Another Successful Trip this site is dedicated to the parents and students involved in the 2011 activities week trip to paris, ypres and disneyland

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ongratulations to all the students who participated in making this trip once again a great success. The activity this year featured the most children speaking French, the most waking up on time, and the most going to sleep at lights out. And besides a bee sting there were no significant incidents. The Paris Activity was always intended to broaden the curriculum, allowing young teenagers to take on adult responsibilities, develop skills in dealing with people in new and sometimes challenging situations, to sample a foreign culture and have a lot of fun besides. I think that once more we have achieved this.

None of this would have been possible without a strong team, and I would like to thank the following for all their help in assembling the trip: Kat Ford, for her unprecedented support at Hellesdon when things were touch-and-go; the excellent, ever-reliable Jane Walker, who for the past years has been patiently assembling itineraries and transport that work; the drivers at Spratts, especially "Steady" Dave, the life-blood of the activity; to Mr Jones, for his sanctioning of this and next year's trip; to the parents who prepared the students so well and dropped them off and collected them in the dead of night; and above all to my colleagues, Mrs Smith, Mr Champion, Mrs Fox and Mrs Bates, together an indispensible Swiss Army knife of skills and qualities on which I rely at every turn, and without which I could do little.

Yours faithfully

D. P. Armstrong

Montmartre 2011
Students on the 2011 trip at the Place du Tertre, Montmartre

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What we see in Paris montmartre, sacre coeur, eiffel tower, louvre

Day One of our trip starts with a reverse order of last year's, starting with a very French visit to Montmartre and the Sacré Coeur, stopping at the Louvre (which was not possible last year) and climaxing at the Eiffel Tower, where those without a fear of heights will be travelling to the top for one of the world's great views. Click each of the pictures below for information on each sight.

What we see in Walt Disney Studios shows and films, special effects and spectaculars, white knuckle rides

We introduced this a few years ago, and it has proved a great success. "High School Musical" was the big outdoor show last year, and the group also saw the very impressive Moteurs... Action! stunt display. The Studio Tour includes a staggering special effect (sit on the left of the tram), and despite the fame of the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Crush's Coaster (which looks designed for little children) terrified the lives out of us. And, of course, don't forget The Tower of Terror, based on Rod Serling's groundbreaking US TV series, "The Twilight Zone".

New for 2011 in this ever-expanding attraction are Toy Story Playland, Toy Soldiers Parachute Jump, Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin and the half-pipe RC Racer. Find out more here.

What we see in Ypres and Calais
menin gate, chocolate shops, cite d'europe

Day Four of the journey sees us visiting two towns—Ypres and Calais—on our way home, for very different reasons. The impressive Menin Gate commemorates the dead from the First World War, and students can look for their family names on its walls. By contrast, in the same town, the famed chocolate sellers ply their trade in a plethora of shops. Finally, The Cité d'Europe hypermarket in Calais boasts 140 shops and much more. Click on each picture for more information.

What we see in Disneyland rides, parades and the bastille day celebrations

Disneyland Paris needs little introduction from us, except to say that it is a tremendous part of the trip. Last year we extended the experience by keeping the group up for the Bastille Day Celebrations—the Fantillusion Parade and the firework display. For more information click the images.

Our hotelperfectly placed for both paris and disneyland, the Premier classe is our hotel of choice

The Villepinte Première Classe is a very familiar hotel to us, and has accommodated this activity most of its lifetime. It is a perfect jumping-off point for both Paris and Disneyland. It is used to dealing with parties of schoolchildren, and provides an acceptable level of comfort. If you need to contact us in an emergency while we are in France, it is best not to call the hotel, but our dedicated mobile.

Contact Details: TEL: 0033 (0)1 49 38 42 42
Address: Hotel Première Classe, 53 avenue des Nations, ZAC Paris Nord II-BP 65085, 95973 Villepinte,France.
Note that it is next door to the Kyriad, which is what is shown here on Google Maps.

Behaviour at the hotel we are well known to this hotel—be good ambassadors for hellesdon

Do not leave your room after lights out. Make sure you have everything you need before then, including water, hairdryers etc.
Do not make calls from your room.
Do not fall out with whoever you share your room with—we cannot move anyone. Always climb down first from any quarrel, whether you are in the right or not.
French food is good—try it before you say you don't like it.
We take breakfast in our hotel, but dinner in the hotel next door. You will need to show a ticket before you serve yourself with breakfast.
The rooms do not have keys, but cards. One person in the room is the keyholder and must make sure no-one is locked out, and that the card is not locked in the room. The card goes in a slot inside the door, and operates the lights, TV etc.
Do not disturb other guests or get involved with students from other schools.
Teachers will wake you up in the morning—please answer immediately.

Transport-the ferry and the coach

Once again we are pleased to announce that again we have had a local Norwich firm, Spratts, confirmed as our coach company. Familiar to many of you, this Wreningham company has been providing tours for over 50 years. Unlike the Spratts Coach illustrated ours will be fitted with seat belts, toilets, drinks machines, air conditioning and videos. Every coach company insists on certain standards of behaviour from school parties. These can be found in the final section of this site.

On the Channel ferry students should take especial note of the meeting point and the deck and stairs location of the coach, to prevent a delay in disembarkation. The most frequent problem on the boat has been students misplacing money—keep it safe at all times.

Important information for parents...for eleven years this has been a popular, safe and highly enjoyable activity because of sensible and mature behaviour from participants

Left to right: Mr Champion, Miss Smart, Mrs Fox
Yes, it can chuck it down as well as swelter. The picture was taken last year during a torrential downpour.

MONEY & INSURANCE> Please note that the cost of the activity includes all entrance fees, accommodation and breakfast and dinner on the French side. You may wish to provide some money or a packed lunch for midday meals. A mixture of pounds and euros would be handy, but we do not recommend more than about €150 in total. In any case, we recommend insurance against loss of cash, camcorder, camera, mp3 player, etc., which would not be covered in the School Insurance. Before going on rides wallets and purses must be secured!
SAFETY AT DISNEY> Students should keep in groups of three or more in Disneyland Park and the Studios. Security is very tight and park staff are frequently placed to deal with queries. Maps are readily available at the entrance. There are many drinking fountains, and on a hot day water bottles should be topped up. School staff will be available at hourly intervals in a designated meeting place (outside Casey's Corner hot dog cafe on Main Street, Disneyland; Disney Studios TBA).
SAFETY IN PARIS & YPRES> Foreign drivers are not so used to giving way to pedestrians as ours, so it is essential that students take extra care as we walk about these places. Students must also keep to designated meeting times, as a delay may mean curtailing an activity or even missing a ferry. Don't forget to pack a hat and sunblocker! Also recommended are comfortable walking shoes and a waterproof jacket, poncho and folding umbrella (see picture above!). Though the weather is usually hot, shorts, skirts and tops should still be modest and not too skimpy.
ON THE COACH> Please don't allow your child to take fizzy drinks on the coach—they are the principal cause of travel sickness. The only exception is with diabetic students, where a bottle of non-diet fizzy drink may be carried as a standby. Bottled water is quite sufficient otherwise. Rubbish must not be dropped on the floor but placed in the bags provided. Toilets should only be used in an emergency because emptying them takes up travelling time. And, please, no chewing gum!
GETTING ON WITH OTHERS> Those sharing rooms and groups especially should be careful to be tolerant of other people's moods. This is a very enjoyable but also very intense activity, and sometimes those around you may get tired, snappy or unreasonable. Be patient if this happens, and be careful not to spoil the experience of others.
MOBILE PHONES> Mobiles are recommended, and there should be at least one working per group of students. It should be kept charged and switched on during the activity, and we should have a record of the correct number. Any problems should be notified immediately to our dedicated mobile (number TBA). Students should always inform teachers first about any difficulties before calling home, as this has caused confusion and unnecessary worry in the past.
THE ITINERARY> This may be subject to change (as it was several times last year). Download it here.