Post by monklady123 on Apr 12, 2021 12:46:33 GMT
The minute we are asked to do an overnight trip is the minute we quit.
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.
So important, those "carefully chosen parents".
I remember a day trip to the Natural History museum in DC, with ds's 2nd grade. This was in the days before everyone had a cell phone. Each of us chaperones had our group of 4 or 5 kids, and instructions to be back at the front door by such-and-such a time. When that time arrived there we all were at the front door...except one group. We waited for awhile, then the teacher started sending some of us parents out in different directions to search for the missing group. Turns out the chaperone for that group was some kid's young cool dude type uncle and he had his kids at the cafeteria getting a treat, which was against the rules anyway. 
Another time -- same teacher, ds in 3rd grade (the teacher had looped with the kids) -- at the zoo in DC, in the blazing hot weather (which it always was when we had the zoo field trip, unless it was cold and rainy) all of us were at the bus except one group. The teacher was irate, and had to go running around in the heat searching. That time she didn't ask any of us to go look because the zoo is too spread out and she knew that just as the search parties left the missing group would show up. It was easier at the museum because you could go looking down one corridor and then come back before searching in another area.
Is it any wonder that I gave up field trips?
Dd had this same teacher for 3rd grade (and she remains one of my favorites to sub for) and at the beginning of the year I told her that I was always available for anything she needed at any time and that I sincerely hoped it would not be to chaperone a field trip! hahaha She said no I'd put in my time with hard labor and I was exempt on this round. lolAnd lest anyone think poor dd was deprived of mom on her field trips... that was the year I did go on the overnight camp thing, and I'd been on plenty of them from K-2.
