UPDATE! Is DD's teacher nuts? Field trip to NYC?!

[laurie31]

DD9 is in the drama club at school, this is her second year. She loves it. They practice after school one day a week. She came home yesterday all excited, "MAMA! MAMA! We're going to NEW YORK! We're going to see a play on Broadway and go backstage and meet the actors!"

Um....okay. I scrape my jaw up off the ground. New York City is a marvelous place, but it's about *1000 miles* from here. How much is this going to cost? How will they get there?

"We're going on buses. Mrs X said it would only cost about $800 but it won't even cost that much, 'cause we're going to have fundraisers!" I just bought $50 worth of wrapping paper I don't need, and next month it's cookie dough! Who does DD think BUYS the stuff she's selling to raise all this money

This is a group of FIFTY 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. Who in their right mind wants to travel 1000 miles on a bus with fifty 8, 9, and 10 year olds?
And then keep up with them all in a city the size of NYC?

"Oh, it's okay Mama, we won't get lost from the teacher 'cause everybody has to bring a parent!"

Um....great. I get to go too. Btw, I love NYC and would love to go back but not on a BUS - I get horribly carsick and what do I do with DD7? Dh can't get off work, and they're going during spring break. What if we already had a vacation planned for that week? And, we don't exactly have $1600 extra just laying around for a trip like that. And what do they do to top this when the kids are in high school?!

Am I overreacting? Shouldn't they have asked the parents what they thought about this before filling the kids' heads with excitement about such a major trip? I'm sure if she ends up getting to go she will love it, but I think the kids are too young for something so expensive. And so far away.

I just realized if it was a trip to WDW, I'd be all for it

I know there are fun things for kids to do in NYC, but I guess I thought of a trip there as something for older kids. My sister took her DD there for a high school graduation present.

Thanks for listening to my vent Something about hearing the words "$800" come out of my daughter's mouth preceeded by the word "only" sort of freaked me out

Do your elementary school-aged kids go on field trips of this magnitude?

Laurie

UPDATE:
Last week, they (finally!) had a parents meeting about this trip. Turns out they couldn't have the meeting until they had school board approval (so why'd you tell the kids so early?? and I'm shocked that the board approved!). The tour company requires the balance to be paid in full 90 days prior to the trip. For us, that's Jan 2nd. Oh, yeah, I'm just oozing with extra cash in January - lol! And the figure was wrong, it's not $1600, it's $1700 (!) and that's not including gratuity for the tour directors and 4 lunches. I could easily see it reaching close to $2000 once you throw in souviners and other travel-related expenses (picture developing, etc).

If that wasn't scary enough, there was (dum dum DUM) the ITINERARY!

On the surface it sounded fun, and I think it would be great for high school-aged kids, but these are 8-10 year olds. They decided to fly instead of go on a bus. Fine. Great, actually However, we have to be at the airport- a 30 min drive away- at 5am, fly out at 7am, change planes with only a 30 min layover (not many direct B'ham to NYC flights), and arrive in NYC at 12:00. Start our walking tour on 5th Avenue at 1:15.

Okay, already I see problems. Can you see getting a big group of kids from one gate to another in 30 mins? What if the plane's just a little late? Yikes! Also, would we even have our luggage off the carousel and be loaded on the tour bus to go to 5th Ave by 1:15 if we land at noon?

Moving on. We have a 3 hour walking tour and end up in Little Italy, where we have dinner. Then we go to the Empire State Building and go to the observation platform on the top. We go from there to the hotel. We arrive at the hotel at 10pm. I can only imagine how long it would take to pass out room assignments and keys and get everyone up to their rooms, unpack and get in bed. So, basically my daughter would have gotten up 3 1/2 hours before normal and stayed up 3 hours past her bedtime. Yeah, she'd be excited, but 7 extra hours of wakefulness is more than she could take. She doesn't do sleep deprivation very well. Heck. *I* don't do sleep deprivation very well


The next day - up at 7am. (this is 6 am our time <shudder> )

Breakfast. Go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Lunch on your own. Bus Tour of NYC. Pass the UN, St. Patrick's Cathedral, etc. Dinner at Hard Rock Cafe at 6pm. See Broadway play - Beauty and the Beast at 8pm. Return to hotel at 11pm.


Problems - my child would be sleeping through the play and most likely the bus tour as well - lol. Can we eat dinner at 6 and make it to the play at 8? That sounds rushed to me. Also, at first I thought how cool for her to see all those places, then we realized we would just be driving past them, not actually visiting them. I'm picturing Chevy Chase at the Grand Canyon here.


The next day - up at 7am. Breakfast. Go to the Statue of Liberty. Ferry back at noon, lunch on your own. Leave for the airport at 1pm, arrive back home around 10pm.


So, there's a net of about 48 hours in NYC for $2000 for 2 people. Our family of 4 spent 9 days in Yellowstone this summer for not much more than that (yes, we did use frequent flyer miles for 3 of our 4 tickets, but still!)


The coup de grace - the deposit of $300 was due 75 days prior to the date when the total is due...which was the following Monday. They had this meeting on Thursday to tell people to come up with $300 in 3 days! It should have been on Jerry Springer - LOL!


They needed 20 paid applications to be able to go. Needless to say, they did not get them.

They have raised almost $1000 with the fundraisers they had already done. They are now considering taking them to see The Nutcracker or perhaps a play at the Fox Theater in Atlanta. That sounds much more reasonable. Phew!!


Understand I have nothing against NYC, I've been there and it a great city! I just think it's too far for elementary kids to go on a field trip. My kids would LOVE to go there, only they want to SHOP and visit American Girl Place, and do lots of other things. One day we will take them there. But it won't cost us $1000 a day!

Laurie, relieved

 

[dmslush]

There is NO way I would send my preteen on an $800 field trip.. it just isn't going to happen. I really think the teacher should have run it by the parents before telling the kids! I'm sure it will upset your dd, but there will probably be VERY few kids actually go on this trip!

 

[grinningghost]

That's really expensive. I sent my DD to Nashville last year, which was $400, and I thought that was alot - she did alot of fundraising to help with the cost though.

While I agree that New York is a great city for a kid to visit, I think $1000 is over the top for a field trip unless the kids are going to raise the money themselves.

 

[mrsgus06]

When my ds was in 5th grade, we had a field trip to Washington DC. I know the milage is shorter, but it was still 3 bus loads of 10 and 11 year old kids. I did go and I did ride the bus with them (not highly recommended). I went for two reasons, one, it was my son in a strange state and he was not going without me. Two, a family member is a supervisor for the US Marshals office and was able to get us a tour through the White House but I had to locate the FBI agent needed to get us in . That was kind of cool. Anyway, another friend of mine had her son going also, but she could not go due to work. We agreed that both boys would stay in the hotel room with me but she would pay for half of my trip for watching her son. I did end up having a great time and I would love to go again, but not on a bus full of kids. I don't know why, but I would be more nervous about NYC. Maybe you could get together with a couple of other mothers, decide who will go, and work out the sleeping arrangements before hand with all of the families chipping in to cover the adults fee. Hope this helps.

 

[GEM]

I don't know about kids that age, but . . .

just this summer I took a group of my drama students (15 6th-12th graders) on a 6 day trip to NYC. It was fabulous! We saw 5 Broadway shows, did backstage tours, took classes at New York studios, did all the typical tourist stuff, and lots more. We flew, by the way. It was an amazing experience for them. We had a really, really incredible time. These were kids who have been eating, sleeping, and breathing theater since they were very, very young - so it was a real thrill for them. There were 3 adult chaparones - no parents came along. The trip cost $2,000 each, all inclusive. By the way, I teach private acting and musical theater lessons, so this wasn't a school trip. It was something I put together myself.

 

[laurie31]

I don't know about kids that age, but . . .

just this summer I took a group of my drama students (15 6th-12th graders) on a 6 day trip to NYC. It was fabulous! We saw 5 Broadway shows, did backstage tours, took classes at New York studios, did all the typical tourist stuff, and lots more. We flew, by the way. It was an amazing experience for them. We had a really, really incredible time. These were kids who have been eating, sleeping, and breathing theater since they were very, very young - so it was a real thrill for them. There were 3 adult chaparones - no parents came along. The trip cost $2,000 each, all inclusive. By the way, I teach private acting and musical theater lessons, so this wasn't a school trip. It was something I put together myself.

I can see something like that for kids who take private lessons. Your students are kids seriously interested in theater. Also you had a group of 15 and not 50. And 11 is a lot older than 8 And wow - look how big Paul has gotten! My goodness!

I agree with dmslush that lots of the kids won't be going. Drama club only costs $25 for the whole year, so it's something kids don't have to be wealthy to participate in. I'll bet this was a huge curve ball for a lot of parents. In fact, I wonder if the whole thing will actually come about.

If she were in high school, she could babysit or otherwise work to earn the money. Selling stuff that I have to buy doesn't count as her raising the money.

My niece's school also did the 5th grade field trip to DC and my sister had a similar experience to mrsgus06. A bit traumatized by long distance bus travel with excited kids. Well, more than a bit I was so glad OUR school didn't do stuff like that! I thought it was a big deal that the 4th graders are going to Huntsville to the Space Center! Little did I know!

Thanks for your comments, everyone I was afraid I was being a "mean mommy!"

Laurie

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

Too far and too much money!
I went to NYC on field trips but lived only 40 miles away. And didn't go with school until 7th grade. When you said 800 i just assumed it was for the whole class 'cause i certainly wouldn't be spending 800 per 3rd grader.

 

[pw2pp]

I don't blame you for being shocked....... 8,9, & 10 year olds are too young to take a trip like that and at $800 ?
there is no way in heck I would send my kid.

 

[cepmom]

That's crazy!
Our field trips used to be into Boston to the science museum or something.

In 5 months I'm going to Germany, Austria and Switzerland with my German class from school!! That trip is $1500 - and out of the country!


ETA: Under Mom's username Oops

 

[Kermit]

That's completely outrageous. Has the teacher even run it past administration? It's a disaster waiting to happen, and she should have run it past the parents before telling the students that's what they were going to do. I'd call the teacher and see what she was thinking.

 

[N.Bailey]

Forget the money (though it's a lot), IMO, that's too far to go for such young kids without the parents going too. I would have NEVER allowed either of my kids to go that far without me and we're one state away from NY.

I would be very upset if a teacher took this upon herself without consulting the parents. A trip for older kids is another issue altogether, so I'm not against it for all, but 9 year olds?

 

[DisneyVillain]

My sister took a class of her 6th graders to NYC from Chattanooga. They paid for almost all of it with fundraisers.

In NYC they got together with a class from the Bronx, many of whom had never been to Manhattan. It was a hugely successful trip, and the next year they raised money to bring the Bronx kids to Chattanooga.

New York is a great place to visit at almost any age, and since they have cleaned up Times Square, it is very safe as well.

 

[ElizaB39]

Yep she's nuts, that is all I will say on the topic.

 

[JoeEpcotRocks]

My daughter's band (5 buses) went on a trip over 1000 miles, too. But it WAS to Disney World! (and they were in high school).

They didn't have any trouble getting chaperones! No -- my wife or I did not get to go. Boo, hiss.

 

[Nancy]

I am surprised the school district would even authorize a trip that far with that age of students. While it would be an amazing trip, I just think that age group is a bit too young for it and I would not let my kids go on something like that and we are only a 7 hour drive from NYC.

 

[minkydog]

Weeell...yes and no. The teacher should have definitley given the parents a heads-up on this one. Eight hundred dollars is a lot of money to come up with, fund-raiser or not. I don't have a problem with my 10-11yo going on a major trip IF the trip serves a useful purpose; i chalk it up to the cost of educating my daughter.

My DD12 has been involved in a professional children's choir for 5 yrs. She has had the opportunity to go on tour twice so far, once to Omaha and then to New Orleans last June(good thing!) Next summer we're taking a short tour to Elon College in NC.The tours are expensive (she earned about 1/4 of the money herself), $800-1000, but she is training with world-class composers and visiting places she would otherwise not get to see. They have a lot of fun, but they also work very hard. It's not really a vacation. I usually go on the tours, since I am a pediatric nurse, but DD12 does not remain with me most of the time. We are extremely well chaperoned, usually 1 adult:3 kids. And if the trip is over 8 hrs we fly.

Some of our parents don't feel comfortable sending their middle school age kids on these trips and I can totally understand. If I had not seen personally how they are run I would probably not feel as positive about them. I don't know that I would feel comfortable sending off my 9yo to NYC unless I was going with them.

 

[the kabuki]

IMHO:Teacher is nuts, she should've run it by the parents first, trip is too far for 8 & 9 year olds' and $800 p/p is way too much money.

 

[Kitty 34]

I was complaining when I had to help pay for my son's $600 trip to NYC last year and he's 18! But I guess I would complain more if he was only 8 or 9. Yes, I think that's too young for that big of a trip.

 

[golfgal]

Did this teacher stop to think that not every family is going to have a parent that can just take off to NY for a week for a field trip? Then there is the $1600-that is a LOT of money for a field trip like that. Sorry, no way, no how would I spend that kind of money for one child to go to NY when they are in 3RD GRADE! I would have called the director and asked what in the heck was he thinking???? There is no way this should have been presented to the kids without having a meeting for the parents first.

 

[KarenB]

I am all for kids seeing the world, but I would have to say I would be hesitant about that trip as well. Did anything come home in writing or is your DD trying to give you the details herself? That just seems like such a young age, a long way, and a lot of missed school days. My DSs both went to NYC and DC few times but this started in middle school, only a 3 hour drive and an extended scool day.

So many "ifs" too-such as what if the parent can't get days off of work??

Let us know what happens,
Karen