Altrincham Grammar School for Boys Marlborough Road, Bowdon, Cheshire, WA14 2RS Tel: 0161 928 0858 Fax: 0161 924 3888 Website: www.agsb.co.uk Email: [email protected] Registered Company No: 7484717 Head Master: Mr T.J.Gartside MA (Hons) February 2014 Dear Parents, 8th Annual China Summer Study Camp 2014 Years 9 – 12 inclusive Following our very successful Chinese Summer Camps to Beijing and Immersion Courses to Nanhai, Shanghai and Beijing over the past 7 years, this summer we have the exciting opportunity to apply to take another group to China. The IOE Confucius Institute for schools is offering this opportunity in collaboration with the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban) in China. The Summer Study Camps in 2014 will take place over two weeks 12th- 29th July 2014. Participants must be aged between 14 – 17 years at the time of travel. All participants will spend around 16 days in China, splitting their time between Beijing and one other province/city. During the visit, participants will spend approximately three days visiting places of historical and cultural interest in Beijing. They will spend the majority of their time in host institutions/schools in one of four provinces/cities. Host schools are currently being agreed and will be announced later in May. In previous years they have included Zhejiang, Shaanxi, Shandong, Sichuan, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Hunan, Heilongjiang, Fujian, and Chongqing. Study camps have a focus on teaching Mandarin Chinese to the British students while also offering exciting cultural lessons and activities throughout the visit. During their time in the provinces/cities, participants will take part in: • roughly 20 hours of Chinese learning • traditional Chinese cultural activities such as Tai Ji and paper cutting • visits to local historical and cultural places of interest • activities with local Chinese students • home visits organised by host schools, where possible Sample programmes from the 2013 China study camps can be viewed on our website: https://ci.ioe.ac.uk/ In addition, you may enjoy reading the blog created by last year’s students attending the summer camp: http://china2013.wordpress.agsb.co.uk/ Due to the limited number places available and the nature of the international trip, the organisers and Hanban require that we select students to take part according to the following criteria: 1. 2. 3. Students should be between 14 to 17 years of age at the time of the visit. The target audience for the Summer Study Camps is students who are non-native Chinese language speakers. The course is designed as an introduction to China and Chinese culture; therefore it is ideally suited to students who have no family background in Chinese (i.e. where parents are native Mandarin or Cantonese Chinese speakers). 4. 5. 6. 7. Students who have previously attended more than one IOE Confucius Institute (formerly SSAT Confucius Institute) China visit will not be allocated a place. Students should be healthy and able to travel internationally. Students should be mature enough to cope with spending two weeks away from home, and should be well-behaved, flexible and open-minded about a different culture. Students must be able to attend the visit programme in its entirety, starting the journey from the designated UK airport and returning to the UK airport. IOE CI and its travel agency will not cater to any special requests for individuals. All costs in China (accommodation, internal travel, food, language classes and cultural activities) are covered by Hanban. Since the trip is so generously subsidised, competition for places is fierce and last year’s Summer Camp was heavily oversubscribed. However, we hope to obtain funding for 10 students and two teachers and will accept applications on a first come, first served basis and priority will be given to those students currently learning Mandarin Chinese. Based on these numbers, the price per participant will be £1099.00. The price covers the flight to Beijing, a visa and insurance. The only additional costs for you to consider would be any inoculations which your son may require, spending money and domestic travel should this be required. We are required to send a list of participants with our application so we need a prompt reply. If you would like your son to participate, I would ask you to complete the slip attached and return it to Mrs Lacon in the school office along with a photocopy of your son’s passport in an envelope marked China Camp 2014 together with a deposit of £200.00 by Thursday 13th February. The first payment is non-refundable and represents a commitment to paying the full amount and taking part in the visit. The remaining balance of £899.00 per participant will be due by Tuesday 22th April 2014. The deposit will be refundable only if we are unable to offer your son a place on the trip. Cheques should be made payable to AGSB. Should your son withdraw from the trip after payment of the deposit and acceptance on the trip, you will be required to indemnify the school for any balance that may become payable and any additional costs arising from his withdrawal. This trip offers boys a wonderful opportunity to experience another culture, to see some of the great tourist sites of China and to practise / learn Mandarin. The Chinese are generous hosts and our previous visits have been very successful. If you have any questions about the camp, please do not hesitate to contact us at school. Yours sincerely Mrs Hilary Meadowcroft Assistant Head Mr Darren Smith Trip Leader China Summer Camp July 2014 (Please return to Mrs Lacon in the school office by Thursday 13th February 2014) I would like my son: ……………………………………….................................................……… Form: …….....…………… to visit China with the school in July 2014. I enclose a deposit of £200.00. I understand that this deposit will only be refunded if my son is not accepted on the trip. Should my son withdraw from the trip after this point, I agree to indemnify the school for any balance that may become payable and any additional costs arising from this withdrawal. My son is currently studying Chinese at school: YES / NO (please circle as appropriate) Schools are asked to select their students’ level by indicating beginner, intermediate or advanced on the application form. The definitions below are based on two lessons per week. • • • • (Please tick as appropriate) Not studying Chinese Beginner: students who have been learning Chinese for up to six months Intermediate: students who have been learning Chinese for more than 6 months but less than 2 years Advanced: students who have been learning Chinese for more than 2 years I enclose a photocopy of my son’s passport and confirm my son has a valid passport which is in date for 6 months after the return date of 29th July 2014. (please note your son’s passport will be required in advance of the visit to arrange necessary visas). Signed: ……………………….............................…………......…..…. (Parent/Guardian)…..….........................……… Date Contact email address: ……………....................................………………………………………….......................………………