Mexico: Payment & Passport Information

The eighth grade trip to El Molino in Mexico is a mere four months away -- Saturday, April 27, through Saturday, May 4.  We have airline reservations in place -- United Airlines from SFO to Léon via Houston -- and the cost of each ticket is $675.  The school will cover the cost of all food, lodging, activities, and transportation within Mexico, but we expect parents and fundraising to cover the cost of the airfare.  Letters sent to families earlier this week indicate the payment schedule and any adjustment in cost based on financial aid.  Tickets must be paid for and names put on them by February 20.  No tickets will be purchased for students who do not possess a passport, so make your passport application a priority.

PASSPORT

In addition to the airfare, each student must have a current passport with an expiration date no sooner than June 1, 2013.  If your student does not have a valid passport, you must apply for one very soon.  It can take as long as two months to get one.  Here is a website with detailed information, including downloadable forms:  http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/minors/minors_834.html.  Be sure to follow the steps for a passport for a minor, not an adult.  Read the directions carefully.  Minor applicants must apply in person, accompanied by both parents (or accompanied by one parent and with a written statement of permission from the other parent, as described on the website).   Here is a list of locations where you can apply:  http://www.us-passport-service-guide.com/california-passport-office.html#Alameda.  The Passport Room at the Berkeley Main Post Office has limited hours of operation.  Is there a parent willing to research those hours so that I can post them here on the blog?  How about someone to check out the Albany City Clerk’s hours?

PAYMENT SCHEDULE

Parents should have received an individualized letter/form from me that includes a payment schedule and passport status.  We have reserved seats on a United Airlines flight from SFO to Leon, Mexico, via Houston.  You will have the option of paying a lump sum, due January 10, or making three installments, due Dec 10, Jan 10, and Feb 11.   Please complete the form and return it to me by December 10. 

MORE PAPERWORK

 There will be more paperwork coming your way -- medical history, scan of passport, notarized permission slip for international travel -- to name a few.  These will come home after winter break.  For more information about the program in Mexico, check out Tanya's 8th grade Spanish blog and the El Molino website.