8th grader DC trip experience?

[disneynikon]

AT 13 my dd went to Japan, alone to meet and exchange student we hosted and to stay with her family for 3 weeks. When she landed she called and said she wanted to come home.

I told her take a nap and call me in a few days. She loved her time in Japan, but hated the plane ride out and back.

 

[suzannen]

AT 13 my dd went to Japan, alone to meet and exchange student we hosted and to stay with her family for 3 weeks. When she landed she called and said she wanted to come home.

I told her take a nap and call me in a few days. She loved her time in Japan, but hated the plane ride out and back.

That was such great advice you gave her and it's also great that she stayed! I would worry mine would make me fly out to get her!

 

[Fire14]

I can't speak from parent prospective but I went as a 9th grader over Thanksgiving. I had fun and still remember it but wish I could go back and take more time to enjoy things.
Nothing outside of teen girl drama on our trip but when you have 6 teachers plus spouses of some and college daughters of another for a total of 12 chaprons for 77 kids. you are not going to do much, or your teachers, You have to face rest of school yr will remind you.

 

[freckles and boo]

And yes, I'm worried about a charter bus. I live near Atlanta where that one crashed off the interstate carrying a team from Ohio, killing 9 - Doesn't mean I'll keep her from anything that will ever possibly harm her, it means I'm her mom and I worry for her safety that is left in other peoples hands...

I went to DC over Memorial Day weekend when I was twelve on a school trip in 1979. We flew out the day after a horrible crash at O'Hare that killed 273 people. I had never been on a plane before, my mother had never flown before, and my dad had only been on military transports. Both my parents were very worried, but they agreed that I should go and learn.

I didn't really know any of the other girls in my room but they were quite nice. The itinerary was insane. There was no time to get into trouble and we all slept like rocks. My mother actually went to the bank and took out a loan for $350 because she wanted me to go. The banker had the nerve to ask her if her husband knew she was there. I am glad I went and I hope that my kids get opportunities like this, too.

 

[nenner1]

I went to DC from FL with my 5th grade class at age 11 (back in 1985).

No, I didn't know the adult chaperones who were parents of the other students. Actually I did know one mom, but she was not my direct chaperone. We had 4 girls (or boys) per room with one adult chaperone (mother or father of one of the kids) also in each room. We were there for one week and it seems like it was an experience very similar to what you posted.

It was an absolutely wonderful experience and I am very grateful for my parents for allowing it. Of course I did know the kids there- being elementary school as opposed to middle school in your situation, it was a small group of kids (I'd say there were no more than 50 of us) we were all close to begin with and we had so much fun!

The decision is a no brainer would it be me but I understand your concern. If she really wants to go do consider it for her, I know I was so happy my parents did!

 

[LUCiD]

By chance, does your daughter attend William Annin middle school?
Just curious because my old school had a trip like that. If she does, than it's completely safe. My ex-boyfriend went on that trip. ( I couldn't go because I had to move to Ohio.)

 

[bumbershoot]

Sounds almost exactly like my 8th grade trip, except for the monuments that weren't there in '83 ish.

I was only 13, and it was fine.

The ONLY problems I had were because I wasn't popular, and only the popular parents chaperoned, which meant I was looked over by them, and the infractions THEIR kids did were passed over.

The ONE thing that happened was that my buddy and I misheard instructions...we thought they said to meet at one museum, but they said another, so she and I were waiting at the art museum for ages until we finally figured out we had heard wrong. We were definitely on time, though!

So we started down the sidewalk, and found a cop, because that's just what you do. He had us get in his car, drove until we found our bus (we remembered the number), and got out! It all would have been simple, we did exactly the right thing, but one of the popular kids saw us and decided to say that he "found" us.

We got in trouble for "not listening"...well we were sitting in the back and everyone else was talking, and we THOUGHT we were listening, we both thought we were supposed to meet at the same museum the other did... We got to sit in the bus for Jefferson, and I thought, and still think, that that sucked. We weren't misbehaving and we got ourselves out of a possible mess by doing the right thing and keeping our heads. Harumph.

Other than that the trip was great, and I still have the big picture outside the capitol building.

(by the way, if DS were doing this trip with a school (unlikely, as are homeschooling), I would chaperone, just to try to protect the kids that aren't popular and might be overlooked. DS I'm sure would be an outgoing popular kid but others aren't like him (he got his extrovert side from hubby), and I would want to be there to make sure no one is railroaded by misunderstandings and biases against the less popular kids)

 

[rie'smom]

Our kids did this in the 7th grade. It was a rite of passage for them as they were leaving their elementary school to move onto the next school for 8th grade.
Unfortunately since 911, they have not taken anymore of the trips. However, if I had a child that age and they started doing the trips again, we'd allow them to go.

 

[hereyago]

It's been awhile since I was in school and we didn't have 8th grade trips to well anywhere. But in 12th grade, we did have a day trip to D.C.
If my DD11 has an opportunity to do that when she hits 8th grade if it is offered, I wouldn't hesitate.
As another poster wrote ask the questions you want to ask to make you feel more at ease.
I think it is ashame when parents-not saying this specific to OP-don't allow their kids to have experiences. Many times, kids and parents need a little break from each other. Also, kids could learn so much even in the way of learning to tolerate people and meeting people they wouldn't have met otherwise.

 

[GeorgiaPeach8]

Just thought I'd chime in...I taught 8th grade for years. A Washington DC trip was part of our school year. First, I'd like to say that I was always very careful with the children's safety. I barely slept while we were gone and tried to follow special instructions parents sent to the letter. BUT--lots of teachers were far too relaxed and I've witnessed students out of control with other teachers!

Also, outside of safety concerns--$700 is a lot of money to spend on an experience that I FIRMLY believe students get very little education value. I've seen students giggling through the Holocaust museum, text messaging at the Lincoln Memorial and basically more excited about the hotel, bus ride and with whom they are rooming.

Uggghhh...it just became frustrating over the years to watch. I really think 8th graders are too immature to truly appreciate DC outside the direct instruction of their parents. The group setting and being away from mom and dad is just too much for even the best behaved 8th grader.

 

[GeorgiaPeach8]

Oh...one more thought. These trips are awesome for students who wouldn't normally be able to go to Washington. I've taken kids being raised by grandparents, single parents, kids in foster care, etc...this is really a great opportunity for some of the kids.

I was, however, done when the last time I went an 8th grade girl looked at me and said, "the subway is so ghetto. I can't believe we can't just take taxis."

 

[Evil Genius]

We allowed both DSS and DSD to go on their 8th grade trips. One to DC and the other to Canada. It was a wonderful experience for them both. Were both sets of parents a little apprehensive, of course! But the ability for the children to see the world out weighed any anxieties we all had

 

[raysnkaysmom]

We allowed both DSS and DSD to go on their 8th grade trips. One to DC and the other to Canada. It was a wonderful experience for them both. Were both sets of parents a little apprehensive, of course! But the ability for the children to see the world out weighed any anxieties we all had

Absolutely, thats how I feel. I'm nervous for her (more for me) but I know I want her to go!!

 

[MrsPete]

Our 9th graders at my old school used to go on this trip, and the things I heard when they came back weren't necessarily bad -- not bad as in dangerous or wrong -- but they also had little or no educational value. For example, I'd ask them what they'd seen, and they'd tell me about the restaurant where the bus stopped on the drive up. I'd ask them what monuments they'd seen, and they'd tell me who made out with whom in the back seat of the bus and which teacher put a stop to it. I'd ask them if they saw such-and-such museum, and they'd talk about who got separated from the group and how they were found again.

I'm glad my daughters' classes didn't offer such a trip, so I never had to choose.

 

[3boymthr]

Goodness, at 15 I went to Spain for 2 weeks without my parents and with minimal chaperones. Point in fact, we spent one full day only having to check in with them at dinner time. You're worried about a charter bus? If you want to be sure your kid knows how to get along in the world plunk them down in the middle of Madrid with an only passable grasp at Spanish and force them to try and explain to the bus drivers where they're trying to get to.

Seriously, your girl will be fine. She will have the time of her life. She will not miss you (sorry to say) and she will gain experiences that she will desperately need in 4 years time when she is away form you permanently at college.

Me Too! The only chaperones were the two HS spanish teachers for 20 kids. We had a ball, never thought about our parents. Despite some wine with dinner and lunch and.. (teenage drinking was legal in Spain) we were fine.

To OP if it makes you feel better my DS went to DC in the 6th grade (just turned 12) with the boy scouts during spring break.They did almost the same itinerary swapping monticello and jamestown for a stop at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in MD (because things that go boom are very important to teenage and pre-teen boys). Biggest difference was cost and sleeping locale; $267 and being boyscouts they camped (of course) just outside Arlington National Cemetary. He had been away to summer camp the summer before so I knew he wouldn't be bothered by being away from home but I was so concerned by him being so far from home without me and in such a big city. We knew the chaperones which made me a little more comfortable with the whole thing. But there were still only 3 for 25 boys. They had a ball, nothing went wrong and a year and a half later he still talks about how much fun he had and wants to know when he can go back.

 

[golfgal]

Our 9th graders at my old school used to go on this trip, and the things I heard when they came back weren't necessarily bad -- not bad as in dangerous or wrong -- but they also had little or no educational value. For example, I'd ask them what they'd seen, and they'd tell me about the restaurant where the bus stopped on the drive up. I'd ask them what monuments they'd seen, and they'd tell me who made out with whom in the back seat of the bus and which teacher put a stop to it. I'd ask them if they saw such-and-such museum, and they'd talk about who got separated from the group and how they were found again.

I'm glad my daughters' classes didn't offer such a trip, so I never had to choose.

I would be curious to see what these kids would say about taking that trip 10 years or so after going on the trip. They may not have appreciated the trip then but my guess is as they got older they realized that it was a good experience. Our oldest went to China when he was 14 and he came home gushing about everything they saw/learned, etc. Yes, they talked a lot about the restaurants but that was because they were so different then what we have here. Mostly they were family run places that were pretty much out of their homes-and always served family style-that and the fish heads with every meal .