Great Parent Meeting

 Last night we had our last parent meeting before the trip. Thanks for all that attended. 

Here is a video of the meeting to go back and review what was said.

Here is a copy of the document we discussed: 

Pre-Trip Meeting 2024

 

1)    Please have a copy of your insurance card, pictures of passport, picture of vaccine card, and copy of travel insurance with your son/daughter.

2)    Field notebook (provided by Mr. Heintz) and pencils will be used when we get to Costa Rica.

3)    Pack trail mix or snacks for the airplane trip and money for food if needed.

4)    Allergies/Food Allergies - be sure we have these identified on the medical form, but please let Mr. Heintz know as well.

5)    Daily Blog Announcements: several students are assigned to update a daily blog. Parents should be able to follow their student’s daily activities and make comments on the blog site. The site is: https://trinityandmercycostaricatrip2024.blogspot.com/

6)    SOC will monitor temperatures and administer rapid antigen COVID-19 tests for all participants, chaperones, SOC & FLA staff, and off-site excursion guides when needed.

7)    Insurance Info: Mr. Heintz will alert parents if a student requires medical care for any reason. Seeds of Change will pay for the medical attention in Costa Rica but we will want the parents to submit the bills for these costs to their primary medical insurance company.  If they do not have insurance coverage OR their primary insurance company does not cover the costs, Seeds of Change insurance coverage will cover the costs but we will require a letter from the family’s insurance carrier denying the coverage.  This has happened once in 12 years (not a KY kid) in which a student was dehydrated and needed hydration at a clinic.

8)    Spending Money:  we are in a remote area where there are no malls or tourist shops or movies or places where there are risky spending opportunities. There is a gift shop at Finca La Anita and students will buy rainforest chocolate made at the site. There is a small village store where they can buy pop or snacks. We do stop at a large supermarket when we change locations to the beach on the last two days so students can buy chips or snacks. There are gift shops in the airport and we sometimes stop at a gift shop on the way out. It is hard to imagine a student spending more than $50 and $20 or $15 is probably more typical (besides bringing home chocolate).

9)    T-Shirts will be issued and students must wear on airplane trip down.  This helps us keep track of students when we make connections and clear immigrations. Please have your son/daughter wear their seeds of change t-shirt on the flight to CR.

 

10)                  Baggage – Students will be allowed one carry-on bag and one backpack to bring with them on the plane. No checked bags. Repellent/Liquids Procedure – Teachers will each have one checked bag which all repellents will be packed. Students should bring their own repellent in a ziplock bag with their name. We recommend a low % deet and be sure to check for student reactions before bringing.  No aerosols please. Do the same with sunscreen or shampoo (girls only), if the amounts exceed 3.4oz.

11)                  Emergency Contact: If parents want to connect with their child, they can email, text, or call the chaperone or me (Beth Hunt: bethunt@soc-cr.org, 612-290-1523). Email is best to set a time for a call. Finca la Anita Rainforest Ranch (Day 1-8): +506 8388 1775 (Spanish - ask for Ana or Pablo for an English speaker). Hotel Tatanka (Day 9-10): +506 2658 8426 (Spanish only - ask for Beth Hunt). You may also call Patrick Heintz at 859-494-2355 or Laura Swessel at 812-697-2171. All the adults will have cell coverage or access.

12)                  Meet your teacher just inside the main Departures door for your flight (American Airlines).  Have students at the airport 2 hours BEFORE the plane is scheduled to depart. It is recommended that students have buddies that they arrange to travel to the airport with so that they can be a check on each other being on time for the early morning flight.  If a student is late the group will proceed through security and the departure gate without the student.  It will be up to the late student to obtain their boarding pass and proceed through security to the gate on their own.  We cannot hold the group up waiting for a late student. If you are late for the trip, Call Mr. Heintz at 859-494-2355 or Mrs. Swessel at 812-697-2171.

13)                  Post Trip Presentation: June 7^th 6pm in Convocation Hall – Parents will see what their students have accomplished by delivering a 5-10min presentation summarizing their research projects.

14)                  Medication (Prescription Meds and OTC). If your son is on any ADD/ADHD meds, plan on keeping a normal schedule (this is not a vacation). Keep all prescriptions and OTC in the original bottle. Let Mr. Heintz know if he needs to monitor usage.

 

Flight Confirmation Code: Please go to American Airlines website, then click on Manage Trips/Check-In. Enter your last name and the confirmation code below. Please verify the name is exactly like the passport. Email SOC (Beth Hunt) immediately if it is not correct. You can also sign up for notifications if you want.

Group 1 (32 seats) all have a Confirmation Code of:  SJZFXX

Group 2 (11 seats) all have a Confirmation Code of:  AXJSGU

 

 

Group 1 (Trinity Students (-2) / Mercy Students / Trinity and Mercy Faculty / NDA student)

Flight	Departure	Date	Time	Terminal	Arrival	Date	Time	Terminal	Airline
0949	Louisville Intl, KY, US ( SDF )	26May24	06:00		Miami Intl, FL, US ( MIA )	26May24	08:33		American Airlines
1383	Miami Intl, FL, US ( MIA )	26May24	12:10		Liberia, CR ( LIR )	26May24	13:05		American Airlines
1338	Liberia, CR ( LIR )	05Jun24	12:54		Miami Intl, FL, US ( MIA )	05Jun24	17:54		American Airlines
0600	Miami Intl, FL, US ( MIA )	05Jun24	21:12		Louisville Intl, KY, US ( SDF )	05Jun24	23:57		American Airlines

 

Group 2  (2 Trinity Students / Becky Heintz / Lex Cath Students / Lex Cath Faculty)

Flight	Departure	Date	Time	Terminal	Arrival	Date	Time	Terminal	Airline
0644	Louisville Intl, KY, US ( SDF )	26May24	06:45		Charlotte Douglas Intl, NC, US ( CLT )	26May24	08:15		American Airlines
0435	Charlotte Douglas Intl, NC, US ( CLT )	26May24	11:25		Liberia, CR ( LIR )	26May24	13:35		American Airlines
0594	Liberia, CR ( LIR )	05Jun24	13:55		Miami Intl, FL, US ( MIA )	05Jun24	18:55		American Airlines
0600	Miami Intl, FL, US ( MIA )	05Jun24	21:34		Louisville Intl, KY, US ( SDF )	06Jun24	00:26		American Airlines

 

15)                  Q & A

Packing List - Revised Apr 2023

Everything To Fit in One Carry-On Bag and a Small Backpack

Documentation

1.      Passport (make a copy of your passport to leave at home and take a photo of the passport for your phone). Seeds of Change will also have this.

2.     Insurance Card (photo on phone) and Medical Information Vaccine Card (photo on phone)

3.     Flight numbers/tickets (furnished by Seeds of Change)

Suggested Items:

1.     lightweight jacket / fleece / warm shirt

2.     several pairs comfortable t-shirts, long pants, shorts

3.     bathing suit

4.     underwear

5.     socks (at least two pair of knee length soccer socks to wear with rubber boots… provided)

6.     in-soles to put in your assigned boots (but can be from your tennis shoes)

7.     tennis shoes that are comfortable and will get dirty

8.     water shoes or sandals that can go in ocean

9.     very lightweight raincoat or poncho

10.  hat/sunglasses

11.  small flashlight with extra batteries or charging cable (head lamps are great)

12.   water bottle (Nalgene or better)

13.   a small day pack or hip pack for hiking (should fit water bottle, bug spray, etc.) and the same one used in the airport

14.  toiletries/sunscreen 50+ SPF/insect repellent/personal medications (not to exceed 3.4oz and must be in a single quart ziplock bag)

15.  several packets of powder electrolytes (10)

16.  one clean set of clothes in a ziplock bag for the trip home

 

Additional items:

1.     Computer/Tablet/Ipad/etc.

2.     Student SOC Workbook

3.     camera, tablet, pencils

4.     playing cards, books, other items for downtime in airport

5.     plastic bags for transporting wet or muddy cloths/shoes

6.     small first aid kit with band-aides, antibiotic cream, anti-itch cream, medication, pain relievers, tweezers (Mr. Heintz has all this stuff and much more)

7.     travel alarm/watch with alarm/Cell Phone

8.     ear plugs (for students sensitive to forest noise at night)

9.     bring a very light weight blanket for sleeping on the beach during turtle sweeps

 

Finca La Anita provides linens, towels, and rubber boots for all students. They have laundry services for a small charge ($10 cash). The electrical outlets are the same as the United States. Remember that you will be spending the majority of your time in the rainforest and your clothes will get dirty. Be sure to alert Mr. Heintz of food allergies/dietary restrictions.                                              Rev 4-09-24