England, Ireland & Wales April 2019

Transcription

1 England, Ireland & Wales April 2019

2 1) It supports our curriculum 2) It s at the core of our mission 3) Global Awareness Program 4) IT S FUN! Why Travel? MISSION STATEMENT Whitman-Hanson Regional High School provides all students with a high-quality education in order to develop reflective, concerned citizens and contributing members of the global community.

3 The Chaperones Who are we? Bob Davidson History Director Brian Dempsey ELA Teacher Brian Dukeman Science Teacher James Dunn History Teacher Ellen Galambos ELA Teacher Michelle Gentile History Teacher Siobhan Horton Administrative Assistant Amy Medeiros ELA Teacher Amanda Reagan Spanish Teacher Carol Stephansky R.N., New England Medical Center, Floating Hospital Mark Stephansky Science Director Kristen Thomas Foreign Language Director

4 North America Country Number Canada 8 Mexico 8 Caribbean Country Number Bahamas 1 Dominican Rep. 1 Central/South America Country Number Costa Rica 4 Peru 3 Argentina 2 Chile 1 Honduras 1 Belize 1 Where have we traveled? Asia Country Number China 4 Singapore 1 Thailand 1 Cambodia 1 Vietnam 1 Africa Morocco 1 Europe Country Number Great Britain 10 Italy 9 Germany 8 Switzerland 8 Austria 8 Czech Republic 8 Poland 8 France 7 Spain 7 Ireland 4 Greece 2 Monaco 1 Netherlands 1 Russia 1 Sweden 1

5 Day 1: Fly overnight to Ireland Expected departure date: Friday, April 12

6 Day 2: Shannon Killarney Meet your Tour Director at the airport Travel to Killarney

7 Day 3: Killarney Take an excursion to the Ring of Kerry Visit the Kerry Bog Village Museum See a sheepdog demonstration (Available mid-april October)

8 Day 4: Killarney Blarney Dublin Travel via Blarney to Dublin Visit Blarney Castle

9 Day 5: Dublin Guided tour of Dublin St. Stephen s Green O Connell Street With your expert local guide you will see: Georgian squares O Connell Street St. Stephen s Green Phoenix Park See the Book of Kells at Trinity College Visit St. Patrick s Cathedral Phoenix Park St. Patrick s Cathedral

10 Day 6: Dublin Holyhead Coventry Take a ferry from Dublin to Holyhead Travel to Coventry Visit a Welsh castle

11 Day 7: Coventry Stratford-upon-Avon London Travel via Stratford-upon-Avon to London Take a tour of Stratford-upon-Avon Visit Shakespeare's birthplace Visit Anne Hathaway's cottage Explore London on your own Stratford-upon-Avon Anne Hathaway's cottage Shakespeare's birthplace

12 St. Paul s Cathedral Day 8: London Guided tour of London Note this is Good Friday Big Ben With your expert local guide you will see: Big Ben and Houses of Parliament Piccadilly Circus St. Paul s Cathedral Westminster Abbey Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace (if scheduled) Windsor Castle Windsor Castle Changing of the Guard Westminster Abbey

13 Day 9: Depart for home Expected return date: Saturday, April 20

14 COSTS Included in the cost of the trip are the following: Overnight stays in: - Killarney - Birmingham - Dublin - London Sightseeing tours lead by our Tour Directors and licensed local guides Entrances to the following sites: - Bog Museum - Sheep dog demonstration - Blarney Castle - Book of Kells at Trinity College - Welsh castle - St. Patrick s Cathedral - Shakespeare s birthplace - Gardens at Anne Hathaway s - Windsor Castle Cottage

15 COSTS, cont d Included in the cost of the trip are the following: Two meals per day Airfare Hotel Accommodations Tour Directors (24 hrs/day) (one per bus) Bus & ferry transportation inside Europe NOT included in the cost of the trip are the following: Tips (for tour director, bus driver(s), local guides) Spending money & Incidentals One meal (usually lunch) Optional Excursions (and transportation to/from) Maybe transportation to the airport on day of departure Tip Amount: TBD

16 A world of support Two full-time EF Staff with us the entire trip 24 hour emergency service

17 Safety and Security EF s Peace of Mind Program What if something happens right before my tour or while we re on tour? Our top priority at all times is the safety and security of our travelers. Our extensive network of offices around the world means we re prepared to handle anything that might affect our tours, no matter how big or small. Please rest assured that we are able to make adjustments to your itinerary until the day you depart or even on-tour. In the past, EF has adjusted in this way: Last year, a WH student left his passport on the plane while we were catching a connecting flight. EF coordinated everything the return of his passport, a new flight the next morning even paid for dinner. When volcanic ash grounded all European airline travel in 2010 EF extended itineraries for multiple days until flights resumed (including WH) EF has changed hotel locations and itineraries to avoid demonstrations in places like central Athens; even here in the U.S. EF has had to reorganize groups to avoid riots in Baltimore. One group in 2011 was scheduled to go to Egypt when Arab Spring demonstrations erupted. They canceled and scheduled a last minute trip to Japan. While at a layover in Detroit the Tsunami hit Japan. During the layover, they rescheduled AGAIN to France. EF set up all of the hotels, guides, meals, etc. They did everything.

18 Safety and Security 24-hour emergency service When your students are traveling, our emergency service team is available 24-hours a day, ready to answer your call should any situation arise. Travel policies EF s policies are in accordance with the recommendations of the U.S. Department of State, Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.

19 Whitman-Hanson What do we do to ensure safety? Assigned bus Number system for attendance In tight areas, Subway Groups Chaperones have attendance lists with pictures Chaperones are always spread out when going place to place in front, middle, back At airport we take attendance getting on plane Two EF guides with us the entire trip one for each bus Free time Curfew and bed checks

20 EF/Chaperone Contacts (Primary Contacts) Emergency on-tour phones: EF Tours from the US: (follow the prompt for an emergency) EF Tours from abroad: Chaperone emergency phones: Costa Rican Universal Emergency Number: 911 (Equivalent to U.S. 911)

21 U.S. Embassy San Jose Calle 98 Vía 104, Pavas San José, Costa Rica Phone: (506) or (506) Fax: (506)

22 Health & Medical Issues We need to Know Food allergies we need to notify EF Tours/airlines Special diet restrictions EF must know Vegetarian Gluten-free Health issues Prescription medication Is there anything informal/undocumented that we need to know? (e.g. anxiety)

23 Global Travel Protection EF Tours Insurance EF has emergency line to the insurer Cancellation fees if your child is unable to travel due to a medical or family emergency $50,000 of medical costs abroad, including transportation costs, such as an ambulance or a new flight home Your transportation, accommodation, and meals if there is an emergency and you need to go stay with your child Missed portions of the tour if your child must leave the tour early for a medical or family emergency Costs for hotels and meals if a flight is delayed or cancelled for more

24 Passports Must Be signed Be valid for 6 months after return Have at least three blank pages Make 3 copies of your passport One at home One in luggage One to chaperones Boston Passport Agency, (Tip O Neill bldg) Causeway St., Boston Be careful of old passports Parents please have one valid passport

25 EF Tours account information must match your passport exactly First, middle, and last name Date of birth -The information on your EF Tours account will be used to purchase your airline ticket -If the name on your ticket doesn t match your passport exactly, the airline might not let you on the plane -Any late name changes will incur a fee in addition to any airline charges -EF Tours will send an automated to your account as the deadline approaches

26 Be aware of passports at all times Sometimes collected at hotels Carry a copy in your backpack No one wants to spend the night in the airport in Panama City!

27 Rooming/Hotels We will do our best to accommodate all rooming requests but it is not a perfect science. Some hotels have doubles, triples or quads so rooming might vary from hotel to hotel. There is a chance that students may have to share a bed in some hotels. (This is very rare but has happened.) Roommate request forms to be completed this fall

28 Money & Tips ATM/Debit Card Safest Best exchange rates Carry little extra cash Call your bank re: chip and travel notification Euros (1:1.16) Pound (1:1.28) Recommendation $25 US per day Students responsible for gifts and incidentals May be unanticipated events Chaperones carry and pay all mandatory tip money

29 Flights/Packing 1 50-lb checked bag, with a carry-on and another personal item (e.g. purse) Details will be available when flight information becomes available Pack for April weather (layers) Plastic trash bag for dirty clothes No porterage on the trip Maybe one nice outfit

30 Check with your carrier Beware of unintentional costs Maybe short term international plan Notoriously unreliable Free Wifi apps WhatsApp Viber FaceTime Skype Cell Phones/Communication

31 Follow on Twitter and WHGlobalTravel

32 A Typical Day on Tour A tour, not a vacation Get on the Bus! Structured time vs. free time A lot of FUN!

33 Have fun Be silly Be goofy BUT REMEMBER Behavior This is a school trip, and school rules apply Disregard for safety and/or inappropriate conduct (e.g. shoplifting or the use of alcohol or drugs) will get you sent home

34 Meals

35 Athletics

36 Etiquette

37 Laundry Electricity Gifts Journaling School on Monday This will be a great trip! Miscellaneous

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39 QUESTIONS? Tour information:

40 Q & A from the meeting 1) Do students order dinner, or does everyone get the same thing? Usually everyone gets the same thing. If you have dietary restrictions (e.g. vegetarian, allergies, etc.) EF will accommodate and offer a different meal. 2) Should students bring foreign currency or wait to use an ATM machine? Sometimes it helps to have foreign currency for the beginning of the trip so everyone is not rushing to the ATM at the same time. However, it is not required that you bring foreign currency with you. 3) Can students use a credit card? Yes, and they are widely accepted in Europe. 4) How do room checks work? Do chaperones actually knock on doors and ensure that everyone who is supposed to be in the room is there? Room checks are usually done at 10:00. And yes, chaperones knock on doors and ask to see everyone who is supposed to be in the room.