Tuesday 17th March 2015
KS4 and KS5 Science Trip to CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
Dear Parents,
At The British School of Beijing, we are constantly seeking ways to inspire, engage and enthuse our students into getting the most out of the premier education that we provide for them. As such, for a small number of pupils taking triple science and IB Physics/Chemistry, I am organising a trip to the Large Hadron Collider (otherwise known as CERN) which is situated approximately 15 minutes outside the city centre of Geneva in Switzerland. The LHC is the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator, and consists of a 27-kilometre ring of superconducting magnets. http://home.web.cern.ch/about - this link gives detailed information regarding its global importance.
As your son/daughter is studying towards the higher level separate sciences and IB Chemistry and/or Physics, the relevance comes in Option J which includes sections on particle accelerators, detectors and quarks; questions about particle physics are increasingly seen on exams, and this trip will give a greater understanding when it comes to answering those questions. The trip is also excellent from a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) careers point of view and will boost college/university applications.
The trip is scheduled to leave on the 24th September, 2015, which is just before the Golden Week holiday, and return on the 1st October, 2015. We will be staying at the IBIS Budget Hotel (or equivalent) in the centre of the city. Approximate prices based on 20 pupils will be between 12,000-15,000 RMB which will include flights, transfers, accommodation, visas and other attractions (a day at the UN and Red Cross to name a few) in and around Geneva. I am also planning to link up and visit one of our sister Nord Anglia schools in Switzerland. More information will be given nearer the time, and at the Parents’ Meeting a week or so before we depart. Breakfast is included in the price, but unfortunately lunch and evening meal is not, and students should budget for between 150-200 RMB (32 Swiss Francs) per day for this provision.
There are between 20-25 places available, and the interest from the pupils has been fantastic. I hope that you are able to support your son/daughter on what can only be described as a trip of a lifetime, by filling in the reply slip at the bottom and paying the 500 RMB holding deposit in cash. Please reply by Friday 27th March. I will write to you again regarding a payment system and any additional information that may appear.
If there are any additional questions or queries regarding this trip, please do not hesitate to contact me at school, michael.pinnock@britishschoo.org.cn">michael.pinnock@britishschool.org.cn
Yours sincerely
Mr M Pinnock
Teacher of Science
Deadline to reply: Friday 27th March.
Please download the document "CERN Trip 2015 Reply Slip" below with the correct money in a sealed envelope marked "CERN trip" and return to Mr Pinnock