What's your school's policy on trips right now?

[Colleen A.]

A couple weeks ago, our district sent a letter home stating that all trips scheduled for the next 30 days have been cancelled. It also stated that only trips within Bucks Co. would be approved. The kids split team (6th and 7th) had a trip planned to historic Phila., the Italian Market and the Franklin Institue. I actually felt better know the kids wouldn't be going into historic Philly since that would be more of a target would something happen than any local area would. The kids were talking at the dinner table last evening and the teachers were giving an indication that these trips were back on! I am not comfortable with this idea and don't think I'm going to give permission to allow them to go.

What has your district done with regards to field trips outside of your local area? Do you think I'm nuts and just being over-protective?

 

[wovenwonder]

Please do what you feel best doing. You are the parent!

 

[sharbear]

Right now the school is going on a trip by trip basis. The 8th graders have a trip planned to DC for the end of May. As far as I know they have not decided if to go or not. The meeting to pay the remander of the money is on Mon. I will be curious to know what they decide. The principal said that it doesn't look good but our school tries to be open minded and to let things happen if they can. The HS had trips to Europe in Nov. and they went but things are different now.

 

[Towncrier]

Our school has cancelled all out-of-state field trips for the remainder of this school year. The band was supposed to go to NYC for a competition, but the school administration decided to cancel the trip without asking the opinion of the parents. I posted a thread about this when it happened and I was pretty upset by this unilateral decision.

My feeling is that my kids are at greater risk riding the school bus to and from classes every day than they would be from a field trip to NYC. But I guess my feelings don't count.

As a parent, you (should) have the ultimate say as to whether or not you want your kids to go on a field trip. It's up to you.

 

[Lars624]

My son i in the 8th grade band and they have a trip planned to Toronto in May. There has been no decision against them going but I know they're (school board) discussing it not only becasue of the war but because of SARS now.

 

[supercarrie]

My school district evaluates trips on a case by case basis. I was on a school trip in Russia when the war started. They are still letting most trips go, however international trips are still up in the air - no more are scheduled until next year, so I guess the district will make a decision when the time comes. They were in full support of the trip to Russia and Finland, even when, as we were preparing to leave, the news of the then war-to-be was heating up.

 

[amid chaos]

Norah's school had kids in France and Germany last week.

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

At this point in time we have not had any official notification about trips being cancelled, and have not heard that any at the high school have been.

Deb

 

[TLS4Mickey]

Our school district has suspended all school trips that aren't local. DS is in 5th grade and all the 5th grades in the district have been going to DC for 20 years. They cancelled the trip for this year. The kids have been selling pizza and subs to pay for it. We got a letter saying we will get a check for the amount in which the kids sold. I am putting that check towards a week at camp, this summer. I also saw, on the news, another local high school band was invited to play at WDW, but the district is not allowing them to go. The parents were not happy and were going to a board meeting to fight it. I feel bad my son won't experience DC, with his classmates, but I do understant the district decision. He'll get there, someday, and hopefully we will have better days to come.

 

[grinningghost]

Ours just cancelec trips to Washington, DC, Canada and France. Other trips, including Florida, Williamsburg and Cleveland are still on.

 

[Tiggeroo]

Bit of a sore subject here. My neice is on a cheerleading squad that has been training and raising funds all year for a big competition in Niagara Falls. The school cancelled that since they had to go to Canada. Then they planned another for South Carolina. The school cancelled all out of state trips. The ruling now stands that only very local trips for school, and only in state for sports teams.
This means that my son who runs spring track will not be able to compete in the Meet of Champions. And the team cannot go to the Penn Relays, which is a huge deal. It is especially bad for the Juniors and Seniors, as it is a good opportunity to meet college coaches. We live in South Jersey and everybody here regularly makes trips to Philly.
I too feel that the kids run a greater risk driving themselves to school, or crossing the street.
Also, I had a son who was going to France, also cancelled. By the way, since the school not the tour companies or hotels, air lines etc. cancelled the trip, not every trip is getting a refund. Some of these kids will not even get their own money back. And I would love to know what will happen to funds the kids raised as a team and individuals, that went into trip accounts.

 

[bobcat]

My 8th grade trip to Gettysburg in May is still on. At the parent meeting Tuesday not one parent brought up a concern about this trip.

 

[BethR]

Our school board is allowing the sponsoring organizations to make the decisions.

Our HS music department is still going to NYC. Our 6th graders in our elementary school is still going to D.C. But there have been one or 2 other elementary schools in our district who have cancelled their D.C. trips and will be going to alternate places. I don't know what the decisions will be on the HS trips that are out of the country.

We have no kids going on any trips this year, but if we did, I do not THINK that I would have any qualms about them going most anywhere. I figure that the security around our country has never been higher...

 

[LIDisneyFan]

Our school is considering canceling a NYC trip in May -I am not ahppy. I don't think we should teach our children to be reactionary - we will raise a generation of over-protected kids who can't function under adversity.

So, what will the schools IN NYC do - send all of the kids to the suburbs.

And who says that where any of us live is any safer than anywhere else, anyway?

Just MHO

 

[PamOKW]

A private school in our area was allowing trips. However, the group that went to China over spring break (students and faculty) was told to stay home for the week to be sure none of them had brought back the new SARS disease.

Most of the public schools are not allowing any out of the country trips and are looking at other trips on a case by case basis.