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Post by petite joueuse on Sept 13, 2006 21:31:58 GMT
Don't know how on earth this has happened, but I'm running a tour to Germany for our school band.
Have never done anything like this before.
I just wondered if anyone else has any experience with these things - I could do with a buddy to throw ideas at!
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Post by princessmoose on Sept 13, 2006 21:35:58 GMT
Throw them at me! We're organising a tour to Germany, we're going in a month. One pupil still does not have her darn passport sorted grr. It's chaos. I have to sort out some forms and the music side of things whilst my head of music runs around like a headless chicken .
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Post by petite joueuse on Sept 13, 2006 21:41:39 GMT
Our main hurdle at the moment is Senior Management. They seem to be putting the brakes on constantly! As the tour involves 4 members of staff being absent on 3 days, they want us to add the cost of supply onto the pupils, bumping the price up significantly. Stupid thing is, we will be doing the tour right at the end of the school year when the staff in question will have minimal classes to cover anyway!
Mega GRRRR
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Post by princessmoose on Sept 13, 2006 21:44:43 GMT
Annoying. We're lucky. My head of music will be off, we're taking a German teacher from school, so that's 2 full time members of staff. Then there's me who is going as staff but I'm hardly there so it's not a problem, and another music teacher who's doing teacher training this term. So the school are only losing 2 full time members of staff. We organised it quite last minute so we're having meetings every day I'm in after school to try to get it sorted, it is utter chaos. We're all going for free. I've no idea how but we're all not paying a thing, staff aren't, pupils aren't. Everything over in Germany is provided for us, bus passes, meals, transport to concerts etc. It's amazing. The only money anyone will need is spending money.
Whereabouts in Germany are you going?
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Post by petite joueuse on Sept 13, 2006 21:46:18 GMT
Koblenz, with Rayburn Tours, I think
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Post by princessmoose on Sept 13, 2006 21:47:19 GMT
No idea where that is lol. We're off to Reutlingen.
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Post by petite joueuse on Sept 13, 2006 21:48:46 GMT
And I've no idea where that is either!!
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Post by princessmoose on Sept 13, 2006 21:50:55 GMT
Haha, south of Stuttgart!
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Post by petite joueuse on Sept 13, 2006 21:52:24 GMT
I'll take your word for it.........
I'll be in touch soon with multiple questions about risk assessments etc! Off to bed now - classes from place where satan lives tomorrow!
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Post by princessmoose on Sept 13, 2006 21:55:01 GMT
Oh don't get me started on risk assessments, CRAZY things!!!!!!!!!
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Post by Steve Hopwood on Sept 13, 2006 21:55:50 GMT
Heidi goes on tours every year with Lincolnshire County Youth groups - last year and the year before the symphony orchestra, this year the symphonic wind band. These tours do not appear to be organised at all. Chaos reigns from the start of the process to the end. Somehow, 3 coaches turn up on the appointed day, pick up the appointed kids and their instruments, take them abroad, ferry them around the continent, then return them to their parents at the appointed time. The sound of rush hour traffic on the M25 would be drowned out by the collective, "Phew" that gets uttered at that moment. ;D Somehow, it all works out. ;D
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Post by princessmoose on Sept 17, 2006 10:16:02 GMT
How are the risk assessment whatsits going Dmitri?
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Post by hoxie on Sept 29, 2006 17:54:22 GMT
Don't know if it's any use but I think senior management also tried to stop themselves losing the entire music department and 2 language staff when we went on tour - so one of the tours was organised during a weekend - we went early friday morning, so the staff (and pupils) only miss one day of school, arrive friday night, 2 days there then travel back again on the monday (which I have the feeling was the easter holidays anyway...) The other one was where we went to London (2/3 hours drive) and set off in the afternoon to arrive in time for a meal and a show before staying overnight and coming back the day after - I think that was either a saturday or an inset day or something. Not sure if anything like this would be possible in your case and ours was also very different - we had the entire music department going which probably caused more trouble, as well as some languages teachers on one trip and an extra english on on the other! Any well placed INSET days coming up?
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Post by petite joueuse on Sept 29, 2006 18:53:15 GMT
Well, wouldn't you know, INSET days have been cleverly "twi-lighted" (anyone NOT in education won't have a clue what I'm on about!).
The Head has insisted on the dates - last week of term in July - leaving late on Thursday night - missing Friday (the last Friday of the year), taking OUR weekend, missing Monday and Tuesday (both the last Mon/Tues of the year), arriving back at midnight on the Tuesday to be back in school for the Wednesday, which is the final day of the school year.
As you can imagine, I don't think the education of very many kids will be adversly affected by our absence on the Fri, Mon or Tues that late in the year.
Risk assessments are underway. Our Head of Music occasionally throws in wacky ideas like a boat trip up the Rhine (visions of half the band drowning), a visit to an out-door wacky swimming pool with chutes and slides (and the other half of the band drowning) and a trip to Phantasieland (theme park - almost as risky as water!!).
Hey ho! On with the planning!
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Post by petite joueuse on Sept 29, 2006 18:56:51 GMT
And those of you following my Diploma-Dilemma may have worked out that I could well get back home on Tueday at midnight, and be off to Manchester on the Wednesday to do my Dip! (Though Glasgow in early July now seems more probable)
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