Student drowns on class trip

[yoopermom]

As a teacher and parent, this is one of my worst nightmares:
http://www.wnem.com/hotlinks/19642156/detail.html

Most schools in our area go to Mackinac as part of their end of the year class trip somewhere between 4-6th grade. I've stayed at this Holiday Inn before, too. Report is saying that there were plenty of chaperones there, but somehow the child still drowned. No lifeguard, typical of most hotels. I come from a family of teachers, and, when we stay at a hotel together, we're the "worst" moms possible, yelling at our own kids and other people's kids in the pool, because it's so hard to keep track of them every single second, and some people just let them run loose. Uurgh. I can't imagine how the other kids that were there are going to feel, too.

Sigh.

Terri

 

[momrek06]

Oh, wow, this is so sad. He is adorable.

 

[happygirl]

How sad!! Prayer go out to his family

 

[Stacerita]

How horrible for the family.

 

[SCHBR'smom]

What a nightmare for everyone! I heard on the news before that drownings such as this are not from a lack of supervision, but a lax in supervision. It's one of my biggest fears when my kids go anywhere in such a large group.

 

[wvjules]

The students on the trip are expected to be returning home Wednesday.

What!?!?!? How can any of them continue on with this field trip? That's another week. (Unless the article meant the were returning the day the article was written.)

Such as sad story. DD is going to Dorney Park with her class tomorrow. I'm going to be a mess. Amusement parks and rides make me nervous.

 

[ajk912]

That's so sad!!

That type of thing TERRIFIES me. My cousin drowned when we were all teens (he was a year younger than me, he was my brother's age) it was so sad. I am so terrified it would happen again. My 9 year old son is going on a mission trip with the church in July (I am unable to go, I have no one to watch the other kids) and I will have to stress to him DO NOT GO DEEPER than you can stand!!! He is used to OUR pool, but not any other people..and like others say..it's not lack of supervision, but lax supervision. With all the kids everywhere, it's hard to see who is goofing off and who is drowning (unless you know your kid and know how they act!!)

BTW, my kids do take swim lessons..and my son can swim about half the length of the pool no problem. But then he starts freaking out and doesn't breathe right, and ends up gasping for breath and needs to stand up. They are all still in swim lessons. But still, because I know someone personally who drowned I am super paranoid about it. I hate to tell him he can't go..because of my paranoia..but I don't know. The whole situation is sad.

 

[RitaZ.]

That's very sad.

 

[piglet too]

So sad.

 

[TerriP]

What!?!?!? How can any of them continue on with this field trip? That's another week. (Unless the article meant the were returning the day the article was written.)

This student was in my girlfriend's daughter's class. The students returned home yesterday. If you're so inclined, please pray for the family of this young boy as well as for his classmates...as you can imagine, this is an extremely difficult time for so many.

 

[raysnkaysmom]

Sooo sad

 

[yoopermom]

TerriP,
I'm the OP, and another Terri from MI, how odd of a coincidence is that?!?

I am definitely praying for all of them, what a terrible thing for them all to have experienced.

Terri

 

[TerriP]

TerriP,
I'm the OP, and another Terri from MI, how odd of a coincidence is that?!?
Terri

I'll be the lower peninsula Terri and you can be the upper peninsula Terri.

 

[JessicaR]

This is so heartbreaking. I am saying prayers for that family and all his classmates and teachers.

My comfort level would be zero on a field trip like this. My 10 year old would not be allowed to go.

 

[Minnie824]

Thats so sad.

See, as a parent, I may be one of the few, but at 5th grade I don't think the kids need to be going out of town or overnights or anything like that on fields trips. I don't even like it at high school age. Its just not needed.

 

[Stitchfans]

only 10 years old. so sad!

 

[LuvOrlando]

-

 

[agnes!]

My sympathies to the family & friends of the little boy. Here's his picture:

Kind of scary that there were 20-25 students in the pool area AND 12 chaperones AND 2 teachers...that's more than a 2-1 ratio of adults/children.

... I would, however, recommend a buddy system with the restrooms because there are many many teens roaming around who take day bus trips without adults.... JMO

My rule when chaperoning on school trips and in Girl Scouts was "3(or however many were in the small-group) go in? Then 3 *better* come out."

We had always emphasized this but all it took, on an overnight camping-trip, was for one little Brownie to get left behind at the bathroom by some careless friends (what made it really scary for her is that it was after dark)...
NEVER *ever* happened again in any group I had responsibility for.

agnes!

 

[MrsPete]

Thats so sad.

See, as a parent, I may be one of the few, but at 5th grade I don't think the kids need to be going out of town or overnights or anything like that on fields trips. I don't even like it at high school age. Its just not needed.

I agree.

Church groups, scout groups -- those are smaller in number, and the kids know their leaders better. That's a different story. The supervision is better -- or, if it's not better, the parents should be involved enough to recognize it. But school groups are just too large and too disorganized, while the number of teachers available to chaperone is too small. I don't know why schools have decided in the last couple years that they "should" offer overnight field trips.

My daughters' middle school tends to take an excessive number of trips -- some overnight, some quite expensive -- and I have not been impressed with the numbers of supervising adults. I've said no a couple times, and she's thought it was awfully unfair.

 

[Jynohn]

This thread makes me so sad. My son's teammate drowned while they were at football camp in Maine two years ago. I'll never forget getting the phone call, my husband and I were at Disney at the time.

Prayers for this poor boy's family and all of his classmates.