FINAL TOUR BRIEFING AND PACKING LIST AUSTRALIA 2017

Transcription

1 FINAL TOUR BRIEFING AND PACKING LIST AUSTRALIA 2017 WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY 15 th SCHEDULE: Drop your bags in the band room on Wednesday morning, Feb. 15 th before school or anytime before 12:00 PM. We will go over once again all the pertinent tour details during 2 nd period Wind Ensemble class. Attend first or second lunch as normal. The bus arrives at 12:30 PM and we will board between 1:12 1:45 PM. You are excused from periods 5, 6, and 7. We will leave no later than 2:00 PM for JFK. We are leaving early because 1) JFK traffic is horrible and unpredictable, and 2) We want you to have enough time to have dinner in the terminal before you board the plane, and 3) We want the experience to be as stress- free for everyone as possible. If you would like to pay to upgrade yourself to economy plus, business class, etc, you are welcome to do so if such an offer is available. I pay to do this for myself because of my bad back. It s entirely up to you, and you can move around within our section on the plane once we are seated. Our block of seats is located in the same part of the plane. NUMBERING SYSTEM: We will assign each student a number and a group. There are 71 students and 6 chaperones, so each chaperone is assigned to either 12 or 11 students. This is how we take attendance and check to see that we ve not lost anyone at each major checkpoint. When you pass security at JFK, each group will gather and wait in a designated area to call out numbers before proceeding to the gates. We will repeat this process many times on the tour, so memorize your number and pay close attention when we are doing attendance checks. This is different from previous years, as we used to do one giant group with numbers. We will practice this in class. Your point of contact and guide throughout the security/transit process is your assigned chaperone. HOTLINE: My emergency Google Voice hotline number is This number will ring directly to my personal mobile phone, which has a global plan. I am leaving it on and reachable 24 hours, 7 days a week. You can text message or call at any point if there is a serious emergency. Please do not share the hotline number, and use it only if necessary. Please do not message or call me for routine non- emergency issues. For non- emergency situations, I will check my SHS occasionally throughout the day, but the best way to reach us while on tour is via the SHS Wind Ensemble Facebook page. BLOG AND FACEBOOK HOW WE STAY IN TOUCH: Please go to our Facebook page and like it. This is where we will be posting a blog of our tour. This is how you will be notified that we ve arrived, where we re going, how the concerts are going, etc. The address is: Students will be helping us administer the page as we tour. This is the first source of updates while we are abroad. We will be posting videos and audio files on the main Facebook page as we get them. The Sydney concert is professionally recorded, so everyone will have an mp3 of very high quality of the final concert!

2 PACKING DETAILS Everyone needs to follow the following packing advice and double check for the following items: IN YOUR CHECKED BAG: 1. Bag Size and Weight: Do NOT bring extra large suitcases. The tour is 10 days, 9 nights. You are allowed one checked bag up to 65 lbs (30 kg), plus one small backpack and a small instrument on board if your instrument is carryon size. 2. Tuxedo Wearing students: Fold your tuxedo jacket in half and the pants in half and carefully place this at the very bottom of your suitcase. This is the best way to pack it without creating huge creases. Do not forget bow- ties, cummerbunds, BLACK SOCKS, and BLACK DRESS SHOES. Please TRIPLE CHECK that you have these/ 3. Dress- Wearing Students: Fold your dresses three times (tri- fold type method), and place it in the bottom of your suitcase. Do not forget BLACK DRESS SHOES. 4. Do NOT place medications or anything of value (ipads, etc) in your checked bag. 5. Remember that you will be charged a very high fee if the bag is overweight. SHS is not responsible for charges for bag size or bag weight that exceeds Qantas Airways rules (which are the most generous in the airline industry). 6. You can pack liquids as normal, but no aerosols or knives (including reed knives). 7. REED PLAYERS: Bring at least TEN working reeds in a PROPER REED CASE. Do NOT leave your best reed on the mouthpiece. 8. BRASS PLAYERS: You can bring valve oil (which you should), but if you want to carry it on it must be in the TSA approved 3 ounce containers (see the next bullet list). 9. PERCUSSIONISTS: You must bring ALL the sticks and mallets that you could possibly need on the tour. Bring all the mallets that you have for John Mackey. He is very particular about mallet choices. You will need all of them, and you must have at least 2 backups if you break a stick or a mallet. Bring the tambourine, wood block, sandblocks, triangles, triangle beater, and the gong beater. Everything else is rented. I will coordinate this with the percussionists again in class. 10. Please see below for a more detailed checked- bag packing list: DETAILED CHECKED- BAG PACKING LIST This list is not exhaustive, but it is a good start. Remember to PACK AS LIGHT as possible. There will be laundry available in both Melbourne and Sydney, so there is no reason to pack an excessive amount of clothing or personal items. Please see on- packing- list/ for a more thorough list if you would like to double check. I recommend the following: Music Folder and Musical Instrument: This is the SINGULAR MOST IMPORTANT ITEM to pack in your bag besides your MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. Please TAKE YOUR FOLDER HOME on Tuesday, February 14, 2017, and place your black wind ensemble folder in the bottom of your bag. This is the most important item, as we DO NOT bring extra music for people who might forget their music. If your musical instrument is too large to carry onboard the plane, it will be a second checked bag, which SHS will pay for. Tuxedo/Dress/Pantsuit: See the above outline on how to pack and fold this. We will wear the tuxes and dresses twice, so it is critically important that you fold them properly after the concert in Melbourne.

3 Outerwear: It s summer in Australia, so please do not wear a giant winter coat to JFK. Leave your big coats at Scarsdale in the band room. Pack a very light windbreaker, because all you ll need to do is quickly move from the charter bus to the inside of the terminal. Bring a small umbrella for your backpack, as it may rain in the afternoon in Sydney. Wear a pair of jeans for the flight, and pack a pair of shorts or sweatpants to change into on the plane. Casual Shirts: It is summer, so I recommend packing 5 all- cotton t- shirts (short- sleeve), and 5 all- purpose shirts (something that you will be cool and comfortable wearing). Shorts/Pants/Swimsuits: Bring 6-7 pairs of shorts, 1 pair of blue jeans/pants, and 1 swimsuit. Bring your tuxedo dress shirt and two dress shirts (one button down light color for the Melbourne Grammar concert; one button- down for the farewell dinner). Undergarments: Bring 10 pairs of underwear/socks/etc, unless you plan to do laundry. Socks: Bring 8 pairs of casual/sneaker socks and 4 pairs of dress socks. You ll need the dress socks for the concerts (3) and the farewell dinner (1) Shoes: Do not overpack here. Wear 1) the shoes you ll wear on the plane (comfortable, casual, sneaker- type shoes are best), 2) a pair of lightweight/packable shoes for the more formal dinner the final night, and 3) your dress shoes for tuxedo/dress. Toiletries: Pack as light as possible in sealed containers for the checked bags. There will be shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and soap in each hotel. Therefore, I don t recommend that you pack a great deal of these items unless you strongly prefer your own brand. Pack 3 oz or less travel toothpaste, deodorant, toothbrush, and hand lotion (if you re prone to have dry skin on planes) in your TSA approved carryon liquids bag. Sunscreen and Hats: Bring SPF 30 or higher sunscreen (I recommend Neutrogena in the white container) if you are even slightly prone to sunburn. It is middle of summer in Australia, and we will be outside frequently. Bring sunglasses and a hat for the outdoor tours. IN YOUR CARRYON BAG: 1. Bag Size and Weight: Qantas is very strict with baggage weight and size for carryon bags. Your carryon bag cannot exceed 7.5 kg. If it is too heavy, it may be weighed and you may be forced to check it. For this reason, I recommend bringing a small backpack with only what you need for the long journey to Australia. 2. YOU MUST FOLLOW TSA RULES ON LIQUIDS AND GELS. You are allowed a ONE QUART sized bag (this is SMALL) with liquids NOT EXCEEDING THREE OUNCES or 100 ML. This is very very

4 strictly enforced both in the United States and in Australia where we are transiting. You risk holding up the entire tour group for minutes if your bag has to be examined and rescreened. Please obey the following rules on carryons: Bag size must not exceed 56cm x 45cm x 25cm (22in x 18in x 10in) including handles, pockets and wheels. DO NOT pack large liquid items, or you WILL be held up for a long time at TSA checkpoints and at Heathrow. Toothpaste, cologne, etc is fine. Liquid medications should go in the quart- sized bag as well. (If they are over 3 ounces, have a copy of your prescription if possible. If not, we should be okay because medicines are exempt). Be careful with packing too many electronics. If you have any electronic device (laptop, ipad, iphone, etc) it must be taken out and put in a plastic bin for security. Limit the number of cords, wires, etc, as this often signals a secondary screening. We have to remove shoes and belts at JFK security, but shoes stay on inside Australian security. Pay close attention to any questions that Australian Customs and Transit officers may ask you. You ll be very sleepy, so triple check that you ve collected your items and placed them back in your bags. Please visit to double check that you are in full and complete compliance if you elect to bring on a carryon bag. Again, I recommend that you check as much as you can. Bring on a small backpack with a change of shirt/shorts if you like and your ipads/etc. SMALL INSTRUMENT PLAYERS (flutes, clarinets, etc) will need to carryon your instrument. This counts as your carryon bag and you can still bring a personal item (backpack or small bag). DETAILED CARRYON- BAG PACKING LIST Remember, you will be carrying this bag (plus your instrument if it s alto saxophone sized or smaller) with you through security and customs. Therefore, it is IMPERATIVE that you not over- pack. I recommend a small backpack (rather than a wheeled carryon bag) Clothing: Change of casual/sleeping type clothes for the long overnight flight. I suggest a pair of shorts or sweatpants and a t- shirt, plus one change of underwear/socks. Liquids: Only a small amount in TSA- approved 100 ml (3 oz) or less containers sealed in a quart- sized zip bag. Toothpaste, hand lotion, etc is all fine as long as it is contained in the TSA approved liquids bag. Small Electronics and Books: If you have an ipad, load it up with movies and games before your trip. Bring a couple of books (paperback), and bring a pair of headphones. Bring an international adapter if you want to have power in the airport in Australia. Otherwise, you can request a power adapter in the hotel for a small deposit. Laptops: I don t recommend bringing a laptop unless you plan on writing something significant or doing a paper. (I hope that your teachers haven t assigned work over the break). Laptops attract a great deal of extra

5 security screening, and they are heavy. If you have an ipad, consider bringing it instead of a laptop. Both hotels will have business centers where you can use a Mac or PC computer. GETTING BACK FROM JFK If you want to ride home with your parents, I must have a signed note (not an ) stating that your parents will pick you up on arrival at JFK. At this point, we expect an arrival at SHS around 6:30 PM on Friday, 24- February. If you have any other questions, please me at jnoble@scarsdaleschools.org. Don t forget to like the facebook page, as this is how we will disseminate all the fun information we have to our loyal audience (the parents).