Take This Letter Home. Hand It to Mom, Dad Or Whoever Helps You with the Trip

JANUARY NEWSLETTER #2 WASHINGTON DC TRIP

TAKE THIS LETTER HOME. HAND IT TO MOM, DAD OR WHOEVER HELPS YOU WITH THE TRIP.

PIZZA LUNCH – PROBABLY FRIDAY, FEB 24TH.

GREETINGS! WE ARE ONLY ABOUT 50 DAYS FROM OUR TRIP TO DC, AND NEW YORK CITY! THE TIME WILL GO BY FAST. IN THIS NEWSLETTER, I WILL FOCUS ON THINGS TO THINK ABOUT AHEAD OF TIME AND HIGHLIGHTS. PARENTS, WE WILL HAVE AN EVENING MEETING THAT WILL PROBABLY BE ON MARCH 14TH, BUT, DO NOT HESITATE TO START SENDING ME QUESTIONS.

I NEED HEALTH/BEHAVIOR PAPERS FROM A FEW OF YOU. GET A REPLACEMENT IF NEEDED…. I CAN’T LET YOU GO UNLESS I HAVE THE FORM FILLED OUT AND SIGNED. THEY WERE DUE FRIDAY, JANUARY 27TH. I ALSO NEED LUNCH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM A FEW OF YOU. IT IS TOO LATE TO TURN IN ROOMING SHEETS AS I HAD TO FINALIZE THAT OVER THE WEEKEND

FUNDRAISERS. INFORMATION WILL BE PASSED OUT SOON IN CASE YOU ARE INTERESTED. THIS WOULD BE A GOOD WAY TO MAKE SOME SPENDING MONEY. IT WILL BE THE 7TH GRADE FUND RAISER KICK OFF, PROBABLY SELLING KRISPY KREME IN LATE FEB AND EARLY MARCH

FLIGHTS: WE HAVE A VERY EARLY FLIGHT... 5:55 AM. WE WILL LEAVE OMS AROUND 3:00 TO 3:10, MORE DEFINITE NEWS LATER. WE ARE TO BE AT THE AIRPORT ABOUT 2 HOURS EARLY. WOW!

LUGGAGE MONEY: WE LUCKED OUT AND GOT HALF OF A SOUTHWEST SCHEDULE! WE FLY SOUTHWEST TO VEGAS GOING AND DELTA ON THE RETURN. SO I NEED TO GET $25 FROM EACH OF YOU FOR LUGGAGE. START BRINGING IT IN ANY TIME AND I WILL MARK YOU DOWN. IF YOUR PARENT IS GOING ON THE TRIP THIS IS OPTIONAL.

SOME THINGS ARE WORTH THINKING ABOUT LONG AHEAD OF TIME WHEN TRAVELING. WHILE I PROBABLY WILL NOT THINK OF EVERYTHING, HERE ARE A NUMBER OF VERY IMPORTANT THINGS: (MORE NEXT MONTH)

1. BE THINKING ABOUT SPENDING MONEY. IF YOU ARE DOING SOME SORT OF CASH CARDS, START THE PROCESS NOW.

2. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A LARGE AND STURDY SUITCASE. WORLDSTRIDES SAYS ONE SUITCASE AND ONE CARRY-ON BAG. THERE WILL BE A WEIGHT LIMIT OF 5O POUNDS ON OUR FLIGHT. ALSO, TRY TO HAVE A SUITCASE WITH WHEELS. THERE CAN BE EXCESSIVE CARRYING OF OUR LUGGAGE. ONE YEAR WE WERE IN A D.C. HOTEL WITH A HALLWAY THAT SEEMED TO BE ENDLESS…. REMEMBER, TOO, WHEN PACKING, THAT YOU WILL HAVE MORE STUFF COMING HOME THAN YOU DID GOING… PACK SMART AND AVOID HAVING TO PAY A $25 FEE FOR GOING OVER. 3. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A CAMERA, START LOOKING FOR SALES NOW. IF YOU ARE USING YOUR PHONE THAT IS GREAT AND MAYBE EVEN BETTER! MOST PEOPLE TAKE HUNDREDS OF PICTURES ON THIS TRIP! WE WILL HAVE A PHOTO SHARE APP THAT GOES ON OUR PHONES THAT WORKED OUT PRETTY COOL LAST YEAR.

4. START AVOIDING SICKNESS NOW! GETTING SICK ON THE DC TRIP IS THE WORST. WALK. EAT RIGHT, GET LOTS OF SLEEP, DO SOME WALKING, DRINK WATER EACH DAY AND DO SOME WALKING. WE WILL SPEND A LOT OF TIME TOURING ON THE BUS, BUT THIS IS PREDOMINANTLY A “TRAVEL BY FOOT” SORT OF THING, SO, GET USED TO WALKING A LOT RIGHT NOW AND IT WILL HELP YOU A BUNCH. DO A LOT OF WALKING. YOU WILL BE SORRY IF YOU ARE OUT OF SHAPE, SO, START WALKING……

HIGHLIGHTS. IN DC, WE WILL GO TO THE NATIONAL HOLOCAUST MUSEUM. RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS VACATION IN 7TH GRADE WE HAD A HUGE ALL-SCHOOL UNIT OF LEARNING ON THIS. THE HOLOCAUST WAS THE NAME GIVEN TO THE EXTERMINATION OF 6 MILLION JEWS AND 6 MILLION ADDITIONAL PEOPLE CONSIDERED TO BE “LESSER HUMANS” TO HITLER’S GOVERNMENT DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR. THE HOLOCAUST MUSEUM WAS BUILT IN WASHINGTON TO SERVE AS A REMINDER TO THE PUBLIC THAT THE HOLOCAUST HAPPENED IN AN ADVANCED SOCIETY. THE MUSEUM, 3 STORIES HIGH, WILL BE ENJOYABLE IN AN EDUCATIONAL WAY, BUT, WILL NOT BE GREAT FUN. STRANGE HOW IT CAN BE BOTH OF THOSE THINGS AT ONCE… TRUST ME, THAT IS HOW IT WILL BE. I HAVE HAD KIDS IN TEARS AND EVERY YEAR SOMEONE ASKS “WHY DID YOU BRING US HERE, MR A?” THE HOLOCAUST MUSEUM IS SOMETHING EVERY PERSON SHOULD SEE IN THEIR LIFETIME. WHEN THERE, TAKE YOUR TIME. DO NOT BE ONE OF THOSE STUDENTS WHO MAKES IT TO THE BOTTOM FLOOR HAVING SPENT ONLY 20 OR 30 MINUTES IN THE MUSEUM…..

BIG NEWS ITEMS:

NOT TOO MUCH. WE HAVE OUR FLIGHTS, 5:55 AM TO VEGAS THEN TO BALTIMORE. GOING HOME WE FLY INTO MINNEAPOLIS ST PAUL AND ARRIVE IN BOISE AT 10:30 PM. WE HAVE AN APPOINTMENT AT THE HOLOCAUST MUSEUM AND A WREATH CEREMONY AT ARLINGTON. AND, WHILE IN DC WE HAVE THE BEST BUS DRIVER EVER…. A GUY I REQUEST WHOSE NAME IS “VINNY.” YOU WILL LOVE HIM! WE HAVE OUR NEW YORK HOTEL – THE MARRIOTT MARQUIS ON BROADWAY. THE SCHOOL WE ARE TEAMED WITH IS “LONGS PEAK” FROM COLORADO. LAST YEAR I GOT OUR TRIP SCHEDULE FROM WORLDSTRIDES ON JANUARY 29TH, SO, WE SHOULD HAVE EVERYTHING VERY SOON.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK! MR A