| Handout
#1 (distributed November 16, 1999)
TOUR PROPOSAL to Parents
for a possible New Trier High School Chamber Orchestra
and Jazz Ensemble
CHINA TOUR
What follows is the information regarding a proposed
trip to China by the Chamber Orchestra and Jazz
Ensemble. The trip has been approved and
enthusiastically endorsed by the New Trier
administration. If we receive sufficient support from
the students to take the trip, the proposal will be
taken to the New Trier School Board for their approval
at the December 13, Board Meeting. To prepare for that meeting, it is time to present this tour proposal to
the students and families and solicit their approval
and participation. Mentioned below are details about
“Tour Family Meeting” on Monday evening, November 22,
at 7:30 p.m. in room M387.
WHAT: A twelve day performance trip to China by the New Trier Chamber Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble. The
groups would travel and perform together.
WHERE: Primarily in Beijing, Zhengzhou, Kaifong, Gongyi, and
Luoyang, all located in the Henan Province.
WHEN: We would leave when school is out, around June
9, 2000, and return around June 20, 2000.
COST: The cost is $2,100 per traveler. This includes
airfare, all transportation in China, travel insurance (not trip insurance), meals, lodging, tickets to all
sights, and necessary entrance fees. The only out of pocket costs while in China would be souvenirs,
snacks, clothes cleaning, telephone, and bottled water for meals. (8 yen = $1) Students must also pay for passports, visas and
immunizations.
WHY: A trip such as this provides a unique cultural
experience. New Trier has never traveled to the Far East for a performance tour, yet we have a significant
Asian population represented in the music department and the school-at-large. We would also have the
opportunity to perform with a variety of national
Chinese performance groups such as the Chinese
Acrobatic Troup. This trip would provide for all involved a once-in-a-life-time experience of cultural
exchange and performance.
TOUR FAMILY MEETING: We would like to meet for
approximately one hour with all the students and their
parents on Monday night, November 22 , 1999, at 7:30
p.m. in room M387 (Orchestra/Band room) at New Trier.
Our representative from the Chinese-American Cultural
Bridge Center will be there to answer questions,
chaperones who have already been selected will be
introduced, and a videotape filmed in the area we will
be touring will be shown. Mr. Baumann and Mr. Smith
will also be there to answer questions. The enclosed “
Trip Commitment Forms” are due one week later on Monday, November 29. A videotape of the Tour Family
Meeting will be made for people who cannot attend.
CHAPERONES: We will have a minimum of 1 chaperone for every 7 students. Chaperones will include a tour
doctor and New Trier Music Department faculty with
spouses who are very experienced in performance tour
travel. Chaperoning requires a tremendous amount of
work, responsibility, and a willingness to stay with a
student who is ill or being disciplined when everyone
else is “seeing the sights” or performing. For that
reason a $50 charge is included in the tour cost to
assist with paying airfare for several chaperones and
the doctor. A portion of fund-raising will be used to
help pay the remainder of the chaperone travel fees.
PERFORMANCES: We would perform three to five concerts.
TRANSPORTATION: Our air carrier will most likely be
AIR CHINA or NORTHWEST. Once in China, we will travel by train and
bus.
HOUSING: We would be staying in air-conditioned, three star hotels with two students per room in individual
beds and a private bath.
MEALS: The cost of the trip includes all meals with three special dinners. Students who have Kosher
or vegetarian food
needs should let us know on the Tour Commitment Form
so we might make special arrangements.
INSURANCE: Insurance is provided for travel in China.
It does not cover lost money or passports. Parents should check with their homeowner’s insurance company
to perhaps execute a rider covering the cost of your
personal instruments. The maximum coverage for losses
provided by our in-country tour insurance is $2,000
per student.
Trip Insurance, which covers you in the event you
must cancel your travel plans due to sickness, is optional and is the responsibility of the individual students. We will provide details about this insurance
if there is enough student/parent support to take the
trip.
IMMUNIZATIONS: We are still researching this issue. At least tetanus and typhoid shots will probably be
necessary.
TOUR/CONCERT ATTIRE: Travel attire should be
comfortable. The weather will range from warm to hot during that time of year. Dress appropriately. Performance attire will be some type of special shirt
for the Chamber Orchestra (no tuxes). The Jazz
Ensemble will take their regular concert attire, including jazz jacket, and a Lab Jazz shirt as an
additional option. Everyone will be provided a tour t-shirt.
TOUR WEB PAGE: A special China Tour web site IS ONLINE AS OF NOVEMBER 16.
http://ntjazz.com/chinatour
We will also use email to provide families with Internet access updates on tour plans. There will be
an opportunity via a bulletin board setup on our
web page for parents to ask questions, with the answers posted so everyone can read them. There will be a
public area for most information, and a restricted “tour family” area (using passwords) for the bulletin
board. The web page will have all tour handouts, and will contain weather links and links to web pages that
provide photos and information about China. During the
tour we may be able to post a daily overview of
activities, pictures, and possibly video footage. The Bulletin Board can be used during the tour to get
important messages to and from the students.
TOUR PREPARATION: We will have several meetings with
required attendance to learn about the culture, language and history of China. Mrs. Kessel, New
Trier’s Chinese teacher, has volunteered to meet whenever requested with our students to best prepare
them for this trip.
DISCIPLINE POLICY: Refer to the “Tour Expectations” handout from the Office of the Principal.
PAYMENT SCHEDULE: An initial deposit of $250 is due
when the “Trip Commitment Form” is returned. The
deposit and trip payments will be refundable (less a
$125 administrative charge) assuming a replacement
traveler can be found to reimburse the money you have
spent . If no one can be found by the directors to
replace you, your tour funds will be non-refundable.
(This is why “Trip Cancellation Insurance” is
advisable.) Refunds/cancellation must be received in
writing. Families who request special consideration to
combine payments should let us know well in advance
since there are numerous trip payments we need to make
to the travel companies.
The payment schedule:
Initial deposit
(Jazz Festival Co-Sponsors
see below) |
$250 |
|
January 1, 2000 |
$300 |
|
February 1, 2000 |
$350 |
|
March 1, 2000 |
$300 |
|
April 1, 2000 |
$350 |
|
May 1, 2000 |
$300 |
June 1, 2000
(Individual student fund raising
deducted from this final payment) |
$250 |
 |
| TOTAL: |
$2,100 |
There are several families of Jazz Ensemble members who have recently donated $200 to be a New Trier Jazz
Festival Co-Sponsor. We realize that this donation was
made without knowledge of this potential trip.
Therefore, by informing us in writing that you wish to
do so, we will apply all but $60 of your festival donation towards the initial tour deposit. ($60 needs to be held back to cover your cost of the tickets for
the evening concert.)
FUND-RAISING: While the primary burden for this trip
must be assumed by the parents of the students involved, we will provide performance-based
opportunities such as a combined concert or perhaps a
“Big Band Dance” at a country club. We will also
quickly produce a tour compact disc to sell before and during the trip. Entitled, “Beijing, My Kinda Town,” this CD would be sold by students for $15 each with
proceeds going into the tour fund. Sales during the trip, which would include an insert written in
Chinese, would provide funds during the trip for incidentals, as was the case for CD sales during the
Jazz Ensemble’s European trip. Perhaps a special
China Tour Benefit Concert could be presented by
either the two groups involved, or by nationally-known
artist.
Below is a probable itinerary for a
14 day
tour. Itineraries for performance tours are quite
subject to change.
We have placed links to three of the hotels we are staying in. These links
have pictures and much info about the facilities.
China Tour Itinerary (Last Revised
Thursday, May 18, 2000)
|
JUNE 2000 |
| S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
| 28 |
29 |
30 |
31 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| 4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
| 11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
| 18 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
| 25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
29 |
30 |
1 |
|
Thursday June 8
|
| 7:00 AM |
 |
Meet at
New Trier to take coaches to O'Hare Airport. ALL TRAVELING ADULTS MEET
IN ROOM M180 AT 7:00 A.M. |
| 11:00 AM
12:00 NOON
|
 |
GROUP
ONE: Depart
on JAL Flight 29M (Boeing 747) from Chicago to Osaka (13 hrs, 20 min.)
GROUP TWO: Depart on JAL Flight 9M (Boeing 747) from Chicago to Tokyo (actually
Narita, Japan) (12 hrs. 50 min.) |
|
Friday June 9
|
2:20 PM
2:50 PM
|
|
GROUP
ONE: Arrive
in Osaka on JAL Flight 29M and stay overnight. Nikko Kansal
Airport Hotel, 1 Senshu- Kuko Kita, Isumisano-Shu, Osaka, 549 Japan
Tel: 81-724-55-1111
Fax: 81-724-55-1154
GROUP TWO: Arrive in Tokyo (Narita, Japan) on JAL Flight 9M
and stay overnight. Nikko Narita Hotel, 500 Tokko, Naritaoshi, Chiba-Ken, Japan 286-0106
Tel: 81-476-32-0032
Fax: 81-476-32-3993
Dinner at individual's expense at the hotel. (Budget $15-$20) |
|
Saturday June 10
|
10:00 AM
10:40 AM
|
|
GROUP
ONE: Departure on JAL Flight 785 (Boeing 747) from
Osaka to Beijing (3 hrs, 5 min.)
GROUP TWO: Departure on JAL Flight 781 (Boeing 747) from Toyko to Beijing
(3 hrs. 35 min.)
|
12:05 PM
1:15 PM |
|
GROUP
ONE: Arrrive
in Beijing on JAL Flight 785
GROUP
TWO: Arrive in Beijing on JAL Flight 781 |
| 2:30 PM |
|
finish clearing customs with luggage
and instruments, bus to the CHINA
RESOURCES HOTEL 35 Jian Guo Road, Chao Yang District, Beijing
Tel: (010) 85772233 Fax: (010) 85785668 |
| 2:00 PM |
|
hotel check in, students
check their instruments, and prepare for the upcoming performance on June 11
|
| 5:00 PM |
|
bus to
Tiananmen Square for a walk and pictures |
| 7:00 PM |
 |
Peking
Duck Dinner |
| 9:00PM |
|
back to
hotel |
|
Sunday June 11
|
| 7:00 AM |
|
breakfast
buffet |
| 7:30 AM |
|
get on
bus, head to Great Wall |
| 9:00 AM |
|
set up for
performance |
|
10:00 AM
|
 |
Performance I @ Great Wall
(of China)
|
| 11:00 AM |
 |
free
exploration on Great Wall |
| 1:00 PM |
|
lunch |
| 1:30 PM |
|
bus to
Ming Tomb |
| 2:30 PM |
|
explore
Ming Tomb |
| 3:30 PM |
|
back to
hotel |
| 4:30 PM |
|
dinner |
| 6:00 PM |
 |
leave the
hotel, and bus to the train station for departure on the sleeper
train at 7:30 |
|
Monday June12
|
| 8:30 AM |
|
arrive at
Luoyang transfer to NEW
FRIENDSHIP HOTEL 6 Xiyuan Road, Luoyang, Henan
Tel: (0379) 4913770 Fax: (0379) 4912328 |
| 9:00 AM |
|
breakfast buffet
|
| 9:30 AM |
|
shower and refresh
|
| 10:30 AM |
|
bus to Longmen grotto for sight
seeing
|
| 11:00 AM |
|
explore
Longmen grotto |
| 12:00 PM |
|
bus to
restaurant in the city |
| 12:30 PM |
|
lunch |
| 1:30 PM |
|
bus to
suburb of Luoyang |
| 2:00 PM |
|
visit the
special residents who live in the unique cave dwellings |
| 2:30 PM |
|
visit the
Ancient Tomb Museum |
| 3:30 PM |
|
visit the
Tang Dynast tricolor pottery shop and studio |
| 4:30 PM |
|
back to
the hotel |
| 5:00 PM |
|
nap or
shower, get ready for Water Feast dinner |
| 6:30 PM |
|
walking or
bus to the Water Feast Banquet |
| 7:00 PM |
|
dinner,
Water Feast |
| 9:00 PM |
|
back to
hotel, get instruments ready and prepare for the next day performance |
|
Tuesday June 13
|
| 7:30 AM |
|
breakfast buffet
|
| 8:10 AM |
|
bus heads
to White Horse Temple |
| 9:00 AM |
|
visit
White Horse Temple |
| 9:30 AM |
|
bus to
Gongyi |
| 10:10 AM |
|
visit the imperial mausoleum group
of the Song Dynasty
|
| 11:00 AM |
|
bus back
to Luoyang |
| 12:00 PM |
|
lunch |
| 1:00 PM |
|
bus to the
Royal City Park |
| 1:30 PM |
|
visit the
Royal City Park |
| 2:30 PM |
|
bus back
to hotel |
| 3:00 PM |
|
shower or
nap, get ready for dinner and performance. |
| 5:00 PM |
|
dinner |
| 6:00 PM |
|
set up for
performance |
| 7:30 PM |
|
Performance
II @ 014 Club |
| 9:00 PM |
|
back to hotel
|
|
Wednesday June 14
|
| 7:30
AM |
|
buffet breakfast
|
| 8:20
AM |
|
bus head to Mt. Songsham |
| 10:30AM |
|
visit the Shaolin
Temple including the Pagoda Forest |
| 10:30AM |
|
on the way, visit the
special residents who live in the unique cave Dwelling courtyards |
| 11:30AM |
|
bus to the Shaolin
International Hotel for lunch |
| 12:00PM |
|
lunch |
| 1:00PM |
|
see Kungfu Show |
| 2:00PM |
|
learn and practice with the
Kungfu monks |
| 3:00PM |
|
visit Sacred Mountain Temple |
| 4:00PM |
|
visit the Ancient
Observatory |
| 5:00
PM |
|
bus to the Zhengzhou
International Hotel |
| 7:00
PM |
|
check-in to the Zhengzhou International Hotel
16 Jinshui Road, Zhengzhou, Henan
Tel: (0271) 5956600 Fax: (0271) 5951526
|
| 8:00
PM |
|
dinner |
| 9:30
PM |
|
back to the hotel |
|
Thursday June15
|
| 6:30
AM |
|
leave for Morning Market (optional)
|
| 8:00
AM |
|
buffet breakfast |
| 8:45
AM |
|
bus to the Henan Provincial
Museum |
| 9:00
AM |
|
visit the Henan Provincial
Museum |
| 11:00
AM |
|
visit the Dennis Super
Market |
| 12:30
PM |
|
lunch |
| 1:30
PM |
|
bus heads to Dahe village |
| 2:00
PM |
|
visit the ancient historical
Dahe village developed 8 thousand years ago |
| 3:00
PM |
|
bus to the Yellow River |
| 3:30
PM |
|
sightseeing around the
scenic spots |
| 4:30
PM |
|
bus back to the hotel |
| 5:30
PM |
|
nap and free time in
hotel |
| 7:00
PM |
|
dinner |
| 6:30
PM |
|
set up for performance |
| 8:30
PM |
|
back to hotel |
|
Friday June 16
|
| 7:30
AM |
|
buffet breakfast
|
| 8:30
AM |
|
bus heads to Zhengzhou
Museum |
| 9:00
AM |
|
visit Zhengzhou Museum |
| 9:30
AM |
|
bus to the Zhengzhou High
School |
| 10:00
AM |
|
visit Zhengzhou
High School (watch students as they go about their morning exercises,
listen to English classes, visit the students dormitories, etc.) |
| 12:00
PM |
|
lunch with the students in
their dinning hall |
| 1:00
PM |
|
leave the school |
| 1:00
PM |
|
shopping |
| 3:00
PM |
|
back to the hotel |
| 3:30
PM |
|
nap and free time |
| 4:30
PM |
|
bus to the restaurant |
| 6:00
PM |
|
set-up for performance |
| 8:00
PM |
|
performance III @ the Zhengzhou Literature and Arts Palace (for
the students and local people) |
| 9:30
PM |
|
back to the hotel |
|
Saturday June 17
|
| 7:30
AM |
|
breakfast buffet
|
| 8:20
AM |
|
bus heads to Kaifeng |
| 9:50
AM |
|
visit the Song Imperial
Street and Dragon Pavilion |
| 11:00
AM |
|
visit the Iron Pagoda |
|
12:30 PM
|
|
Baozi Banquet |
| 1:00
PM |
|
check-in to Dong
Yuan Hotel and
then free time.
Xinsong Road, Kaifang, Henan
Tel: (0378) 2918888 Fax: (0378) 2934648 |
| 2:30
PM |
|
visit the Kaifeng Museum and
Jewish Ruins and their descendants |
| 6:00
PM |
|
dinner |
| 7:00
PM |
|
set-up for evening
performance |
|
8:00 PM
|
|
Performance IV @ the Auditorium of Henan
University
|
| 10:00
PM |
|
back to the hotel |
|
Sunday June 18 (FATHER’S DAY)
|
| 5:30
AM |
|
leave for Morning Exercise (optional)
|
| 8:00 AM |
|
breakfast |
| 8:40
AM |
|
leave hotel for the Song
Dynasty Riverside Scene Theme Park |
| 9:00
AM |
|
watch the daily Opening
Ceremony and then enter the park |
| 9:20
AM |
|
explore and enjoy the Theme
Park |
| 11:00
AM |
|
visit Xinaguo Monastery |
| 12:00
PM |
|
lunch |
| 1:30
PM |
|
visit Pota Pagoda |
| 2:30
PM |
|
visit KingYu Terris |
| 3:30
PM |
|
bus to auditorium for
Acrobatic Performance |
| 4:00
PM |
|
full stage Acrobatic
Performance
|
| 5:40
PM |
|
bus heads to Zhengzhou |
| 7:00
PM |
|
dinner |
| 8:30
PM |
|
bus leaves for railway
station |
| 10:20
PM |
|
leave for Beijing
by sleeper train |
|
Monday June 19
|
| 6:30
AM |
|
arrive in Beijing
|
| 6:30
AM |
|
bus to hotel |
| 7:30
AM |
|
check-in to Resource Hotel,
shower and breakfast |
| 9:30
AM |
|
bus to Summer Palace |
| 10:30
AM |
|
explore Summer Palace |
| 12:30
PM |
|
lunch |
| 1:30
PM |
|
bus head to Forbidden City |
| 2:00
PM |
|
explore Forbidden City |
| 5:30
PM |
|
dinner |
| 7:30
PM |
|
Peking Opera |
|
Tuesday June 20
|
| 7:30
AM |
|
breakfast
|
| 8:30
AM |
|
bus head to Temple of
Heaven |
| 9:00
AM |
|
explore Temple of
Heaven |
| 10:30
AM |
|
lunch |
| 11:30
AM |
|
bus to airport to check-in
for departure |
1:50
PM
2:50 PM
|
|
GROUP ONE: Departure on JAL Flight 786
(Boeing 747) from Beijing to Osaka (2 hrs, 45 min.)
GROUP TWO: Departure on JAL Flight 782 (Boeing
747) from Beijing to Tokyo (Narita,
Japan) (3 hrs. 20 min.)
|
5:35
PM
7:10 PM
|
|
GROUP ONE: Arrive in Osaka on JAL
Flight 786 (Boeing
747) and stay overnight. Nikko
Kansal Airport Hotel, 1 Senshu- Kuko Kita, Isumisano-Shu, Osaka, 549 Japan
Tel: 81-724-55-1111
Fax: 81-724-55-1154
GROUP TWO: Arrive in Tokyo
(Narita,
Japan) on JAL FLIGHT 782 (Boeing
747) and stay overnight. Nikko
Narita Hotel, 500 Tokko, Naritaoshi, Chiba-Ken, Japan 286-0106
Tel: 81-476-32-0032
Fax: 81-476-32-3993
Dinner at individual's
expense at the hotel. (Budget $15-$20)
|
|
Wednesday June 21
|
| 10:30
AM
11:25 AM
|
|
GROUP ONE: departure on JAL Flight 30
(Boeing 747) from Osaka to Chicago (11 hrs, 40 min.)
GROUP TWO: departure on JAL Flight 10 (Boeing
747) from Tokyo to Chicago (11
hrs. 15 min.)
|
8:10
AM
8:40 AM |
|
GROUP
ONE: arrive in Chicago
GROUP
TWO: arrive in Chicago
We will rent a BUS BACK TO NEW TRIER only if necessary. YOU
MUST LET US KNOW BEFORE JUNE 1st IF YOU NEED TRANSPORTATION. |
ADDITIONAL TRAVELERS: At this time the tour is
limited to performing students, chaperones and
spouses. It may become possible for additional adults
to travel with the ensemble. (No additional high
school or younger children will be allowed.) The cost
per additional traveler may be as much as $2,600 per
person with no reductions resulting from the student’s
fund raising efforts. These travelers would be
provided ample free time and not be required to attend
concerts. They would stay in the same hotels as the students, but have no chaperoning responsibilities.
If you are interested in this possible option, please
indicate so by checking the appropriate box on the
Tour Commitment Form.
CLOSING COMMENT: New Trier has an outstanding
reputation with regard to performance travel, both domestic and international. Both Mr. Warrick and Mr.
Rosheger have taken groups on numerous international
performance tours. The orchestra program has had no
significant travel in decades and those students are
overdue for international exposure. Mr. Rosheger and
Mr. Warrick believe the students who comprise this
year’s Chamber Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble I are of sufficient maturity and can be
trusted to represent
the school and country well. They would not propose
such a unique trip if there were any reason to believe
there would be discipline problems with this
particular group of students. We wish to demonstrate
to New Trier’s significant Asian community that our
school’s musical groups perform in places other than
Western Europe. We look forward to working with the
Asian community of greater Chicago to help us realize
this tour. If anyone has contacts with organizations
that would consider donating funds to our tour,
perhaps in exchange for a concert from one of our
groups, have them contact us as soon as possible.
QUESTIONS: If anyone has questions that can’t wait
until our parent meeting on November 22, contact...
|
