Maine, here we come!

Flight Information/Countdown

2011-06-05T12:18:00.000-07:00

Birthday Tickers

We leave from Louisville on Monday, June 27th. We'll be in Maine for a week, returning to Louisville on Sunday, July 3rd.

June 27: Don't forget to wear your blue Berwick buddy t-shirt!!! This is a must! (It's necessary to help us travel through security in a group.)

Arrive at Louisville Airport at 4:30am!!!! Follow the signs on the Watterson Expressway to the airport (I-264 exit 11); there are also entrances off of Crittenden Drive and Freedom Way, south of the fairgrounds. Drive into the SHORT-TERM parking lot (entrance on the left), which is level 1 in the parking garage. It will cost about $1, paid as you exit the parking garage. Enter the airport, take the escalator upstairs, and we will be waiting near the US Airways check-in counter.

Flight information:
Louisville-DC (3038)
Leave 6:05 AM SDF, Arrive 7:47 AM DCA

DC-Manchester, NH (3442)
Leave 8:59 AM DCA, Arrive 10:30 AM MHT

When we return on July 3rd, you can expect us at 4pm.

Itinerary

2011-05-26T20:37:00.000-07:00

Lassiter Trip to Maine Itinerary, June 27-July 3

Monday, June 27
6:15 am Depart Louisville on US Airways
10:45 am Arrive Manchester, NH (via Washington, DC)
12:30 pm Quick lunch on route to Berwick
1:30 pm Arrive at Berwick and get settled at Berwick cabin
2 pm-4 pm Campus tour, scavenger hunt, ice breakers, outdoor games
4:30 pm Depart for Ms. Davis’ parents’ home
5:00-7:00 Davis/Spoor House cook out
Return to campus for down time , journals and sleep!

Tuesday, June 28
8:00 am Wake up and breakfast
9:30 am Depart for Rye Beach
10-12:00 Beach Time
12:00 Lunch at Rye Beach
12:00-2:30 Beach time, games and maybe surfing/boogie boarding
3-4 pm Seacoast Science Center: Estuary Program
4-5 Pm Return to Berwick for showers, journals, down time
5 pm Dinner, (location tba)
7 pm Coffeehouse Music

Wednesday, June 29
8:00 am Wake up and breakfast
9:00 am Pack up for camping trip
9:30 am Depart for White Mountains
11:30 am Lunch on route
12 pm-4pm Arrive at campsite, set up camp, hike, and swim
4:00-5:00 pm Down time, journals
5:00 pm Cookout dinner
7:00 pm Games
8:00 pm Campfire, s’mores

Thursday, June 30
7:30 am Wake up, breakfast, break down camp and clean up
9:00 am Depart for mountain hike
11:00 am Picnic lunch on summit
11:30 am Depart for Berwick
2 pm Return to Berwick, unpack, set up gear to dry, unwind
3 pm Free time. Trip to the Thayer family’s pool.
5 pm Dinner, (location tba)

Friday, July 1
8 am Wake up, breakfast, get ready for Boston trip
9:30 am Depart for Boston Science Museum
10:45 am Arrive at Museum and explore exhibits
12:00 pm Bag lunches at museum
1:00 pm Omni Show in Museum Theatre
3:00 pm Depart museum for T-ride to downtown
3:30-4:30 pm Explore Quincy Market, shopping, t-ride back to Museum
5:00 pm Depart museum for Berwick
7:00 Pizza and movie night

Saturday, July 2
Free day for Lassiter Students to plan
Possible activities:
Travel to Salem Mass and learn about the Salem Witch Trials
OR
Afternoon boat ride with Mr. Cornwell (Berwick Faculty) in Portsmouth Harbor? Swim, play, explore New Castle Commons park while taking turns on boat?
Clean up and pack up for early departure Sunday

Sunday, July 3
7:00 am Wake up, breakfast, pack up
8:00 am Depart for Manchester Airport
9:00 am Airport check in, return rental vans
11:00 am Depart Manchester 1116a arrive DC 1255p
Depart 210p arrive Louisville 357p

Luggage Information

2011-05-05T12:01:00.000-07:00

Checked Luggage:
Bags up to 50 lbs can be checked through with US Airways. Your child would give them the luggage in Louisville and get it back in Manchester. However, there is always the chance of them LOSING the luggage. Also, US Airways charges $25 each way for this. If your child wants to check luggage, they will need to bring an additional $50 to pay to check the luggage.
*US Airways Baggage Policy

Carry-on Luggage:
This is luggage brought on the plane for free. Students can bring 1 carry-on bag (up to 45 in - 14 x 9 x 22 inches max) + 1 personal item (purse, small backpack like the ones with strings for straps, small tote bag, no larger than 15"x11"x6"). The carry-on bag goes in the overhead bin, and the personal item goes under the seat in front of you.
*US Airways on carry-on baggage
Carry-on Toiletries: no larger than 3.4 oz (100 ml) travel-size containers, all of which must fit in a 1 quart clear plastic bag

*Check out Target and Wal-Mart for travel size toiletries (the Target selection tends to be better).

Do NOT pack in carry-on (or in your pockets):
Liquids in container larger than 3.4-oz**
Knives (even a pocket knife)
Prescription medicine without visible prescription label (can pack prescription meds but they MUST be in the labeled bottle); nonprescription medicine (Tylenol, over-the-counter allergy medicine, etc) must also be in a labeled bottle
*TSA Prohibited Items List

**Any lotions, shampoos, etc. in containers larger than 3.4 oz. WILL be thrown away before clearing security. This also means that you can NOT pack water/soda/juice for your child to drink on the plane, as it has to be thrown away before clearing security. An empty water bottle can be filled at a water fountain once through security, and drinks can also be bought at shops on the other side of the security checkpoint. Snacks, however, are allowed through security.

Examples of Acceptable Carry-on Luggage:
1) Small duffle bag + small tote bag

2) Carry-on suitcase + purse

3) Large backpack + small stringed backpack

NOT Acceptable for Carry-on Luggage:
1) Full-size suitcase

2) Large duffle bag stuffed full

3) 2 large backpacks

Fundraising Post

2011-03-20T15:48:00.001-07:00

With many thanks to the following for their generosity:
Linda Spoor
Janet Sylvester
Zoe Cornwell
Dana Clinton
Cheri Conrad
Chris Pope
Rachel Little
Alison Case
Justine Gaudreau & Sean Fewster
Dorothee Clinton
Dr. Geoffrey Lee
Moira McKinnon
Lara and Steven Vanasco
Nicole Sylvester
Linda Baker
PJ Sylvester & Mike Johnson
Beverly Rodgers
Lynda Durso

Maine Trip: June 2011

2010-12-09T18:59:00.000-08:00

Welcome, parents and students!

We are REALLY looking forward to our trip this June. Relevant information will be found here: fundraising, flight information, itineraries, packing tips, etc. Stay tuned for more!

Things to know:
When: Monday, June 27 - Sunday, July 3
Where: All over! southern Maine, New Hampshire, Boston Massachusetts
Potential activities: team-building, swimming, hiking, fishing, boating/kayaking, science museum trips, gardening, camping, and more...

Deposit due dates:
- $20 before Christmas break
- $30 by January 31st

Fundraising:
- You get what you work for! Money made at fundraisers will be divided between the students who help out.
- Market Day orders (local only!): www.marketday.com (account no. 22721 Lassiter Middle School)
- Coming soon: candy sales, photos with the mascot the week before Christmas?

Birthday Tickers

Days 1, 2, and part of 3

2009-06-15T12:45:00.000-07:00

Hello, friends and family! Ms. Davis here - the kids are off making their own t-shirts with the Berwick Academy art teacher, Reagan Russell. Sorry for not posting sooner, but this is the first day we've had internet access.

Louisville Airport, getting ready to check-in

We have had a wonderful time so far. As the parents know, the trip up here went well. Other than a 20 minute delay leaving Louisville and having to wander a bit to find food in the Detroit Airport, we got here safe and sound. The first stop was not Berwick Academy, where we're staying, but my grandmother's house. My mother organized the cook-out, but many other members of my family helped out. The kids got a chance to eat as well as swim in my grandmother's pool.

Matt on the water slide

Alex flying off of the diving board

The girls also enjoyed getting to meet my nephew. Terri has been looking forward to it for quite some time.

Brittany, Terri, and Joseph (that's my dad in the background)

After dinner, we drove to the BA campus to get settled in. Jen Onken, who arranged the trip on the Maine end, was a great help with everything the first night. We're staying in an apartment in the top floor of Burleigh-Davidson, the administration building (originally a house built in the 1800s!). Pictures to come!

On Sunday, the kids braved the rain and ran on a scavenger hunt around campus. We played some games with our Berwick buddies and ran around in the gym. The kids whooped the adults' butts in a quick game of softball.

Marcia laughing in the gym lobby with Jen Onken (the one arranging for all our fun times!)

The winning scavenger hunt team

After a quick lunch at Subway, we then headed to the Great Bay Discovery Center in Stratham, New Hampshire. This is a part of the Great Bay Natural Estuary Research Reserve. From the great amount of knowledge our kids displayed, they should be able to tell you what an estuary is when you ask. Mr. Roberts and I were very proud of how well the students thought out the answers to our guide's questions. The kids all got a chance to huddle around the touch tank and hold a horseshoe crab. Check out a video here (if it ever finishes uploading to flickr). They were also able to walk down to Great Bay and take a look out at the estuary.

Some of the boys at the water's edge

Sawgrass at the edge of Great Bay

On the way back, we stopped at the Kittery Trading Post for a little souvenir shopping.

The kids and their new friend, a Maine native

We finished up the night with pizza and a Berwick coffee house (where students get together and play music). We had an amazing performance by our own Brian Thomas (now a student at UK and a chaperone on the trip). Several of our girls performed with some Berwick girls, and Mr. Roberts, Joseph, and Alex rounded out the night with a very enjoyable rendition of "Hotel California."

That was it for day 2, but day 3 is just as much fun (with no rain this time!). We spent the morning kayaking the York River and exploring York Harbor Beach. Pictures to come on that front, as I've not yet uploaded them to my computer. Hopefully later tonight (after our tour of the lobster wharf and a lobster dinner with the Hoyt family) we'll have a few student guest bloggers with accompanying pictures.

Countdown!

2009-06-13T18:31:00.000-07:00

We leave from Louisville on Saturday, June 13th. We'll be in Maine for a week, returning to Louisville on Saturday, June 20th.

June 13: Don't forget to wear your blue Berwick buddy t-shirt!!! This is a must! (It's necessary to help us travel through security in a group.)

Arrive at Louisville Airport at 9:15am. Follow the signs on the Watterson Expressway to the airport (I-264 exit 11); there are also entrances off of Crittenden Drive and Freedom Way, south of the fairgrounds. Drive into the SHORT-TERM parking lot (entrance on the left), which is level 1 in the parking garage. It will cost $1, paid as you exit the parking garage. Enter the airport, take the escalator upstairs, and we will be waiting near the Northwest check-in counter.

Metro Council

2009-06-04T18:31:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the Metro Council Appropriations meeting. 13th District's own Councilwoman Vicki Aubrey Welch sponsored a grant for $5000 to go towards expenses for our trip as well as towards the school environmental program. The motion passed, and soon we will be able to put that money to good work. We are, of course, very excited about this.

Thanks, Councilwoman Welch!

Words from (some of) the kids

2009-06-01T18:21:00.001-07:00

"I am looking forward to being able to see my buddy. I am also looking forward to being able to get on a plane and go to Maine."
- Sam

"I am excited about the Maine trip because I have family up there. Also I like colder weather, and I think it will be very cool to meet my buddy. Finally I am excited because we get to go to the Boston Aquarium."
- Joseph

"I'm most excited about exploring a different state and seeing new things. Also I get to meet my buddy. And have fun."
- Lule

"I want to go on the trip because on the postcard it looked pretty, because this is the first time I am going on a trip, and it looks pretty and sounds fun. And I want to have fun in the summer."
- Terri

"On my trip to Maine I am looking forward to taking surfing lessons, swimming, meeting my buddy. I am also looking forward to staying at Berwick. I would like to go to the beach and fly on a plane for the first time."
- Lashawn

Thanks to Our Donors/Sponsors

2009-05-12T17:24:00.001-07:00

Sheila Stone: In loving memory of Bob Stone, Williamstown MA

Geraldine and Bob Sylvester, Dover NH
Linda and Brian Spoor, Rochester NH
Janet Sylvester, New Castle NH
Jeanine and Scott Sylvester, Dover NH
Bonny and Bob Pope, Dover NH
PJ Sylvester and Mike Johnson, Colorado
Rochelle Brown, Louisville KY
Danielle Foster, Australia
Rachel Little, Glastonbury CT
Tara Durtche, Louisville KY
Faith Graham, Louisville KY
Councilwoman Vicki Welch/Assistant Kevin Triplett, Louisville KY
Meiko Haushalter, New Mexico
Zoe Cornwell, New Mexico
Drew Raab, Honolulu HI
Mindy Eakin, Boston MA
Beverly Rogers, Louisville KY
Will Acree, Louisville KY

My Friends Bakery, Rochester NH
Flatbread Company, Portsmouth NH
Boston Museum of Science, Boston MA
Fogarty's Restaurant, South Berwick ME
Berwick Academy: teachers, students, staff, and parents
Lassiter Middle School: teachers, students, staff, and parents

We could not have planned the trip without the help of Jen Onken, Dean of Student Life at Berwick Academy. She was amazing every step of the way.

Travel arrangements were made via All About Travel, Louisville KY. Thanks, guys!

Guide to Luggage

2009-05-12T17:10:00.000-07:00

Checked Luggage:
Bags up to 50 lbs can be checked through with Northwest. Your child would give them the luggage in Louisville and get it back in Manchester. However, there is always the chance of them LOSING the luggage. Also, Northwest now charges $15 each way for this. If your child wants to check luggage, they will need to bring $30 additional to pay to check the luggage.
*Northwest Airlines on checked baggage

Carry-on Luggage:
This is luggage brought on the plane for free. Students can bring 1 carry-on bag (22" x 14" x 9" max) + 1 personal item (purse, small backpack like the ones with strings for straps, small tote bag, no larger than 15"x11"x6"). The carry-on bag goes in the overhead bin, and the personal item goes under the seat in front of you.
*Northwest Airlines on carry-on baggage
Carry-on Toiletries: no larger than 3 oz travel-size containers, all of which must fit in a 1 quart clear plastic bag

*Check out this video at Walgreens.com for help in packing toiletries

Do NOT pack in carry-on (or in your pockets):
Liquids in container larger than 3-oz**
Knives (even a pocket knife)
Prescription medicine without visible prescription label (can pack prescription meds but they MUST be in the labeled bottle); nonprescription medicine (Tylenol, over-the-counter allergy medicine, etc) must also be in a labeled bottle
*TSA Prohibited Items List

**Any lotions, shampoos, etc. in containers larger than 3 oz. WILL be thrown away before clearing security. This also means that you can NOT pack water/soda/juice for your child to drink on the plane, as it has to be thrown away before clearing security. An empty water bottle can be filled at a water fountain once through security, and drinks can also be bought at shops on the other side of the security checkpoint. Snacks, however, are allowed through security.

Examples of Acceptable Carry-on Luggage:
1) Small duffle bag + small tote bag

2) Carry-on suitcase + purse

3) Large backpack + small stringed backpack

NOT Acceptable for Carry-on Luggage:
1) Full-size suitcase

2) Large duffle bag stuffed full

3) 2 large backpacks

Packing List

2009-05-12T17:05:00.000-07:00

Clothing:
Berwick Buddy t-shirt: to be worn to airport on June 13th!!!
1 pair of pants (jeans, sweats)
3 pairs of shorts
5 t-shirts (mostly short-sleeved)
6 pairs of socks
Underclothes
1 extra pair of shoes
Sandals/flip-flops (for beach)
1 jacket, sweater, or hoodie
Bathing suit
Raincoat/poncho (youth and adult ponchos at Walmart.com)

Personal: (all liquid bottles must be 3 oz. or less if not checking bags, and all must fit in 1-quart clear plastic bag)
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Soap
Shampoo
Deodorant
Sunscreen**
Comb, brush
Washcloth
Towel
Any necessary medications with instructions (please let us know about this ahead of time)
*Check out this video at Walgreens.com for help in packing toiletries
**Ms. Davis will be bringing a big bottle of sunscreen, so it is not an essential item.

Other items:
Water bottle (empty)
Pillow with case, sleeping bag*
*Teachers will be bringing a few empty duffle bags to put everyone's pillows and sleeping bags in. Please put these items in a separate bag (a garbage bag is fine) with your child's name on it. The duffle bags containing these items will be checked with Northwest at the airport by the chaperones. IF YOUR CHILD DOES NOT HAVE A SLEEPING BAG, WE HAVE MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO BORROW SOME WHEN WE GET TO MAINE.

Extras:
Disposable camera
Sunglasses
Insect repellant

Electronic Devices:
Any cell phones, hand-held games (for use while traveling), cameras, CD/mp3 players, etc. will be YOUR CHILD'S responsibility. If you worry that they may lose it, do NOT send it with them. You will be provided with all 3 teachers’ cell phone numbers so you can keep in contact with your child. (If bringing such materials, need batteries/charger.)

Itinerary

2009-05-12T17:03:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 13
Depart 11:15am arrive Detroit 12:39pm
Depart Detroit 2:38pm arrive Manchester 4:25pm
Rent van and drive from Manchester to Dover
Dinner with Ms. Davis' family (and swimming in the pool)
Drive to Berwick Academy and get settled that evening

Sunday, June 14
9:00 AM
Campus walk and orientation
Outdoor Games and icebreakers
1:00 PM
Great Bay Discovery Center Nature Program
3:00 PM
Ice Cream Stop
7:00 PM
Berwick student "Coffee House" (music)

Monday, June 15
9:30 AM
Kayaking York River
Picnic Lunch
1:00PM
Sports/crafts
5:00 PM
Lobster Wharf Visit with Hoyt Family and Lobster Dinner

Tuesday, June 16
9:00 AM
Rye Beach: surfing lessons
Picnic lunch
12:45PM
Seacoast Science Center
5:00PM
Dinner out?
7:00PM
Candlepin bowling?

Wednesday, June 17
Trip to Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge
Trail cleanup Service Project
picnic lunch
2:00 PM
Wells Beach at Louise Rouleau's house
4:00 PM
Travel to Cape Neddick Hilton Winn Farm for camping?
Set up Camp
5:00 PM
Cookout Dinner
7:00 PM
Campfire, games and stories
Sleep in tents outdoors

Thursday, June 18
Trip to Boston
8:00 AM
Trip to Boston Museum of Science
1:00 PM
New England Aquarium
5:00 PM
Dinner out on route home?
Movie Night on campus-- outdoors or Whipple?

Friday, June 19
8:00 AM
Drive to Lake Winnepesauke
Hike up Mount Major
Picnic on summit
1pm
Swim in Lake at Public Beach
6:00 PM
Flatbreads Dinner in Prescott Park (donated by Flatbread)
Walk around Portsmouth

Saturday, June 20
Depart airport 8:40am
Arrive Louisville 1:36pm

Other Potential Activities:
Portland Sea Dogs Game
Trip to Cape Neddick Wildlife Center
Andy's Organic Greens Farm, York ME