Mr Eklund

First message - Sent September 20, 2024

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Hi Everyone,

Thank you so much for signing up to join me on this amazing adventure.  I will be emailing you from time to time throughout the year with updates, planning advice, tips and other items related to our trip. Please make sure you read each email.   If for some reason you do not want to receive communications at this email address or would like to add another address, please do not click unsubscribe.  Instead, please send me a message and I will be happy to make any necessary changes.  Thanks.

Sometimes I will be requesting information. I will greatly appreciate it if you can respond to my requests right away.  Since I am no longer in my classroom or even on campus most of the time,  it will be a lot harder for me to follow up so please get back to me right away if I am requesting something from you.  Thank you.  

We only have a couple of spots left.  If your friends want to join us they need to sign up soon.  Chances are they will be put on a waitlist and we will take them if we can.  You can see the list of who is signed up on my website at  https://meklund1.wixsite.com/kjhs  

Be sure to bookmark my website.  This is where I will post important information such as roommate assignments, chaperone groups, flight times, etc. Knowing where to find it quickly could be very helpful for you.

That is all for today, however in each message I will include a fun fact about something related to our trip.  I hope you find them interesting.

Mr Eklund
mreklund@gmx.com

Fun Fact: The Smithsonian Institute has approximately 156 million artworks, artifacts and specimens, of which only about 2 percent, or approximately 3 million, are on display at any one time.  There 17 Smithsonian Museums in Washington DC. We will visit some of them on our trip but I cannot tell you exactly what we will see since they rotate what is on display all the time. For example, they used to have an original Dumbo from the ride at Disneyland that was our "go to" meeting spot in the American History Museum but it is no longer there. I do not know if it is on display somewhere else in the museum so if you do find it, please let me know.  We shall have to pick a new meeting spot when we visit that museum this summer.

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Second Message  - Sent October 12, 2024

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Hi Everyone,

I hope your school year is going well.  I have to admit, it is very strange for me not to be in the classroom anymore.  I will be on campus later October 21st and 22nd to make presentations to the seventh graders about the 2026 DC Trip.  I will be in Mr Radke's classroom on Tuesday, October 22nd at lunch so you can come see me if you have any questions or would just like to talk about the trip.   In the meantime, here is the latest.

Sold Out
The 2025 DC Trip is now booked full.  Thank you for signing up.  If you have any friends or family members who would like to join us, there is still a possibility they can.  We do have people drop out from time to time and if they do I will invite people who are on the waitlist.  To be on the waitlist, you must sign up with Worldstrides via the telephone.  Their number is (800) 468-5899.  They will need the Trip ID#  213615  and you will need to give them a deposit to be waitlisted. If a seat opens up I will let the waitlisted person know.  If we end up not being able to take the waitlisted person they will get ALL of their money back, including the "non-refundable" deposit.

Email List
If you are receiving this message then you did return your contact information to me and I greatly appreciate you doing so.  There are a number of people who did not so, I will be sending notices to them at school.  I am just letting you know so you don't panic that someone is getting a note about the trip and you are not. They didn't get back to me yet. You were responsible and I appreciate it because it truly does make my job easier.  

How does student travel benefit students?
I ran across the results of a recent survey about student travel.  Turns out it is a good thing for students for a number of reasons.  Make sure your parents see this because it shows that they are doing a real good thing by sending you on this trip. It shows that students who travel feel they are:

1. Being more outgoing (40% of respondents)

2. Better Self-Expression (42% of respondents)

3. Stronger cooperation/collaboration skills (43% of respondents)

4. Increased sense of tolerance and respectfulness (48% of respondents)

5. Higher levels of adaptability and sensitivity (49% of respondents)

6. Increased tolerance of other cultures and ethnicities (52% of respondents)

7. More intellectual curiosity (55% of respondents)

8. Increased independence, self-esteem, and confidence (56% of respondents)

9. Desire to travel more (60% of respondents)

10. Increased willingness to know, learn, and explore (60% of respondents)

By the way, there is a meeting in the multi at 6:30pm on Wednesday evening October 23rd.  Don't panic.  You do NOT need to attend. This is for seventh graders regarding the 2026 Trip. 

Have a great weekend. Mr Eklund.

Fun Fact:
On September 18, 1793, George Washington laid the cornerstone to the United States Capitol building, the home of the legislative branch of American government. Every state has the opportunity to place two statues in the building honoring important Americans from that state. One of the California statues was replaced just a few years ago and the other is being considered for replacement as we speak.  Be on the lookout for both California statues when we tour this amazing building. The new statue is of Ronald Reagan, the one that is being considered for replacement is of Father Junipero Serra.

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Third Message   Sent November 25th

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Hi Everyone,

Important Message for all the adults on the trip.
Travelers who do not present a REAL ID-compliant license or acceptable alternative beginning May 7, 2025 will not be permitted through the security checkpoint.
 
Effective May 7, 2025, U.S. travelers must be REAL ID compliant to board domestic flights and access certain federal facilities.  In other words, all adults and chaperones MUST have the REAL ID or a valid passport to travel. 
If you need the Real ID, visit the California Department of Motor Vehicles website to find out exactly what documentation is required to obtain a REAL ID. At a minimum, you must provide documentation showing: 1) Full Legal Name; 2) Date of Birth; 3) Social Security Number; 4) Two Proofs of Address of Principal Residence; and 5) Lawful Status. All details are on the DMV website. All adults MUST have a REAL ID to travel with us in June 2025!

This is only for the adults.  Students...please bring your KJHS student ID cards. 

Emails
Just a reminder, if you want to email me a message you must use a non-petk12.org address.  The Sonoma County Office of Education controls the school's internet and they do not allow students to receive emails from anyone outside of the schools.  

Previous Messages
Some of you were not on my email list or the messages did not get delivered so if you missed my first few messages I have posted the text of the previous emails on my website.  meklund1.wixsite.com/kjhs

Have a great weekend and a wonderful Halloween.
Mr Eklund.

Fun Fact: 
Almost every place we will visit in Washington DC also has a website, including all of the Smithsonian Museums.  On the American History Museum website check out the Greensboro Lunch Counter story.  You will be amazed at the courage shown by these young people. Checking out stories like this really bring the artifacts alive when you see them in person. Part of that lunch counter was removed from the Woolworth's in Greensboro, North Carolina and is now on display in the museum.  Be sure to look for it when we visit.