Everyone was reminded about the packing meeting which is coming up on Sunday, February 12th at 6pm in the Dodge Room in Reed. Everyone needs to show up fully packed as if we were going to leave for the trip right then and there! Family and friends are welcome to attend! The event should last about an hour.
One note about packing is that Ms. Seamon-Ingalls found a great new document belt option that is worth checking out: StashBandz Unisex Travel Money Belt.
We heard presentations from Liz (Birds of New Zealand) and David (Desserts of New Zealand). Links to their presentations and all the others can be found on the Portal page.
We completed another round of the names quiz. Our overall average is now 74%, which is better than before but we really need to get it to 100%! Remember, spelling counts! A link to everyone’s photo and name is on the Portal page.
A few people were reminded of recently assigned tasks they have yet to complete. A link to a grid showing the status of everyone’s tasks can be found on the Portal page.
Our next morning meeting is on Thursday, February 2nd at 7:25am in the PA room. I look forward to seeing presentations from Annika, Alyssa, Jackson, Charlotte, and Sako.
Everyone will need to email me a scan of their vaccination card. The cast must list all of your Covid vaccinations. We’ll need this at check in for all of our flights. You’ll also be carrying the original copy of the card with you at all times.
A list of everything that people need to complete is tracked on the status check list linked to at the top of the Portal page.
We will be leaving campus at 2am on Monday, March 6th to make the first of our flights!
Everyone will be required to be in the Dodge Room in Reed by 1am on Monday, March 6th. We will be going over final trip checks and then departing by 2am sharp!
The dorms at Williston close on the afternoon of Friday, March 3rd. Unfortunately, residential students cannot stay on campus between then and when we leave. All residential students will need a place to stay, that includes adult supervision, between the end of school on Friday, March 3rd and when they need to be in the Dodge Room at 1am on Monday, March 6th. Please start working on this plan now. In the past, some residential students have stayed with day student families.
All residential student participants need to email me their plans for March 3 to March 6 by Friday, February 3rd.
Here’s one option for boarding students. This was just sent to me by one of Taline’s adults, Savitri:
We would be happy to host any boarders who needed a place to stay for that weekend before the trip. We could do a couple of kids if they don’t mind camping out on a couch or sleeping bag but we have at least one guest room and Taline can share her room and a trundle bed. You can send out a notice to all participants as you see fit. We are in South Deerfield.
If you’d like to make use of this option, please email me.
All trip participants need to email me a scan of their birth certificate. I’ve never needed to use them in any way on any trip, but they are with me in case of a few very remote possibilities such as a trip participant losing their passport.
I just found out from our tour company that they can attempt to add frequent flier numbers to people’s tickets. If it doesn’t work on their end, each person can try to add them when we check in for each flight. If you’d like us to try and add your numbers now, please send me (if you have one/both) your frequent flier number for JetBlue and/or United.
We all have travel insurance as well as emergency travel support arranged through Williston. The policy and flyer documents were recently updated. You can view them all right here.
We started with an awesome breakfast at Esselon where everyone loaded up with lots of yummy food. We enjoyed the awesome atmosphere in the restaurant and everyone chatted for a solid amount of time before we kept journeying east.
A little further down Rt. 9 we stopped at Walmart where everyone was given the chance to pickup any trip odds and ends they still needed. Some kids purchased journals, and other pillows, a stretchy plastic worms. At 10 we met up outside Barnes and Noble and went in right as they opened up. Inside the kids were given a half hour to explore before we gathered in the cafe to hear presentations from June, Taline, and Linnea.
Next we drove over to the Notch where we gathered up to hear a land acknowledgement done by Parker and Mrs. Seamon-Ingalls. We then had a great 90-minute hike out to a phenomenal lookout point. We conversed along the way and the group did super well on the trail.
We then made our way north to Montague where we went to the Bookmill for lunch and to spend some time at one of the most amazing places on earth. The kids bought more books and ate more delicious food. A short drive and walk later we arrived the New England Peace Pagoda located in Leverett. After learning about the site the kids got some time to explore and soak in the unique space before we headed back to Willston.
