CHOLET EXCHANGE UPDATE – September 25, 2020
Dear Travelers, Potential Travelers and Parents,
We do have some major news to announce. It may seem bad at first. But I am the type that always likes to find the positive sides to situations and this, at least to me, is turning out to be one of those times.
I received an email last night from the teachers in Cholet. After much thought and discussion, they have already decided that 2021 will not be a good year for us to travel there and for the Cholet students to travel here. Although COVID is not too bad in Cholet, cases are rising in many other parts of France. In fact I saw that mentioned on the evening news just a few hours after reading the email from Cholet. Our plans are now officially delayed by one year.
Here are the positives to which I alluded above (and you may even have more):
*We are learning now (nine months in advance) about our change – certainly better than it was for those scheduled to travel in June 2021 and had their plans shaken up with 90 days to go (including our own Fairview students who had planned a trip to Spain). It was very hectic for them. We’re getting off kind of easy.
*You now have more time to make your payments to EF. (I've been in touch with our rep - this delay will have no impact on the cost of your trip.)
*One more year for the COVID situation to stabilize.
*You don’t need to wonder about next June. We can relax for a while with one less thing on our plate. (I’m feeling that relief already!)
*The students will have one more year of French under their belts!
One potential drawback – Do any of you already know that you will not be able to travel in 2022?
Thank you for your patience and understanding. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
The folks in Cholet did mention the idea of a virtual exchange. This would not replace the exchange as we know it. It would be a filler for the time being and could involve more than just the students who travel. We can talk more about that later.
To conclude, I’ll repeat something I’ve already said in a recent update To the “maybes” we have: It’s not too late to sign up That’s even more true now! This update is going out to the students who have registered (and their parents) and to the students who have expressed an interest but never officially dropped out (and their parents). If you are still thinking of enrolling, you still can. And if you know of anyone else who is or may be interested, please share this with them and let me know. You can go |
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