Mutterstadt Exchange May/July 2015
Contents Page One:
Pairings
Pages Two: & Three
Programme for Exchange visit in UK
Page Four:
Programme for Exchange visit in FRG
Page Five:
Information re baggage, passports, currency, electrical equipment
Page Six:
Tips for getting started
Page Seven:
Meals in Germany
Page Eight:
At school
Page Nine:
Some useful phrases
Page Ten:
Out and about
Page Eleven: Rules and expectations
Pairings Alex Ashleigh James Diaper Robert Dye Alla Garside Sophie Holliday Mateus Janaway Thomas Mitchell Harry Sandhu Ben Smith Daniel Stevens Katya Seifert Amber Westley
Sebastian Eitel Phil Weingarte Felix Grab Marie Buchheister Ina Meister Felix Bruck Lukas L端tzel Tim Ferentz Johannes Dell Simon Kolb Ramona Jorger Daniela Geis
Staff: Mrs Allen 02380 338010 Mr Kukla Please note: The German staff will be staying in the UK with Mrs Allen and Mr Kukla. If you need to contact the staff during a school day, please ring 02380 704561. Out of hours in the UK ring Mrs Allen on 02380 338010 or 07794 316260
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Programme for Mutterstadt Exchange Visit Sat 2 May – Sat 9 May 2015 in UK Saturday 2 May We meet at KES at approx. 3pm (exact time to be confirmed – Germans arrive at Heathrow at 12.40pm) to pick up our visitors. Sunday 3 May and Monday 4 May (Bank Holiday) In families Tuesday 5 May Germans to come to school with their Exchange partners (use temporary KETA bus pass if relevant), attend long Group Base, Assembly and lessons until lunchtime. A school lunch has been booked for the Germans – we will meet up as a group in the Crush Hall at 1pm and go in together. After lunch, Germans go into Shirley with their teachers. Return by 4pm outside the front Main Entrance (by the Crush Hall, but not inside) for collection by Exchange partners. Wednesday 6 May (Note: this is a joint trip for English & Germans) Germans to come to school with their Exchange partners as usual. Do NOT attend Group base but tell your tutor in advance that you will be out for the day. Meet instead at 8.30am outside Main Entrance (by the Crush Hall, but not inside) then walk to Southampton Central Train Station together. Take train to London at 9.00am. Day in London sightseeing along South Bank and Covent Garden. Return by train, leaving Waterloo 17.35, arriving at Southampton Central Station (Toys R Us side) at 18.46 for collection by parents. Packed lunch or money for lunch needed. Thursday 7 May (NOTE: this trip is only for the German pupils) Germans to come to school with Exchange partners. German pupils meet outside the front Main Entrance (by the Crush Hall but not inside) at 8.30am and walk to Southampton Central Train Station. 2.
From there they will catch the Shuttle Bus to the Red Ferry Terminal, leaving on the 10am ferry for IOW. During the day, they will visit Cowes and the Donkey Sanctuary. Return from IOW on 17.30 ferry, arriving at 18.30 at RED FUNNEL TERMINAL (by the traffic lights, not at the far end of the pier) for pick-up by parents. Packed lunch or money for lunch needed. Friday 8 May (NOTE: this trip is only for the German pupils) Germans to come to school with their Exchange partners, but NOT to attend Group base. Meet instead at 8.30am outside Main Entrance (by the Crush Hall, but not inside). Day spent in Portsmouth visiting Nelson’s Victory, Spinnaker Tower and shopping. Travel by school minibus. Return by 5pm outside the front Main Entrance (by the Crush Hall, but not inside) for collection by Exchange partners after Junior House. Packed lunch/tea or money for lunch/tea needed. Evening Farewell Party from 7pm to 9pm in Concourse with tabletennis in table-tennis room. Weather permitting we may be able to barbecue. Decision nearer the time and weather-dependent! Please bring small snack contribution each (crisps/sausage rolls/cakes or food to barbecue) and whatever music you would like to listen to (if on iPods, speakers needed too). Non-alcoholic drinks will be provided. Parents welcome to stay if they would like. Saturday 9 May Meet at KES at 9.45am for Airlynx minibus transfer to Heathrow T5 for flight leaving at 13.30.
3.
Draft Programme for Mutterstadt Exchange Visit Sat 11 July – Sat 18 July 2015 in Germany Saturday 11 July Pupils to meet at Hill Lane Gate with luggage at 11.15am for departure by minibus to Heathrow. Flight BA0910 departs Heathrow Airport at 15.10, arriving in Frankfurt Airport at 17.55. *See below for baggage allowance details. Take train to Mannheim. Pick-up by families. Sunday 12 July In families Monday 13 July Am: lessons with Exchange partner at IGS. Lessons end approx 1.15pm. Pm: Free time with Exchange partners Tuesday 14 July Joint day trip to Kaiserslautern by train including guided tour of Fritz Walter Stadium (home ground of Kaiserslautern FC) Wednesday 15 July Joint day trip to Speyer Kletterwald – a Go-Ape type climbing activity. Sensible, loose clothing and appropriate footwear needed for climbing. Thursday 16 July Joint day trip to Heidelberg with guided tour (in English) of Heidelberg Castle and time for shopping in city centre. Friday 17 July Am: programme tbc Evening: 18.30 Farewell Party at Bowling Center in Ludwigshafen. Saturday 18 July Depart by train from Mannheim Station for flight BA0905 from Frankfurt, departing 14.35, arriving at Heathrow at 15.30. Transfer by minibus for pick-up by parents at Hill Lane Gate at approx. 5.30pm. Please note all times given are local times 4.
*The following information re baggage allowances is provided by BA Free allowances for adults and children over 12 years
Euro Traveller Eco (Economy)
Adults and children (aged 12 years and over)
Weight per bag
One bag
23kg (51lb) free
Children Infants (aged 2-11) under 2 years
Hand baggage allowance
You are allowed one piece of hand baggage plus a laptop or handbag.
A 23kg (51lbs) maximum bag weight applies and you must be able to lift the bag unaided into the overhead lockers in the aircraft cabin.
Your main piece of hand baggage is up to the dimensions 56cm x 45cm x 25cm (22in x 18in x 10in), including the handle, pockets and wheels.
Your bag must fit into the bag gauge, available at the check-in area. Your laptop or handbag is up to the dimensions 45cm x 36cm x 20cm (18in x 14in x 8in), including the handle and pockets. Your laptop or handbag must fit under the seat in front of you.
Passport and EHIC: A valid passport and EHIC are required for this trip. Please note that although we have a photocopy of your son’s/daughter’s passport and EHIC as back-up in case an actual document is lost during the trip both documents must also be brought on the trip. Your child will not be allowed to travel without these documents. Currency: All costs for trips, activities and travel are included in the price of the exchange and meals will be provided by the host family, however you may need some money for souvenirs or extra snacks between meals, so it would be sensible to have some euros with you before you travel. Electrical goods: You should be able to borrow items such as a hairdryer from your host family but if you do need to pack electrical goods of your own, do remember that you will need a two-pin adaptor plug.
5.
Here are some tips for getting started once you arrive
Make a great impression when you first arrive by smiling and saying hello to all the family who you meet. You can say “Guten Tag” to every-one and with the adults it’s common to shake hands, too. You will probably want to take a small gift for the family which you can offer once you’ve unpacked a bit. Something very British or English (eg tea or shortbread) is a good idea. Photos of your family to show your hosts might also make a good ice-breaker.
The family will probably ask you what you want to do first eg willst du…. = do you want to... …deinen Koffer auspacken? = …unpack? …duschen? = …have a shower? …nach Hause telefonieren/anrufen? = ... phone home? Or you may be asked if you want something to eat or drink eg hast du Hunger? hast du Durst? willst du etwas essen/trinken? Be honest! Say „Ja, ich habe Hunger/Durst“ or „Nein, danke“. NB If you jusy say „Danke“, you are usually saying „NO thanks“. If you mean “Thanks and YES”, say “Ja, bitte” or “Gern”. If there’s something you really want or need, then say so. It’s very British not to express your needs yourself but rather to wait until you’re asked -not so in Germany where it’s not rude or forward if your request is reasonable! 6.
It’s a good idea on the first evening to establish some basic house rules, too, so you know more or less what to expect. To ask when meals are or when you need to get up, ask the following: Wann gibt es Frühstück/Mittagessen/Abendessen? Wann muss ich aufstehen? NB On school days you’ll be up early, as school starts just before 8am!
Meals in Germany
Although all families are different, of course, there are some common basic differences between English and German eating habits. Breakfast may be bread/bread rolls (Brötchen) and cheese or a selection of cold meats (called Aufschnitt), although cereal is becoming more common. Lunch is often a cooked meal (ein warmes Mittagessen) and usually taken at home (there are no school lunches – school finishes around 1pm), whereas the evening meal is often cold (sometimes called das Abendbrot) and you can expect a selection of bread/rolls, cheese, cold meats and perhaps salad. A nice habit at around 4pm that you may encounter if you’re at home or invited out is “Kaffee und Kuchen” when people have coffee/tea (drunk black unless you ask for milk – and prepare for them to be surprised by this) and biscuits or cakes. Try what you can! Finally a word about drinks. In Germany, people don’t drink tapwater. If you ask for or are offered water, it is bottled water, often from the fridge, and most usually sparkling (Sprudel). If you’d like non-fizzy, you’ll need to ask for “stilles Wasser”. Expect some differences, but try as much as you can and when you’re full say “ich bin satt”. To “compliment the chef” say “es hat gut geschmeckt!” 7.
At school
You’ll find the German school pretty different from King Edward’s. Firstly, there’s no uniform. See if you think this affects the atmosphere in the school. Secondly, the IGS Mutterstadt is a comprehensive (unusual for Germany), so they have a wider range of ability. Find out what type of class your Exchange partner is in and what bearing, if any, that has on the style of teaching and type of learning. Note down your impressions here: …………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… What do you think is better than at KES? …………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… What do you prefer at KES? …………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………… 8.
Some useful phrases
Asking for something Darf ich… etwas trinken? Can/may I…have something to drink? noch… essen? some more…? fernsehen? watch tv? am Computer spielen play on the computer? Saying how you feel/what you thought of something Es war toll! It was great! Das hat Spaß gemacht! That was fun! Das ist/war schwer! That was hard/difficult! Ich bin müde I’m tired Ich habe das nicht verstanden I didn’t understand that Asking for an explanation/help Können Sie das nochmal sagen? Bitte? Langsamer, bitte! Wie heißt das auf Englisch? Wie sagt man das auf Deutsch?
Can you say that again? Pardon? Slower, please! What’s that in English? How do you say that in German?
Thanking your hosts Danke für… heute Thanks for… den schönen Aufenthalt das leckere Essen
today the nice stay the tasty food
You will probably find that your Exchange partner and his/her family speak good English, but don’t let that put you off practising your German. It’s not a competition! Use a dictionary for individual words, keep asking and use the opportunity to improve. 9.
Out and about You’ll be out and about on group excursions and also privately with your Exchange partner and her/his friends or family. Have fun, but bear some basic rules of safety in mind:
Never wander off entirely on your own, even if you’re confident you know where you are and what you’re doing. On group excursions, stay in at least a three and make sure one of you has a working mobile with the staff contact numbers. Use this in case of any difficulty at all.
Be very careful when crossing roads as traffic in Germany drives on the RIGHT, of course. This means you will automatically look the WRONG way when you cross. Slow down and look BOTH ways before stepping into the road. Watch out, too, for cycle paths, which are quite common and are marked out on the pavement not the road. If you are offered a bike to ride, make sure you’ve tried it out first, in particular the brakes which may operate differently from brake systems back home. NB If you are not comfortable with any activity you are asked to do, you must say so!
Finally, in Germany there is also a law which forbids you to cross at a traffic light or on a pedestrian crossing when the RED MAN is showing. You can face an on-the-spot fine if you disobey this law even if there is no traffic coming as you cross. Wait for the GREEN MAN! 10.
Rules and expectations
School trips are an extension of school and students are ambassadors for the School. Therefore standards of behaviour are as for school; students are expected to behave sensibly and respectfully towards each other, their partners and host families and all members of the public. Rules regarding smoking, drinking, drugs and sexual behaviour are also as for school. A Code of Conduct will be issued before the trip and must be returned signed by students and parents. In addition, students must comply with all other reasonable requests from teachers and host parents. In cases where behaviour falls seriously below expectation, students will be returned to the UK at their parents’ expense. Whilst with the host family, it is appropriate for students to follow the rules of the family in most cases. However there may be occasions when the student is unsure about following a particular course of action. Please note that to avoid problems with food, do ensure that you have told your host family in advance of any serious dislikes as well as allergies. In case of any other problems, students should contact the teachers for help and advice. This includes medical issues. Contact details for the staff; the staff mobile number is +44 07917 262011 or Mrs Allen may be reached at Frau Rudolph’s house on 06232 490140. From the UK the dialling code for Germany is 0049 then drop the next 0 before dialling the number. Finally, remember that this is also a great opportunity to practise and learn some new German. Many Germans are very keen to use their English, so you may need to persevere in asking them to use German with you. Do your best and have fun! 11.