CHOLET EXCHANGE UPDATE – February 28, 2023
29 JOURS!
As I promised yesterday, here are topics from past student meetings:
Places we’ll visit Note: For your reference, below there is a map of our EF tour area.
We discussed Mont Saint Michel and watched this video. We’ll spend a few hours here on April 10. At future meetings we’ll discuss other sites we’ll see during the Cholet portion and during the EF Tour portion.
Forms I need 1 Several students still need to return the
Behavior Contract
I passed out at a meeting several weeks ago. Reminder: If you violate any of those rules while we travel, you are flying home early at your parents’ expense. Further disciplinary action from FHS administration may also be needed (for example, seniors not being a part of the graduation ceremony). And if I don’t have your form before we leave, you don’t travel with us at all. I truly don’t believe that there will be problems. But it’s nice to have this policy in place just in case there are any surprises. Plus, the kids are already aware that if problems are serious enough, they will be known as the group that ended the Fairview-Cholet Exchange. I’ll send a reminder message if this applies to you.
Behavior between now and our departure This relates to the item above, only stateside. At one meeting I mentioned that I would highly doubt that any of the students enrolled on this trip would be involved in any actions that require discipline (including the students I don’t know well - I’ve heard good things!) Just please be careful not to do anything between now (I first said this weeks ago) and March 29 that would make me wonder if having you join us is something I will regret. Any serious problems could lead to your dismissal from the trip before we leave.
Forms I need 2 Several students also need to give me their EF Medical Profile
forms. Though you will not be banned from the trip for failing to turn this in, without them, taking care of you in the event of a medical emergency may have some difficulties. I’ll send a reminder message if this applies to you.
Personal Safety We discussed the fact that in popular tourist areas, pickpocketing is not unusual. We talked about various ways to reduce the risk of something happening to you (how to safeguard important items like money and passports, never going anywhere alone, etc.). When we do a mini-lesson on the Paris subway, I’ll reiterate and add to what I have said.
Electricity US electric plugs will not work in the wall outlets in France. You will need adapters and converters. I showed some examples. Many stores sell them. Just be sure that what you buy does both jobs, adapting and converting.
Cell Phone Service Please contact your phone service provider to see what they offer regarding international plans. I told the group what I know about my provider, AT&T, and how what they offer seems to change every time I travel. Based on what you learn, parents need to decide what plan they will have their students follow.
Gifts for Cholet Hosts I didn’t mention anything specific, but did suggest “local” items - things that may be unique to our area. Also, as students correspond with their hosts, they are also getting to know more about the families. Use that knowledge to help decide what kinds of gifts to get.
Converting US Dollars to Euros; credit cards, ATMs We discussed the idea of getting euros in advance and whether or not it is necessary. Last June I made nearly all of my purchases with a credit card. Aside from giving tips in cash (tour guides, bus drivers and Tour Director), there was very little I did with cash. If you do get euros in advance, (a) don’t get too many - if they are lost or stolen, they’re gone; (b) get in touch with your bank soon to ask about the process (it could take a few days) or, if you have a AAA membership, they can also help you. I’ll talk more about credit cards at the parent meeting.
Accessing your EF accounts We haven’t really made progress yet in showing what information is available to our students. In many cases, the parents have set up the EF accounts and the students don’t have the login credentials. There are many things the students can look at as they prepare to travel. Parents, please share the login information with the kids. Kids, check out what’s there. I’ll try to demonstrate this at an upcoming meet by having a student volunteer on the big screen.
I think that this does it for the main topics covered. Other items have already become part of the past or have been emphasized in recent updates (fundraisers, finding hosts, bus from CDG to Cholet, train to Paris). Parents, please remember to complete the survey I mentioned yesterday regarding the parent meeting.
Monsieur
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