UHS Travel Club 2017

Italy/Greece & NYC Parent Meeting

Thursday Oct. 18th, 2017

1. Meeting Check-In

  • Please sign in to the front table for your student tour (NYC or Italy/Greece). Please print your first and last name on the sign-in sheet and also indicate which student you represent.
  • Please check the “Missing Paperwork” list to see if your student has any missing paperwork (Contact Information and/or Behavior Contract). If your student is missing some paperwork, please feel free to grab an extra copy and turn it in today or as soon as possible.
  • Please pick up the “Parent Packet” for today’s meeting.

2. Review of Important Dates – NYC

  • Travel Dates: March 16th – 21st, 2018
  • Due to flight availability we may leave 2-3 days after March 16th, which would push back our return date as well. This information will be communicated home as soon as it is available, however we have reiterated the importance of maintaining our departure date since this is a spring break trip.
  • Monday, Jan. 15th, 2018 – Final deadline for all NYC tax credits/donations
  • We plan to have all payments from tax credits/donations applied to individual EF accounts by March 1st.
  • Tuesday, Feb. 13th , 2018 – Confirmation Meeting @ 6:00 p.m. in RUHS Library
  • This meeting will address flight and hotel information, packing lists, and finalize rooming arrangements.
  • Friday, Feb. 16th, 2018 – Payment of remaining balance due for those NOT on monthly payment plan or waiting on application of tax credits/donations
  • Monday, March 12th, 2018 – Departure Meeting @ 6:00 p.m. in RUHS Library
  • ABSOLUTELY MANDATORY – Please make every effort to have a family member present for this meeting!
  • This meeting will confirm travel information, address final concerns or questions, and go over vital departure information

3. Review of Important Dates – Italy/Greece 2018

  • Travel Dates: May 29th – June 12th, 2018
  • Due to flight availability, the departure date may change by 2-3 days prior or after the selected date, with a preference of an earlier departure date. We will not know the confirmed departure date until about 6-8 weeks prior to departure and will communicate this information home to families as soon as it is available.
  • Wednesday, Feb. 28th, 2018 – Final deadline for Italy/Greece tax credits/donations
  • We plan to have all payments from tax credits/donations applied to individual EF accounts by early April.
  • Monday, April 30th, 2018 – Confirmation Meeting @ 6:00 p.m. in RUHS Library
  • This meeting will address flight and hotel information, packing lists, and finalize rooming arrangements.
  • Monday, April 30th, 2017 – Payment of remaining balance due for those NOT on monthly payment plan or waiting on application of tax credits/donations
  • Monday, May 21st, 2018 – Departure Meeting @ 6:00 p.m. in RUHS Library
  • ABSOLUTELY MANDATORY – Please make every effort to have a family member present for this meeting!
  • This meeting will confirm travel information, address final concerns or questions, and go over vital departure information

4. Travel Club Communication

  • The vast majority of Travel Club communication takes place via email. If you have not emailed Ms. Tully or Ms. Sheets directly to confirm your live email please do so immediately.
  • Remind Text: For each tour there are two Remind groups – one for students and one for parents (although parents are welcome to join both). Remind will be the primary way we communicate with the parent group while on tour.
  • NYC Remind Groups
  • Students: Text @mssheets to 81010
  • Parents: Text @nyc2017p to 81010
  • Italy/Greece Remind Groups
  • Students: Text @uhstcs2018 to 81010
  • Parents: Text @uhstcp2018 to 81010
  • Facebook Group: UHS Travel Club – open to students and parents of all past, present, and future Travel Club tours.
  • Instagram: @uhstravelclub
  • Website: - all forms and information from meetings will be available on this website.

5. Passports/Travel ID

The first and most important step in preparing for our upcoming tours is to make sure that you have appropriate travel identification.

  • NYC – State issued ID (such as permit or drivers license) is required for airport travel within the United States
  • Italy/Greece – All students are required to have a current passport that does not expire before 12/31/18. If your passport does expire before this time then you will need to reapply for a current passport. PLEASE ALLOW AT LEAST 6-8 WEEKS FOR PROCESSING. If you have not yet started the application process for your initial passport, please do so ASAP.
  • To apply for a passport, please follow the directions at this link:
  • You will also need to acquire a passport photo which can be done at most Walgreen’s/CVS stores

6. Confirm Name & Birthdate on Registrations

Please make sure that the FIRST, MIDDLE, and LAST name you registered with on the EF Tours/EF Explore America website is the exact same as the name you have on your passport/travel ID! This is very important and can cause serious and expensive complications down the road.

  1. Permission Slips & Health Forms

Please complete the Activity Specific Parent Permission form, the Student Overnight Travel Emergency & Medication form, and the International Travel Permission form (Italy/Greece students only). These forms are due by Nov. 17th.

It is very important to list all drugs/medications the participant may consume on the trip, even if they are over the counter. Unless a student’s medications are birth control, an inhaler, or an Epipen, then a chaperone will administer the medication.

If you have more specific health concerns about your participant, then please speak with Ms. Tully or Ms. Sheets directly.

If are concerned about dietary restrictions and meals, we will address that at the Confirmation Meeting for each tour.

  1. Additional Anticipated Expenses

New York City – 2018

  • Travel Club Shirt/Hoodie - $50
  • Meal Money - $60-70 (approx. $10/day)
  • Extra Activities on Tour - $50
  • Winter Clothes (coats, boots, etc…) - TBD
  • Souvenirs - TBD

Europe – 2018 & 2019

  • Travel Club Shirt/Hoodie - $50
  • Tip Money for Guides/Bus Driver/Tour Director - $10/day
  • Extra Activities on Tour - $100
  • Travel purse/shoes/other gear – TBD
  • Souvenirs/Lunch - $40-$50/day (recommended)
  1. Travel Gear & Safety

One of the goals of UHS Travel Club is to teach students how to be informed and responsible travelers and develop skills and knowledge that will serve them in their future travels. Therefore, there are some specific requirements and recommendations we have for our student travelers regarding dress code and travel gear/supplies that will keep them safe and help them enjoy their trip responsibly.

Travel Club has a STRICT dress code during tour, and this is for student safety. Students who dress inappropriately put themselves at risk! Also, we are representing UHS and want to model appropriate behavior and appearance!

  • No boobs, no bare bellies, no butt cheeks, no bra straps – modesty is safety!
  • Be cognizant of skin tight clothing (especially leggings)
  • No overalls
  • No ripped jeans or pants
  • No inflammatory language or images on clothing

Please consider the following useful pieces of travel gear:

  • Travel safe purse for women
  • At very minimum, the purse should be a cross body bag, a zipped/locking top, and made of substantial material (i.e. not cloth/cotton).
  • Money belt/badge for men
  • Comfortable walking shoes
  • Shoes should have a strong sole and arch support
  • Please break shoes in before the trip
  • Rolling suitcase vs. Backpacker’s backpack

Specific for NYC – Cold Weather!

  • March weather in NYC can range from highs in the 40s – 60s. Plan to bring a warm coat, scarves, beanie/hat, gloves/umbrella.
  1. Tax Credits/Tax Deductible Donations

Many students have already raised funds for their trip through soliciting tax credits from friends and family in Arizona. Consider asking for multiple years of tax credit (i.e. a student enrolled for 2019 can use tax credits for 2017, 2018, and 2019). For more information on this, please refer to the handout about tax credits and donations.

Families may also donate monies towards a student’s trip that may be eligible for a tax deduction (this is dependent on individual tax situations and not guaranteed). This is especially useful for relatives and friend who live outside of Arizona who would like to donate towards a student’s trip. For more information, please refer to the handout on tax credits and donations.

Update: The $50 fee for the Manual Payment Plan has been removed from our EF Accounts!

The following forms in your Meeting Packet are designed to support your individual fundraising efforts with tax credits/donations:

  • Detailed Information & Instructions on Tax Credits/Donations – Follow along with demo!
  • Tax Credit Sample Letter
  • Fundraising Record

Who to ask for Tax Credits:

  • Friends & Family in Arizona
  • Neighbors
  • Church/Faith Community Members
  • Co-workers

How Many Tax Credits Do I Need?

  • NYC 2018 - $2679
  • 6 @ $400 & 1 @ $200 (plus change)
  • 13 @ $200 (plus change)
  • Europe 2018 & 2019 - $4400 (approx.)
  • 11 @ $400
  • 22 @ $200

Important Reminders for Fundraising:

  • Tax Credit & Donation Fundraising cannot exceed the total cost of the trip (minus deposit).
  • In the event that a participant raises more money in Tax Credits/Donations than is required for the program cost the “overage” will NOT be refunded to the participant. It can stay in the UHS Travel Club account and can be used for the general fund or allocated to another tour/student, or can be reallocated to another school activity.
  • UHS Travel Club does not accept employer matching for individual student accounts. We have extremely limited access to this information and the distribution of funds, and therefore we cannot guarantee the timely allocation of this money.
  • PATIENCE IS KEY. Please remember that it can takes several weeks (or months) for funds deposited in the UHS Travel Club account to reach EF Tours!