Dear Students and Parents,
Discover India -
Reminders and Expectations
Beginning next Friday students will
head off on our various Discover India trips. This
is an exciting time in high school. Below please find a number of important
reminders and expectations regarding Discover India travel.
We would like to remind families that
chaperones on each trip will set guidelines for food and communication. While
students are welcome to bring snacks, we strongly encourage them to try the
local cuisine. Should they want to supplement the provided meals with their own
snacks, they are expected to do so in a respectful manner. This may include
sharing such snacks with classmates if eaten during meal times or consuming
their snacks only during moments of free time.
While students are welcome to travel with
their cellphones, chaperones will indicate when they may be accessed. In some
instances, this may only be during transportation via plane or bus, while, in
other instances, students may be able to use their phones throughout their trips
as a means to record their memories.
In terms of trips communicating with
families, each chaperone will contact the high school office once every
afternoon, provided they can get a cell phone signal. In turn, the office will
email all parents before the end of the day to indicate that all is well.
Parents will not receive individual messages or updates from chaperones nor
should they expect to communicate with their children daily. When the trips are
in session, no news is truly good news. For any concerns, please reach out to
Mr. McFarland. He is the administrator on campus for Discover India during the
travel week.
It is important to note that all
regular school rules apply on Discover India. This includes dressing
respectfully, acting responsibly and adhering to all behavioral expectations,
including our alcohol, tobacco and other drugs policy.
Should a disciplinary incident occur
while on a trip, the teacher chaperones in attendance will make the best choice
possible for next steps given the nature of their trip, consulting with the administration as needed. This may include informing parents via telephone,
loss of privileges during the trip or other more serious consequences should
the incident warrant. Given the respectful nature of our student body, we are
confident that our trips will be incident-free.
Discover India -
Illness, Changes, and Cancellations
We know that all students are excited
to head off on Discover India, and, yet, every year a handful of students are
injured or fall ill days before the trip and are unable to travel. It can be
difficult to determine if a student is too ill to travel or if he/she can
recover well enough to attend; therefore such decisions are best left to a
medical professional. Students who are determined to be too ill/injured to
travel will be shifted to the Chennai Area trip and should submit a medical
note from a physician. Should a student be too ill/injured to even participate
in the Chennai day trips, he/she should speak to Mr. McFarland to arrange for
an alternative program to earn Discover India academic credit.
Students who do not participate in
Discover India for a reason other than a documented medical concern will be
expected to cover the cost of any unrecoverable payments made on the student's
behalf. This cost will range from 35,000 INR to 60,000 INR, depending upon the
trip. They will also need to speak with Mr. McFarland to arrange for an
alternative program to earn Discover India academic credit.
Discover India -
Travel Details
Please note the times for students to
be at the school and to return to school below.
September Counseling
Newsletter - Repeat Announcement
Sincerely,
Joelle Basnight
High School Principal
