Europe 2015

The continent of Europe is full of history & culture.  History goes back 2000+ years, from the foundation of Paris or the story of Anne Frank in Amsterdam, to the Canadian memorials and battlefield  of WWI and WWII found in Belgium and Normandy.  Art flourishes, in the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay and Van Gogh art museums - some of the most spectacular art on the world, in some of the most renowned (and largest) museums in the world.  Science developed its foundations here, as seen in the Palace of Discovery and le Cite de Sciences et de l'Industrie, and the hydraulic engineering feats of past and present in the Netherlands lowlands.  The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral and Canals of Amsterdam are great examples of architecture.  And local markets, street side bistros, and beautiful rivers and landscapes provide opportunities to see different geological terrains, try new cuisines and learn about the nuances of a new culture and a different way of life.  These are just some of things we have in store for the upcoming "Europe 2015".

There are many benefits for a study abroad experience for high school students.  Such experiences have a huge impact on a student's life by expanding their horizons and changing the way they see or engage with the world.  Almost all high school students return from their time abroad with a much larger and in-depth understanding of the world and how it is connected.  During their experience, they are able to grow as individuals and receive an education allowing them to make increased connections about the ideas being presented to them in the classroom.  The positive impact of travel programs can not only just benefit the student, but make them better prepared for the future, often making their better potential candidates for colleges and universities as well as aid in scholarship applications.

Mrs. Becker will be running an opportunity in late August/early September 2015 that focuses on these great opportunities.  This program is targeted at students who will be in Grade 10 - 12 in the 2015 - 2016 school year, who are currently in good academic standing and have a passion for learning.   Priority will be given to grade 11 and 12 students, though the trip is open to upcoming grade 10's as well, should they be prepared for a trip and should they meet the qualifications.  All students who want to attend must be in good academic standing (B average or higher with no "N" work habits on their report cards over the past 12 months) and complete an application form stating there rationale for wanting to participate in this travel study.

Dates: This trip will run August 28 - September 8, 2015 (+/- 1 day based on exact flight times).  The travel study runs the 10 days before the school year begins, so students will not miss any class time.

Destination:  Western Europe, with time in the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Rotterdam), Belgium (Ypres), and France (Normandy and Paris).

Accommodations:  Students will staying in rooms of 2 - 4 students (single gender) in a combination of hotels and campsites (indoor accommodations in chalets or dwellings of the like).

Cost:  The cost of this trip will be $3300, payable to Sullivan Heights Secondary.  This includes flights, accommodations, workshops, entrance fees, tours, transportation, guides & chaperones, team shirts, breakfast daily and dinner daily.  It does not include the cost of daily lunch, or the cost of travel medical insurance (which is required by the district).  Payments will be broken down as follows:

• Down Payment $600 due November 1, 2014
• Monthly payments of $300 due the first of each month from December 2014 - August 2015 (Dec 1, Jan 1, Feb 1, Mar 1, Apr 1, May 1, Jun 1, Jul 1, Aug 1).  

Note: You can pay the entire amount out at the beginning should you prefer.
Note: Should this payment schedule not work with your current financial situation, and you would like to discuss a different payment time line than above, please email Mrs. Becker to discuss your options.

Student & Parent Information:  An info session for STUDENTS will be available at lunch on Wednesday October 15 in Mrs. Becker's Room, B206. THE FULL APPLICATION PACKAGE AND TRAVEL DETAILS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME.  There will be a short Parent info session in B206 at 7:00 PM on October 16 (Parent-Teacher Night) for Parents wanting more information.  Or, should parents prefer, there is drop in time available during Parent-Teacher Night, Thursday October 16, for any parents who would like to ask questions of Mrs. Becker.  Just stop in her room between 1:30 PM and 3:00 PM.

Chaperones: There are 4 chaperones attending this trip, Mrs. Becker (organizer), Ms. Kenkel, Mr. Dewinetz and Mr. Becker.  This is Mrs. Becker's 5th travel study at Sullivan Heights since 2012.  Mr. Dewinetz, Ms. Kenkel and Mr. Becker have also chaperoned international travel studies for Sullivan Heights students in the last few years.  Covering backgrounds of Science, History and French, they work together to provide students with a great deal of experience and a wealth of knowledge.  There will be an approximate teacher to student ratio of 1:6.

Itinerary: The exact dates and times will be confirmed this spring once students are registered and number of participants are confirmed.  However the following list below identifies the locations, workshops, and sites that are included as part of this tour:

NETHERLANDS

• Van Gogh Museum
• Canal Tour of Amsterdam
• Anne Frank House & Workshop on Persecution
• Historical Walking Tour of Amsterdam
• Water management tour, learning about their hydraulic engineering system and the mill network of water management - with a visit to Kinderdijk - a world heritage site.

BELGIUM

• World War 1 battlefields and sites, including: 
• Passchendale
• Tyne Cot Memorial
• Essex Farm (home of John McRae's famous "In Flanders Field" poem)
• Hill 62
• Menin Gate Last Post Ceremony

NORMANDY

• Vimy Ridge
• Juno Beach
• Arromanches 360
• Caen Memorial
• Mont St. Michel

PARIS

• Tour Eiffel Climb (be prepared to hike up 700 steps!)
• Musee de Louvre
• Musee d'Orsay
• Seine River Cruise
• Ile de la Cite & Notre Dame
• Champs Elysses
• Local Market Visit
• Sacre Couer
• Versailles

Students are welcome to stop by my classroom any time if they have questions, and students and parents are welcome to email anytime at becker_a@surreyschools.ca.  If you are interested to know more about previous travel studies, click here to see the blog posts from the Disney and London trips of 2014.