From America: 3

Our second full day started with the discovery that our rehearsal yesterday had filled half a page of the local newspaper, the New Jersey Herald. A reporter/photographer had visited us, and Roz Lloyd-Bostock, Alice Rudge, Rowan Lewis and Chris Dixon all featured in photos.

The rehearsal continued as yesterday with the choir in the church and the combined orchestras in the hall. After our mid-morning break (bagels in many guises, with whipped butter), the entire concert programme was then run through at the end of the morning. As well as the two joint items, the orchestra entertained the choir, with half-a-dozen items, all played with verve and enthusiasm. Mr. Scamardella's face was a picture, when the sound of his rehearsal piano bore little resemblance to the keys being struck! The choir's four items were warmly greeted by the orchestra.

An American icon, the yellow school bus, then transported us to the Rockaway shopping mall, where everyone, apart from Mr. Gillham, spent an enjoyable afternoon shopping. Abercrombie 'ripped' jeans were a popular, if incomprehensible, item to this author! Many of the students were picked up from the Mall by their hosts, the rest were returned to Newton and safely collected.

Evening activities arranged by host families have already included barbecues, swimming and a visit to a baseball game.

All the party have settled in well and are having a fantastic time. Miss Morris and the remaining four students are flying across the Atlantic Ocean as we write and are expected to arrive safely tonight at 9pm local time.