Dear Parent Year 8/9 German Exchange Visit to Groß-Umstadt, 2015 UPDATE

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1 Headteacher Mr P Earnshaw BA (Hons), MA office@highcliffeschool.com Tel: Fax: Letters/GermanExchange2015/SBS/ERS January 2015 Dear Parent Year 8/9 German Exchange Visit to Groß-Umstadt, 2015 UPDATE I am extending the deadline for deposits on this trip, to offer an opportunity for more students to sign up. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to develop their German skills in the best possible environment. Following the successful initial visit earlier this year of a group of students from the Max- Planck- Gymnasium in Groß-Umstadt, Germany, the German team is delighted to offer your son or daughter the opportunity to take part in the next stage of the programme, taking place in We will be offering the opportunity to participate in this invaluable learning experience to 24 students from Years 8 and 9. If you wish your son or daughter to participate in the German exchange programme, a prompt response is recommended. In the event of oversubscription, places will be allocated following a review of students attendance, attitude to learning and overall academic progress. As this is an educational visit, only those students currently studying German may take part. Highcliffe students will be visiting Groß-Umstadt first for seven days, from 1 st to 8 th July The German students return visit will take place in mid-october 2015 (dates dependent upon travel availability). The group will travel to Germany by coach, and students will receive fullboard accommodation with the families of their allocated German exchange partners. Host Families We will attempt to partner all participants with German students of a similar age. We will also attempt to match students as appropriately as we can, according to their character, personality and interests. The German students will have a reasonably good knowledge of English, as they study at a Gymnasium the German equivalent of a Grammar School. In addition to English language lessons, they also study other subjects, such as Music, in English. Responsibilities of the host family: It is requested that host families (both English and German) consider and carry out the following: To accommodate the visiting students in either a spare room or their partner s bedroom. To look after the student, do their washing and ensure that they are generally involved in family life during the evenings and at the weekend. To provide the student with three meals daily and an adequate supply of snacks and drinks. When students attend trips during the day, they will require a packed lunch. Parkside, Highcliffe, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 4QD Deputy Headteacher Mr N Campbell BA (Hons) Deputy Headteacher Mr N O Connor BSc (Hons)

2 To provide transport to and from school. The German students will generally be required to come to school with their English partners in the mornings, but may need to be collected slightly later than the end of the school day when attending trips. In the past, parents of participants who live near each other have often shared lifts to and from school. Please be aware that if your son or daughter takes a public bus, it may not be possible for the German student to use this mode of transport. Alternative arrangements will therefore need to be made. All trips will depart from and return to school. At School When in Germany, the Highcliffe students will assemble at our German partner school most days, where they will be engaged in a variety of activities. In order to gain a true impression of school life in Germany, they will accompany their partners to several of their lessons. They will also participate in a number of language-based activities. We will ensure that students use as much German as possible and we will ask students to keep a record of new vocabulary and write a diary of their stay, which will include summaries in German. Students will be required to make the diary into an illustrated project, which they will submit to teachers after the trip. In addition to the specific tasks that students will be required to undertake, we feel that participating in the exchange is a tremendous opportunity for students of both age groups to improve their knowledge of German language and culture. The German students will gain a similar experience when visiting us at Highcliffe. Although they will spend some time in school with their English partners, they will not be with them all the time, and will visit local attractions as a small group while their partner is at school. Trips When we go to Germany, we will spend some time in the Max-Planck-Gymnasium, and we will also make the most of the opportunity to get to know the local area. We are intending to visit the fascinating cities of Frankfurt, Wiesbaden and Darmstadt. Frankfurt is a European centre of business and finance, Wiesbaden is a historic spa city, and Darmstadt was the old capital of the Grand Duchy of Hesse. Nowadays, it is the home to the Mathildenhöhe artists colony, and the European Space Operations Centre from which the recent comet landing was controlled. When attending trips, students will be provided with a packed lunch (you will be expected to do the same for the German student that you will host). During excursions, they will normally be expected to remain together in supervised groups. However, they may occasionally be allowed a small amount of free time away from staff supervision, with the proviso that they observe very strict conditions. They will be limited to specified areas, such as pedestrian shopping precincts so that they may buy presents and souvenirs and practise simple everyday German. Group leaders will be stationed at specific meeting points at all times and students will be able to contact them via mobile phone if necessary. Spending Money It is recommended that you order Euros for your son or daughter before the trip. We usually suggest a sum of foreign currency of around They may also wish to spend a small amount of sterling on the outward and return trip. Although the families will provide ample meals and snacks, students may wish to buy additional ice creams, drinks et cetera, on trips and excursions. It is also advisable that they have a means of accessing further spending funds should they run out of money (e.g. emergency float in sterling or a debit card). All organised activities are included in the cost, and will be paid for by the group leaders.

3 Passports Students must have their own passport in order to take part in the trip. Medical Matters Parents will be asked to indicate on a health form if their son or daughter has any pre-existing medical conditions, however minor, and also to inform us of any medicines which may be needed. We will also ask you to sign this form as, in the unlikely event of any serious emergency, we require your consent for medical treatment. We would only use this after the most strenuous attempt to contact you personally. In addition, we request that all students bring with them an up-to-date EHIC (European Health Insurance) card. Swimming and Cycling You will be asked to indicate whether your son/daughter will be allowed to swim or cycle whilst in Germany, should their host family wish to organise such an activity. This would not be a group event and staff would be unable to provide supervision. Blog and Photographs Throughout the trip we will upload photographs and a blog on the school website to keep you updated on our antics. It is important that we know in advance if we can use photographs of your son or daughter on the school website, so please could you make sure that you have returned your photograph consent form to the Data and Examinations office. Contact Details The school mobile phone will be taken to Germany, and will be carried on all the trips. Students will be given this mobile number so that they can contact staff in the event of an emergency during our visits. Students may take their own mobile phones if they wish. They must, however, be regarded only as an emergency item, be stored safely in bags and not be visible. Obviously, students take such items at their own risk. Payment The cost of the trip will be 425. This is inclusive of coach travel, Eurotunnel transport, transport on trips, any necessary entrance tickets and insurance. In order to secure a place on the trip, you will initially be required to pay a non-returnable deposit of 75, which can be made using the school s on-line WisePay facility, before Friday 13 th February Information regarding this can be found by following the Letters link on the Parents section of the school website ( please make a note of your Wisepay receipt reference, as you will need to provide this on the attached slip/ consent form. Receipts are generated automatically on WisePay and sent to the address you supply when making the payment. Details about the scheduling of payments are below: Initial non-refundable deposit of 75 (payable by Friday, 13 th February 2015) Second payment of 175 (payable by Friday, 27 th March 2015) Final payment of 175 (payable by Friday, 5 th June 2015) Further Details An early response will be essential in order to secure your place on the trip. As stated at the beginning of the letter, the maximum number of students that can participate is 24. Please be aware that this may change according to the number and genders of German applicants. We will attempt to inform you of whether or not your son/daughter will be able to participate as quickly as possible.

4 If your child does not wish to go on the trip, it is still possible for you to host a German student during their visit to Highcliffe. If this is something that interests you, I would be very grateful if you could indicate your willingness on the form attached. If you need any further information, or have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Yours sincerely Mr S Barnes Curriculum Leader - MFL

5 Please return to Mr Barnes as soon as possible GERMAN EXCHANGE 2015 I/We would like our son or daughter to go on the exchange, and have paid the initial deposit of 75 via WisePay. Reference number.. My/Our son or daughter will not be going on the trip, but I/we would be willing to host a German student for their visit to Highcliffe in October. Student's name:. Tutor Group:. Parent signature:. Date:..