Host Family List / Change in Rehearsal Schedule

Host Families

It has arrived! We just received this morning the Host Family spreadsheet from our friends in Bietigheim-Bissingen. It was emailed to all tour participants this morning.

The list contains the name of the host family (Gastfamilie), as well as their address and telephone number. We have not been given host family email addresses. We imagine that some of you will receive email from the host family prior to our departure, but if you do not - don't worry. The host family will be there to greet us upon our arrival.

Itinerary

We have - just this week - been able to firm up our performances in Prague and Berlin areas. As soon as we have an updated itinerary from World Group Travel that reflects these performances, we will pass it on to you.

Practice!!

Our tour is quickly approaching. With the end of the school year upon us, our time and energy is being pulled in many different directions. Please assure that you are protecting daily time for music practice with a focus on our tour music. You must arrive at our first large-group rehearsal on Monday, June 2, with all ten concert band selections completely under your fingers! Some of this music (i.e. Godzilla Eats Las Vegas) will be new to everyone. For our Honors Band to have time to pull all of the literature together in one week, everyone must come to these rehearsals with the "technique" worked out. We will not have time to chase notes. We need to focus these rehearsals on ensemble execution, balance, blend, style, etc. Thank you for your advance work!

Rehearsal Schedule June 2 - 6

Monday, June 2

*** CHANGE FROM ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED SCHEDULE DUE TO THE SNOW DAY. DISTRICT 99 FACULTY HAVE MEETINGS IN THE MORNING, SO REHEARSAL HAS BEEN PUSHED TO LATER IN THE DAY. EAT AN EARLY LUNCH BEFORE YOU ARRIVE. YOU MAY BRING A SNACK FOR THE BREAK. ***

11:30 - 2:30 PM - Honors Band

3:00 - 5:00 PM - Honors Jazz Ensemble

Tuesday, June 3 - Friday, June 6 schedule remains as previously published.

Tour updates - April 11

EMERGENCY CONTACT PHONE NUMBER

This number was emailed to tour participants on April 11, 2008. If you did not receive it, please contact Mr. Teague.


HOST FAMILY UPDATE
Our friends in Bietigheim have the student information cards now, and are currently working to secure host families. We suspect (this is only our best guess) that those placements will be completed in late April or very early May. At that time we will be sent a roster of all student placements which we will forward on to you. This roster will include the name of the host family, their phone number, and their email address. You will know exactly where your student will be staying prior to our departure.


MONEY MANAGEMENT:

World Group Travel has offered the following suggestions for your consideration:
A) For those parents who already have as Visa card (or similar), you may contact your card carrier and obtain a Visa debit card that the student can take with them. Parents can monitor and add money if needed.
Follow this link for more information on Visa debit cards:

http://usa.visa.com/personal/student/debit_cards.html

Follow this link for more information on the Visa Buxx card (a form of Visa debit cards):

http://usa.visa.com/personal/cards/prepaid/visa_buxx.html

B) There is a company in Lisle called Travelex whom World Group Travel customers have used.

www.travelex.com

1504 N Naper Blvd # 148
Naperville, IL 60563
(630) 955-0535
Travelex can provide cash for those who would like something in their pocket as well as variety of Debit Card options.

MEAL EXPENSES:

We are now able to provide an estimate of how much money students will need for meals during the second week of the tour (that are not covered in the tour package).

Students will be responsible for five (5) lunches during the second week. June 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. A typical bakery sandwich, chips and a drink – or fast food meal like McDonalds or KFC – will cost approximately 8 Euro ($13 at today's rate of 1.60 = $1). Therefore a budget of approximately $65 US should be adequate.


STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT:

Relative to students being present in social situations where alcohol may be present, we are able to offer the following clarifying language:

Students may – as a part of this tour – find themselves in culturally appropriate situations where they will be interacting with adults who are legally consuming alcohol. Examples include:
• meals in the host-family home
• post-concert wine & cheese receptions
• performances at city-governed outdoor band-shells or parks
• rest stops on the autobahn
• informal social dances with Musikschule students at local restaurants (i.e. Waldhaus disco, Asperg, etc.)
• Musikschule sponsored meals in public restaurants
• Guided group tours through a local brewery

Students on this tour are permitted to be present in the situations outlined above. However, to be clear, it is important for students to understand that they are not – under any circumstance – permitted to consume alcohol. Any violations of this District 99 policy will result in the termination of tour participation for the student participant. If you have any questions regarding this policy, make certain you communicate with your band director prior to departure for clarification.

Final Payment Update

Dear D99 Honors Band tour participants and families:

We have recently received information from World Group Travel that airline imposed fuel surcharges, coupled with the continually weakening U.S. dollar vs. the Euro, will necessitate an increase in the total tour package cost. This is detailed in a letter from World Group Travel that was emailed to all participating families on April 10, 2008. If you did not receive this letter, or the final payment coupon (Coupon #8), please contact Mr. Teague via email and he will resend it.

When the district received this information last week, we negotiated with the agency to allow payment at the end of May (as opposed to adding the additional money to the 7th payment). As such, please remit the 8th and final payment no later than May 30, 2008.

We trust you know that - as a faculty - we have done everything we can to modify the itinerary and create cost-savings as we have put the program together. We are concerned about the extra financial burden this places on families, but we recognize that there is only so much control or influence we have over inflationary costs. You may have seen in the news this week that fuel prices are upwards of 60% higher this year than April of 2007. And this of course has a domino impact on the entire economy.

Should your family have immediate concern about being able to accommodate the cost increase, please contact your band director at school and we will work with you to create a payment schedule that will insure your student does not miss the opportunity to travel on this very special tour. We stand ready to help as needed.

Bill Miller
Craig Roselieb
Brayer Teague
Glenn Williams