Host Families Chosen!!

We finally established host families for our German exchange students coming in March. I am sorry if anyone was disappointed in the selection process. I appreciate your support and patience as we move forward with the GAPP Exchange with the Hebel Gymnasium in Schwetzingen.

Now we need to mail to Herr Fuchs and his students at Hebel some introductory letters. Everyone from Enloe who is hosting an exchange student should type a letter, in clear and standard English, to their exchange student. The letter should express the following sentiments and ideas.

1. Excitement at the prospect of hosting the student in Raleigh.
2. A little bit about yourself: activities, hobbies, amount of homework, personality, etc.
3. Something about the accommodation: their own room?
4. foods and meals you typically eat or have at home
   
5. Siblings in the house.
6. Pets in the house.
   
7. The neighborhood you live in
8. How you get around the area; to school, etc.
9. Ideas on what to do in Raleigh
10. Questions for them?
11. How they should respond to your letter: email? phone? airmail? facebook?
12. Include your full address and telepone number in your letter.
13. Include a recent snapshot of yourself, and maybe even pictures of your home and neighborhood.
14. A holiday Greeting - in German AND English!

Our exchange students mentioned their religious affiliations in their letters. Share with them politely your religious affiliations, if any, and mention the possibility of attending a religious service while in Raleigh.

Please give me these letters and photos, stuffed in an unsealed envelope, by next Thursday, December 11, 2008.

Enloe students going to Germany will also prepare a Steckbrief to send along with these letters.
Download one version of the Steckbrief by clicking one of the following links below. I have three versions: MS Word, Openoffice (*.odt), Rich Text Format (*.rtf). Open the file in your WP of choice, type in your answers to the questions, print it out, and paste a recent, color snapshot of yourself on the front page. On the second page there is some extra empty space; include a second picture there if you like.

Here are the links:

GAPP Exchange Introduction Letter - MS Word Version
GAPP Exchange Introduction Letter - openoffice version (*.odt)
GAPP Exchange Introduction Letter - Rich Text Version (*.rtf)


This letter is due to me by Thursday, December 11, 2008.

Bring those forms to me soon!!!

Finding homes for our German Exchange Students!

On Wednesday after school, from 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM, everyone involved with GAPP, from students hosting our German exchange students to Enloe Eagles flying to Germany to GAPP, there is an important meet where we match Hebel Gymnasiasten to Enloe hosts.

Also, folks flying to Germany will be given important forms to complete concerning our week in Munich, and information on how to prepare an introductory letter for our potential host families in Schwetzingen. The Hebel Group sent us a collection of biographical sketches and photos, affectionately known as the "catalog", and we'll reciprocate and send them our own letters and photos.

So be there, Room 0727, Wednesday from 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM.

Our Munich Tour Itinerary and Information

The brochures were distributed yesterday in class. I hope everyone has had a chance to read them and absorb the details of the week in Munich. We viewed the presentation also. I created a version of the presentation as a *pdf file to view at your leisure. The application forms and deposits are due before the end of the next week, October 31, 2008.

Hosting our guests from Hebel Gymnasium

Here is a list of Enloe German students who are willing to host our guests from Schwetzingen:

1. Catherine C. - also traveling to Germany!!
2. Ashlea T. - also traveling to Germany
3. Nathaniel v.S. - also traveling to Germany
4. Soren W. - also traveling to Germany
5. Kurt S-H. - also traveling to Germany (the golfer!)
6. Andrew M.
7. Brenna Y. - also traveling to Germany
8. Kurt P. - also traveling to germany
9. Justin D.
10. Adam R. - also traveling to Germany
11. Walt N.
12. Natalie G. - also traveling to Germany!
    
13. Grace M.
    
14. Phillip A.
15. Sarah B.

6 Girls / 9 Boys

We need more hosts! Please sign up. It will be fun, and memorable. Fifteen Hebel Gymnasiasten are coming in March and April 2009. Thanks to those who are willing to open their homes to our friends in Germany. I appreciate your interest in this endeavor.

On another note, this Friday, I am closing all applications to go on the GAPP trip. After Friday, no new people may sign up unless those who have committed drop out for some reason. Expect by the end of next week to pay a deposit on the trip of $200 dollars. News on this later.

Herr Kandah

Application for Hosting the German Exchange Student

We need start securing homes for our German exchange students. Here is a short interest form/application form for families who would like to host the exchange student for their stay in Raleigh.

Probable München Itinerary

The tour group company I am working with has given us a detailed itinerary of our week in München. Here it is, in all its glory:

Sunday, July 5 - Meet coach and driver in Schwetzingen and travel to Munich. Arrive in Munich, check into hostel, get settled in, have dinner, explore the city by foot in the evening. Meals: dinner

Monday, July 6 - In the morning, meet guide for Mike's Bike Tour. Afternoon free for museums and sightseeing in Munich. Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Tuesday, July 7 - Morning, visit Schloss Nymphenburg. Afternoon, free for sightseeing in Munich Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Wednesday, July 8 - Full day excursion using Bayern Länder Ticket to Salzburg, Austria, by train. Bayern ticker starts at 9:00 AM and is valid until 3:00 PM the next day. Departs 9:42 Am and arrives in Salzburg at 11:47 AM. Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Thursday, July 9 - Take the S-Bahn and public bus to Andechs Monastery, including a guided tour of the Monastery. Meaks: Breakfast, DInner

Friday, July 10 - take private coach bus to Füssen for guided tour of Neuschwanstein, followed by visit to Oberammergau and return to Munich in early evening. Meals: breakfast , Dinner

Saturday, July 11 - take the S-Bahn to Dachau and visit the KZ Dachau; afternoon free in Munich. Meals: breakfast, Dinner

Sunday, July 12 - Private coach transfer to the Munich airport for return flight to the USA.

The cost of the entire trip to Germany - airfare, transportation, breakfast, dinner, lodging in Munich, admission costs to all the above mentioned landmarks (Andechs, Schloss Nymphenburg, Neuschwanstein, Dachau), Mike's Bike Tour hovers pretty close to what we estimated earlier this year. What do you say? Shall we go for it? Let's!!

GAPP Trip coming Together

I received several letters of commitment from our German classes. It's shaping up to a terrific group! Here is the list of GAPPsters thus far:

1. Elizabeth S. - German 2
2. Cal F. - Deutsch 3
3. Nathaniel v.S. - Deutsch 3
4. Kurt S-H. - Deutsch 3
5. Adam R. - Deutsch 3
6. Brenna Y. - Deutsch 3
7. Ryan B. - Deutsch 3
8. Cat C. - Deutsch 3
9. Michael S. - Deutsch 3
10. Mary Grayson B. - Deutsch 3
11. Ashlea T. - German 4
12. Natalie G. - German 4
13. Soren W. - German 3
14. Reed W. - Sorens Bruder
15. Lea P. - AP Deutsch
16. Kurt P. - Deutsch 2
17. Herr Kandah
18. Mrs. S. - Elizabeth's mom
    

seven girls / nine boys.
There are some people who have expressed an interest and still haven't turned in a letter of commitment. Soon I'll need to close the trip, so that we can make plans, specifically, for our stay in München. Get these forms in by Thursday, my good people!

Our stay in Munich . . . . .

I am going to post an email I wrote today in reply to one from a parent. The parent asked some questions about how much free time will be allowed by our students in Munich - very reasonable questions, to be sure. I hope this will allay any concerns/fears you might have about our week stay in Munich. Our two weeks in Schwetzingen are pretty much taken care of: we attend class, live with our host families, explore with them Schwetzingen and the surrounding area. On the second weekend we'll definitely take an excursion to nearby Heidelberg, but on the whole, our aim in Schwetzingen is to live like the Germans do and integrate ourselves into the day-to-day life of our host families. In Munich, we'll be more "touristy." Here is a copy of that email, missing words and all:

Thank you for your email. Two chaperones will be on the trip to Germany. While in Munich, We will have a fairly tight schedule of activities; there is much to see in Munich. As far as allowing the students to explore the city extensively on their own in pairs or groups of three or four, no that will not happen. I and my co-chaperone will always be afoot with the students. The old city center around Marienplatz is fairly compact. I do envision two or three mornings or afternoons during that week where we all walk to Marienplatz, the central market square in the old city, and split up in several small groups for exploration within three or four blocks of the Marienplatz, taking pictures, interacting with people, and meeting up at a designated location at Marienplatz. I will have cell phone - a disposable one while in Germany - and with payphones still ubiquitous in European cities, I'll always be within reach. The students will all have a map of the Old City also. In short, my co-chaperone and I will never just stay at our lodging while the students run off in Munich, and the only independence allowed to the students will be two or three strolls around the old city center in the middle of the day in groups of three or four for two hours at a time. They'll not be allowed to use public transportation by themselves, nor would they even need to. The rest of the time, we'll be together as a group, visiting museums, picknicking in the English Garden, going on excursions to outlying areas, including a day trip to Salzburg (1.5 hours by train), and seeing the city at night.

I hope I have answered your very reasonable questions. More details on the exact itinerary while in Munich will be posted at our website.

Lufthansa Comes Through!

I was waiting for Lufthansa to confirm my request to change our outgoing flight from Frankfurt am Main to Munich. Makes more sense to fly out of Munich, since we'll be there already. Lufthansa has finally answered, and they set it all up for us: 18 seats reserved for us, from RDU to Frankfurt, via Washington Dulles, and frm Munich back to RDU, via Washington Dulles.

I have published an update on these details for you to peruse. It includes information I am gathering on lodging options in the great city of Munich.

Also, we need to get commitments from interested students and their families. I'll distribute these in class and ask that bring me these signed letters on Monday. It is crucial to that we understand who is going and how many.

Flight change - out of Munich instead of Frankfurt

Hello! I requested that Lufthansa change our flight out of Germany from Frankfurt am Main to Munich. Since we are going to be in Munich at the tail end of our visit in Germany, we can save ourselves a four hour train ride back to Frankfurt on Sunday July 12 and fly directly out of Munich on Sunday July12. I am waiting to hear from them.

Peter Fuchs, our Hebel Gymnasium Partner School GAPP Coordinator, has said that he and his host families can pick us from the Frankfurt am Main airport on June 19. This will save us a train ride to Schwetzingen.

As soon we hear from Lufthansa, it will be time to make commitments for the trip and begin booking our rooms in Munich. I have emailed a tour group company out Wisconsin, CETA Tours, who specialize in organizing stays in European cities/countries for student/teacher tour groups. Still waiting to hear from them. The parameters I gave them are identical to those listed on the Planning Document I posted here last week: Arrive Munich, Sunday July 5, make several major outings from Munich: Andechs Monastery, (Google Map), Füssen, (Google Map), Salzburg, Austria, (Google Map).

If you don't have one yet, it's time to get a US Passort. The US State Department Website has information on how to get this essential document.

Planning Document, Second Edition

Here is an updated version of the planning document for our trip to Germany with the GAPP Exchange Program.


Here is a link for information on the GAPP Program

Planning Document, First Edition

Here is the first edition of the planning document of our GAPP exchange with the Hebel Gymnasium for this academic year. Herr Peter Fuchs, the GAPP-Teacher/Leader at Hebel is planning on bringing a group of students this March/April 2009 to Raleigh, so we'll need some host families to welcome them for a few weeks in our fair city. Take note of the planning document, it details their stay and their plans; it coincides with our Spring Break somewhat, during which Herr Fuchs and his group will embark on tour of their own outside of Raeligh, then return to Raleigh and finish their time at Enloe with us.

Our stay in Munich is still in the planning stages; I am looking at a hotel near the main train station called the Kurpfalz Hotel as a starting point for planning our stay there. Until we know who's going, it's difficult to plan that part of our trip. We'l probably go with sharing rooms while encamped in Munich, but again we continue to plan that part of the trip.

Update

I emailed Lufthansa about getting a decent group rate for airline tickets on the dates mentioned in the previous post. I think those dates are a good point of reference for taking this trip. Graduation is the prior weekend, and this would allow seniors who might be interested in going - there might be a few - to regroup for a week after their big day, and it would allow us a weekend in Germany to get settled before we start attending the Hebel Gymnasium on Monday.

I also emailed our partner school's GAPP coordinator, Peter Fuchs, and made him aware of these dates. As soon as I hear from these folks we can move forward with the planning. The first most crucial detail is booking the flights and paying for the tickets. After that is done we can begin dealing with other details, like insurance, and planning for the third week of our journey.

Update on the GAPP Exchange

Hallo Alle!
I have been in touch with Herr Peter Fuchs and Frau Erika Hammer, two teachers at the Hebel Gymnasium in Schwetzingen. They are still interested in the exchange, only they might not be able to visit us until Fall of 2009. That won't stop us from visiting them next summer, though! Dates have not been hammered out, but they hover around these dates:

• Thursday, June 18, 2009: Leave Raleigh.
• Saturday, June 20: settled with our hosts in Schwetzingen
• Monday, June 22, 2009: Begin attending the Gymnasium for two weeks
• Saturday, July 4, 2009: Leave host families in Schwetzingen
• Saturday July 11, Leave Germany for America

That leaves us a week, as required by the GAPP to visit other places in Germany. My suggestion is to choose one or two major cities to visit, and use those cities as starting off points for various travel. Keep checking this blog for updates on various itinerary options.

First however, read the the wikipedia entry on Schwetzingen. Visit their offical websites also.

Schwetzingen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Schwetzingen's Official Webpage

Also the Hebel Gymnasium, our Partner School in Schwetzingen, deserves a close web visit!
At their website they provide a complimentary report of the last GAPP exchange at Enloe High School.

Look forward to seeing you guys again!

Herr Kandah

Willkommen!

The purpose of this blog is to provide a central location for news on the GAPP Exchange that Enloe High School has with the Hebel Gymnasium in Schwetzingen, Germany. The exchange had flounderede slightly in recent years, and our supreme goal is to revitalize it into a multi-year regular exchange. The Hebel Gymnasium is willing to continue to work with us, I am committed to taking a group of to Germany nex summer, and many of my terrific students have expressed an interest in making the 3-week journey. So keep returning to this website for more news on the preparations for the trip to Germany in the summer of 2009.

--Herr Kandah