The buddha Said I am Awake

Lots to do this week…especially Econ and Senior Current Issues.

Lesson Plans will be posted here weekly in PDF format. In order to access them merely click on the correct class.  As changes occur to the plans during the course of the week, I will note those changes at the end of the post – not on the PDF original – so please keep that in mind.   If you have any questions concerning the LPs please leave a reply. I will do my best to get back to you with an answer within 24 hrs.  And then a mindful and peaceful (and sunny) Spring Break…

I hope this helps you to better organize your school work and your life.

Salamou Alaykoum.

• Period 1 – Senior Current Issues
  
• Period 2 – Economics
  
• Period 4 – Government
  
• Period 5 – Economics
  
• Period 6 – Government

Hey guys…

Some cool news from Close Up

Our Hotel is a good one.  The Key Bridge Marriot.  It’s right around the corner – walking distance – from Georgetown University and Georgetown. You’ll love it.  Georgetown is very cool.

We’ll be staying with about 100 students from around the country – from Vermont, New Jersey, North Dakota, four  Native American reservations, Virgin Islands – and this is also the deaf week.  They’ll have a large contingent of deaf kids.  We went one other time when this was the case and it was great!  Practice your sign language.

Let me know if you’ve got questions.  And don’t forget we need a driver for Friday May 10.  $50 gas provided.

Final Flight Costs – Chicago to D.C.

• OUT – Chicago to D.C. / Saturday May 4 / 10:53 AM to 1:39 PM
• RETURN – D.C. to Chicago / Fricay May 10 / 3:34 PM to 4:33 PM

Airfare + fare lock to hold the tickets – $222.

I wil add $20 to our  ticket cost ($160 from all eight of us) in order to cover gas for each parent ($50 + $50 = $100) who must drive to Chicago in order to get us there and back.  Bre’s mom will drive us to Chicago on Saturday May 4 – we still need somebody to drive back from Chicago on Friday May 10.  I will also drive both ways, but I’ll cover my own gas.  In addition we’ll add ($60) to parking at O’Hare for my car…I’ll be leaving my car there and the cost for a week will probably be close to $100.  I’ll cover the rest.

So that makes our final transportation cost $242.  We originally planned for $250.  This is an $8 discount.  We originally totaled the final bill for the trip at $1289 so this drops it down to $1281.

Hey don’t forget that if we used transportation through the Close Up foundation and if they had taken care of our airfare and a van ride to the hotel that we would have had to pay $473 instead of $242. Airfare alone we saved $231.

What then do we still need?  Lets find a second driver for Friday May 10 return from Chicago.  And we look pretty good – drop me a line if you have a question.  Or if you have a volunteer driver.

mrw

Hey guys…Good News / Bad News.  Mostly good!

We were a bit slow on the draw in regards to our plane tickets…Eight tickets there and back are difficult to secure.  And  airplanes fill up fast.  We just got  the final word on everybody in regards to those tickets today.  Consequently we lost our Detroit Flight – That’s the bad news.

The Good News – is airfares in Chicago have dropped.  And I booked us out of O’Hare for $222 Round trip.  That saves everybody $75 apiece.  The only drawback is I am going to need a parent to drive along with me to O’Hare on Saturday May 4 and take us and a different parent to drive along with me on the return Friday May 10 to bring us home.  Somebody would’ve had to do the same to Detroit.  Chicago is just a little further.  If anybody has a 12 passenger van that I can borrow that would work as well.  The Oakridge School Van is DOA and unable to leave the parking lot.  So talk to your folks and find out who can help us out:)

Our Flight Times are great – and now the Flight Price aint so bad as well.

Chicago O’Hare to DCA National in DC –

• Saturday May 4 – 10:53 AM to 1:39 PM

DCA National to Chicago O’Hare 

• Friday May 10 – 3:34 PM to 4:33 PM

All we need is DC and sunshine…and Marc Santose birthdate as soon as humanly possible.  Call me Marc 616-402-8668.  And while you’re at it – check out the weekly schedule.  I promise this is a very very good program.

Hey guys Good News / Bad News …Flights Prices are not so good.

Bad News – I guess I just got used to cheap flights in the USA.  We used to fly Close Up for just about $200.  No more.  Airline Monopolies have killed cheap flights.  It looks like the best we can get is $294 out of Detroit.  That’s another $44 for the trip.  I’m sorry…but its not going to get better.  The Final Bill will be $1330 instead of $1289.  The same thing happened with our Selma Flight, but we were able to move it to Chicago and save $200 per ticket.  With DC the Chicago change is only a savings of $30 – not worth the hassle of the drive.  And Grand Rapids is a small fortune.

Good News – we get good flight times in and out, and we have a direct flight. I will however need a second driver to and from Detroit when we go…so be talking to mom and dad.

Good News – the average temp for Washington D.C. in May is 75 degrees.

Good News – Eastern Market Flea Market is very very cool.  We’ll be there.

So…I need $250 at least (all $294 if you can) ASAP – preferably Monday or Tuesday so that I can lock in our tickets before ticket prices go UP.

Talk to me.