Parents' Letter

Just in case your parents have forgotten the content of the parents letter, they can still find the content here:

Ang Mo Kio Secondary School

Date: 20/10/2011

Dear Parents/Guardians

Table Tennis Overseas Training Trip 2011

The AMKSS Table Tennis Team has been an established Co-curricular Activity for many years. With the transition from the North Zone to the South Zone, we are meeting even stronger challengers in the tournaments. Despite so, the Team did proud in the tournaments all these years and continued to secure our seat in the Top 4 positions. In view of this, we feel that it is the right time for the school to bring the Team beyond Singapore for further training exposure. As such, we have planned an Intensive Training Trip for selected players, in which they will learn different trainings styles, and equip themselves with useful ball skills, techniques, as well as sportsmanship.

The objectives of the trip are mainly:

·       Intensive training in preparation of upcoming tournament

·       Exposure to different ways of trainings and learn new techniques

·       Promote teamwork, team spirit and team bonding

·       Extension of leadership training

·       Raise environmental awareness

·       Cultural exploration

We will be bringing 17 students from the Secondary 1 to 3 as well as Secondary 4B classes to Taiwan. Our training will be based in Taipei City, but we will be having friendly matches in both Taipei City and Yilan City. We will also be incorporating leadership training, cultural exposure as well as environment related learning components in the trip and the places of visits will also include Taichung, where participants will visit farms and stay in the local guesthouse called Minsu（民宿）. During the 9 Days 8 Nights stay in Taiwan, participants will train in a famous Table Tennis Academy and visit various Junior to High Schools for cultural exchange as well as friendly matches.

This letter serves to furnish you with some basic information which you may be glad to know, and also to collect vital information which is crucial to the planning of the trip. Please take some time to read through the content and revert as per necessary.

There are 5 attached documents altogether Please look through each and everyone of them and return all necessary documents.

Parent’s Consent Form and Medical Condition Form (Annex A)

We will need your written consent for your child to participate in this trip. Medical Condition Form is also important in case of emergency. Therefore, please kindly complete the form duly signed.

Pre-Travel Vaccinations (Annex B (named as Appendix B) & C)

As we are travelling in the Winter period, it is the school’s common practice to advise the participants of overseas trips to receive some useful vaccinations prior to the trip. I have already made an appointment with Tan Tock Seng Hospital Travel Clinic for vaccinations for everyone who is going for this trip. If your child has not taken any flu jab this year, or typhoid last year, or Hepatitis A before, we advise you to allow your child to get vaccinated. The costs of these jabs are much cheaper under group booking at TTSH than private clinics outside. More details on the group vaccination can be found in Annex B (named as Appendix B on the document). Please complete the form in Annex C. TTSH Travel Clinic needs the forms by this Friday in order to facilitate the ordering of vaccines. Payment for the vaccinations are not included in the Trip Cost and may be payable by cash. The vaccines will need one to two weeks to take effect, so if you are taking your child for the jab at a private clinic, please do so by 28/10/2011.

However, if your child has already taken any of the jabs within the time frame stated above, we will need you to submit the certificates to us.

On a side note, if your child is unsure of his/her blood group, you have to take a blood group test so this information is need by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Parents’ Briefing (Annex D)

We know this is probably the first time your child is travelling without your company. Therefore, you may be keen to know more about the whole trip. We have scheduled a Parents’ Briefing for you, on 04/11/2011 (Friday), from 7pm to 9pm, at the AVA room. The Travel Agency we work with will provide you with details on the Places of Visit and things to bring, etc. The Teachers-in-charge will also be there to answer any queries you may have. You are welcomed to ask questions regarding the trip. It is a session to help you understand the trip planned for your child better. We urge you to be present for the Briefing as we will be furnishing you with important information concerning your child and the trip. Your child’s attendance is, however, compulsory regardless of your attendance. Please complete the reply form duly signed.

Payment for the Trip

We will be collecting the payment for the trip from next Tuesday (25/10/2011) onwards. Payment has to be made either in Cash or Cheque or Money Order by 31/10/2011 (Monday).

This is necessary for us to secure the air tickets permanently. Please try to pay us in cheque to facilitate the collection process, cash and money order are however, also acceptable. Players who have applied for Internationalisation Fund are under process. Subsidies amount for this trip will be $1560 (Category A), $1170 (Category B) and $585 (Category C). Your child will only need to pay any outstanding amount after deducting the subsidized amount and Edusave amount.

If your child is not eligible for any subsidies but you have difficulties paying the trip cost in one lump sum, please surface it to the teachers-in-charge and we will look at it on a case-by-case basis.

Edusave Deduction Form (Annex E)

If your child has an Edusave Account, he/she can utilize the fund to offset the trip cost. Please find at the end of this letter the amount of Edusave Fund you can utilize and fill in the amount you like to use in the Edusave Deduction Form (Annex F).

This Overseas Trip is designed with the objectives to maximize learning. We thank you for your interests and support for our project and we look forward to seeing you and your child soon.

If you require any further clarification, feel free to contact us at 98417501, 64548605 ext #869, wong_lam_ni_clarise@moe.edu.sg or peggy_teng_choy_ling@moe.edu.sg .

Thank you.

Regards,

________________________________

Teachers-in-charge for

AMKSS Table Tennis Team

Ms Clarise Wong

Mrs Peggy Ng

Total Trip Cost	Category of IF	Amount of IF	Edusave Amount available	Outstanding amount payable
$1950

Note:

Please faster Annex A, C, D and E in alphabetical order before submitting it to the teachers in charge through your child.