Again!! Will this be the third time? No wonder you love your job!

luci

Yes my third time taking pupils but my fourth as a teacher. The first time was with a bunch of teachers.

There is another school local to mine that are also planning a trip there and they want to take me with them for my local knowledge! Not sure whether my headteacher will let me go though!

I have to add that the 'boss' who wants me to take the trip is not my headteacher. The boss is actually my headteachers's boss as well!

Well you're obviously making a very good job of all the trips or they wouldn't keep asking you to do it again!

luci

Flights booked today. Brum-Amsterdam-Chicago and back again. So wheels in motion at last.

Youth hostel booked and deposit paid.

In addition mrs Hi De Hi and i are going over in April for a week's vacation. It will be a diferent trip without teenagers in tow!

Well 3 weeks to go and it is all coming together.

4 schools to visit. Sears (Willetts) tower booked. Weird Chicago tour booked. Not yet got anything for the Sunday afternoon but if nothing materialises then we shall do the museum of Science and Industry. (I am hopeful that my contact may be able to get us some cheap Cubs tickets).

Heard yesterday that we shall be meeting the Mayor as representatives of Birmingham! So now have to tell the kids the 'good' news that they must pack their school uniforms!

Blackhawks have a game vs Pittsburg on the Friday but not sure if I can get (or afford) 17 tickets!

The girl with the none EU passport is waiting for her visa to come through (should be here in a few days) the only fly in the ointment is another kid whose UK passport has not yet arrived, it was sent back first time because of some paperwork problem and has been sent back in again!

Well the kid's passport has still not arrived and so after today I shall have to pay the $14 charge for his ESTA (when the passport gets here)!

Have you been to the Navy Pier?
There is lots to do there, and it's right downtown, just off Michigan Avenue, on the Lakefront, I'm sure your kids would love it.
http://www.navypier.com/about/about_us.html
They have good fireworks displays at night.

Yes we have done the pier.

This year we are meeting the Mayor on one morning so best bib and tucker for that, then we can get changed and have the rest of the day as R&R at the pier and in the shops! The other 4 weekdays we are visiting American high schools.

9 days to go. Met with all the kids today and gave them the schedule for the week and told them the good news about meeting the Mayor and the bad news about them having to pack their school uniforms! They are all very excited.

Then tonight I get an email from one of the schools to tell me that they have 'testing'on the day we are supposed to be visiting (a bit like SATs but for the whole school)! Luckily I have been able to switch round days with another school which actually works out slightly better!

Got to get some cash at the weekend and then that's about it. Mind you it will be a busman's holiday as when we are in the schools they get us to teach some of their classes!

The only chore left is to leave a week's worth of lesson plans and resources for my classes so that they don't fall behind!

3 days to go and finally the last child has mamaged to obtain a passport, ESTA sorted out tonight. However his mum has still not sent me a consent form!!! Hopefully in the post!

No wonder I have grey hair!

Consent form arrived this morning, fortunatly his mum has not listed any ailments or syndromes that would need me to change my (9 page) risk assessment!

So just the packing to do now before we all meet up at the airport at 3am on saturday!

Hope you all have a safe journey and a great holiday

Hope this trip is as successful as the previous ones.

luci

Thanks!

I had a panic phone casll from my colleague who is comng with us. He can't get everything he wants to take in one case and can't get it below 20kg! He is going to have to cut down on clothes. My case is 17kg and I have a shed load of presents and other stuff in there.

Got back Sunday, had a great time and the pupils really got a lot out of it.

They visited 4 Chicago schools and saw a wide range of lessons, I also had a go at teaching some science classes and didn't do too badly. Loads of sightseeing and meeting the great and the good of the City.