Field trip!!!????

[azecas]

My DD (10) is a 5th grade student. Her school sent a note that will have a field trip to Washington (we are in Texas), the date: last week of May 2010, there are aprox. 150 5th graders students, they will only accept 35, the students must write an essay explaining the reasons they would like to go.

The problem: The aprox. cost $1900.00, (5 days) they doesn't want volunteer parents or chaparones, they will travel with 5 teachers and an administrator.

What I think: It is too expensive, with less money I can plan a FAMILY Disney Vacation, they have only 10 years! to take it alone, (without parents) in an airplane, stay in a hotel, with an adult that I didn't know (OK. are the teachers, but we never know.)

Of course my dd wants to go, but me and my dh are thinking about it, we will have to do a big sacrifice to save for that trip.


What do you think?

 

[dfchelbay]

Wow...that's a lot of money, and quite young for such a trip. I'm not really liking the selection of only 35 too. If it were me and my child, I don't think I would participate in this one.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[MM27]

For that amount of money, considering the number of days, I would just opt out. Tell your daughter that you are planning a family vacation and perhaps let her help. Since they are not taking the whole 5th grade, she shouldn't be too bummed out that she isn't getting to go.

 

[snoopybabe]

I agree with you, that is a lot of money. I would rather use that money to do something together as a family. (to disney or Washington DC) She is only in 5th grade. When my kids were that young I wouldn't want them to be that far away without me. (helicopter mom here)

There will be other trips as she gets older. I'm an elementary teacher & I'm surprised in these economic times they are even suggesting a trip like this.


Good luck with your decision.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I wouldn't be comfortable with that at all, even without considering the expense. No parent chaperones?? I would definitely use that money towards a family vacation instead.

 

[bunny213]

My children are all out of school....but if they had come home with a deal like this...I would have op't out also. That's alot of money and our whole family could enjoy a vacation together for that. I don't get the school's reasoning behind it...and don't think it's fair to just take 35 "select" students. Even based on the selection of their essay...they still have to come up with the fee. Why can't they do something locally and include the whole grade level? That's what our school did (and still does).
PS - I wouldn't feel bad about saying no either....Barb

 

[HeyIt'sMe]

I agree with the other posters - opt out. Too expensive and too far from home for someone of her age.

Last year DD was in 6th Grade and was a Student Council member. The Student Council had a year-end overnight trip to Chicago that would have cost ~$400. We didn't allow her to go. It wasn't so much the cost (even though I do think it was overpriced for where they were staying and what they were doing) but I didn't want her traveling that far without us (she was 11). Chicago is only about 3.5 hours from us but I still didn't feel right about letting her go. Better safe than sorry I say.

 

[Dancemom03]

I can't say what I'd tell my child. I'd be one of the ones who'd skrimp & spend the money to send her b/c I have a thing about once-in-a-lifetime-experiences and a family trip to wdw doesn't qualify as that for us so the two wouldn't be comparable in my book. That doesn't mean she'd be chosen by the school though so probably more challenging is what I'd say if she wasn't picked to participate.

I do know that I'd be raising Holy H**L that only 35 children will be accepted for the trip. Regardless of how much it costs, to say that there are 150 kids eligible but this will be a contest to see who wants it more is just insulting - not to mention hurtful to the vast majority of students who won't be selected - and I can't think of how that could possibly promote a positive learning environment right now, though perhaps it'll come to me later.

Busses hold an average of 100 so 35 kids wouldn't fill a charter bus even halfway. I'm guessing that means they're flying? Why? Or... more to the point - why not take a bus, cut the cost, and open it to more students???
If they already are taking a bus, who's filling the remaining seats and why wouldn't they add an additional bus if neccessary? IMO - it sounds more like a teachers' outing with parents footing the bill, than a true educational experience or they'd have opened it up to all eligible students.

We've had quite a bit of experience over the years with expensive class trips to distant states but they've always been transported by bus and participation was never limited to a select few "winners" - unless you count the 400 members of our high school show-choir's NYC trip to perform in Carnegie Hall one year as a few maybe. Looking at six packed busses and several trailers full of instruments/luggage though, we sure didn't..

 

[K and K's Mommy]

My fifth grader is taking a trip to the Florida keys to study marine biology. It costs 950 plus transportation. You can use the group flight or get them there yourself.

Parents may go but of course, they have to pay the whole thing too. There is a limit of 50, but it is first come, first serve. I believe they were about half full the first night.

My DH is going with my DS. There was a parent at the meeting who said it is definitely a trip of a lifetime. My DS wants to go but not without one of us. Since he wants one of us to go, he is asking for money from all relatives for his birthday.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

Moving this to the Community Board because it is about so much more than the money.

OP, it's your child and your money. Ultimately, it is your decision. It would certainly be nice if the school offered fund raising opportunities so that the children can defray some of those costs. $1900 seems like a lot for a kids' school trip but it is Washington DC and that area has a very high cost of living.

However, it seems that your concerns go beyond the dollar amount. I would also be concerned about the number of chaperones vs. the number of students. And I would want to know the details of how they expect to ensure their well-being and safety while on this trip.

I don't know that I would say 'no' right out of the gate. But I would certainly tell my 10yo child that I wanted more details before making a decision. Like Dancemom03, I believe in taking advantage of once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.

 

[JessicaR]

Did they break down the expenses for this trip? Seems like WAY too much money. I don't think its very nice to have 150 kids compete for 35 spots. They are 10 years old, what the heck? I bet there aren't 35 parents that can afford to do it anyway. Seems like it was not very well thought out. My 10 year old would not be going.

 

[IDoDis]

My DD's school is also offering a trip to Washing DC in May sponsored by the "Close Up" foundation. It's for 4 nights and the cost is $1700.00. The school will be doing some fundraisers which would cover about $200 of the $1700. I told DD if she really wants to go, she needs to do her own fundraising to pay 1/2 the trip. The school is going to give the kids letters to pass out to businesses for donations. I don't know if that will cut it though, especially with the economy being so bad.

While at the information meeting, I noticed that my DD sat with a group of friends off to the side. They were whispering together, looking at cell phones, sending texts, etc... They were not listening to the "opportunity of a lifetime" that the teachers were talking to the parents about.

After the meeting I talked with some of the moms who I knew and said, "Heck, we could take them to our own state capitol to watch the legislature and spend a couple of nights in a hotel and they'd be just as happy!" I think DD wants to go on the trip for the social reasons, but could care less about being in DC and going on the tours. Unless she raises a big chunk of money to pay for 1/2, she won't be going.

 

[Tasha+Scott]

If my child were in high school, I might do it, but in 5th grade I'd opt out on that one too.

 

[marlynnp]

Frankly, I'd be surprised if there were even 35 essays submitted in the first place!

 

[Dancemom03]

It's the weekend so my TA mode must have tuned out before. The math just clicked in though... Typically with youth groups, the organizer goes free - then one free chaperone for every 8 paid participants. Somehow, given that fact, the numbers make more sense. I have to wonder if their "magic number" of 35 was attained by counting how many teachers were interested in attending...

You wouldn't normally open a school trip up to entire families but parents chaperoning who've had volunteer experience/training/background check as required for overnights by your school system and are willing to pay their own way might have made a nice inclusion, allowing more students to benefit from this particular learning adventure.

 

[laurie31]

Good gosh, we flew to Wyoming and spent 9 days in Yellowstone for about that much money. I know DC has a high cost of living, but they aren't buying a house there!

I think that's a phenomenal amount of money, even if it's all-inclusive. You have air fare, hotel, and food. Most attractions in Washington are free.

Let's say $300 for the flight, four nights in a hotel shouldn't be more than $200, and that's pretty generous, so...what on earth is the rest for??

You could take your whole family, spend time seeing and doing the things that would be of special interest to your DD, and spend WAY less that that!

(and no, my 5th grader would not be going that far away on a plane without a parent even if it were more reasonably priced)

 

[diznygirl]

I agree that $1900 for one student to attend sounds like an awful lot. I'd like to see the breakdown of costs. I think I could do it less expensively, and plan to next summer with the entire family.

 

[clh2]

Can I put things in a "recent" trip perspective???

My DD attended a national youth gathering for our church in New Orleans.

The covention fee was $300. The total cost of the trip was $1200.00, which included the convention fee. They flew down on a Tuesday, and flew home on Monday evening. It was recommended that they bring $100 om spending money.

So - basically the $900 included:

charter school bus from church to the airport (and then back to the church upon return)

roundtrip airfare from Milwaukee to New Orleans

all meals - EXCEPT for dinner in the Atlanta airport. The breakfast was handled "on the cheap in the hotel rooms", but was included. Lunch was included in the registration fee, and then they did group dinners - including at the Hard Rock

Ground transportation in New Orleans

All hotels - the kids were 4 to a room.

A coupe of tours - I think they did a ghost-type of tour - and one other tour.

And a group t-shirt.

We earned all money - except the $300 registration fee through fundraising, it was a ton of work, but glad we really had limited out of pocket expenses.

Let me be cynical for a moment: I would be going "" at this trip request, especially the cost- and I think some of these requests evolve from teachers who can earn a free trip. If this trip is scheduled during regularly scheduled class time (sorry - I don't know if you would be out of school yet) then there is an additional expense for your district to cover substitutes for the teachers who are chaperoning.

And - if the trip is "brokered" by another company - I.E. CHECK THIS LINK then the trip is "marked up - as this company will need a fee for their service as well.

 

[AshleyW]

$1900 for a trip to Washington? I wouldn't do it. My senior year in high school (6 years ago) I went with my German 5 class to Germany for a month, and the student cost was $1950. That included airfare, hotels/hostels for every night (with the exception of 1 week that we stayed w/a German family), breakfast every morning, admission to all the tours, and transportation while we were there.

 

[Ilike2Lurk]

Much too expensive!

MANY popular attractions are free in Washington DC.