It S Time for Some More Information About Your Visit to Sunnhordland, Norway, May 2-6

FORUM FOR OPPVEKST I SUNNHORDLAND

Sveio, March 30, 2011 Dear Madam/Sir,

It’s time for some more information about your visit to Sunnhordland, Norway, May 2-6.

It looks like you will be 14 participants all together, and from most of you I’ve so far received some relevant information. See also the questionaire attached. A How to get to Sunnhordland:

I’ve already mentioned “Kystbussen”(express bus) and “Flaggruten” (katamaran) as good means of transportation to/from Bergen and Haugesund. The journey from Bergen to Leirvik will take between 1 ¾ and 2 ½ hours depending on the way of travelling. Either you go by bus or by boat, it will be a good bargain to buy a return ticket. The price for a return ticket will cost from 380 to 450 nkr. (1 Euro= around 8 nkr).On Sundays there are the following departures from Flesland/Bergen: Kystbussen (Express bus): will depart from Bergen Bus Station ca every hour from 9.00 till 1400. Then 1450,1550,1650,1800, 1930, 2000 and 2155. If you come to Flesland Airport, the easiest way is to take an Airport bus to Nesttun where Kystbussen will depart 15 minutes after departure from Bergen Bus Station. Flaggruten: You can go from Flesland airport to Leirvik on Sundays at 12.55, 14.55, 16.55 and 2045 (Departure from Bergen harbour 25 minutes earlier). If you arrive Flesland in due time for any of these departures, I will recommend this compared to Kystbussen. There is a shuttle bus taking you directly to the place of departure for the boat. Ask for more info at the reception desk at Flesland Airport – they will know. Maybe a bit more expensive, but a much nicer journey! You can buy tickets onboard or on the internet. See links above. For those of you coming in via Stavanger or Haugesund, please contact me directly for further information. Lastly, I’ll just mention that there is a direct flight from Oslo to the small local airport at Stord, see http://www.stordlufthavn.no/flyruter.htm (normally a more expensive option, though!)

B The hotel Almås Hotel will have the list of your names with arrival/departure times on arrival. If there are any preferences regarding food and facilities, please let me know. Otherwise you’ll all be accomodated in single rooms all ensuite – a rich breakfastbuffet and an evening meal included. Almås hotel

______Address: Phone: Fax: Bank : E-mail: Homepage: Postboks 40 +4753748091 +4753748001 32014598285 [email protected] www.fos-sunnh.no 5559 Sveio +4795919091 Norway offers two categories of rooms – standard room 890 nkr (about 112 Euros pr night and economy room 700 pr night (about 85 Euros pr night. Unfortunately they only have 5 left of the cheapest room, so please give the hotel a notice on arrival. For Contact us two of you I’ve booked a double room together as requested. As Address: written in the draft programme, local hostess Wenche Sagenes Almaas Hotell AS and I will drop by for an informal meeting Sunday afternoon at Kjoetteinsvegen 60 Postboks 179 around 7.pm and give you a hand then if needed. For further 5402 Stord Norway contact with the hotel, see contact info to the left. For finding the Phone: way from the busstop or katamaranstop in Leirvik down by the +47 53 40 99 99 Fax: harbour, click here (it’s only a 12 min walk, but best to take a +47 53 40 99 91 E-mail: taxi the first time) [email protected]

C) The program. As you can see from the draft program attached to the mail, it’s rather packed with a lot of travelling around. I still think it will be useful for you to see and get to know some of our widespread region- so take a big breath and enjoy it! The meeting point for you on Monday morning at 0915 will be the Townhall (Rådhuset) at Stord, around 500 meters from your hotel. As for geography, culture etc, I recommend you to take a glance at www.visitsunnhordland.no where you will learn more about or region. For the presenting part on Monday, notice the following: a) Each one send me a short description of her/his school system and some lines of your role in your school/organization. Maximum 2 A4 pages! I need this overview/description by April 11. A tip: From the list of participants (attached to the draft programme), you can see that there are more than one from some countries, if possible, maybe you can cooperate a bit here? b) I’ll use the information you send me to make a booklet which you’ll all have in paper when getting here. The booklet will also be displayed on our website later. c) On Monday you’ll then be put into 3 - 4 groups together with one of our hosts where you’ll discuss and get to know each others system and also discuss topics that interests you. This means that we’ll not do any powerpoint presentations etc during the presentation round. Some other things mentioned in the program are: a) International lunch : We hope you can all bring some typical food from your region/country to form up the lunch in addition to our Norwegian specialities! b) Farewell dinner: If you can contribute to the program, it would be excellent. Guitar, CD player and piano will be available. If you bring a bottle of wine or some typical beverage from home, we are more than grateful. If you want to visit any other places before or after the Study Visit in Sunnhordland, I will strongly recommend a stay in Bergen, the “capital“ of Vestlandet (Western Norway) also called “the Gateway to the Fjords”. Since Bergen is a very attractive tourist city, you have to be quick if you want a hotel there. See http://www.bergen-guide.com/ A good tip is to fly in to Bergen on Saturday, stay the night in a Bergen hotel and go to Leirvik Sunday afternoon. Or spend the weekend after the visit in Bergen – I already know that some of you have plans!

D) Reports When you get back from your stay in Norway, you are all supposed to make an indivual report to send to your national Study Visit office. As a group, you are also obliged to make a ______Address: Phone: Fax: Bank : E-mail: Homepage: Postboks 40 +4753748091 +4753748001 32014598285 [email protected] www.fos-sunnh.no 5559 Sveio +4795919091 Norway group report from the stay. The European Commission requires a group report for each study visit. A group rapporteur should be appointed to prepare, on the basis of discussion with all group members, a report summarizing the main points of the study visit and the organizational aspects. From the detailed programme you get later on, you will see that we have given you time already the first day to choose the group rapporteur and to start working on the report. I’ll say some more about the group report when you are here, but you’ll find the template used to make the report by clicking here. Please print it out and bring it along!

E) How much does it cost? Norway is a high cost country – below are some examples of prices to let you know: (The currency is Norwegian kroner – Euro 1 is about nkr 8.00 at the moment). Dinner at a café : nkr 90-150 Dinner at a restaurant : nkr 200-400 Beer 0,4 l in a bar : nkr 65 - in a supermarket nkr 25 Wine (glass) : nkr 65 Wine (bottle 075 l) : nkr 320 In the Vinmonopolet (statemonopoly): nkr 70-350 Drink : nkr 70-100 Mineralwater, coke,fanta etc : nkr 25 - in the supermarket nkr 12 (1/2 l) Cigarettes 20 : nkr 90 Coffee/tee : nkr 25 Sandwich : nkr 35-50 Cream cakes : nkr 30

During your stay here, we have to charge you for part of the transport getting you around – all in all nkr 300 pr person. Most of the meals outside the hotel, will be free or included in the school visit. Normally you’ll have a light free lunch or a snack in a school in the middle of the day. In the evenings, you can have an evening meal at the hotel (incl in the price) , or visit cafes or restaurants in Leirvik. There is also a supermarked next to the hotel where you can buy bread, snacks, fruit etc Summing up:  At the hotels you have to pay for the stay – nkr 700 - 890 pr night rich breakfastbuffet and evening meal included. The hotel takes the most common creditcards like VISA, Mastercard, etc. ATMs and banks are available all over Leirvik  The 300 nkr for subsidizing transport and tickets for toll roads etc, should be paid for directly to me on the first day - You’ll get a receipt, of course.  You’ll not get extra charged for entrance to sights etc during the visit except if otherwise is announced.

F) List of participants See list attached to the draft programme.

H) Other items As I’ve already told you, the weather can be very varied in Norway. This spring has so far been rather cold – today it’s sunshine and + 10 C. Check the weather on our very good website, www.yr.no Some visits require outdoor clothing- I’ll therefore strongly advise you to bring a warm sweater and a jacket that can resist rain and wind. Also wise to have an extra ______Address: Phone: Fax: Bank : E-mail: Homepage: Postboks 40 +4753748091 +4753748001 32014598285 [email protected] www.fos-sunnh.no 5559 Sveio +4795919091 Norway pair of solid walking shoes available – especially if you want to participate in the optional mountain tour on Wednesday afternoon!. But of course, May can also bring summer temperatures – this is of course what we all go for!! Again - we all look very much forward to hosting you – please contact me anytime if you have further questions. Even though I will be out of office sometimes, you can always reach me by cell phone, also in the evenings and in the weekends.

Yours sincerely

Jan Enerstvedt Regional Co-ordinator Forum for Oppvekst i Sunnhordland Phone: +4753748091 (Office) A picture so you can recognize me +4753743193 (Private) +4795919091 (Cell) + 4753748001 (Fax)

______Address: Phone: Fax: Bank : E-mail: Homepage: Postboks 40 +4753748091 +4753748001 32014598285 [email protected] www.fos-sunnh.no 5559 Sveio +4795919091 Norway