Is this common... - Page 2

[MusicianDad]

Around here, very rarely does a student go on a trip in the middle of the year and usually it's for something other than vacation (i.e. someone in the family dies). Families here just plan their vacations to happen during the summer, winter, or spring breaks.

[velochic]

Originally Posted by MusicianDad

Around here, very rarely does a student go on a trip in the middle of the year and usually it's for something other than vacation (i.e. someone in the family dies). Families here just plan their vacations to happen during the summer, winter, or spring breaks.

Same here. This is over fall break.

[AndrewsMother]

Originally Posted by velochic

Same here. This is over fall break.

I love the fact that our schools has a Fall, Winter and Spring Break in addition to the Christmas Holiday break in December. Essentially every 6 weeks students and families have a chance to take vacations without interrupting school studies.

[eepster]

It isn't common in DS's school, but every now and then it is done.

My thoughts on things to bring back that aren't just junky plastic but are still inexpensive.

• A few coins to start a collection. This was more fun before there were euros, but possibly you could get your hands on some old lira (should that be lira, lire or liras for the plural?) that are still kicking around.
• Postage stamps to start a collection.
• "Hello my name is..." stickers in Italian.

If you are willing/able to spend a bit of money on this, I would go with the PP who mentioned stationary. Italy happens to have some very very fine stationary, such as Amalfi.

[velochic]

Eepster, I was the one that mentioned stationery and no, I'm not going to spend that kind of money on the kids for the class. The current journal I'm writing in is from a trip to Venice and while it is pure bliss to write on this paper, I spent *a lot* for it. Even the smaller items run $30+. I think a pen is probably the answer.

[lilyka]

Someone probably did it so the next guy did it and then the next guy did it and by then it was what was done.

That said there are only 11 kids. I think it would be fun to bring back a little something for them. My most treasured souvenir ever was a bottle of pepsi. yep. Pepsi but it came from Russia within a year of the fall of communism. It was sooooo cool. You know, because it was written in Cyrillic. And Russia was still really exotic...

If you are going somewhere with a different language i think it is fun to bring back common American stuff with a different language on it. Small coins from another country are ridiculously cool as well. Also post cards, shells, some clichéd little craft. All super fun and relatively inexpensive. For school a souvenir pencil is always good.

[Delicateflower]

Originally Posted by velochic

Thanks KCMichigan. Dd is in immersion school, so her class is not in English. It would probably consume too much time trying to find a book about Italy for 3rd graders in her target language (only books in the target language are allowed in class). It'd be a great idea for an English school, though!!

You might be surprised. Try gift shops at attractions, they often have those stacks of one guidebook in seventeen different languages. It shouldn't be hard to find one in Spanish.

[velochic]

Originally Posted by Delicateflower

You might be surprised. Try gift shops at attractions, they often have those stacks of one guidebook in seventeen different languages. It shouldn't be hard to find one in Spanish.

That's a good idea. We usually avoid those places like the plague, but it would be worthwhile to add to our souvenir stash.

[mattemma04]

The kids in our local M have done it.Dd recently went to Turkey and I asked dh to make sure he got stuff for her to pass out.Unfortunately he did not get 25 of the same thing.I put together a bunch of stuff for her classmates to pick from(keychains,magnets,crafty stuff),and all went well.Next time though I want 25 of the same.I don't want anyone to feel slighted. The cost was low.In Turkey the evil eye stuff is common so that is what I had them buy as gifts.
http://www.business-with-turkey.com/...r_boncuk.shtml

[lalaland42]

We live in Switzerland and my nephew (in the states) had an assignment where he had to write a letter to someone. So he wrote to his cousin (my DD). We sent him a card back with a Swiss flag sticker - the kind that goes on race cars - and enough ladybug stickers for everyone in the class. I wrote in the card that in Switzerland, lady bugs are considered good luck and talked a little more about that. Anyway. The whole thing cost 12 SFr incl postage and it had something to do with Swiss culture.

[velochic]

Originally Posted by mattemma04

The kids in our local M have done it.Dd recently went to Turkey and I asked dh to make sure he got stuff for her to pass out.Unfortunately he did not get 25 of the same thing.I put together a bunch of stuff for her classmates to pick from(keychains,magnets,crafty stuff),and all went well.Next time though I want 25 of the same.I don't want anyone to feel slighted. The cost was low.In Turkey the evil eye stuff is common so that is what I had them buy as gifts.
http://www.business-with-turkey.com/...r_boncuk.shtml

My dh is from Istanbul. We see his family often.

I can't think of something like the evil eye that is Italian.

[velochic]

Originally Posted by lalaland42

We live in Switzerland and my nephew (in the states) had an assignment where he had to write a letter to someone. So he wrote to his cousin (my DD). We sent him a card back with a Swiss flag sticker - the kind that goes on race cars - and enough ladybug stickers for everyone in the class. I wrote in the card that in Switzerland, lady bugs are considered good luck and talked a little more about that. Anyway. The whole thing cost 12 SFr incl postage and it had something to do with Swiss culture.

I think stickers (and stationery in general) is a good idea.

[rhiandmoi]

To get a nice book for the school library, you don't need to go to a tourist shop. The larger book shops in the city will have foreign language "coffee table" and guide books. The coffee table books are usually really nice and have great pictures. Plus there are the museum book shops (not the gift shops, the book shops). I almost always get something out of the book shop.

[RiverSky]

I have never heard of that before, so no, I don't think it's common.

I do think it's a very cool idea, though, as long as the item isn't very expensive. I think the idea of souvenir pens is a good one. I also think that unused postage stamps would be great, as would coins from the place you are going, perhaps new, uncirculated ones that you could pick up at a bank. Children LOVE to collect stamps and coins from other countries.