WELCOME TO

MINOOKA TAP 2015

SOUTH AFRICAN ADVENTURE 2015

Minooka TAP is…

Mike Curtis Jackie Harig Cathy Tadey Jim Keeton Kris Doerr Angelica

Lara

COMMUNICATIONMinooka TAP’s Facebook www.facebook.com/minookatap

Website www.minookatap.com

Blog Calendar Meeting Schedule Forms

Emailminookatap2@gmail.com

Remind 101 Text @17471 to 1-331-425-6062

MEETINGS We have 15 meetings scheduled

this year.

10 of the meetings are “live” and in person.5 of the meetings will be done online.

We meet on Saturday mornings.

We are currently homeless, so we may meet in a variety of places.

With only 1 meeting per month, we hope that every student can attend almost every meeting.

Online meetings are on your own time, so participation in these meetings is mandatory.

Think of TAP as an extra class you’re taking this year. The class with the greatest final exam ever.

WE’RE TAKING YOUR KID TO A FOREIGN LAND IN JUST 8 MONTHS

15 meetings = 30 hours

The basketball team practices twice as many hours before they play their first game.

Language Arts class has

about twice as many hours before progress reports.

30 hours is only 4 ¼ school days.

Yet, in that time…

WE’RE GOING TO GET YOUR KIDS READY TO TRAVEL TO A FOREIGN LAND IN JUST 8 MONTHS

We focus on four key areas. These kids need to be prepared…

Financially Logistically

Socially Academically

We understand that the trip is expensive, and we know the #1 concern for most parents is financial.

Your payments to EF Tours cover:

Airfare (3+ flights) Bus drivers/trains A 24/7 tour guide Hotels Dinners and breakfasts Entrance to most activities

FINANCIALLY

Your payment to EF Tours do not cover:

Educational expenses here at home, like paper or books

Tips for guides and drivers

Extra activities Souvenirs Lunches/Snacks/Drinks Our student books

FINANCIALLY

TAP Teachers will run three fundraisers

HoopsMania White Sox tickets Little Caesar’s

Pizza

If you would like to form a fundraising committee with other parents, please do, but communicate with us before using Minooka TAP’s name to sell any products and coordinate so it doesn’t overlap with current successful fundraisers.

FUNDRAISING

When it’s all said and done, TAP spends about $400 per student in the group.

We can’t operate at a loss.We don’t want you to have to pay more

than just the price of the trip.We need that money.

So, we expect each student to raise $400 for TAP through our fundraisers.

We will keep track of the money made at each fundraiser. At the end of the last event, we will let kids and parents know if that goal was met.

If it was not met, we will need to collect the difference before departure.

FINANCIAL GOALS

These kids are able bodied, intelligent, and could be hard-working

We’ve had dozens of kids pay for their whole trip.

Rake leaves Mow lawns Shovel snow Pull weeds Babysit Housesit Pet sit/walk dogs Plant sit

IT SHOULDN’T ALL BE ON YOU

Besides money, these logistical concerns are what most weighs on kids and parents…

Phones/Skype/Wifi/Communication

ATMs and Credit Cards Passports Foreign Currency Foreign Languages Foreign Customs Behavior and Expectations Hotels and Rooming Planes Airport Procedures and Pickup How and What to Eat?

LOGISTICS

We’re not going to go into detail about these things now, but that’s why attendance at the meetings is so important. We will cover all of these over the course of the 10 meetings.

Here’s the stuff that worries the teachers the most…

These are 14 year old kids, many who will be without their parents, away from home for 13 days in a strange places.

They have to know us (the teachers), so they trust us to keep them safe and know that we care.

They have to know and trust one another.

We have to know and trust them.

SOCIALLY

Another reason why being there for all 10 meetings is very important.

Here’s the stuff that worries the teachers the most…

This is an educational trip.

Teachers, not tourists.

Students, not sight-seers.

ACADEMICALLY

Reading Throughout the year, the

students will be asked to read books written by South African authors, about South Africa, or set in South Africa.

These reading assignments are for their benefit, and will help them connect better to the things they encounter and the people they’ll meet on tour.

ACADEMICALLY

Writing We’ll each write 6-7 short

articles about the places/people/things that interest us most.

We’ll publish our own travel guide/text book/journal.

Researching and writing like this gives the kids an ownership of those parts of the trip that make them more meaningful.

At the end of it all, each of these kids will be a published author.

ACADEMICALLY

We need the kids to be prepared for this trip – financially, logistically, socially, and academically.

If they are not prepared. We, as teachers, do not feel comfortable taking them.

Not fair to us, not fair to the group.

BOTTOM LINE

We want the kids to have fun. Fun is worth 100 points.

We want the kids to learn. Learning is worth 1,000 points.

We want the kids to be safe. Safety is worth 1,000,000 points.

OUR 3 GOALS

The kids have to be active in TAP.

We don’t feel we can reach all three of our goals on the trip if the kids are not prepared.

We understand that you can’t make every meeting.

We understand that some of you might have no luck selling.

We do need you to be there when you can, participate in what you can, and be an active member of this group.

OUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE YEAR

For participating when ever they can, kids can earn TAP points throughout the year. Points will be given for:

Meeting attendance Writing assigned articles Reading the books we

assign Asking questions and

participating in meetings Participating in our five

online meetings Watching related movies or

shows outside of meetings Helping with fundraisers Other opportunities may

arise

TAP POINTS

Kids who aren’t active in the TAP community will not travel with us. That’s for the good of the group.

Students must earn 75% of the available points to travel.

Students who earn 100% of the points will get a free t-shirt or hoodie before the trip.

Students who have the most points for each of the 4 quarters of the school year will get a free lunch from Mr. Curtis while we’re on the trip.

TAP POINTS

QUESTIONS??? Please introduce

yourselves to one or more of the TAP teachers.

We need to have a positive relationship with you as much as we do with your kids.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask a TAP teacher on your way out.

Please make sure we have your contact info.