GAP Trip Payment Info

Laos A and B, Vietnam A and B, Reefs to Rainforest travelers: your RM 600 balance is the only payment required for your October 2009 GAP trip. Happy travels!!!

Eco Village Travelers, if you paid the RM 600 deposit, it will be refunded to you. Plz email us the name you would like on the refund check.
We will issue the check in your child's father's name if we do not here from you by Friday, October 30th. Thank you!

China and Nepal travelers, the balance due information is on the China and Nepal trip site. Plz make your final payment of RM 2110.00 at the Ampang Campus Bookstore by Friday, November 6th. Thank you!

a helping hand in the Dragon Dynasty

updates from the GAP trail

Namaste Everyone,

Well, the good times just keep on rollin' here in Nepal.

Your outstanding ISKl crew worked all morning on painting two new classrooms and all the elementary school's playground equipment at Umbrella Orphanage in Kathmandu. They stayed focused for over 4 hours and worked until something of real significance was achieved. We bought all the paint and supplies so Umbrella was not out of pocket, so combined with the generous gifts your students collected for donation, it was a real benefit for the orphanage. Of course your students were once again reminded of the magnitude of their blessings after spending time with over 100 young kids who where rescued from prostitution, abandonment and other unspeakable horrors of the street and given shelter, food, protection and a chance to break the retched cycle of poverty by the good souls @ Umbrella..

We're off for Bodanath Stupa for a final farewell dinner this evening and then we'll send them back to you all with pictures and memories of a lifetime. They've been great every step of the way!

Nepal Trekkers meet children at Umbrella Orphanage

GAP Update 5:00 pm Monday, October 26th

All 8 GAP trips have arrived safely at their destinations and are enthusiastically engaging in their learning adventures!! All group leaders have checked in with Grant Millard to confirm their safe arrivals.

Thank You Teresa Soh & The Tetra Pak Company

We'd like to thank Tetra Pak who kindly donated 144 travel journals printed on gorgeous textured recycled paper for our GAP Launch Class of 2013!

Students will use these journals to reflect on their personal experiences throughout the GAP Launch as well as express their creativity by decorating the covers in a way similar to the photos above.

Once again, Thank You Tetra Pak for your generosity! We appreciate the steps you are taking to improve the state of the World!

Required Medical and Emergency Contact GAP Documents

China
Laos A and B
Nepal
Thailand Eco and Reefs
Vietnam A and B

All GAP Travel Groups:

Bring your ORIGINAL passport to the HS Office
before 8 am this Wed, Oct. 21st.

A team of GAP moms will collect them for each GAP Group
so they are ready for your trip leaders.
Do not apply for a Student Pass if that process
will make your passport unavailable.

EVERYONE must submit your passport
Wednesday morning!!!

In addition:

To be allowed to travel, your parents must have signed and submitted

these four GAP documents:

1) SOS International Insurance Medical Liability Release
(signed by a parent)
this was distributed at your CLASS MEETING in the theater two weeks ago

2) Your Parents' Emergency Phone Contact Numbers
during the week of GAP
this was distributed at your GAP meeting three weeks ago

3) Your updated Medical Profile
letting us know your medical history and current allergies, etc.
this was distributed at your GAP meeting three weeks ago

4) GAP Travel Contract with behavioral guidelines and consequences
(this was distributed and completed by all families at the Potluck)
(signed by you and your parents)


Please see Mr. Jarret Lambie jlambie@iskl.edu.my

or his secretary Ms. Jacqueline Hart jhart@iskl.edu.my

if you need copies of any of those required documents

or check the Forms and Documents folder on this GAP website.

We're in the Final Countdown!!!

Julie James
GAP Director

Family Potluck

One parent from each family must attend this Sunday, October 11th Potlucks/Trip Briefing.
This meeting is required to ensure effective communication between the Trip Leads and Grade 9 Parents.

Dear Grade 9 GAP Mothers:

Here are some ways moms in the Travel Group can support the Potluck Hostess:

1) GREETERS Could we please have 1-2 mothers who welcome people as they arrive? Please ask parents and students to wear name tags. The greeting team could please arrive 15 minutes early and help the hostess show people where to put their food, set up blankets or chairs, etc.)

2) CROWD CONTROL Could we please have 1-2 mothers that are in charge of student behavior? If anyone gets too loud or rowdy, these Mamas have the role of reminding students to be calm.

3) SERVING TEAM These moms assist the hostess with the set up and serving of the meal. Please have the parents be served first. The children follow the parents.

4) TRIP BRIEFING ORGANIZER Please have the parents as close as possible to the teachers and the kids behind them. The kids will have many other opportunities to hear from the teachers. Please remind the students to give their full attention to the teachers.

5) GAPIDOL SPIRIT COORDINATOR: Encourage all parents to attend GAPidol, to sit with the other parents and students in their travel group, and to be ready to applaud loudly when their kids perform. Ask if any parents have watched American Idol and noticed how parents/family/friends support the performers. Parents are welcome to make posters (large white poster paper has been provided for each group). Loud cheering is encouraged!!


6) CLEAN UP COORDINATORS: Please announce after the meal that the students clean up. No one leaves until all clean up jobs are completed.

7) ETIQUETTE GUIDES: Could a mom please remind all of the students to personally thank the hostess, the parent coordinator (who may also be the hostess!) and their two teachers for their time and participation in the potluck.

The Trip Leaders are looking forward to your children introducing you to them!!

We hope everyone catches up with friends, chats with the trip leaders, and meets some new people!!

Potluck Invites

We have sent out the invites for the Sunday, October 11th Potluck Gatherings.

Didn't receive the notice? Lost the informational sheet? Here are the invites for each potluck.

China Invite
Nepal Invite
Laos A Invite
Laos B Invite
Vietnam A Invite
Vietnam B Invite
Thailand Reefs to Rainforest Invite
Thailand Eco Village Invite

Highlights the October 1 GAP Meetings

Your child has the responsibility of asking you to complete and sign

1. a medical update
2. a potluck RSVP
3. parent emergency contact information

and to return all of those documents
with parent signatures
to their GAP Travel Group Leads
next Thursday, October 8th at the 3:00 GAP Meetings. Please ensure your child meets this responsibility!

I have posted on the Parent Information page of the Global Action Web Site an update about passport return, payment information, and an upcoming Grade 9 Class Meeting on Monday, October 5th at 11:15 in the Theater when your child will receive trip specific information about medical emergency response protocol.

Faculty Trip Leaders are looking forward to meeting all of you at next Sunday's October 11th's Travel Group Potluck Gatherings. Faculty will conduct their Mandatory Parent Briefings as well as enjoy the opportunity to personally meet each of you and to answer any/all of your questions. And, yes, you can take photos with them!!!

Monday, October 12th is GAPidol in the Robert Gaw Theater and it is a grade 9 family event. Simon Cowell, Paula Adbul, and Randy Jackson are flying in to join us so we hope you will all be there to cheer/shout/applaud/support your children's Travel Groups!! And, yes, you can bring posters/banners/cameras and all your friends!

Oct 1 Visa/Passport / Potluck / Trip Payments GAP Parent Update

Dear Grade 9 Families:

Firstly, I would like to thank our school nurse Linda See and the GAP Parent Leadership Team who have all invested incredible time and energy helping your child and family in so many ways.

Gillian Alcock GLC

Fiona Cooper

Dorota Davidson

Sherri Fergus

Fabienne Rushworth

Tina Schuessler

Helene Seiler

Deepika Sondhi

Lora Ellison

Michelle Hemingway

Kyung-Shin Hahn Grade 9 Liaison

Kumiko Toyoda and Yuko Nomamoto Grade 9 Liaisons

Maria-Ann Watkins GLC

Phillippa Flynn, PTA President and Rhonda Scott, HS PTA VP

Nurse Linda's professional expertise/personal dedication to our ISKL community is invaluable.

Your Grade 9 PARENT LEADERSHIP Team has been tremendous:

1) organizing the parents of each travel group into EMAIL GROUPS and generously SHARING GAP INFORMATION

2) enthusiastically arranging SNACK ROSTERS for each group and coordinating a site for each Travel Group Potluck (This has taken many hours, a lot of energy, and even more patience.)

3) assisting with the collection of passports so we could arrange GAP country visas

4) meeting to review and assist in the finalizing of critical medical/safety information and advising what procedures would assist families in their GAP preparation

Please be sure to thank them when you can.

I would also like to thank in advance the families that are hosting the TRAVEL GROUP Potluck GATHERINGS on Oct. 11th in order that all parents can meet each other ---as well as the HS Faculty GAP Leaders--- in an enjoyable social setting. We hope you value community involvement and have offered your support to those families kind enough to organize and host the get-togethers for your child's group.

Travel Group POTLUCK HOSTESSES

Dorota Davidson

Sherri Fergus

Tina Schuessler

Helen Chong

Jan Keith

Mei Remington

Elyce Smith

Stacy Taylor

Your child's OCTOBER 11th Potluck Gathering will be an excellent opportunity for you and your partner

to express your individual appreciation to your child's GAP Faculty Leaders for the time they are investing in this exciting new program that your child's class has the extraordinary distinction of launching.

VISAS/PASSPORT update

Our international visa handler originally thought all GAP visas would be processed by today and that we would be able to return all passports at today's GAP meetings. Unfortunately, we were delayed last week by some students forgetting to have their passport, required number of photos, and completed visa applications to us in the HS office before 8 am Thursday morning. That has impacted our scheduled return of passports.

Here is the status of the GAP Visa Applications:

Today at 5:00 pm (17:00) some passports were returned. The Nepal Group passports are back (except for students who traveled last weekend on sports exchanges). We will keep them locked safely in the HS office and return them next Thursday, October 8th at the GAP meeting. By then the passports of the students who traveled to Bangkok, Jakarta and Penang this past weekend (and submitted their passports on Monday) should also be ready.

The Laos Group A and B passports should be back at ISKL by next Tuesday and so those will also be returned at the Thursday, October 8th's meeting.

The Vietnam Group a and B passports should be back at ISKL by next Monday and so should also be returned at the Thursday, October 8th meeting.

The Chinese Embassy closed today to celebrate their national day. They will not re-open until October 8th and communicated to our visa handler that they will need the 9th--12th to finish processing the China Group's passports so we will be able to return them on October 14th. If your child is in the China group and you are planning international travel for your Grade 9 child prior to October 14th, please let me know today.

TRIP PAYMENTS/REFUNDS:

The process of developing documents to communicate to you the extensive health/safety protocols we have in place has been more time consuming than we expected. Therefore, payment/refund information will be sent out to you next week. Please expect a health care/medical emergency information packet from your children Monday evening.

Thank you all for your involvement and support.

Julie James

Global Action Director