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Post by bothmykidsrbrats on Apr 11, 2021 21:41:29 GMT
We went on 2 night trip to Mackinac Island in 6th grade (1975). The teachers and chaperones took turns sitting in the hallways of the hotel at night. During the day we were free to roam the island on our own, in groups of at least 3. The only over night school trips my kids took were for extracurricular activities.
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Post by KikiPea on Apr 11, 2021 21:43:09 GMT
Not with school, but when I was in 8th grade, I went with my church choir for a week trip up and down the east coast.
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Post by cindyupnorth on Apr 11, 2021 21:47:45 GMT
until these trips with public schools can take kids who have no money.. and their families don't have the money for it.. and include kids with ieps.. with appropriate support at no cost to the family.. the trips aren't equitable. All kids in band went. No matter what. Kids worked thru out the 2 yrs leading up to the trip. Doing group fund raisers, and also individual ones. I'm pretty sure that kids with IEPs went too. blink blink. I would think most had a parent, or even a para go with if needed.
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Post by AussieMeg on Apr 11, 2021 21:55:10 GMT
When I was in school in the 70s and 80s we went on overnight school camps. In grade 5 and 6 we travelled 4 hours away by bus and stayed 4 days. In Year 9 we went 3.5 hours by train for 5 days.
My kids started overnight trips even earlier. Year 2 - slumber party at the school to get them used to overnight trips Year 3 - 2 days Year 4 - 3 days Year 5 - 4 days Year 6 - 5 days x two interstate trips Year 7 - 5 days Year 9 - 5 day survival camp Year 10 - 4 week exchange trip to Germany (optional)
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2021 22:07:27 GMT
I have great memories of the school trips I took in the late 80's. Washington DC with the Close Up program (very government-focused), Mackinac Island (band trip), Chicago (another band trip) and a week in the BWCA were the memorable ones.
My kids have done a number of trips through school and Girl Scouts: Puerto Rico, Washington DC, NYC (twice) All of them were run through travel agencies that specialized in trips for school-aged kids so were not inexpensive but had fantastic itineraries. They were also planned well in advance with payment plans and lots of fundraising opportunities so I hope that made it feasible for the majority of kids.
I think the idea that public school kids shouldn't have the same opportunity is ridiculous. I had only 1 family trip that was across the US growing up and that was only because my grandparents went along (mostly since my single mom didn't have the budget for more or a reliable vehicle) so I really appreciate she was supportive of me taking the school trips that I was expected to fundraise for and helped pay for.
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peabay
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Jun 25, 2014 19:50:41 GMT
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Post by peabay on Apr 11, 2021 22:07:39 GMT
No, but one Wednesday a semester (so twice a year) we would have a day where the nuns at my Catholic school would take us into NYC for the day to a Broadway matinee. This was the late 70s - early 80s, so not so many rules. We'd get on the Long Island Railroad with our nun chaperone at about 8 or 9 am, get into Penn Station and be told "meet me in front of the theater at 1:45" and let loose. We would roam all over the city, like the crazed 16 year olds we were, no cell phones, no way to contact us and then all meet at our specific theater. It's amazing no one disappeared - but no one did. One year my gaggle of girlfriends met a bunch of Catholic school boys from Philadelphia who were on the same kind of "free range" field trip. We had fun like kids just wouldn't be allowed to have today.
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Post by freecharlie on Apr 11, 2021 22:19:47 GMT
We did something called Eco Week in 6th grade, which was really only 2 or 3 nights. I went to DC after my 9th grade year
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Post by SockMonkey on Apr 11, 2021 22:24:57 GMT
Did you ever go on an overnight or longer school trip? It was never an option in my K-12 school years. I read here how 8th graders go to D.C. or NY and I think how cool that would have been. Probably the demographics of my school district did not make it feasible, and while I was in K-12 I never knew there where such trips. I didn't (went to small Catholic school with not tons of resources at the time), but now I chaperone them. I take our students every year to a statewide theatre festival where they get to see shows, take workshops, audition for colleges. It's awesome. It's a LOT of work, but it's a great experience for them. We stay 2 nights, and it's always held at one of two state universities, so the kids also get the experience of being on a college campus.
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Post by Basket1lady on Apr 11, 2021 22:39:27 GMT
I graduated in 1986. Trips were offered to France and Germany, but I never went on them. I’m pretty sure that band and choir also had trips, but I didn’t do a music class in HS.
For my kids, they had a trip to DC in 8th grade. I wasn’t going to send DS because we had moved from DC 2 years prior to the trip and were moving back there that summer. DS also had an entrance exam for HS the following weekend that we needed to be in DC for. But the teachers all pushed for him to go. We ended up sending him and he had a BLAST. I’m glad that we wasn’t them. Both kids also had options to do an exchange trip over spring break, but neither did it. One year, DH was coming home from a deployment that week and the other year we went to Europe on a family trip. We did sponsor a French student the year DS had the opportunity to go to France and I got to know the French teacher very well. She loved taking the kids over and looked forward to it even after she retired.
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Post by Merge on Apr 11, 2021 23:42:45 GMT
My public high school choir and band performed at Disney World in 1990 (flew on planes from Nebraska). I had multiple overnights to all state and honor choirs where my choir director was the only chaperone. Oh and speech/debate trips, too.
My older daughter has done two of the school trips where a couple of teachers sponsor it through a travel company.
The younger one traveled to Disney by bus with her middle school orchestra and to NYC by plane with her high school orchestra.
And there are literally thousands of music students on overnight trips with teacher sponsors to TMEA every February.
I think high school ensemble/theater directors kind of know what they’re getting into with that, though. It’s really part of the job. A part I would have loathed, which is one of the many reasons I don’t teach high school.
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psiluvu
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Post by psiluvu on Apr 11, 2021 23:45:36 GMT
I grew up in a small town outside of Toronto, Ontario. I was in high school from 1980 -1986. We had grade 13 back then. In grade 10 we went on a 5 day trip to NYC. In grade 11, 4 days to Washington DC and in grade 12 a week in Italy over March Break. T
My kids who grew up in Ottawa, ON went on a 2 day overnight summer camp trip in grade 6. All the grade sixes in their school went and as far as I know still do. DD went to NYC in grade 10. Ds was supposed to go to Washington in grade 11 but the pandemic happened
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Post by katlaw on Apr 11, 2021 23:57:36 GMT
In grade 6 our class went to a camp for the weekend. It was a facility that has week long summer camps. We went in February, a grade 6 trip to commemerate our last year of elementary school. We went out on snow shoes, swam in the pool, played games in the gym. We left on Friday morning and got back Sunday night. I sent to France in grade 8 for 10 days with a group of grade 8 and 9 students. We were all in a French program. I could have gone on a trip in high school, there were a few offered. Weekend ski trips, a trip to Ottawa and a few trips to Europe. My best friend was in choir in high school and they went to California on a choir tour. They sang in Disneyland on that trip. It is common here (pre-covid) to offer overnight trips with the schools.
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Post by 950nancy on Apr 12, 2021 0:03:32 GMT
until these trips with public schools can take kids who have no money.. and their families don't have the money for it.. and include kids with ieps.. with appropriate support at no cost to the family.. the trips aren't equitable. my kid's private school had a senior overnight trip to a city.. 10 kids, 3 teachers.. every moment scheduled and planned. she went on a school sponsored trip to greece over christmas..2 teachers, 4 students. her school had 50 students. that's why there were no pitfalls. I also wonder how many of these trips are just fun.. and few curriculum goals. course we barely have field trips in our schools..unless you can go on a city bus to your location. I went along on trips with 50 kids catching the train to go downtown to visit museums.. the city buses were free to school kids. Yup, our district paid for it. Kids with IEPs did very well on these trips. Accommodations were always made when needed. The school nurse was at camp for the full five days. Almost all of the teachers were certified in CPR and first aid. Every kid learned how to repel if at all possible. Kids who weren't physically able to get down the mountain independently were attached to an adult who got them down. It was all the kids could talk about that day. One of the best things about these camping trips (kids were in cabins, so not roughing it) was that kids that often struggled with academics would often shine at camp because it was a different setting even though they were still learning a lot of things. My friend's school did similar trips and it was a wealthy public school mixed with kids who were not wealthy. They had fund raisers, silent auctions, etc. All kids went.
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Post by 950nancy on Apr 12, 2021 0:07:08 GMT
Not with school, but when I was in 8th grade, I went with my church choir for a week trip up and down the east coast. My church camp always drove from Omaha to a small mountain town outside of Colorado Springs. When my husband and I first started dating, I told him I wanted to live in Colorado Springs. Four years later, we married and got jobs in Colorado Springs.
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Post by Karene on Apr 12, 2021 0:23:06 GMT
Our Grade 8 graduation trip was to the capital city, Ottawa for 3 days. We fundraised for the year so that everyone could afford to go.
My older son went to Tennessee for a week in Grade 8 for a Destination Imagination competition since his group were finalists in Ontario.
My younger son's high school always does a history trip to Europe during March Break. The year he was in Grade 12, the trip was to Italy and he came home and said he really wanted to go. They always announce the destination of the following year's trip about a week after the current trip. You put in your name and then you have a year to save up money. The school usually only took enough students to fill one tour bus, but the Italy trip was so popular that they opened up to fill two buses. They ran almost as two different groups while overseas, taking different planes, staying at different hotels, but visiting the same places. My son loved his trip especially since he was able to room with his two best friends.
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Post by SockMonkey on Apr 12, 2021 0:24:18 GMT
I think high school ensemble/theater directors kind of know what they’re getting into with that, though. It’s really part of the job. A part I would have loathed, which is one of the many reasons I don’t teach high school. Hahaha! See, and I find it HILARIOUS. The performances don't end on the stage, let me tell you! I love high school kids so much!
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paigepea
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Post by paigepea on Apr 12, 2021 0:33:27 GMT
Yes! My kids started in gr 6. Older dd went on a few in gr 8 and 2 in gr 9 before lockdown last year. They’re nice for the kids but they are pricey. Our school doesn’t plan budget trips. They use a company that plans and organizes.
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Post by Merge on Apr 12, 2021 0:36:11 GMT
I think high school ensemble/theater directors kind of know what they’re getting into with that, though. It’s really part of the job. A part I would have loathed, which is one of the many reasons I don’t teach high school. Hahaha! See, and I find it HILARIOUS. The performances don't end on the stage, let me tell you! I love high school kids so much! Yeah, I was part of the obnoxious late night performances, the endless singing on the bus, etc. Zero desire to experience it from the other side. I quickly learned at TMEA which hotels the high school groups stay in so I can avoid them!
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Post by ScrapbookMyLife on Apr 12, 2021 2:43:17 GMT
It was more like a 18-20 hour trip. No hotel.
My times could be slightly off, but it went a little something like this.... Sixth grade. Jr High. High School.
Get to the parking lot at 4:00am Saturday morning, bus leaves at 4:30am. Bring a brown bag snack or breakfast(sandwich and can of soda) for the bus.
Arrive at whichever amusement or theme park about 9:00am-10:00am, depending on location/traffic.
Stay at amusement or theme park, until closing (9:00pm?). Eat lunch and dinner there(candy, french fries and whatever else >> junk). We were free range at the parks and wandered about with our friends, no chaperone.
Then get back on the bus, depart at 9:30pm, arrive home about 2:30am depending on traffic.
Sing "100 bottles of beer on the wall" on the way there. Sleep on the way back.
I remember, my Step-Dad always slipped some us extra cash and said "don't tell your Mother".
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tracylynn
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Post by tracylynn on Apr 12, 2021 2:46:53 GMT
We did 6th Grade Camp when I was in school. I think it was 3 days in the middle if the week. It was at a lake and we learned about bugs and outdoors stuff. It was great!
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Post by ExpatBackHome on Apr 12, 2021 3:12:44 GMT
I didn't growing up, but my son has. In 5th grade in was a camping trip. In middle school they changed to service trips.
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Post by chaosisapony on Apr 12, 2021 3:19:51 GMT
There was an opportunity for an overnight trip to the coast in 5th grade but my family couldn't afford to send me.
In 6th grade there was a week long wilderness camp. It cost $100 plus required hiking boots and winter gear. My parents saved up and I got to go, I was wicked sick but there was a no refund policy so I went anyway, only to be sent home the first night because I was too sick to do anything. I still remember the fall out from that, I felt horrible and so guilty for years whenever my parents would inevitably bring up how hard it was for them to afford that and that I came home because I was "homesick". No, I was sick sick. And, I'd started my period and there was a strict bathroom/shower access policy that was really awful for a 12 year old on her period anyway. That 1 day I spent in that camp was awful.
In 8th grade there was an option for a Washington DC trip. I didn't even ask if I could go because the cost was $800. Would have never happened.
Senior year there was a trip to Disneyland and a few other places over 3 days. I did go on that one. There were two other trips after graduation that were organized but not school sponsored. One to Hawaii and one to Mexico. They were almost $2,000 each. I did not ask to go on those because again, I knew better.
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Post by Skellinton on Apr 12, 2021 5:01:31 GMT
When I was in elementary (k-6) all 6graders had a week of Outdoor School. I am not sure if they still do that or not, it didn’t cost parents anything.
In 8th and 9th we had an optional field trip to the Shakespearean Festival in Ashland. You had to be in AP English and go to “classes” before school where we read and discussed the plays we would be seeing. I did both of those, and then again with the drama group in HS. I don’t actually know who I managed that one as I wasn’t even in drama, but I went. I don’t know what those cost.
Did the DL marching band parade in HS and a field trip to NYC with Decca Junior year of HS. NYC was amazing, we were there a week and got to see Les Miserable, went to the stock exchange, met some cuckoo fashion designer in their loft apartment that was about the size of a walk in closet, saw some Pantone type company that sold boxes of colored yarn to companies showing them what colors would be popular for the next year, went to the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty. Had an enormous amount of free time, it was so great, I know that one cost 700 for everything except our food. DL we raised money for, I don’t think my mom paid for that.
These were all public schools, mid to late 80’s.
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Post by Eddie-n-Harley on Apr 12, 2021 5:18:44 GMT
Yes. The elementary and middle schools had student crossing guards from the 5th and 8th grade classes. At the end of the year, those kids were taken on a two-night trip to a waterpark. The 8th grade class also had the option to go to Washington DC. I didn't go (I didn't even ask, I knew we couldn't really afford it) but my sister did. My eighth grade class also went on a three day "outdoor education" trip, but I don't know how long that was continued.
I do not, however, recall any overnight trips in high school. Not just that I didn't go on any, but I can't even think of ones that were options, unless the sports teams were spending the night places (because I wouldn't have known about that). Lots of full-day trips, though.
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Post by katlady on Apr 12, 2021 6:10:22 GMT
We used to go on field trips when I was in elementary school. We went to the opera (Hansel and Gretel - I think every student of LAUSD has gone to this lol!), museum, etc. But once we got into Junior and Senior high there were no more field trips, other than athletics and band stuff.
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Post by Megan on Apr 12, 2021 10:58:57 GMT
8th grade we went to Toronto (from Michigan) and junior year of high school Disney World (also from Michigan).
8th grade was a small Christian school so there were only eight students (in the class and on the trip).
High school was band/choir so a couple tour busses. This was in 1999/2000 so things have changed a bit. 😅
ETA We also had overnight science camp 6-8th grade but I can't remember how many nights, 2 or 3 nights within a few hours of the school.
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artbabe
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Post by artbabe on Apr 12, 2021 11:17:34 GMT
It's usually not just a teacher doing it. Many parents chaperone. The teachers that do this often have done this for years, and have the whole process down to a well oiled machine. I’m a former teacher. My husband is a teacher. The minute we are asked to do an overnight trip is the minute we quit. We go on a 3 day trip to DC every year (8th grade- 200 kids). This was before covid, of course. I love it and look forward to it every year. It is so fun and I get to know the kids in a totally different way than I know them at school. It is a lot of work but we have night chaperones provided by the travel company so we are off from 10pm until 6:00 am, unless an emergency happens. My best friend and I always go on the same bus. We usually have 12 teachers plus the principal going. We also take 12 carefully chosen parents and any parent caretakers for children with special needs. The teachers volunteer to go. I have been so disappointed we couldn't go last year and this year. It is super fun. I volunteer every year. I love the change from my usual routine.
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Post by bratkar on Apr 12, 2021 11:27:54 GMT
We had trips to Greenfield Village in Michigan, Trips to Washington DC (both in 5th or 6th Grade) High School if you were in third year Spanish, German or French, you went to Mexico, Germany or France for Spring break. I know there were other trips offered throughout the years in school, just these stick out in my mind
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twinsmomfla99
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Post by twinsmomfla99 on Apr 12, 2021 12:17:25 GMT
As a kid in WV, the only overnights offered were for band (Six Flags in Atlanta for a few days for me), clubs (History Club sponsored a trip to DC), and the eighth grade trip to Gettysburg. All of these were optional.
Without school trips, my only overnight trips would have been to visit my grandparents (1.5 hours away—stayed for a week by myself every summer) and one trip to Cleveland for a weekend to visit my aunt and go to Seaworld. We did take a family trip before I started school that lasted a few days and involved Storybook Forest, but I really don’t remember it.
We lived on a farm, and Dad worked a full-time job at a manufacturing plant as well. His vacation time was used for harvesting hay and other “big jobs” around the farm. Family vacations were not a “thing” for us.
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Post by monklady123 on Apr 12, 2021 12:34:43 GMT
When I was in school -- back in the Days of the Dinosaur -- there was no such thing as an overnight field trip. Even my high school performing choir only did day trips. It was pretty much the same for my kids actually. They do go for two nights to an outdoor camp thing in 5th grade. I went along on that one with dd, and thankfully my other kid is a boy so dh went on that one. Also in elementary school they have an all-day -- a loooong day -- trip to Jamestown/Yorktown/Colonial Williamsburg (depending on the year and what's available). For that one they would leave from the school at the crack of dawn and no get back until late in the evening. Thankfully I never went on that one, because my history buff dh wanted to. whew. For high school neither kid ever went on one...not sure if the school just didn't have them, or if my kids just weren't in the classes that took them. There was no such thing as a school-wide trip that anyone could apply for. The kids did go into DC of course, starting very young with trips to the zoo. But since we live minutes from DC that doesn't need to be overnight.
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