FINAL DOCUMENTS TRAVEL BOOKLET

Transcription

1 FINAL DOCUMENTS TRAVEL BOOKLET 2016 SI-Madrid Student Exchange with Liceo Europeo in Madrid, Spain June 10 to June 23, 2016 Chaperones: Mike and Marcela Broughal Program Coordinator: Monique Kasmauskis, IMAGE TOURS, INC Kraft Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI x 290 nhs@imagetours.com Friend us on Facebook: Spain Trip or Website: fhnsi.imagetours.com 2016 SI Madrid Student Exchange Page 1

2 TRAVEL INSURANCE CONTACT INFORMATION For emergencies while traveling in Spain, you may contact the 24-hour One-Call Travel Assistance as follows: Call 'collect' by first dialing the following AT&T operator assistance number, for Spain: Inform the operator you would like to place a collect call to the US and provide the One Call Travel Assistance number: (001) Refer to Plan # F430S A description of coverage can be found at Add Your Own Notes Below: 2016 SI Madrid Student Exchange Page 2

3 Contact Information School Information Liceo Europeo Camino Sur, 10-12, La Moraleja (Madrid) School office phone: Fax: Website: Parents with questions should contact Monique Kasmauskis: Cell Phone: Chaperone Information We will have a Spanish cell phone designated for our group while we are in Spain. The number of that cell is This phone will be carried by Sr. or Sra. Broughal during the trip. In addition to the group s cell phone, the chaperones will have their US cell phone (with temporary international plan). The numbers are: Local Phone Chaperone (Sr./Sra. Broughal) in Madrid: Personal Cell Phone for Sr./Sra. Broughal: Your chaperones will stay at the following hotel: Hotel Dome Madrid Tel.: Carretera Fuencarral-Alcobendas Km. 8, Madrid 2016 SI Madrid Student Exchange Page 4

4 Making Phone Calls within Spain When you are calling a USA phone number from within Spain, you will need to first dial and then the number. If you wish to program a USA number (such as your home number) into your cell phone for speed dial, program it in as follows: +1-(area code)-(phone number). For example: Note: You need the + symbol to allow the speed dial to work, recognizing this as a USA number from wherever you call. This is also the case when texting to a USA number. To keep cell phone expenses to a minimum, please use the following contact order when you need to reach a chaperone in Spain: 1. First try: (the group s Spanish cell phone). This is a local number so you can call it from your host family s home phone, cell phone or another local phone. If calling from a USA cell phone, dial or program this into your USA cell phone as Then try: Sending a WhatsApp (preferred) or text message (if you cannot use WhatsApp) to your chaperone s cell phone. Example: to contact Sr. or Sra. Broughal send a WhatsApp or text to Then try: Calling your chaperone s cell phone. Example: to contact Sr.or Sra. Broughal dial or program this into your USA cell phone as SI Madrid Student Exchange Page 5

5 Departure Information Friday, June 10, Departure to Madrid, Spain The group will depart on United Airlines flight #4675. Departure is scheduled from Grand Rapids at 2:30 pm. Student participants need to be at the Grand Rapids Airport by 12:45 pm so that we can check in as a group. We will arrive in Washington Dulles (IAD) at 4:12 pm and connect to United Airline Flight #163 which departs at 6:00 pm. Dinner will be provided on this flight. It is strongly suggested and highly recommended you try to sleep after dinner so that you are better rested to get through the first full day in Madrid. Daily Itinerary Saturday, June 11, Arrive in Madrid at 7:40 am. Upon arrival, a bus will pick the group up for the transfer to the hotel. Spend the day with the group walking around the city, acclimating to the language, and adjusting to the time change. In order to shake the jet lag and become acclimated as quickly as possible, you will want to stay awake until at least 8:00 pm. First night hotel info: Best Western Hotel Trafalgar Calle de Trafalgar 35, Madrid Spain Phone: (0034) Sunday, June 12, The bus will pick the group up at 11:00 am to transfer to the Liceo school. You will meet your host family and transfer to your host home to become acclimated. Chaperones will call each student at their host homes or will communicate with WhatsApp SI Madrid Student Exchange Page 8

6 Daily Itinerary Monday, June 13: 9:00 am. Students meet chaperones at school. 9:30 am Leave school to visit Toledo: Cathedral, church of Santo Tomé, El Greco s house, Synagogue of Tránsito, San Juan de los Reyes. Lunch: picnic. Back to school 16:30 h (4:30 pm). Excursión a Toledo. Visita a la Catedral, Sinagoga del Tránsito, Iglesia de Sto. Tomé, Casa de El Greco, San Juan de los Reyes. Comida de Picnic. Regreso al colegio a las 16:30 h. Tuesday, June 14: 9:00 am Students meet their chaperones at school. 9:30 am Leave school to visit National Archaeological Museum. Walk from the museum to Colón Square, Palace of Communication, Cibeles Square, Puerta de Alcalá, and Retiro Park. Lunch: picnic. Back at school 16:30 (4:30 pm) Visita al Museo Arqueológico. Recorrido caminando desde el Museo, Plaza Colón, Palacio de Comunicaciones, Plaza de Cibeles, Puerta de Alcalá, y Parque del Retiro. Comida de picnic. Regreso al colegio a las 16:30. Wednesday, June 15: 9:00 am. Students meet their chaperones at school. 9:30 am. Leave school for trip to San Lorenzo de El Escorial. Visit Monastery of San Lorenzo. Lunch: picnic. Back to school 16:30 (4:30 pm). Excursión a El Escorial. Visita al Monasterio de San Lorenzo. Comida de picnic. Regreso al colegio a las 16:30. Thursday, June 16: Day at School. Clases en el Colegio SI Madrid Student Exchange Page 9

7 Daily Itinerary Friday, June 17: 9:00 am Students meet their chaperones at school. 9:30 am Leave school to visit Royal Palace and Madrid center. Walk around Royal Palace, Sabatini Gardens, Cathedral of Almudena, Descalzas Reales, Plaza de Oriente, Calle Mayor and Puerta del Sol. Time for shopping. Lunch: picnic. Back to school 16:30 (4:30 pm). Visita al Palacio Real. Recorrido caminando por Palacio Real, Jardines de Sabatini, Catedral de la Almudena, Descalzas Reales, Plaza de Oriente, calle Mayor, Puerta del Sol. Compras. Comida picnic. Regreso al colegio a las 16:30. Saturday, June 18: End of the Year Festival at Liceo School in the morning. Day with families. Fiesta Fin de Curso en el Colegio por la mañana. Día con las familias Sunday, June 19: Day with families / Día con las familias Monday, June 20: 9:00 am Students meet their chaperones at school. 9:30 am Leave school to visit Santiago Bernabeu Soccer Stadium, followed by shopping time. Lunch: picnic. Back at school 16:30 (4:30 pm) Salida del colegio para realizar Tour Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. Comida picnic. Regreso al colegio a las 16:30. Tuesday, June 21: 9:00 am. Students meet their chaperones at school. 9:30 am. Leave school for trip to Segovia. Lunch: picnic. Back to school 16:30 (4:30 pm). Excursión a Segovia. Comida picnic. Regreso al colegio a las 16:30. Wednesday, June 22: Day with families / Día con las familias 2016 SI Madrid Student Exchange Page 10

8 Return Information Thursday, June 23, 2016 Return to Grand Rapids, Michigan You will be driven, by your host family, to the Madrid Airport. Meeting time is 8:30 am in Terminal 1 at the United Check-in Area. The group will travel on United Airlines flight #164, scheduled to depart from Madrid at 11:35 am. Lunch will be served on this flight. The group will arrive in Washington Dulles IAD at 2:15 pm and connect to United Airlines flight #4681 which departs at 5:10 pm. Expected arrival time back in Grand Rapids is 7:09 pm, where your families will joyfully be awaiting your return. Add Your Own Notes Below: 2016 SI Madrid Student Exchange Page 11

9 Communications Student Contact with Chaperones Chaperones will have an in country cell phone. Students will have regular contact with chaperones (minimum will be at least once over the first weekend and each excursion day, plus as much as individual situations deem necessary). Spanish host families will know how to contact both Spanish and American program directors. When with the host family, the expectation is that students will have access to a phone to contact their chaperones at any time they feel there is a need. Code: The chaperones will utilize a code of 1 to 10 to gauge student comfort and follow up needs, with 10 being the highest level of comfort and with low numbers indicating a reason for concern and follow up. 9 to 10 = Extremely comfortable. Could not be better. 6 to 8 = Normal transitional acclimation, but doing fine. 3 to 5 = Feeling uncomfortable but not unsafe. Chaperone will call back in a few hours (or check again in the morning if it is late). 1 to 2 = Concern for safety. Chaperone will make a personal visit. Parent Contact with Chaperones Parents with concerns or questions should contact Monique Kasmauskis by (monique@imagetours.com) for less urgent issues and by phone (cell: ) for emergencies. Monique will be able to reach chaperones and Liceo leadership 24/7. Chaperones will call parents in the case of any safety or health related incidents. will be the official mode of communication to parents. All families will receive an letting them know the group has arrived safely in Madrid. During the return trip, an will be sent to advise when the students have left Washington and are expected to arrive in Grand Rapids. Facebook: Chaperones plan to post daily up-dates and photos to the group Facebook page throughout the trip SI Madrid Student Exchange Page 12

10 Communications Student Contact with Home We realize students and parents will want to keep in touch as the trip progresses. We have several built-in times and methods which we will utilize and encourage for this interaction. Constant or prolonged contact is discouraged, as detaching from home is necessary to get the most of the immersion experience. Note: When thinking about communications, please remember to keep the time change in mind ( s sent from Spain in the morning will arrive in the U.S. in the afternoon; s sent in the evening from the US will not be received in Spain until the next day). All students will have access to at Liceo in the mornings of excursion days. In addition, most host families have web access at home which they have offered to share. The chaperones will also have computer access and will check frequently. Cell/Texts: If you are bringing a cell phone, make sure you understand the international usage policy and discuss proper use with your parents. Texting to friends during the trip is not recommended as this can be costly and distract from the experience. Cell phones will not be used for constant entertainment (which may be different from the way the phone is used at home). During excursions, cell phones will remain turned off and stowed away until needed. Therefore, even with texting or WhatsApp, parents should not expect immediate responses. Skype: You may be able to Skype with the host home. Ask your host family about arranging a Skype session to make introductions and coordinate technical logistics. Skype works best as a tool for the student to share the host home and environment and to get the host family involved in the communication. Some students may feel more homesick when seeing their family; if you find this to be the case during a Skype session, you might want to consider phone calls without Skype for further communications SI Madrid Student Exchange Page 13