And it’s Term 3! The schools team at Academy Travel has had a busy start to Term 3, with academic Professor Sir Richard Evans visiting from the UK and attendance at teacher conferences in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Dr Estelle Lazer has been busy working on the cast restorations for the Superintendent in Pompeii as part of the Grand Project Pompeii. More details on page 2. Places are filling quickly on our two upcoming professional development tours, both running in July 2016 with accredited PD hours for NSW teachers. Plus with Earlybird discount fares being released soon, now is the time to book your place! Details on page 3. If you are considering offering a tour in the second half of 2016 or beyond, now is the time to start planning. So contact us to get the ball rolling! From the Academy Travel Schools Team
Schools travelling with us in September 2015: • Pymble Ladies College Sydney, on an English Literature tour of the UK • St Andrew’s Cathedral School, on their 7th European history with us • St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School, travelling to Turkey, Italy, the Western Front and Paris • Willoughby Girls High School, on their 8th European history tour with us
VISIT BY PROFESSOR SIR RICHARD EVANS
DR ESTELLE LAZER IN POMPEII
Academy Travel sponsored the visit to Australia by world renowned historian Professor Sir Richard Evans in July. Professor Evans was kept busy with talks at the HTA NSW conference, ANU, University of Newcastle and the Sydney Opera House. He also conducted a number of media interviews talking about his work and the world’s ongoing fascination with the Nazi regime. Professor Evans was very generous with his time and knowledge, spending extra time to take photos and sign books for teachers. We learnt that he has many strings to his bow that keep him extremely busy and some of his roles are quite fascinating. Most interesting is his current role as Deputy Chair of the Spoliation Advisory Panel, a non-departmental public body which advises on claims for the return from public museums and galleries in the UK of artworks allegedly looted during the Nazi era. Professor Evans and his team are responsible for tracing the history of pieces under dispute by heirs – often wanting compensation rather than the actual painting itself. He told us that the number of claims is, in fact, increasing as most galleries now have their collections listed online and are easier to locate.
Dr Estelle Lazer was recently asked to travel to Pompeii by the Superintendent to act as a consultant on the restoration of the casts on the site. The cast restoration project was part of the wider Great Pompeii Project with funding provided by the European Union. It is the first time all 86 casts will be worked on simultaneously, which includes the rehydration of the plaster and/or repairs as required. As the world expert on the study of human remains at Pompeii, Dr Lazer was a natural choice to assist with the project. She will be returning to Pompeii later in the year to complete a BBC documentary with Mary Beard on the project. She also hopes to continue her work with x-ray and CT scanning to learn more about the bones contained inside the casts. The restored casts will be part of a joint exhibition on site and at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples "Pompeii and Europe 1748-1943", which is scheduled to open in May 2016. There are some fascinating photos available online of the work of this project. There is also a short Youtube video showing some of the work here.
TALKS BY ESTELLE Estelle has availability in Term 4 if you would like to organise a talk at your school for your Ancient History students and hear more about her most recent work in Pompeii. Email Natalie@academytravel.com.au to obtain details.
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TOURS FOR TEACHERS – JULY 2016 Academy Travel is endorsed to provide QTC Registered Professional Development overseas study tours for teachers accredited at Proficient Teacher level and we have two amazing opportunities on offer for July 2016.
DRAMA TEACHERS – ATHENS, PARIS AND LONDON Participate in five professional workshops, attend eight live performances and enjoy the sights, shopping, food and culture of Europe’s most vibrant cities on this 12-day itinerary. Not to mention the 50 hours of accredited PD for NSW teachers at a Proficient level! Click here for a full detailed itinerary.
Expert Tour Leader: Jane Simmons Jane is once again joining us as the expert tour leader on the 2016 tour, after the success of 2014. She is currently the Student Drama Officer at The Arts Unit in Sydney and very well known throughout the theatre and teaching community. She has been performing short and long form improvisation for over 15 years in Sydney and internationally and has trained with Impro Guru Keith Johnstone and Chicago IO teachers Bill Arnett & Lyndsay Hailey. She has presented at State, National and International Drama conferences to enthusiastic teachers and improvisers over the last 10 years. Jane will facilitate critical analysis of the performances attended and provide classroom notes and training throughout the tour.
HISTORY TEACHERS – FRANCE, GERMANY AND RUSSIA An 11-day program with a focus on the European wars and revolutions of the 20th-Century – designed specifically for teachers of HSC and VCE history courses. In Paris, tour Versailles and take a walking tour following the path of the French Revolution. Daytrip out to the battlefields and memorials of the Somme Valley. In Berlin, investigate the Third Reich and Cold War. Then travel to St Petersburg and Moscow to explore the history behind the Bolshevik Revolution and its involvement in subsequent conflicts. 45 hours of accredited PD for NSW teachers. Click here for a full detailed itinerary.
Academic Expert: Dr Matthew Dal Santo Matthew will be our academic expert whilst in Russia. Matthew was born in Sydney and now resides in Copenhagen. He has a Bachelor of Arts with First-Class Honours from the University of Sydney and a PhD in History from Cambridge University. He is an historian of contemporary post-Soviet Russia and a Danish Research Council post-doctoral fellow at the University of Copenhagen. His present project investigates narratives of Russia's past in contemporary Russian political discourse. He has worked for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and is a former Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. He is also a regular contributor to the ABC on matters of international relations, policies and politics. His latest articles can be found here. Matthew speaks a number of European languages, including Russian. He will be providing guiding, as well as background lectures on the tour.
EARLYBIRD AIRFARE DEALS Within the next few weeks, all major airlines will be releasing their Earlybird airfares to Europe. These fares usually require full payment quite early in order to secure the best possible deals. If you are considering joining either of our tours, we strongly recommend you take advantage of these deals. Academy Travel can assist with organising your airfares for both upcoming professional development tours with the airline of your choice.
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DARE TO COMPARE! Not all tour operator quotes are created equal. Often, we get calls from teachers who have received quotes that at first glance appear cheaper than Academy Travel. But when you look at the fine print, you will realise that often the per-person price provided is not all inclusive. When you receive quotes from other operators, make sure you check the following items are included – otherwise tour participants will end up having to pay extra: • Airfare taxes and fuel surcharges • Entrances to all sites included in the itinerary • Local guides at each major site • All tipping for meals, drivers, guides, etc • Dinners • A soft drink for each person at evening meals • Comprehensive travel insurance You can be assured that your Academy Travel quote includes all of the above and more. We can complete your risk management documentation, provide an experienced tour manager and come to your school (regardless of location) for an information evening for families. We are also wholly Australian-owned and operated with our own office in Rome which provides 24/7 on the ground support. This is the Academy Travel difference.
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.
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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