Certifications

For the Certification Quizzes you can follow the directions below:

1. Log into the Onboard Website
2. Go to Learning Center
3. Go to Certification and follow the directions. ( I believe there are three quizzes)

***Once again the certification quizzes can be done at any time but the sooner they are completed that is one more item off your plate. :)

Have fun! Everything you do will give you some new information and help build excitement for our journey next summer and of course sometimes bring on questions that need to be asked.

Quizzes

The OnBoard Website is a spot that you will need to visit often as we prepare for our journey. In order to get to the information that I have asked everyone to read will be accessed through this site. Below are the directions for getting to the Quizzes on Austria (Country we will focus on at our first meeting).

1. Log into OnBoard Website
2. Go to Learning Center
3. Go to Learning Destination
4. Go to Explore Before You Go
5. At the bottom are 5 areas you can take quizzes on for Austria.

Enjoy!

Information

The OnBoard Website is a spot that you will need to visit often as we prepare for our journey. In order to get to the information that I have asked everyone to read will be accessed through this site. Below are the directions for getting to the information on Austria (Country we will focus on at our first meeting).

How To Get To Text About Austria (Read or Print)

1. Log into the OnBoard website
2. Go to Learning Center (There will be a toolbar across the top)
3. Go to Destination Learning
4. Go to Europe
5. Go to Austria (Print or read)

Orientation Meeting #1: Items to Bring/Be Prepared to Discuss

Below is a list of items that will be updated daily as I prepare for our first meeting. Please check this list as we move towards our first get together on January 9th. (Finalized 1/3/2011)

1). Please read the article on the Google Sites titled: Background of People to People. (The "Background of People to People" has been loaded onto the 'Google Site' location.) :)

2) People to People would like all Health Forms submitted by January 15th so that means it is REALLY important to bring the health forms to our first meeting on the 9th. :)

3). Once again we will be playing a Jeopardy game with questions being taken from previously mentioned areas on the PTP website and maybe a few questions from the article listed above. :)

4) Refer to the Assignments for the 1st Meeting for more information.

This is all that is necessary for you to bring to the first meeting, look forward to seeing everyone there.

What I Wish I Knew Before Travel - Things to Consider

Thoughts from a delegate after they arrived home:

• Red shirts leave stains on khaki pants when wet.
  
• Sitting on a blue magazine because your bottom and seat are all wet from when you spilt water, will turn your khaki pants a very bright shade of blue.
• When your delegation manager says a 10 minute walk, expect a walk a bit longer. :)
• When you are expecting to walk for at least an hour, wear comfortable shoes.
• Bring band-aids wherever you go.
• The second toilet looking thing, isn't a toilet!
• Don't sneak out, there may be people to people from another delegation right above you that notices you are out past your curfew and videotape you to show delegation leaders (I was the one with the camera!)
• I brought a credit card, debit card, American cash and foreign currency. This was the best combination of money.
• Drinking water is very, very important and eating something even if you aren't terribly hungry.
  
• Sleep on the plane.
  
• Be prepared for any kind of response from natives in visited countries; some may welcome us with open arms, others may not.
• Journaling may not be the most exciting thing to do but it is wonderful to have when you get home. It is worth every minute you can put into it; from what you ate, a fact you learned, to something that is different back home. Also, if you see flyers at a place you visit or at a hotel take one and bring home to put into your scrapbook.
  
• Electronics will be important. Definitely bring a digital camera and some sort of I-Pod.
  

Websites

Below are listed a few websites that were sent to me by the People to People Ambassador Programs. Some may already be on the OnBoard site.

www.fundingyoureducation.org

www.payyourway.blogspot.com

www.facebook.com “People to People Student Travel”

www.ptpsafety.blogspot.com

www.peopletopeople.com/factvsfiction

Assignment for 1st Meeting

Hopefully this will find everyone well into their Holiday Season. I have had a few people ask about things they can do to prepare for upcoming meetings. Well I have come up with some ideas:

• Visit the On-Board site, if you haven't already - explore it, find out what is there. You will find quite a bit of useful information like: Forms, which has one called Packing Smart that is a great resource. It has a good packing list to get started with for our journey. Another is Destination Overview: Which is where I would like you to go to Europe and then on the Austria and read the information about that country. After visiting the Destination Overview I would like you to go to Explore Before You Go: This will give a an opportunity to view an interactive video I believe on Austria. There is also another area titled Certification: In this area there are three quizzes that you need to take. They can be taken any time during the course of our meetings.
• At our first meeting in January we will break up into teams and play a game of Jeopardy, questions will be taken from the material I suggested reading above. Oh, maybe I forgot to mention, there will be prizes. :)
• Have fun! Of course I will be digesting the material as well in order to come up with the information for the game. :)

You will need your delegate ID to get into the OnBoard Site. If you would not happen to have that let me know and I will e-mail it to you.

NEWS! NEWS! NEWS!

Since I do not have the distribution list set up yet I will use this forum for distribution of news.

News Item #1:

Andrea Fredrickson, the individual selected to be the #2 leader with our delegation has been given an opportunity in the Iowa City School District that will move her away from being able to travel with us next summer. She is excited about the new responsibilities she will be having but disappointed that she will not be able to travel. But, having said that, this moves Tracy into that spot as #2. She is excited to take on this role.

News Item #2:

Our delegation has been slotted to travel with the Southeast Delegation, led by Sharon Bartlett and the Waterloo Delegation which is led by Deb Post. Both are seasoned travelers with PTP and we are excited to know that this early. As we look ahead to our Orientation Meetings, etc. this allows us to get some sharing going on with our potential partners. Of course this could change depending on how the numbers fall with delegations but exciting never-the-less.

Roger's Address

Hi All,

In case anyone needs my home address for mailing, etc. here it is:

Roger Halstead
4115 Lakeview Drive SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404

E-Mail: rhalstead16@mchsi.com
Cell Phone: (319)270-3816

Committees Established

At the social leaders spoke about committees that have been helpful in the past in getting parents involved in meetings. After the meeting we had the sheets laid out and asked parents to sign up for a committee or more than one if they wanted as some are more work than others. It was amazing to see how many people signed up for committees. The participation in this was outstanding. I will see what information I may have from previous travels that may give you a place to start and send it to each committee.

Below are the committees as they stand right now. Obviously we have a few delegates that were not able to be at the social so hopefully their parents will want to get involved as well so this list of committees will probably change over time.

Phone numbers will be added at a later time. I will use the phone number listed on my delegate list from PTP until I get my own student roster spreadsheet made with more complete information so the phone numbers may change as well. **Please shoot me an e-mail if there is another phone number or a different one you would like to be contacted at and I will make the corrections.

As committees begin to get active if someone from the committee would like to send me information that may be useful to the group I can post it here.

Activities Booklet:

Chair: ___________

• Kelly Cole....................(319)624-1358
• Jeanine Dirks..............(319)465-6585
• Judy Miller..................(319)337-2608

Photo: __________

Chair: Monika Martin (319)338-7644

• Nancy Mathis..............(563)264-3737

Phone Tree: ____________

Chair: Candy Clark (319)329-4074

• Marla Goodell...............(319)389-3080
• Kelly Cole......................(319)624-1358
• Karen Charney.............(319)358-9409
• Kevin & Nancy Mathis.(563)264-3737

Snacks:Food:

Chair: ____________

• Nancy Mathis................(563)563-3737
• Judy Miller....................(319)337-2608 or (319)330-1279
• Karen Charney.............(319)594-9016
• Monika Martin.............(319)338-7644
• Scott Kennedy.............(319)430-8216

Communications:

Chair: _____________

• ______________
• ______________

Fundraising:

Chair: ___________

• Shawn Mercer...............(319)924-1826 (May not be right number)

Secret Project:

Chair: _____________

• Candy Clark...................(319)329-4074
• Theresa Blair.................(319)329-1317
• Judy Miller....................(319)337-2608
• Brenda Christiansen.....(319)646-6776

Service Project:

Chair: ___________

• Sue Witte........................(319)530-3160

Official Visit:

Chair: ____________

• Charlie Litow..................(319)366-7396
• Nancy Mathis.................(563)264-3737 -This person knows Terry Branstad's incoming Chief of Staff
• Shawn Mercer................(319)924-1826 - Works with Senator Dvorsky; IA Senate (This number may be incorrect)

T-Shirt Committee:

Chair: ________________

• Kathy Litow....................(319)366-7396
• Diane Siddell...................(319)624-3028
• Theresa Blair..................(319)329-1317
• Jayne Hansen.................(319)351-5080
• Scott Kennedy................(319430-8216

Currency:

Chair: _____________

• Pauline Herb..................(319)929-5560 or (319)929-5563
• Mark Dirks.....................(319)465-6585
• Dave Hansen..................(319)351-5080

Reunion:BonVoyage:

Chair: ________________

• Nicole Pizzini..................(319)924-1826 (May not be the right number)
• Scott Kennedy...............(319)430-8216

Obviously there is still lots of time to get involved on committees. If between now and our meeting someone would like to jump on a committee please shoot me an e-mail and I will get your name on the list.

Also, if a committee becomes active before our first Orientation Meeting and needs information for one thing or another; such as the Snacks/Food will probably be talking before that meeting, I would assume, let me know and I can post anything like that on the blog as well. :)

Orientation Meetings Scheduled

Our Orientation Meetings will be held in Solon at the Methodist Church. The address is:

122 North West Street
Solon, IA 52338-8301
(319)624-5191

Meeting Dates:

January 9th : This meeting has now been confirmed.

February 13th:

March 13th:

April 10:

Meeting times will be: 1:00 - 4:00 (Hopefully this will get everyone home before dark.)

Items to bring:
(Will post this up at a later time)rh
1. Be up to snuff on information on Austria, information found on the OnBoard Site.
2.
3.
4.

Note: Apparently one of the above dates may conflict with a spring break in one of the school districts. It is our intention to attempt to stay away from conflicts such as this because we want as many people to attend meetings as possible. If there is another date that would work better for us we can make that decision at a later time if the church is available. Obviously it is difficult to stay away from all conflicts that there might be because of the group size.

European Discovery Social

Hi Everyone,

I do not have my distribution list completed yet or I might have sent this out as an e-mail so thought I would post it here for now. :)

The social for the European Discovery delegates and their families was held at the Wikiup Outdoor Learning Center last Sunday.

The food was outstanding, we had food from all four countries...main dishes, treats, bread, etc. I would like to suggest, in light of all the great food, if people would like to send me recipes including the name of the dish, ingredients, and directions for making it I will put them on the blog or on the google site, or maybe they can be posted on Facebook. I know there were a bunch I would like to get the recipe for but am not sure how to get back to finding out who brought it. Might be fun to have the recipies. Of course please include your name with the recipe.

It was great fun getting to know everyone a little better and hopefully everyone is off to a great start with their holiday plans.

We will continue to work on administrative responsibilities over the next few weeks so we will be ready to go at our 1st Orientation Meeting in January.

Once again, I would like to thank all delegates and their families for making this such a successful event. I can hardly wait to get started in January.

Best wishes,

Roger

Christmas Suggestions

As we suggested, at least when we remembered to mention it, at the inteviews Christmas is a great time to create a list of items that you might want to take with you on your journey next summer. My wife and I are always looking for ways to save and this might be one, to double up some Christmas items/travel items. Some might even be good for a few laughs. We will make this an ongoing list. If anyone has any items they believe might be good to have on our journey send them to me and I will post them here.

• Laundry soap
• Adaptors (remember, you ususally get what you pay for here)
• Memory Sticks, camera
• Camera
• Personal Journal
• Headphones
• I-Pod, Shuffle, ...
• Suitcase
• Small duffle
• Sunglasses
• Wind Breaker
• Rain poncho
• Tennis shoes
• Umbrella
• Alarm clock
• Sweat Shirt