We're back in the USA!

Well, we are all home and hopefully rested!  We had a magnificent trip.  What a wonderful group of students!  All eight kids acted with such maturity, enthusiasm and respect!  They represented Northland Pines school district admirably.  They demonstrated a curiosity for their surroundings at every new turn. They interacted with the local culture in a respectful way.  They spoke the German language throughout the trip!  They never declined an adventure and they maintained the highest character that a student could demonstrate.  Needless to say, Mr. Strong and I were/am very proud of the students that traveled with us.  Thank you, kids!  You were outstanding!

Parents: Thank you for providing this life-changing opportunity for your child.  It was a memorable experience for each of them.  You can sure be proud of the outstanding character that your child demonstrated on this trip.

I'll post more pictures soon!  I am sorting through the hundreds of photos now and I'll get you all the best photos of the group and post them soon.

So, keep following!

Auf Wiedersehen,

Frau Peters

Some photos to share from our trip!

At the Chicago O' Hare Airport before taking off!

On the steps that lead up to Rothenburg's medieval wall.  We walked a part of it shortly after this photo.

A group photo at the site of my favorite classroom poster.

Dinner at the Hofbräuhaus!  It was a blast! Dinner: Large pretzel, 4 Würste (sausages) on sweet Sauerkraut. Lecker!

In front of the gate at the Neuschwanstein Castle.  Gorgeous!

Innsbruck, Austria

Tonight we are in Innsbruck, Austria!  We had a wonderful time in Munich.  We had dinner at the Ratskeller under the Rathaus in the Marienplatz and the next night we ate at the Hofbräuhaus.  That was a ton of fun!  They had traditional Bavarian dancers, a Blaskapelle or brass band, and a guy that did this crazy rhythm thing with a whip!  Today we visited Neuschwannstein! What a climb to the castle! Whew! The castle always lives up to its reputation and was spectacular.  In the afternoon, we saw the Wieskirche or the cathedral in the meadows.  It was beautiful.  Our ride to Austria took us through the Alps and under it too! We went through a long tunnel at one point. We ate a lovely meal and then took an evening tour of the old city center.  Innsbruck is just stunning at night!  We just got back from a treat of their delicious ice cream and the kids are off to bed early.  Tomorrow we will view the Court Cathedral where the mighty Emperor Maximillian built himself a mausoleum.  Then, we hope to have a picknick lunch in the mountains as we make our way to Switzerland via Vaduz, Lichtenstein!  We can honestly say tomorrow that we will be in three countries in one day!

Mr. Strong and I are so impressed with this group of kids.  They use German; they are punctual; they are exceedingly polite; they are good to each other and to the other people travelling with us.  Parents: you have raised a great bunch of kids!

I will try to post pictures, but things are not so easy here with technology as in the States!

So...bis später!
And good night (it is 9:30 p.m. here and bedtime tonight is 10:00!)

Frau Peters

Hello everybody!

We are now in Munich, Germany and we have Internet access! We had a long, but thankfully uneventful flight, and everybody travelled very well. We have visited the medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber first. Amazing! We travelled next to the concentration camp Dachau for a meaningful connection to one of history's greatest tragedies. Today we will start with a guided tour of Munich seeing sites such as Nymphenburg Palace, the Glockenspiel and the Frauenkirche. The afternoon will contain some additional sightseeing with a bit of shopping thrown in for good measure. Tonight we will be dining in the famous Hofbräuhaus (no beer!!). Tomorrow we will be off to Neuschwanstein castle and then on to Innsbruck, Austria. We will check in at our next opportunity, but access to the Internet is sketchy.

Have a great day! We are off to our tour soon!

Tscahu!

Frau Peters, Herr Strong und die tolle NPHS Gruppe!

Directions to Airport

Directions to Austin Straubel Airport

We'll all leave together, but here are the directions in case you didn't already know how to get there!

Gute Reise!

I am so excited to travel with each and every one of you!  This has been a wonderful experience for me and I look forward to sharing German culture with you.  I am proud of all of you who have worked so hard on your language skills to get this far.  You are about to realize a dream.  You are fortunate to have this opportunity and I am fortunate to be your teacher.  Remember to thank our patrons, our school board, our Prinicipal Mr. Foster, and above all, your parents! 

Let's be safe, excited and adventuresome over the next nine days! 

Gute Reise!  (Bon Voyage!)

Vielen Dank,

Frau Peters

YELLOW LUGGAGE TAGS

Please enter the following code on your yellow ACIS luggage tags under the Trip Code section:

325/BAV/GRB

See you at 7:15 tomorrow morning!

A Few Informative Links

Pat Downs and the TSA!

Get the 3-1-1 on Carry on Liquids

Gel inserts (Dr. Scholl's) in shoes are not permitted!  Remove them if they are in your shoes, store them in your checked luggage and put them back in once you land and get your luggage!

Batteries!  Yes, you should put them in your CARRY ON LUGGAGE, but NO LITHIUM batteries allowed!

Food and Beverages Through the Security Checkpoint Allowed:  Food sealed, Beverages purchased after checkpoint!

PLEASE READ!

United Airlines has changed its international flights baggage rules as of this month!  The total weight of your luggage may not exceed 50 lbs. or 23 kg!  Pack lightly!  This new rule is for tickets that were purchased prior to March 9, 2011. I will let you know by tomorrow if ACIS purchased our tickets prior to or after that date. So, for now, err on the side of caution and packer lightly. (Jeans are heavy!)ACIS got back to me. 50lbs. is the checked luggage limit. You may have your backpack in addition to the checked suitcase. Still, pack lightly so you have weight room for your souvenirs! I have a luggage scale you may use if you are worried about luggage weight.

Also, please be AT the high school ready for a group photo AT 7:30 a.m. on Friday!  This may mean that you should plan on being there at 7:15!  Be on time!  It is your first opportunity to show the courtesy of punctuality that you will need to exhibit throughout our trip!  Let's start this adventure off on the right note!

Finally! Yea!  We are almost there!  The weather is looking good!  Mid 40's to low 50's in nearly every city we are visiting!  Don't forget to pack your umbrella!  It is Spring, after all!

Call me with questions or post a comment.  I will check the blog daily.

Germany Trip PPT as PDF

Click Here!

DEPARTURE DAY IS COMING SOON!

Please be at the high school by 7:15 A.M ON FRIDAY, MARCH 25TH!  I'd like us to leave AT 7:45!
Group photo at 7:30!
 
Don't forget:

1. YOUR PASSPORT
2. MONEY
3. LUGGAGE
4. CARRY ON
5. CAMERA
6. EXTRA BATTERIES OR ADPATERS FOR YOUR ELECTRONIC DEVICES
7. GREAT SHOES
8. ENERGY!
9. EXCITEMENT!
10. ADVENTURESOME SPIRIT!

Two weeks to go!

You all should have received your final payment from fund raisers and donations.  If you did not, please contact me immediately!  We will DEPART from the high school at 7:45 a.m. on March 25th. Please plan accordingly and don't forget to triple check that you have money and your passport! 

The weather in Germany, Austria and Swizterland is looking good for travel as long as you pack a travel umbrella!

In Rothenburg ob der Tauber the high temperature is 58 degrees with rain/snow mix off and on. A few days in the next week are also sunny!

In Heidelberg, Germany they are experiencing cloudy weather with rain in the near future.  The high today is 63 degrees.

In Innsbruck, Austria today it is 55 degrees, but a bit rainy (pack your umbrellas!).

In Lucerne, Switzerland, the weather today is foggy.  The high temperature today is 54 degrees. The week looks like a mixture of sun and rain.

Remember to dress in layers and to pack a travel umbrella.  It is also VERY important to have good, waterproof shoes!  Always keep a spare pair of socks in your carry on so you can change them on the bus if needed!

Are you ready?

Please make sure that you have everything you need to travel: luggage for packing, debit card, great shoes, etc.!

Contact me with last minute questions!  No question is too small or silly!

Check out this site for travel questions!

http://www.acis.com/studentsparents/essentials

Parent Meeting

We have a parent and student meeting on Monday, January 31 in the German classroom at 6:00.  Some of you have emailed me your questions and I am preparing responses.  If you cannot attend, I will email you the information that we cover at the meeting. See you then!

Getting Ready!

Guten Tag!

Wir fliegen in schon zwei Monaten ab!  Was braucht ihr?  Was sollt ihr mitbringen?  Was sollt ihr zu Hause lassen?  Hier sind ein paar Tipps!

Was zu packen (what to pack):

• Use one suitcase on wheels with a handle and one backpack as a carryon.  Other carry ons do not function well on the tour bus.  You must have your backpack fit under your feet on a bus or it will be on your lap!
• Passport
• Credit card with VISA logo (best) Call your bank to make sure that they know exactly when you are traveling or your card will be "frozen" as they will assume that someone stole it!
• Two pairs of jeans
• One pair of nicer pants (Khakis)
• Long sleeve shirts
• One sweatshirt
• Well worn shoes that are very comfortable for walking long distances
• Gloves or mittens AND a hat
• Medium weight jacket
• Lots of socks and underclothes
• T-shirts for layering
• Medicines (communicate with Frau Peters on this! Don't forget that we have a seven hour time difference. If your medication is time sensitive, you will have to adjust.)
• Backpack for carry-on

Sehe "Packing Tips" auf ACIS - Travel Essentials Webseite.

Was zu Hause zu lassen (what to leave at home):

• patriotic, potentially culturally insensitive clothing
• anything you can live without
• cell phone
• electronics that you can't live without
• Too many shoes
• Too much clothing
• Expensive jewelry
• Unnecessary credit cards, large amounts of cash