Is your child headed to Space School? Congratulations on their acceptance, now here are some practical tips: At Space School dress code is their team shirt, which they will receive here, plain trousers or knee-length skirt, and closed-toed shoes. Houston is REALLY REALLY hot in the summer, so please make sure that your student has deodorant, sunblock, a hat, sunglasses and other sun-ready wear for their time in Texas. If your student has allergies, special dietary needs etc, please let the USS team know before they arrive in Houston so that accommodations can be made. If they are on any medication, please send a description of that medication’s purpose and recommended use along with it – and preferably in English!
Staying in touch:
Students will have internet at home, but will usually be either in transit, in class or working in their groups. Students usually coordinate with their host families to give a safe-landing call home, but might be slower at responding to email than normal. We also try to keep them on a schedule where they go to bed at a reasonable hour, so their hours might not match well with your time zone. Please let us know if there are problems. Emergency contact information will be sent with the information packets.
A note about Host Families:
Your child will be staying with a host family, who will ensure that the student has a nice place to sleep, plenty to eat, and transport to and from Space School. These families open their home yearly, and really enjoy the international experience that space school brings with it. All host families host students on a voluntary basis, and since many continue hosting year over year it’s important that students treat their host families with respect and appreciate the sacrifice of these families. Any special needs regarding your child will also be made clear to the host family so that they can accommodate these needs.