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The Washington Field Trip:
Doing It Right
[Middle school technology teacher and Middle-L gadfly Jerry Taylor originally
wrote this article for "Middle Matters" magazine. He recently
posted it on the Middle-L listserve for all to share.]
by Jerry Taylor
Technology Integration Teacher
Greece (NY) School District
www.greeceny.com/taylor/
Many eighth-graders have traditionally attended an elaborate, end-of-the-year
dance. Over the years, this gala affair has taken on all of the trappings
of a
senior high school prom, complete with evening gowns, tuxedos, and rented
limousines.
Feeling that this event was not aligned with current middle school philosophy,
Arcadia Middle School in Greece, NY has decided to take a different approach.
For eight years, Arcadia has opted to send its 300 eighth-graders to our
nation,s capital for three days in April as its culminating event. With
a
destination as historically interesting as Washington, DC, the students
not
only get to enjoy each others, company away from the traditional school
setting, they become immersed in an educational activity as well.
Having organized this trip for so long, the staff feels that they have
developed an almost error-free organizational system which has resulted
in
few, if any, problems over the years. What they,ve learned is shared with
you
here in the hopes that others can benefit from their experience when planning
similar trips.
Organization
Early in the school year, a planning committee is formed, consisting of
at
least one teacher from each teaching team, plus several administrators.
This
group becomes the governing body for the entire undertaking, and has the
final
say in all matters. With a few exceptions, they meet weekly to organize
the
myriad of details which need attention. Planning the first few trips was
an
exhausting undertaking. Every problem which came up was a new one, and
procedures had to be created to handle each one. As time passed, however,
these procedures became more and more standardized, and now need only
occasional fine-tuning.
It should be noted that this spring trip extends from Wednesday morning
until
Friday afternoon, entirely during school days. No weekends are involved.
It is
appreciated that teachers and administrators are willing to give up three
full
days supervising students.
Communication
The importance of communications cannot be overstated. The planning committee
has developed an elaborate fact sheet delineating all of the pertinent details
concerning the trip. These fact sheets are distributed and explained at
a
series of evening meetings in October with the parents of all eighth-graders.
Questions are answered, concerns are addressed, and fears are allayed.
Parent volunteers are solicited. Those selected receive extensive training
and
a detailed chaperone handbook. Parents leave these meetings confident that
every detail of the trip has been covered.
Finances
As you can imagine, a trip of this magnitude does not come cheaply. Recently,
the Greece School District has been undergoing intense scrutiny by an
aggressive taxpayer group. Consequently, Arcadia Middle School is very proud
of the fact that no taxpayer funds are used to pay for this trip. All expenses
(approximately $200 each) are paid for by student contributions, most of
which
come from an extensive magazine sale fund raiser. Most students are able
to
raise the entire amount through this magazine sale. Some parents opt to
contribute their own money. Partial scholarships are available for students
whose parents are unable to help. Parents who accompany their children on
the
trip must pay their own way. School staff expenses are paid for from trip
funds.
Transportation
Students are allowed to choose one friend with whom they would like to spend
the entire trip. The planning committee then combines two of these pairs
into
a 4-student "sleeping unit. These students share the same room. Three
sleeping units are combined into a 12-student "chaperone unit, under
the
supervision of a teacher and one or more parent assistants. These group
stays
together for the various sightseeing activities throughout the trip. Three
of
these chaperone units (36 students) travel together on the same bus, along
with the three teachers and several parent volunteers.
This method of organization makes it very easy to keep track the students.
Supervision is easy because the teachers and parents quickly become familiar
with the students assigned to their group. Many hold planning meetings with
their groups even before the trip leaves so that they can get to know their
students better, and to go over various ground rules of expected behavior.
Security and Supervision
As can be imagined, supervising a group of 300 enthusiastic eighth-graders,
many of whom are away from their parents for the first time, can easily
result
in an all-night, sleepless vigil for the staff. Fortunately, this is not
necessary. When choosing accommodations, the school insists that the hotel
provide one all-night security person whose sole responsibility is the
supervision of the students. In addition, the school hires two additional
security personnel from a local company. Their responsibilities include
moving
throughout the facility all night (including parking lots, hallways, etc.),
monitoring student behavior and safety.
A meeting is held with all three security personnel before the first night.
Each one receives a detailed booklet containing the school,s expectations,
and
a "log of student contact which the security guard completes each time
an
incident occurs, no matter how insignificant it may seem at the time. The
school staff then reads these logs every morning looking for any recurring
problems.
Thanks to a great deal of thoughtful planning in this area, the staff and
parents can get a good night,s sleep and be refreshed for a full day of
sightseeing.
Before the students leave, several meetings are held at which behavioral
expectations are explained in detail. If any serious disciplinary problems
do
occur, the student is immediately sent home (via airplane) at the parent,s
expense. (This has only been necessary twice in eight years.)
Sightseeing
Before departure, each bus group is given a list of possible sightseeing
activities available. Each of the three bus groups has a great deal of
autonomy to choose which activities to attend and in which order. This allows
for last-minute changes in case one activity becomes too crowded. There
is
constant communication between buses using cellular telephones and walkie-
talkies.
Bus groups sometimes choose to visit sites such as the Vietnam Memorial,
Korean Memorial, Holocaust Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Lincoln Memorial,
Jefferson Memorial, the U.S. Capitol, etc.
Meals
Fourteen-year-olds are not noted for having gourmet tastes, but they do
have a
reputation for possessing a somewhat "narrow range of favorite foods.
Therefore, whenever possible, arrangements are made to have students eat
their
meals in various "food courts. This allows for maximum variety and
seems to
satisfy even the pickiest of eaters.
Common Activities
Even though bus groups are free to explore different areas of Washington,
there are several common activities which require having all 300 students
to
join together. One such activity is the laying of a memorial wreath at the
Arlington National Cemetery. This wreath is brought from the students, home
town and placed at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in a moving ceremony.
Another event which obviously requires all students to be present is the
group
photograph on the steps of the capitol building. This logistical nightmare
is
made to appear simple thanks to the patience of an experienced local
photographer who specializes in working with school groups.
The final large-group activity, and one of the highlights of the entire
trip,
is a 3-hour evening boat cruise on the Potomac River. This is an opportunity
for the students to don a pretty dress or shirt-and-tie, enjoy a nice sit-down
meal, listen to some great music, and be taught some of the latest dance
steps
by the experienced cruise staff. All this while cruising past the lighted
buildings and monuments of our nation,s capital.
Conclusion
Thanks to a high level of commitment and organization from a dedicated staff,
Arcadia Middle School,s eighth-grade trip to Washington, DC is a much-
anticipated, end-of-the-year culminating event... one which will be remembered
by each student for many years to come.
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