Urgent Reminder

There is less than a week to be ready for this very important date - are you ready for May 5th?

Please see Mr. Orford ASAP if you have any questions.

1) There has been a change in itinerary - download the revised plan here    The trip will leave Nov 5 and return Nov 17

2) May 5 veterans reception change!!
"Please note the change requested by the DCMA - this is about the NUMBER of guests you can invite:"

From the DCMA.....

Regarding May 5,  I just wanted to clarify the numbers of persons that can be invited:

· we’ll accommodate all Veterans and they may bring two additional family members, which could possibly be 108 people

· as there are 36 students, we will need to limit it to one additional family member, which would be 72 people

Sorry to have to put limitations on numbers, but we’re already at 180 people and I haven’t factored in the teachers and other guests (MPP, MP, Warden, etc…) who will be attending

 

Please take a few minutes to download and read these files. Please read Travel Tips PRIOR to the April 10 meeting.
 

Travel info on: Belgium, France and Germany.
 

Pictures are now due and need to be submitted to Mr. Guchardi ASAP. Pictures must be of good quality ( no phone snapshots please ) and must be in a JPEG (.jpg) format only. Place pictures on a memory stick and bring to room 58 for transfer. Please include in the picture file the name of your veteran and your name if possible.
 

• the great folks downstairs in the Archives at the DCMA are anxious to help you with your final research for the Veteran's Biography (due Jan 31st). Laura & Steve need to have your biography sent to them by email (in Word format) as soon as possible

• Laura & Steve will edit your work & offer you some feedback very quickly & this will help you to get the whole Biography finished in time. Please contact Laura at: lcamilleri@dufferinmuseum.com or Steve at: archivist@dufferinmuseum.com asap

• be sure to check the Juno Beach Centre Website to see if your Veteran has already been honoured (we've had a few situations already) - if he/she has been honoured, you may NOT do so again for this project....so you will need to research a different Veteran

It's also time to get your Veteran's Presentation finished - this is NOT the same as the Biography - your Presentation will likely be about 3 minutes long & potentially include much more detail & context than the Biography - see Mr. Bradford & Mr. Guchardi asap about this.

Mark down April 10th as a Full Informational Meeting at the DCMA at 7pm & May 5th as the Veteran's Reception at the DCMA at 1pm. there will be lots more to come on these two events....but clear the calendar dates now!!

See me if you have questions!            Mr. Orford

It’s 18 months till we travel on this fantastic Tour of France, Belgium and Germany, but the time will fly! This webpage is going to be updated regularly with the help of our school webmaster, Ms. Norlen. 
 

The blog posts will keep you informed as the months go by, announce meeting dates, issue urgent notifications about changes (like a potential Day 13 decision!) and offer some gentle reminders where necessary. 
 

Here are some forms you need to read now. Parent info from May 22 meeting  Registration Form Credit Card info and changes to forms from May 22 meeting Itinerary  Step by Step Decision Making
 

I will be in Europe this summer checking on certain parts of the itinerary and also teaching at the Juno Beach Centre in France – so don’t be surprised if I post some updates while I am there!
 

Please be sure to check this site regularly during the summer and be prepared for matters to really pick-up in September 2012 when we are back at school – there will be a meeting in the first week of October which will be our first chance to see the whole ‘family’ of students and adult guests together.

Until then, please consult the forms & updates available on our menu and enjoy a wonderful summer....but don’t forget to save your money!!
 

Contact me if you have any questions at: neil.orford@ugdsb.on.ca

The DCMA is offering two special workshops for High School students who wish to 'dig-deep' into researching their veteran - a great chance to get a head-start on your 2013 Battlefields work!

Just follow the link to the DCMA 2012 Events Calendar and check out the workshops hosted by Kayla Mantle (CDDHS Grad!).  Kayla will be leading these workshops on Tuesday July 10th and Thursday July 12th - entitled "Dufferin County & Canadian Identity". 

We'll get a chance to start this work on the June 11th field trip to the museum, but this would be an extra opportunity to get your research completed.

Don’t worry about the cost right now - we're working on a 'student special' for you! 

The students visit famous Canada House at Juno Beach
 

Bernieres sur Mer

It is here that the famous “Canada House” can be found. Testament to the fighting on D-Day, this house featured in many film clips and photos taken of the D-Day landings in June of 1944. It stands much as it did on the morning of June 6th, 1944, only the bullet holes, evident in the many pictures, having been repaired. 200 meters east lies the German strong point in front of which the assault Battalion of the Queens Own Rifles of Canada came ashore that morning and lost so many of their number in subduing. It too bears the scars of the mornings fighting and one of the bunkers still has an Allied 37mm cannon shell that was fired at it embedded in its concrete walls, the concrete paving slabs lining the road nearby showing where the Canadian tanks advanced inland, the tank tracks gouging out their mark forever on the paving stones lining the road.

Follow it live here. The link for the webcam is near the bottom of the page.
 

The Juno Beach Centre is a museum and cultural centre, which opened at Courseulles-sur-Mer, France on June 6, 2003. The Centre presents the war effort made by all Canadians, civilian and military alike, both at home and on the various fronts during the Second World War, as well as the manifold faces of contemporary Canadian society.

The Minister of Canadian Heritage has designated the Juno Beach landing site to be a site of national historic significance to Canada.
  

"We stand on hallowed ground — a place of agonized conflict, a site of appalling loss of life, a vessel of sorrow, a crucible of courage, a hallmark of ingenuity, collaboration and resolve undertaken by men at arms in the cause of peace," Johnston said.
 

The trip reports: "We were up at 5:30 a.m. to prepare for the big day. Over 5000 Canadian students attended the 95th anniversary of Vimy Ridge. We had a 2.7 km SILENT march up the hill to one of the Canadian cemeteries at Vimy. The march was very moving as many locals came out to watch and most houses had doors and windows decorated with Canadian flags. We got to see the trenches, the Vimy Memorial and participate in the televised 95th anniversary ceremony that governor general David Johnston attended. The kids were great despite steady and sometimes heavy rain."
  

There are 74 Canadians buried here from the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
 

We read some paragraphs about Canadian soldiers who had died during World War I and are buried here. Afterwards students found the grave marker and left a poppy, Canadian flag and paragraph at the headstone.

We also visited a German cemetery, Hill 62 and tunnels and visited the bunkers where John McCrae of Guelph, writer of "In Flanders Fields" once fought.

Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. Today we saw beautiful architecture, bought Belgium chocolate and enjoyed French fries with mayo, a local specialty. A few of us also tried the mussels.

Known as the Venice of the North, Bruges is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. UNESCO, in 2000, included the entire historical city centre on the World Heritage list. Walking along the maze of winding cobbled alleys and romantic canals takes you back to medieval times.
 
 
  

Here are some pictures of the sights they are enjoying.

They visited Rembrandt's windmill that stands on the De Passeerde bulwark along the city wall that ran down the west side of the city of Amsterdam.
 

Many historians and writers consider the Canadian victory at Vimy a defining moment for Canada, when the country emerged from under the shadow of Britain and felt capable of greatness. Canadian troops also earned a reputation as formidable, effective troops because of the stunning success. But it was a victory at a terrible cost, with more than 10,000 killed and wounded.

The Canadian Corps was ordered to seize Vimy Ridge in April 1917.Situated in northern France, the heavily-fortified seven-kilometre ridge held a commanding view over the Allied lines. The Canadians would be assaulting over an open graveyard since previous French attacks had failed with over 100,000 casualties. Read more here.

Here are some links as provided by EF Canada, the tour company running the Vimy Ridge 2012 trip.

facebook.com/eftourscanada

youtube.com/eftourscanada

flickr.com/groups/eftours

http://blog.vimyridgetour.ca

eftours.ca/tourlink 

Mr. Zeidler, Ms. Wilson amd Ms. Murray encourage all parents, friends and family to sign up for the RSS feed to receive regular updates while the trip is in Europe. Just click on the orange box in the upper right hand corner to subscribe.

Arrival time in Toronto is scheduled for 3:13 pm Tuesday afternoon.

All told, our 36 minute flight Amsterdam to London was 6 1/2 hours and all our connections to Toronto had long-since been cancelled. We are snug in at the Holiday Inn now until Tuesday. Kids have been terrific throughout and are turning their 'adventure' into a 'close encounter of a third kind' here in London until we can get a flight out Tuesday afternoon. Tour company has been outstanding!

Home for Tuesday tea-time...unless there's a volcanic event in Iceland.

Mr. Orford

(British Airways flight 093 British Airways Flight Tracker)

Heathrow flights return to normal after fog delays
 

Services at Heathrow and London City airports are returning to normal after fog forced the cancellation of flights in and out of London for two days. A total of 120 departures and 104 arrivals have been cancelled at west London's Heathrow since Sunday.

But the fog has lifted and there are no more restrictions at the airport. A spokesman for Heathrow, which deals with an average of 1,300 flights a day, said: "The fog has started to clear and there are now no restrictions on flying. There are currently no delays to flights but we advise passengers to check with their airlines before travelling."

At Heathrow on Sunday, some airlines had rebooked passengers on other flights, while others had arranged for accommodation. European flight management agency Eurocontrol was reporting severe delays because of the weather across Europe on Sunday - especially at airports in Amsterdam, Brussels, Vienna, Oslo, Paris and Zurich.

 

Monday the group is heading into Uxbridge to go shopping at a local mall. As all of their luggage remains at Heathrow some basic supplies for the next 2 days are needed. Then the group is going to catch a movie and relax.
 

Here's a picture of the hotel

Monday the group will be doing some shopping as all their checked baggage is still at Heathrow and will remain checked in.

To get more information on British Airways flights click here
 

To see what Flight Tracker looks like click here
 

LONDON - HEATHROW HOLIDAY INN M4,JCT.4
SIPSON ROAD LONDON , UB7 OJU England
Hotel Front Desk: 44-0871-9429095 Hotel Fax: 44-0208-8978659 

As more information becomes available it will be posted on the website.

Check back for more information as we hear from the Battlefields tour group.

Here is a picture from the group's visit to Vimy Ridge

  

 Bény-sur-Mer - Students and Staff at Canada House

12:30pm - Lunch at the Ocean Villas Tea Rooms
Including talk and tour of the trenches by Avril Williams
MENU: Buffet Lunch with selections of quiche, cold meats & salads. Tea and Coffee included

4:00pm – Guided tour of Vimy Ridge Canadian Memorial
Canada's most impressive tribute overseas to those Canadians who fought and gave their lives in the First World War is the majestic and inspiring Canadian National Vimy Memorial which overlooks the Douai Plain. The Memorial does more than mark the site of the engagement that Canadians were to remember with more pride than any other operation of the First World War. It stands as a tribute to all who served their country in battle in that four-year struggle and particularly to those who gave their lives.
  

Transfer to Ypres
7:00pm – Approximate time of arrival at your hotel
Check-in to the Ypres Centrum Hotel

8:00pm – Menin Gate Last Port Ceremony
Every night at 8.00pm a moving ceremony takes place under the Menin Gate in Ypres. For a few moments the noise of traffic ceases and a stillness descends over the memorial. At exactly 8:00pm up to six members of the regular buglers from the local volunteer Fire Brigade step into the roadway under the memorial arch. They play Last Post, followed by a short silence and then play Reveille. Visiting groups may lay a wreath and say a few words. The Last Post Ceremony has become part of the daily life in Ypres and the local people are proud of this simple but moving tribute to the courage and self-sacrifice of those who fell in defence of their town.

8:30pm – Dinner at your hotel
MENU – Vegetable Soup, Chicken with French fries and ice cream for dessert
Overnight at the Novotel Ypres Centrum

 A school and a Canadian museum revive history 

At Juno Beach Center Wednesday November 16th 2011 at 11:30 a.m.
Ceremony for Centre Dufferin District High School and the Dufferin County Museum from Shelburne, Ontario

The 34 secondary school students from Centre Dufferin District High School in Shelburne, Ontario are between the ages of 16 and 18 years old. They have studied the Second World War and throughout their research found soldiers from their area who were killed in combat, served and died after returning home, and those who are still living today. In a partnership with their school and their local museum, they studied the story of about 40 soldiers. They have had an opportunity to get to know those who are still alive, and through interviews and receptions, they have truly established friendships, which makes the trip the climax of their memorable work and their inter-generational relations that have been taking place for more than a year.

Furthermore, these students have collected enough funds to buy 41 commemorative bricks. When they visit on November 16th, the students will organize a ceremony to unveil the bricks at 11:30 am. These students will also be accompanied by a Canadian veteran who recently served in Afghanistan and is a current Reservist in the Canadian Forces. Many French dignitaries will be present at the ceremony, which will be presented in English, except for the speech from the mayor of Courseulles-sur-Mer. Mr. Remy Simon.

Ceremony Program: 11:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Welcome to the Juno Beach Centre reception, near the kiosks, by Nathalie Worthington director of the Juno Beach Centre.
Speech by Mr. Remy Simon, first deputy Mayor of Courseulles-sur-mer.
Speech by Mr. Neil Orford, head of the Social Science department of Centre Dufferin District High School.
The dedication of 41 bricks and the laying of the wreaths.
National Anthem of France and the National Anthem of Canada sung by Stephanie W.
Closing ceremony by Corporal Wayne Strudwick, current reservist

9:00am - Visit to Mont-Saint-Michel
Discover Mont-Saint-Michel and its abbey on the border between Normandy and Brittany, one of the first sites to obtain UNESCO World Heritage listing. Be amazed by the prodigious accomplishments of medieval architecture, by the forces of nature, and the ever-changing light.
Lunch on your own
2:00pm – Saint Malo, a walled English Channel port city in Brittany.
Return to your hotel
7:30pm – Dinner at l’Assiette Normandie

MENU: Cream of Vegetable Soup, Roasted Pork with roasted potatoes, and for dessert; Roaster Apple with ice cream
Overnight at the Churchill Hotel in Bayeux

Saturday's visit to the Churchill War Rooms and Museum
 

Group at War Memorial

Students at a sand lecture at Ohama Beach

The students at Buckingham Palace in London, England

 Trustee Lynn Topping and her husband Ken enjoying a walk in London England

Saturday's Schedule

Breakfast at the hotel
9:50am & 10:30am - Churchill War Rooms (tour to be split into 2 groups - max of 23 per group)
The Cabinet War Rooms is an underground complex that served as a British government command centre throughout the Second World War. Located beneath the Treasury building in the Whitehall are of Westminster, the facilities became operational in 1939 and were in constant use until their abandonment in August 1945, after the surrender of Japan.

Lunch on your own
Rest of the afternoon and evening at your leisure
Possible visit or attractions to visit - Harrods or Oxford Street for shopping, National Gallery, British Museum, Imperial Was Room, Globe Theatre.
Dinner on your own
7:30pm - West End – Dominion Theatre
See “We Will Rock You”; the musical based on songs by Queen at the Dominion Theatre. The musical opened May 14, 2002 and instantly became an audience favorite. It has become the longest-running musical at the Dominion Theatre and has won over a dozen awards.

Overnight in London

9:00am - Guided Tour of London with Blue Badge
Experience a guided tour of London which will include famous landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben.
Meeting location: Natural History Museum; Cromwell Road
See the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. This is both the office and London residence of Her Majesty the Queen. It is one of the few working royal palaces remaining in the world today, patrolled by the famously regimented Queen's Guard.
Your tour ends at Buckingham Palace and from there you will walk to Westminster Abbey
11:00am – Guided Tour of Westminster Abbey
The interior is a veritable museum of English history. Among many highlights are the medieval coronation throne; Poet's Corner with its memorials to William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and other giants of literature; and the tombs of Queen Elizabeth I, "Bloody" Queen Mary, explorer David Livingstone and naturalist Charles Darwin.
Your coach will pick you up at the end of your tour and take you to lunch.

12:30 noon – Lunch at Azzurro
MENU: Chicken Penne & Tomato with Profiteroles for dessert
As a group, walk the 5 minutes to the London Eye
2:00pm – Arrival time at the London Eye for your 2:30pm “flight”.
The London Eye is the world's biggest Ferris wheel and one of the most popular attractions in the UK. A ride will give an amazing 360° view over London.
Your coach will pick you up here and take you to the Tower of London
4:00pm – Guided Tour of the Tower of London
The Tower of London is a Unesco World Heritage Site. In the past, the tower functioned as a prison, the royal residence and as a fortress.
Nowadays, the tower is still in royal possession and guided tours are available to give pupils an insight into its dark history.
6:00pm – Check in to the Holiday Inn Bloomsbury

7:30pm – Dinner confirmed at the Hotel
MENU: Caesar Salad, Fish & Chips with green peas and tartar sauce & Lemon Meringue Pie for dessert
Overnight in at Holiday Inn Bloomsbury
 

The Battlefields Tour left Shelburne Ontario this afternoon and flew out of Toronto shortly after 6 p.m.

Participants will be wearing distinctive tour gear that celebrates CDDHS and the tour locations.

CDDHS is also honoured to have trustee Lynn Topping, her husband Ken Topping and Donna Henderson on the tour. 

Cérémonie de l’école secondaire Centre Dufferin High School et du musée Dufferin County Museum, Shelburne, Ontario (sud de l’Ontario près des Grands Lacs)

Les 34 élèves de l’école secondaire Centre Dufferin High School de Shelburne, Ontario, ont entre 16 et 18 ans. Ils ont étudié l’histoire de la Seconde Guerre mondiale à travers des recherches portant sur des soldats de leurs environs tués aux combats, ceux qui ont servi et sont décédés depuis et ceux encore de ce monde. Dans le cadre d’un partenariat entre leur école et leur musée local, ils ont étudié l’histoire d’une quarantaine de soldats. Ils ont appris à connaître ceux qui sont toujours en vie, et au travers d’interviews, de repas-rencontres, ils ont réellement établi un lien d’amitié réciproque, ce qui fait de ce voyage un véritable point culminant d’un travail de mémoire et de lien inter-générationnel entrepris il y a plus d’un an.

De plus ces élèves ont collecté les fonds pour acheter 41 briques commémoratives. Lors de leur visite le 16 novembre prochain, les élèves organiseront une cérémonie de dévoilement des briques à 11h30. Ces élèves seront aussi accompagnés d’un vétéran canadien qui a servi en Afghanistan récemment et es actuellement réserviste dans les forces canadiennes. La cérémonie se déroulera en présence de quelques personnalités françaises, mais se déroulera en anglais sauf l’accueil et le discours du premier maire adjoint de Courseulles-sur-Mer, M. Rémy Simon.


Programme de la cérémonie 11h30 à 12h00

Accueil au Centre Juno Beach, près des kiosques, par Nathalie Worthington, Directrice du Centre Juno Beach

Discours de Monsieur Rémy Simon, Premier Maire adjoint de Courseulles-sur-Mer

Discours de Monsieur Neil Orford, directeur du département des sciences sociales du Lycée Centre Dufferin

Dévoilement des 41 Briques

Dépot de Gerbe

Hymne National de France et Hymne National du Canada, chantés par Stephanie W.,

Mot de conclusion par le caporal Wayne Strudwick, actuellement réserviste dans les forces canadiennes


En cas de pluie, la cérémonie se déroulera dans la Salle Polyvalente du Centre.    Ceremony in PDF
 

Baggage Essential Info from British Airways

Liquids in hand baggage

THE LAST UPDATE BEFORE WE FLY TO EUROPE!!

Well, it's almost here....departure date is this Thursday, November 10

Please ensure the following before you leave your house on Thursday:

- read over the Travel Tips ONE MORE TIME

- guarantee that you have NOT packed your money or passport in your checked-luggage

- break-in that new pair of shoes

- leave behind all unnecessary valuables / ID

- locate all your script / data files for your Juno Beach presentation

- be at Portable 107 for 8:30 with all of your luggage so we can itemize everything and do a last minute passport check

- arrive with all the final assignments for your teachers completed before midterm marks are dues!

- pre-arrange with your family how you will be picked-up on Sunday, November 20th - it will be late and cold ...so organize this now to save waiting outside CDDHS!

Call me with any last minute questions.... we are getting close to the last minute!!

Well done everyone and get ready for the trip of a lifetime!

Neil H. Orford

Head, Canada & World Studies Dept.

Centre Dufferin DHS,

150 Fourth Avenue

Shelburne, Ontario

LON 1S1

519-925-3834

Order of Commemoration - Juno Beach Centre – November 16, 2011 

Veterans of North Dufferin County, Ontario, Canada

 Printable copy of Commemoration Ceremony
 

England   Holland   Belgium

Happy Reading!

Mr. Orford

Any questions, please see Mr. Orford.
 

Hello everyone,

At this final meeting, we will be asking students/adults/parents to do some video testimonies about the upcoming trip. Mr. Guchardi will be giving you the opportunity to speak to the camera for a minute or so about any/all of the following:

a) Pre-trip expectations of the tour

b) Thoughts about witnessing the Battlefields & Cemeteries

c) Feelings about your presentation on Nov. 16th at the JBC

d) How getting to know your veteran /family has changed you

At this essential final meeting we have a number of last minute issues to settle:

-  any/all dietary restrictions NOT already registered with Brightspark

- changes to the itinerary

- long distance plans for use of Rogers/Bell in Europe

- Cash/Debit Cards

- School work while in Europe recommendations

etc, etc.

Looking forward to seeing you ALL on Thursday

Mr. Orford

OCTOBER 20TH @ 7:00PM AT THE DCMA

will be our FINAL meeting before we fly out on November 10th

Attendance at this meeting is essential since our agenda items are as follows:

 final itinerary for the trip - including all recent modifications

 flight ticket distribution

 luggage tag distribution & all flight information

 detailed schedule for Nov 10th departure from / Nov 20th return to CDDHS

 addresses/locations & all parental contact information (including phone tree)

 collection information for all Veteran Projects for DCVWM at the Museum (Virtual War Memorial)

 recording of video testimony prior to our tour

 plans for tour promotional DVD

As you can see, this will be a busy meeting and it is most important that you attend.

Thank you for your careful monitoring of this website and your efforts to have all balance of payments made by Sept. 30^th. We are all clear now and all the anticipated trip costs have been covered.

Remember to get to the bank ASAP to purchase all Euros/GBP that you need ....and keep those grades up above 70%!!!

See you on the 20th!!

Neil Orford

Corah's veteran, Donald Kohl (seated) with his son-in-law at the veterans' reception

CDDHS / DCMA Battlefields Tour hosted a veteran's reception on Sunday Sept. 18th at the Dufferin County museum. Thirty four Grade 12 CDDHS students hosted more than 200 guests and 20 plus veterans from WWII who are being honoured by the students at the Juno Beach Centre in Normandy France in November 2011. Veterans & their families were treated to student-led presentations recording the individual stories of each veteran. Mr. Guchardi, Mr. Bradford, Mrs. Lloyd and Mr. Orford will lead the tour to England, France, Belgium and Holland from Nov. 10 to 20th, the highlight of which will be the student presentation of commemorative bricks dedicated to over 35 honoured veterans from Dufferin County at the Juno Beach Centre on Nov. 16th.

It was a wonderful afternoon of shared memories and reunions for the veterans, staff, students and the community.

 Sarah presenting about her veteran, Lloyd Exelby

Final Payment Details - an Update

We've had a couple of questions concerning the final payment and I just wanted to clarify a few points subsequent to the letter your son/daughter brought home last week:

1)     of the $1400 final payment, roughly $835 is owed to Brightspark (depending on how much was deposited per participant last year)

2)     the residue of the $1400 is owed to CDDHS for supply teacher costs and gratuities for tour guides/arranged lunches and dinners etc.

3)      the base cost of the tour did increase over the summer to a figure beyond $3200 from the original quote of $2700 distributed in 2010 - this was a distinct possibility I expressed in May 2010 when we all met at the DCMA Church - there was no way of knowing exactly what the final cost would be until all the bookings were made by Brightspark. For example, just this summer we had to arrange a new (superior) London hotel which increased the per person cost, one or two destinations were found to be 'closed' this November, so other venues had to be organized sometimes at a higher cost per participant. As a result, we did make some efficiencies by cutting some venues and replacing them with more 'economic choices' on the tour.

4)     Lastly, we were able to fix our airport and security fees at $485.00 - a cost saving over the $550 that was originally quoted.

As with all travel arrangements, planning, estimation and budgeting can never be an exact science - but I believe that Brightspark has done an admirable job making the best arrangements possible, and I remain satisfied that the overall cost of the tour has come in substantially less than what was quoted in May 2010.

Many thanks for your on-going support and so don’t hesitate to call with questions.

Neil Orford

Head, Canada and World Studies Department

Centre Dufferin DHS,

150 Fourth Avenue

Shelburne, Ontario.

LON 1S1

519-925-3834, ext. 258

Welcome Back update.....

I trust the school start-up to 2011/12 has been smooth for all of you.

Now some information:

1) As I reported in my letter home last week, the final balance for tour participants has been set at $1400 - a reduction of over $140 from the amount quoted in April, 2011.  I am VERY happy with this result which is to your advantage. Brightspark has worked hard to keep their costs in line and we have found some economies in our itinerary 'tweaks', while not jeopardizing quality. I am accepting the payment cheques (made out to CDDHS) up to Sept 30th. 

2) Our Veteran's Reception at the DCMA promises to be a huge success this Sunday Sept. 18th @ 2pm, with close to 200 in attendance!! I would advise early arrival at the museum, as parking will be an issue. We would also recommend that veterans and their families be seated first in the limited number of chairs available - students and guests should expect to be standing for most of the reception. Please read over the entire further details sent home by letter last week.

4) Just a reminder of the Thursday evening, October 20th meeting at the DCMA - please clear your schedules to attend this FINAL meeting.

Many thanks for your on-going support and let's have a wonderful event on Sunday.

Mr. Orford

URGENT REMINDER to all tour participants....

The DCMA needs to know your numbers for the September 18th Veterans Reception @ 2pm at the Museum. So far, fewer than HALF of the students have phoned the DCMA to let them know. It is YOUR job to arrange this with your veteran's family. DO NOT leave it up to your veteran to call!!

The Museum also requests that you keep total numbers for your veteran and your own family to 5 maximum (including yourself). If there is a specific need for more attendees, you must ask the Museum for permission - space is a big consideration for this event.

ALERT....

There will be a mandatory meeting for all Students on Thursday Sept 8th @ noon in Rm 56 to go over details for the 18th - PLEASE BRING THE  DIGITAL PICTURE OF YOUR VETERAN TO THE MEETING!! It is best as a JPEG on a memory stick. We will return this to you as soon as we have downloaded it.

FINALLY….

I still have room allocations from fewer than HALF of you. From now on, you will need to see Mrs. Lloyd to let her know your roommates - if you do not get this information to her by Sept 20th, we will assign you to a room.

Best of luck on Tuesday and see you at school!!                Mr. Orford

Hi Everyone,

I hope you can squeeze some terrific rest and relaxation out of the last week of summer - can you believe that we all go back September 6? You will also see from the count-down clock how close the tour is getting!!

However........here are some CRITICAL updates you must consider NOW:

• the DCMA has only received six (yes, 6!~!!!) RSVPs to the September 18 Veteran's Reception....that is because YOU have not contacted them with your numbers. YOU MUST CALL THEM ASAP WITH YOUR NUMBERS! - The deadline is next Tuesday August 30th!!! 

• Are your presentations ready to go?  Remember - three mins MAX, with a digital photo of your veteran from their war years. This must be ready for Sept 18 also.

• To date, I have received rooming requests from only 10 students - that's fine...they get their choice of roommates...where are the rest of you planning to sleep?  Please don't be frustrated with your accommodations partners if you are slow to respond to room allocations requests.

• Remember that your FINAL BALANCE is due by September 30 - so keep counting those pennies. I really hope that the final figure will be less than anticipated - stay posted to this website for a FINAL announcement.

Lastly, the DCMA is hosting a Fundraising Dinner to help cover the costs of sending the Afghanistan Veteran (Cpl. Wayne Strudwick) along with us on the tour. Cpl. Strudwick is really excited to be joining us and is currently on a tactical operation training exercise in Alberta. He will be back to speak at this Fundraising Dinner on September 10 - please read the letter (Sept 10 Fundraising Dinner) and then talk to your families about joining us that evening.

I have taken a table of tickets for the event and I know that Ken Weber is an excellent speaker/entertainer with lots of amazing historical/hysterical stories about life in Dufferin County - hope to see you there!

See you all on Tuesday, September 6 and never hesitate to send me any questions you have.

Neil Orford

Welcome to London - the capital of cool...

Ms. Codd joined us for the London leg of the tour, where we ran every part of our proposed itinerary for November. You're going to love starting the tour in such a vibrant diverse city! It is a 24 hour destination which has a 'daytime' culture and a pulsating 'nighttime' culture. Despite what is on the news about London, we felt very safe as we walked around the neighbourhoods of central London.

Royal Albert Hall
 

The features on our itinerary on Days 1 and 2 are all exceptional. The Tower, the Palace, the Cabinet War Rooms, the Imperial War Museum, Parliament, the Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral and the London Eye are awesome attractions and easy for groups like ours to navigate. We have a much clearer picture of the routes we should take and some neat stops we should make such as the shopping in Covent Garden, lunching along the north Embankment, standing in the middle of Piccadilly and gazing upon the attractions of the Circus. We spent some time in South Kensington and took in a theatre show in the West End.
 

Gherkin Building dwarfs the Tower of London
 

The key to successful management of a city like London is the Tube - all of you will have to try riding the famous subway system for at least 3 stops - we have some good suggestions.

Now some tips:

• London is expensive - lunches can be 5-10 GBP if you want a sandwich and a drink
• There are always line-ups (queues) for attractions...even in November
• Crowds are to be expected
• Museums are (usually) free, but everyone has a gift shop - so be careful
• Shopping can be very easily accomplished....but don't feel compelled to buy things as soon as you see them....take your time to shop!! 
• Pay close attention to street signs and watch traffic carefully.....remember driving is on the left
• If you expect to use Wi-Fi on a regular basis, it costs $$. Even Starbucks charges - so get your Starbucks Wi-Fi Card registered before you leave home
• Hotels have very small elevators, if they have them at all - they call them "lifts." Most hotels just have stairs.

 Lots more to show and tell when the school year starts.

Have a great rest of the summer. Get your presentations finished and don't forget to contact the DCMA with your numbers soon!

 
 View from the London Eye looking down on Big Ben and the Thames River

New London City Hall
 

 More thoughts on Amsterdam (see canal view above)...& a few on Canterbury and Iepers too.....
 

I'm really hoping that the itinerary will work as well in November as it has here in July for all of us!  I suspect that all will be much the same, just a bit cooler (it's still only 20 degrees over here ...sorry!) and the days a bit shorter for light, but other than that, the 'magic' should be the same.

On Day 3 you'll see that we leave London for a LONG trip to France via the ancient English city of Canterbury. The old Cathedral in Canterbury is approaching its 1000th anniversary and the age of the majestic building is clear - worn steps, 800 year-old entombed kings, much restorative work on-going. You'll not have seen anything like it and I encourage you to do some comparison with Westminster Abbey and Mont St Michel.

The ferry ride is a real highlight as we ply the same waters that Canadians took, following much the same route, as was taken on D-Day in 1944...while we depart from Dover and not Portsmouth think of the crossing in terms of what it must have felt like to be in those ships 70 years ago. It's a great ride and remarkably quick. For the shopper's delight, there is a mall onboard, but it is expensive and most things can be purchased elsewhere for less money.

Later in the trip we'll see more outstanding markets and shops in Ieper and Amsterdam. I've included a photo of Dam square which has the best market shopping in the city...so like I have previously suggested....'save your money.'!

I was surprised by the lineup of three blocks (!!) outside of the Anna Frank Museum - thankfully we will get priority entrance as a group. The wait of two hours was well worth it according to the folks I spoke to who came out. You'll be surprised to see that the Frank House is just one small part of a much larger museum now - it's hugely popular with tourists for obvious reasons.

Just for fun, I took a picture of the hotels in Ieper (Novotel http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-3172-novotel-ieper-centrum-flanders-fields/index.shtmland) 

and Amsterdam (Tulip Inn http://www.tulipinnamsterdamwest.nl/), both of which seem terrific. The breakfasts are substantial and the rooms should accommodate the 'trios' comfortably.

More to come...so stay tuned.

Arromanches

Hotel Churchill in Bayeux

 

Last Post at Menin Gate

 

Lankenhalle in Ypres
 
 

Juno Beach Centre
 

Let Mr. Orford know your roommate selection ASAP by email - neil.orford@ugdsb.on.ca

Have a great summer

Mr. Orford

Hi everyone - I hope the summer is off to a fantastic start...now here are some things to consider carefully ASAP:

1)  The cost of your final payment balance, due Sept. 30th is still approx $1550 - I think it will stay there, so plan to have it ready for payment by Sept. 30th AT THE LATEST! 

2)  Remember to contact your veteran/veteran's family over the summer (a) to finish your presentation script and (b) to confirm their participation in the reception at the DCMA on Sept 18th - as soon as you have the confirmation and you know your family numbers, please RSVP to Marilyn at the DCMA 1-877-941-7787.

3)  It's time to start thinking about ROOM ALLOCATIONS for the Tour - these are what I have booked throughout each stay in Europe - there are NO exceptions to these room configurations, but you need to CAREFULLY consider who you can room with:

           -   20 female students    =  6 Triple Rooms  (three to a room)

                                                 =  1 Twin Room (two to a room)

           -   14 male students       =  4 Triple Rooms (three to a room)

                                                 =  1 Twin Room  (two to a room)

I will work on a basis of 'first-come/first served' for the twin rooms - please email me and the first I hear from have their choice.

4)  I am off to the UK next week and then to Europe by the end of July, so I will keep you posted on any developments as I can.

Work hard & have a splendid summer!

Neil Orford      neil.orford@ugdsb.on.ca

Neil H. Orford
Head, Canada & World Studies,Dept.
Centre Dufferin DHS,
150 Fourth Avenue
Shelburne, Ontario.
LON 1S1
519-925-3834
 

Dear Parents & Participants

I want to thank the 21 parents/participants who responded to our request for feedback as of Feb. 9.  Your willingness to be flexible and to trust us with a difficult decision has made our choice much easier.

As you read below, we offered you a significant alteration to the itinerary by dropping the UK leg of our tour and revamping the France/Holland portion of the trip. We took your feedback to Brightspark Travel who were very willing to re-examine their scheduling and offer us solutions. I want to assure you that they were very amenable to our request.

Brightspark went back to work and were able to negotiate a direct flight from Toronto to London on November 10^th @ 18:25 EST, arriving in London @ 6:30am UK time, via British Airways (BA). The cost of this direct flight is very comparable to the Air France connecting flights on which we were originally scheduled. Consequently, we have decided to take this option and stick to the original itinerary distributed in May 2010; the one that does not include Paris.

We will still require a connecting flight from Amsterdam to Toronto via London en route home on November 19^th, but the layover in London in a very short time and will still have us scheduled to arrive in Toronto at 15:00 EST on November 20^th.

I know that students/participants who had begun to get their heart set on Paris may be disappointed by this decision, but in light of the feedback we received and your overall flexibility in permitting us to make the final decision, we trust that any disappointment now will be trumped by the exhilaration of the entire tour.

A Final Itinerary will be available by March 1^st all-being-well. Please don’t hesitate to call me at 519-925-3834 or email me at neil.orford@ugdsb.on.ca 

Again, my thanks to you for your on-going support.

N. Orford

 Dear Parents/Participants on the CDDHS Battlefields Tour...

I need some feedback from you on a potential change to the itinerary for November’s Tour. This is only a potential change - nothing has been altered as of yet. However, I wish to get some feedback from you before I proceed

The Proposed Change:

•    Drop the UK leg of the Tour entirely
•    Fly direct from Toronto to Paris on Nov 10th
•    Take Day One/Two in Paris
•    Resume the Itinerary as scheduled on Day Three in Bayeux
•    Arrive in Holland one day early & add an extra day in Holland

The Rationale:

1.    The UK leg of the tour is (by far) the most expensive component of the tour
2.    Brightspark has been unable to arrange a direct flight to London - as it currently is scheduled, we must fly Toronto-Paris & lay-over 2 ½ hours in Paris before taking a 30 minute flight to London to begin the Tour on Day One
3.    The aforementioned change would allow student/adults to experience Paris (but not London)
4.    We could spend a bit more time in Holland, not the UK

The Impact:

□    We do not have exact figures yet, but I am led to believe that this change would result in some cost savings to all participants
□    No lay-over would be preferable for all involved
□    No need to buy UK currency - Euros will suffice for the entire tour
□    Paris (yes) / London (no) / Amsterdam/Rotterdam (yes)

Therefore:

a) Please send me your thoughts by February 9th at the latest
b) I will abide by the consensus decision after hearing from a majority of participants
c) We can get you some real expenditure numbers asap.

Call me at 519-925-3834 or email me at neil.orford@ugdsb.on.ca

Many thanks,

N.Orford

    As of Dec 1st, the CDDHS Battlefields Tour has 43 participants!! Congratulations to all of you for joining what promises to be a HUGE success  -  32 students / 7 adult guests/parents  /  4 teacher chaperones November 10 to 20, 2011.

Welcome to the new CDDHS Battlefields Family 2011

This website will be our main source of news and updates as we head into the next 12 months of preparation for the tour. Many thanks to everyone who attended the October 18, 2010 meeting at the Dufferin County Museum and Archives (DCMA).

We have 33 students who will a part of the tour and we are currently deciding on an invitation to some parents. We will be in touch soon about that.

If you have not (for any reason) completed your registration form or insurance declaration please do so by November 15, 2010. If you have misplaced your registration form you may download a copy from here. Please see the terms and conditions also. Click here. 

Preferred One Fundraising

Now is the time to be placing your orders for the gift cards to be ready for Christmas. Today over $10,000 worth of gift cards have been ordered. This is an EXCELLENT way to reduce your travel costs. Please see Ms. Codd for more information or click here 

Adopt-a-Veteran

The forms are available from Mr. Orford and you MUST see him for the veteran's consent form. Please do this as soon as possible.