led by staff volunteers. After that, we’ll all clean up and make our way home.

This orientation is VERY IMPORTANT for PARENTS to attend. This will be your first time to share your experience. We have learned from the past that this helps you see what others are also dealing with…the classic issues that often arise during this time of the AFS student’s placement, regarding family life, getting along with friends and siblings, as well as school progress and issues. The more involved the families are with the student’s experience, the more successful the entire AFS experience is.

STUDENTS - WHAT TO BRING – Try to keep your items to a backpack.

• Camera!!!
• Sleeping bag & pillow or Blankets
  • There are no linens…please bring your own
  • If you don’t have a sleeping bag, perhaps a liaison has one you may borrow
  • You’ll most likely be sleeping on the floor – so be prepared.
• Toiletries – including towel and washcloth
• Warm and cool clothes
  • Remember its Southern California weather – “dress in layers”
  • Change of clothes for 2 days
  • Jacket/sweater
  • Walking shoes
  • Swimsuit, beach towel
• Something to share
  • Food – something that you make from your home country – we’ll share it on Saturday. Please try to bring something that is PRE-COOKED. We can warm things up, but we will not have a large space to prepare food.
  • Prepare a “talk”, talent about your home country (3-5 minutes)
  • Last year the CD’s wouldn’t play – so make sure they play at home first.
  • This can be anything from showing art, pics of your country, or talents such as…playing guitar, piano (we’ll have a small one there)

  What to LEAVE at home…

  • NO electronic devices of any kind…We are NOT embarrassed to take them away.
  • This includes…cell phones, game boys, computers, ipods, mp3’s…
  • This is a time to be “away from it all”
  • We need your full attention – not part
  • We’re there to interact, not withdraw behind headphones or electronic games

  Any questions? Contact Becky Brooks, AFS Coordinator
  yarden92084@yahoo.com or (760) 521-9087

Orientations for the exchange students will be Aug. 15 at the Riverview Evangelical Free Church,

4980 Sweetgrass Ln
Bonsall, CA 92003-2902
(760) 941-1430

The church is visible on the north side of Hwy 76, about 4 miles west of I-15, and about .5 miles east of the Bonsall shopping center at Mission Rd.

United Methodist Church of Vista
490 South Melrose Drive, Vista 92081
It's about a mile south of Hwy 78, on the east side of Melrose.

Start time is 9:00 A.M. Scheduled completion is noon, but no later than 12:30 if there are delays.

All host family members are invited. For younger children with shorter attention spans, you may opt to make other arrangements. Or we may ask an older child to entertain the younger ones in the playground for a while.

Becky Brooks’ home 901 East Bobier Drive, Vista

Dear Students, liaisons and families:

Pre-Return Orientation is...
Saturday, May 16th.
9am-2pm at
United Methodist Church of Vista
490 South Melrose Drive, Vista

Liaisons are to bring students.
Parents may come for an optional orientation at 1:00 pm.

Students - please bring your page of photos and short paragraph about the year (on flash drive please). Make sure it is an ENGLISH version. We struggled last year with a FRENCH version. It doesn't translate well for the company printer.

Optional Beach Party at Oceanside Harbor -
3- 9 pm