WELCOME BACK Welcome back to all our teachers to the new school year. We hope you all had a relaxing New Year break and are recharged for Term 1! We had a busy December/ January, with a number of groups on tour in Europe, even some in Paris during the recent disturbances. With our experience and contacts, we were able to quickly readjust arrangements through our local European office and the tours progressed smoothly with the assistance of the tour leaders on the ground – one of the many advantages that come from organising your overseas study tours with us. Academy Travel is currently gearing up for our busiest school holiday period yet, with 16 groups on the ground during April 2015. For those of you planning trips for 2016, we encourage you to make contact with us as soon as possible to secure your spot and get the ball rolling! From the Academy Travel Schools Team
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Schools travelling with us in April 2015: Camden High School Colo High School Elderslie High School Gosford High School Lambton High School Macintyre High School Manly Selective High School Port Macquarie High School Redlands St Andrew’s Cathedral School St Charbel’s College St Mary’s Senior High School St Paul’s Greystanes Sydney Grammar School Whitebridge High School William Clarke College
ANCIENT HISTORY TEACHERS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TOUR – JANUARY 2015 “This was the best professional development I have encountered.” A group of Ancient History teachers have just returned from our professional development tour to Rome and the Cities of Vesuvius, where we were able to gain access to some amazing sites normally closed to the public. In Rome, Agnes Crawford guided the group through the world of the Julio-Claudians and Dr Kathryn Welch provided a fantastic talk on the topography of the city over time. In conjunction with the Herculaneum Centre, teachers visited the Vesuvian sites with a team of academic experts. Dr Estelle Lazer (as one teacher described, “a sheer wonder of the modern world”) was with the group for a week, sharing her knowledge and work. Sarah Court from the Herculaneum Conservation Project and Dr Joanne Berry of Blogging Pompeii guided the group on site and provided background lectures. In Herculaneum, the group was able to visit the lab containing the original carbonised wooden furniture and food. Teachers were able to walk inside one of the Bourbon tunnels to experience what the original excavations would have been like. Access was also granted to the boat chambers, where the group was able to see the skeleton casts in close proximity.
The suburban baths, recently opened to the public as part of the greater Grand Pompeii Project, were a highlight of the second day at Pompeii. The group also made visits to the villas at Stabia and Oplontis, and learnt about the ongoing projects of joint international teams working on the many sites around Vesuvius. Dr Ferdinando de Simone showed the teachers around two current excavations he is working on at what is referred to as the “dark side” of Vesuvius, where people resettled very quickly after the 79AD eruption. Teachers were taken into the lab of the volunteer-run Apolline Project where they were able to touch artifacts from the site and see some of the human remains that have been recovered. The site of a wine-making villa in Somma was a particular highlight for all. Everyone looked at each with slight concern when Ferdinando asked the group, “is everyone okay to climb?” This was soon replaced with cheeky grins when he encouraged the group to go beyond the barriers and fully explore the excavations. There was also time to soak up the beautiful sights and towns around the Bay of Naples, including Vico Equense, Positano, Amalfi, Sorrento and Capri. Plus no trip to Italy would be complete without indulging in some of the local cuisine and January sales shopping.
Some of the feedback received from the teachers: “I felt very privileged to be in the company of such personable, passionate, well educated and lovely individuals – down to earth, easy to interact with, honest, committed to their disciplines and open in sharing their knowledge and experiences.” “What a pleasure and a privilege having this access and insight – thank you so much. This wonderful experience has enriched and enlightened as well as delighted and will stay with me forever in terms of both personal and professional development.” “I feel privileged to have been on tour accompanied by such experts. The depth of their knowledge and ability to engage with the material was outstanding.” “Many thanks for providing a most comprehensive, detailed and current program of lectures. The generosity with their expertise was greatly appreciated.” “Academy provided us with access to some amazing individuals and should be congratulated for the work this must have taken.” As a BOSTES approved provider of professional development, New Scheme teachers at a proficient level on this tour were able to tick off 51 hours of PD. Our next proposed professional development study tour…. 20th Century Europe: Paris, Berlin, Russia in June/July 2016. To register your interest in this trip, please email natalie@academytravel.com.au.
at Herculaneum: a Inside the Bourbon tunnels wall of the Basilica. the from be to ved fresco belie Beyond the barriers of the excavation at Somma with Fer dinando.
The original statue of Marcus Aurelius inside the Capitoline Museums of Rome.
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HTA NSW CONFERENCE 2015 Academy Travel has a proud association with the History Teachers Association of NSW and often partner together to offer rewarding PD opportunities for teachers. We are happy to announce our support of the 2015 HTA NSW conference by sponsoring a visit by the world’s foremost expert on Nazi Germany, Professor Sir Richard Evans. Dr Evans will be providing the keynote presentation on the second day of the conference, as well as being a part of HTA workshops for Modern History teachers and students. The HTA workshops details are as follows: • Canberra, Monday 27th July 2015 at ANU • Newcastle, Wednesday 29th July 2015, venue TBC Further details of these workshops will be available shortly on the HTA website: http://www.htansw.asn.au
DRAMA STUDY TOUR IN THE UK AND IRELAND
LEGO POMPEII A new exhibit has just opened at the Nicholson Museum – Pompeii in Lego! Academy Travel’s favourite archaeologist Dr Estelle Lazer even features in the exhibit analyzing bones with a magnifying glass – not one of her usual tools of the trade she assures us. Dr Andrew Wallace-Hadrill and Mary Beard have also been immortalised in Lego form, both filming rival documentaries! As well as the archaeologists who have worked on the site over time, students may also spot Dr Who’s tardis, Pink Floyd performing in the amphitheatre and Mozart in the Temple of Isis. The exhibit is designed to assist senior Ancient History students in their understanding of the site. If you would like to show your students the real thing, contact Academy Travel for a quote on our Rome and the Cities of Vesuvius 14-day study tour.
In April 2015, drama students from St Andrew’s Cathedral School will travel to Dublin, Edinburgh, Stratford-upon-Avon and London to immerse themselves in live theatre performances and practical workshops. Students will participate in a range of workshops: Physical Theatre at the Abbey, Ireland’s national theatre; Shakespeare at the Globe; Forum Theatre at Cardboard Citizens; and Devised Theatre at Complicite. The group will also be attending a diverse range of performances – 9 in 10 days! – at some of the foremost theatres in Ireland and the UK. There is also time to sample an authentic beef and Guinness pie in Dublin, explore Edinburgh Castle, go back in time at Shakespeare’s house, drink butter beer with Harry Potter and admire the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London. Academy Travel can also manage performing arts tours to the United States to see the bright lights of Broadway, check out Amateur Night at the Apollo Theatre, participate in an improvisation workshop in Chicago, learn from industry professionals at Disneyland California and much more. Theatre, Dance and Drama tours can easily be combined with English Literature, Visual Arts or History for a crosscurricular experience. Interested in organising a performing arts tour for your school? Contact us at Academy Travel for a detailed tour offer or visited our website for other suggested itineraries.
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ORGANISE YOUR STUDY TOUR WITH US If you haven’t already contacted us to organise your next study tour, here are some reasons why you should: • Academy Travel offers personalised service – we come to you! We can meet with you at your school or in our Sydney CBD office to discuss your school’s needs, anywhere in Australia. We will also present an information evening for parents at your school covering the itinerary, price and inclusions. Approximately 1 month prior to departure, we will return to the school for a pre-departure meeting to distribute travel documents and provide practical information. Groups departing from Sydney Airport will also have an Academy Travel representative to assist with check-in on day of departure.
•A cademy Travel provides an experienced tour manager with every group. Often teachers come to us after running tours without a tour manager, returning from tour stressed and exhausted. Our tour managers will manage all tour logistics from arrival in destination to departure. This includes confirming bookings, hotel check-ins/check-outs, public transport tickets, entrance tickets, meals, local knowledge (closest ATMs, pharmacies, best gelaterias, etc) and much more. This allows teachers to focus on the care of the students, giving schools and parents additional peace of mind, as well as a minimised workload for teachers on tour.
• Promotional support. Personalised flyers, posters and booking forms are all provided as part of our service to assist in generating interest for your study tour.
Contact us to discuss your school’s specific requirements and we are happy to provide a detailed tour proposal with costings and inclusions. We can also come to your school to meet with the key decision makers to assist in the approval process and provide any required risk management documentation.
• We do your risk management! Yes, anything you need to get your tour signed off, we can do for you, including a detailed risk management plan and your group’s DFAT registration. • I t’s all in the name! We are the only study tour provider with a focus on academic outcomes. We have links with academic experts and knowledge of relevant syllabus documents. Our suggested itineraries cover dot points related to the current curricula and can be customized to suit your individual teaching program. We can offer a detailed tour proposal within 48 hours – contact Natalie at Academy Natalie@academytravel.com.au for details.
Level 1, 341 George St, Sydney NSW 2000 P: (02) 9235 0134 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) E: schools@academytravel.com.au W: schools.academytravel.com.au
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