Dear Parents/Guardians 19 October 2015

Geography Trip to Iceland 17th– 21st July 2016

Following sevensuccessful international trips to Iceland, with the most recent in the summer of 2015, we have decided tooffer the trip again in the summer holidays of 2016.Originally, we hadn’t intended to do this as we had hoped to organise a trip to Sicily but the costs of flights precluded us from doing this. Therefore, we have decided to offer the Iceland trip again.

Iceland truly is a remarkable place and is often described as the land of ‘Fire and Ice’. Thirty places(I might be able to get more, but this is dependent on the availability of flights) will be on offer for the trip. Students studying Geography in current Years10, 11, 12 and 13 will be eligible to attend the trip.This may be extended to students not studying Geography if there are any remaining places.

Itinerary (provisional, although the dates are fixed – all swimming optional):

Sunday 17thJuly: Leave Oaklands and fly to Keflavik. Visit the Blue Lagoon health spa, Gunnhiver and Krysuvik Geothermal areas and ‘The Bridge between two Continents’. Arrive at Hvolsvollur to stay at the Skalinn Centre/Husid Guest House.

Monday 18thJuly: The Golden Circle – Kerid volcanic crater, Faxi waterfall, watch the Strokkur geyser erupt at Geysir andGulfoss waterfall. We will also visit Thingvellir, which is the site of the first ever parliament in the World and where the North American plate and Eurasian plate are rifting. Swim at the outdoor pool in Hella– Geothermally heated of course!

Tuesday 19thJuly: Boat trip to Vestmannaeyjar islands (Heimaey) - scene of the 1973 eruption. Climb Helgafell volcano and visit the ‘Pompeii of the North’- buried houses under ash and lava. Take the ‘Viking tours’ boat trip around the island with potential whale watching (we watched Killer Whales in 2014, which was an unforgettable experience). Swim in the outdoor pool on Heimaey, which is a fantastic pool. Visit the Gluggafoss waterfall once back on the mainland.

Wednesday 20thJuly:Seljalandsfoss waterfall, Skogafoss waterfall, Solheimajokull glacier walk (crampons, ice axes and tour guides- a real highlight). Basalt columns at Vik and coastal scenery at Dyrholaey. Swimming at the pool in the town of Vik.

Thursday 21st July: Travel home. We may have the opportunity to visit Reykjavik for a short time before flying home, but this will be determined by the flight times.

If there is inclement weather, the itinerary could change. However, we have not had to do this on our previous trips.

Accommodation is on a full board basis and we will stay at the Husid Guesthouse (although the Skalinn Centre could be used, which is run by the same people and is just 500 yards away from the Husid) - Cereals and toast are provided in the morning; students make their own packed lunches after breakfast and a two course hot meal is provided in the evening. All excursions will have been paid for in advance, but students will need to take some spending money (Icelandic Krona) if they want to purchase additional snacks/ drinks or/and purchase souvenirs. Students will also be advised to eat a meal at the airport on the day of departure, so will need money for this too.

As we are limited in the number of students that we can take, I would like parents to submit an application but not send in any deposit at present. Please return the register of interest slip below as soon as possible in order that we can allocate places as this trip is often over-subscribed. Register of interest slips must be handed in to the Finance Office by Friday 23 October 2015. If the activity is oversubscribed, a transparent draw will take place. Notification as to whether your child has a place will be will be communicated by Tuesday 3 November 2015 by email. The remainder will be put on a reserve list in the order they are drawn from the ballot.

The cost will be £985, but I have tried to organise the trip early in the year to provide parents with the ability to spread the payments. Deposits of £85 are payable by Friday 6 November 2015 to the Finance Office (cheques made payable to Oaklands Catholic School).Alternatively you can pay online. All remainingpayments (6) will be £150 and these will be payable by:

Second payment–7th December 2015

Thirdpayment – January 30th 2016

Fourthpayment – February 26th 2016

Fifthpayment – March 20th 2016

Sixth payment – May 22nd 2016

Seventh and final payment must be made by June 19th 2016.

As this trip is non-curricular the school normally is unable to offer financial assistance and therefore the full cost of the activity must be borne by yourselves. Payments and accompanying paperwork must be handed in on or before the deadline date outlined above and late payments will jeopardise your child’s place on the trip/activity. Should your child withdraw from the activity, please be aware that deposits are non-refundable and any further payments can only be refunded if the place can be filled by another student on a waiting list, or if the withdrawal is for an insurable reason.

If there are any significant changes to the costs of the trip, these may have to be passed on to the student. Be assured that we will try to keep such costs to a minimum. There are three main ‘additional’ excursions that are included in the price: Blue Lagoon spa, Viking boat tour and the Glacier walk. The quote provided by the travel company

this year is based on 2015 prices as the 2016 rates for these activities have not been published yet. Hopefully, there will be no increase, but this is one potential cost that I may need to request from you. However, I hope that you can appreciate that I have tried to get the letters published for the trip as soon as possible to give parents the greatest length of time possible to pay for the trip, even if these excursion rates have yet to be confirmed.

We would advise that students do not to take valuables out on school activities, however, should they be taken parents should ensure personal possessions are adequately insured.

Please complete and return the register of interest form to the Finance Office by Friday 23 October 2015.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me at .

Yours faithfully,

Mark Bamford - Head of Geography

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PLEASE RETURN TO THE FINANCE OFFICE BY FRIDAY 23 OCTOBER 2015

Geography Trip to Iceland 17th – 21st July 2016

Student Name: ……………………………………………………. Form: …………………

I would like to submit an application for my child to participate in the visit to Iceland.

Should my child secure a place on this trip, I will ensure deposits and payments are made according to the payment schedule as outlined in the trip letter.

I will make future payments on line

He/she is in good health and I consent to him/her taking part in the programme detailed in your letter.

I understand and accept that it is my responsibility to update the school should there be any changes to the medical information about my child. Please communicate these to Mrs Brettell, Business Support Manager.

Signature of Parent: …….………………………………….. Date: …………………………

Email address: ………………………………………………………