Only 10 Days to go!

Have you notified your bank that you will be in South Africa so they don’t cancel your cards?

Have you weighed your duffle bag to make sure you are EXACTLY 23kg? If you are under 23kg, have you collected more shoes/boots from the GPLC Top Hat to put into your duffle bag?

-Mr. C. Osborne

Tour Students and Tour Parents,

Thank you for your hard work on our Packing Day last Friday. Your teamwork and effort helped turn a very large task into something easily manageable. Packing Day proved that large tasks can be achieved when you work together as a team. Let’s take that momentum with us to Africa!

Remember that your limit for this carry on is 23kg. Double check the weight of your bag that you’ve taken home. We don’t want to arrive at the airport to find you are over the 23kg limit. Having said that, we do want to pack it as full as we can, and right at the 23kg limit. If your bag is underweight and you think you can squeeze more donations in, please come see me. For those of you who had smaller bags and asked about getting a bigger duffle bag. While you are not required to get a larger (140 litre) duffle bag, I would encourage you do so, as there are still plenty of donations left to take and we can easily fill more into a larger bag. At the moment, Anaconda are having a special on the 140 litre duffle bags (if you sign up for their free membership). Just click on the link here:

https://www.anacondastores.com/camping-hiking/packs-bags/duffle-bags/denali-cargo-duffle-bag/p/BP90000209001

With less than 2 weeks to go, start packing your personal bag as well! 🙂

-Mr. C. Osborne

Tour Students,

Just a reminder of a few things for our Packing Day tomorrow, Friday, the 23rd March:

• meet in the GPLC at 3:30pm.
• bring all donations you have collected (including from your Houses and the Primary School).
• bring your duffel bag.
• you will be taking your filled duffel bag home with you (and bringing it to the airport when we depart on the 8th of April).
•  We should be done by approximately 5:30pm (hopefully sooner).

-Mr. C. Osborne

Tour Students,

With only 20 Days to go, start asking yourselves:

• Have I uploaded all of my fundraising requirements?
• Have I collected all my sporting equipment donations (boots, shoes, shirts, bibs, shin guards, etc.) and brought them in for the Packing Day this Friday?
• Have I starting my own personal packing for the tour?
• Do I have all the required items I need?
• Have I organised a bank/debit card for my bank account? (For security purposes, be sure to put it into YOUR name and not your parents name)
• Have I notified my bank of the days you will be overseas, so they don’t cancel my card while I’m in South Africa?
• What is my plan when it comes to my phone? (We will have occasional free WiFi, but are you going to use overseas ‘roaming’ on your mobile phones?)

Many things to think about with only 20 days to go!

-Mr. C. Osborne

Less than a month to go!

Tour Parents and Students,

A reminder that you need to be dropped off at Bunnings in Joondalup (Corner of Sundew Rise and Joondalup Drive, Edgewater) at 8:30am on Thursday, the 15th of March. Wear your Tour Shirt and work boots/shoes if possible as you will be moving heavy materials (such as paving blocks, bricks and wood) and using power tools, cutters, and grinders. Your boots are not required for this event, but they are recommended for your own safety and so you can get used to wearing them. You will also be painting and edging, so you may want to wear an old pair of shorts.

A light Morning Tea and sausage sizzle lunch will be provided by Bunnings. However; if you have dietary requirements, you may want to bring your own snacks/lunch on this particular occasion. (Dietary considerations will not be an issue when we are actually on tour).

We should be finished approximately 3:00-3:15pm. As soon as we are finished, you are free to go home with your parent(s).

*Parents– If you will not personally be picking up your son/daughter from Bunnings at the end of the training day and you would like to make alternative arrangements (riding home with another family, being picked up by another family member or family friend, catching a train or bus, etc.), please let me know via eMail before Thursday. Thank you!

-Mr. C. Osborne (eMail: clay.osborne@ststephens.wa.edu.au)

Tour Students,

There is an important tour meeting for students at Recess on Monday, the 12th of March. Please bring your morning tea with you and join Mr. Thomas and myself promptly at 10:15am in GP05.

All students, please check your eMail. If you have any remaining documents to hand in, I have eMailed you. Please bring them with you to the meeting.

-Mr. C. Osborne

Tour Students,

With only 30 days to go, time will start to fly by very quickly and before you know it, we’ll be climbing on a plane.

Keep the fundraising and donation collection going!

-Mr. C. Osborne

Are you Ready?

Dear Students and Parents

Thank you for attending our departure meeting on Tuesday night.

Please contact us if you have any further questions or concerns.

Here are the Updated DATES and TIMES for you to put in your diary.

1) Flights

• DROP OFF — SUNDAY APRIL 8th @8pm 
  • Meeting in the baggage area
  • Double check that you have your passport!
• PICK UP — SUNDAY APRIL 22nd
  • Landing @12:30 — please allow sometime for baggage collection and customs.
  • Parents/ Guardians need to pick students up (alternative arrangements such as a Taxi or Uber will not be permitted)

2) Bunnings Training day

• March 15th 8:30am – 3:15pm
• remember your safety shoes
• simple morning tea and lunch will be provided

3) Packing Day

• Friday March 23rd 3:30-5pm

CHECKLIST

✔️Certified copy of passport to be submitted to tour leaders

✔️Certified copy of original/unabridged birth certificate submitted to tour leaders

✔️Checked with doctor or THE Travel Doctor about vaccinations etc.

✔️Email staff regarding vaccinations (gillian.erasmus@ststephens.wa.edu.au)

✔️Fundraising total complete and payment made to accounts

✔️Tour fees paid in full to accounts

✔️Updated medical information sent to school nurse

✔️Load and Go travel card OR similar purchased for spending money

✔️Technology and phone policy read and understood

✔️Duffle bags x 2 (One personal, one for your collections)

✔️Safety shoes

✔️Packed check-in and carry-on luggage