Teachers Discovering History As Historians

Jessica Karches

09 Project Summary

Holland Central School

1.  General Overview of the Proposed Project:

We are planning an 8^th grade field trip to Washington D.C. from May 12 – 15, 2009. We would be stopping at Gettysburg along the way to Washington. We are using First Choice Educational Company in our travels.

2.  Clear Purpose and Objective:

            We would like the students to have first hand experience of the nation’s capitol. We also teach the theme of tolerance in every subject in 8^th grade, especially in the social studies and English curriculum. We would like to have the students visit The Holocaust Museum as part of their tour of Washington. This would coincide with in class lessons and activities that center around the Holocaust and The Diary of Anne Frank. Students will also explore The Smithsonian and other sites both in Washington and Gettysburg that address issues in American History. Students will visit Arlington Cemetery and The Mall to explore what servicemen have done and sacrificed for their freedom. In order to attend the trip students will have to reach community service and academic goals.   

3.  Stakeholders: grade level, who will benefit, who will participate in this project.

The entire 8^th grade team of teachers would both be participating and would benefit from this project.

4.  U.S. History Content Area

The entire trip covers a variety of aspects in American History.

5.      Outline Describing Content

Holland Middle School         May 12-15, 2009            Washington, D.C.    

Day One – Tuesday, May 12th

  7:00 A.M.   -   Boarding begins at school

  7:30 A.M.   -   Depart for Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

                                          Lunch stop en route at your own expense

  3:00 P.M.   -   Arrive for your guided tour of the Gettysburg Battlefield

  7:00 P.M.   -   Dinner at the Old Country Buffet in Gaithersburg, Maryland

  8:00 P.M.   -   Depart for check-in at the hotel

11:00 P.M.   -   Private hotel security begins

Day Two – Wednesday, May 13th

  7:00 A.M.   -   Breakfast at the hotel

  8:00 A.M.   -   Depart for Washington and the Capitol Visitors Center

10:00 A.M.    -  Visit the Library of Congress

12:00 Noon -   Lunch on your own at your  own  expense

  1:00 P.M.   -   Sightsee in Arlington National Cemetery  

  3:00 P.M.    -  Newseum visitation

  5:30 P.M.    -  Photo opportunity at the White House

  6:30 P.M.   -   Dinner at Froggy Bottom Cafe

  7:30 P.M.   -   Meet step-on for your guided, Illuminated Monument tour of the monuments

11:00 P.M.   -   Private hotel security begins

Day Three – Thursday, May 14th

  8:00 A.M.   -   Breakfast at the hotel.

10:00 A.M.   -   Smithsonian Museums

                                       Lunch on your own at your own expense

12:30 P.M.   -  Holocaust Museum-Permanent Exhibit (Group I-28 tickets)

12:45 P.M.    -  Holocaust Museum-Permanent Exhibit (Group II-28 tickets)

  2:30 P.M.    -  Return to the Smithsonian Museums  at the conclusion of the Holocaust Museum to continue sight-seeing  

  4:30 P.M.    -  Depart for Medieval Times Dinner Theater and Tournament.

  9:30 P.M.   -   Depart for the hotel

11:00 P.M.   -   Private hotel security begins

Day Four – Friday, May 15th

  8:30 A.M.   -   Breakfast at the hotel

  9:30 A.M.   -   Check-out of the hotel and depart for Baltimore

10:30 A.M.   -   Approximate arrival time at Baltimore Aquarium (or National Zoo)

                           Enjoy Baltimore’s Inner Harbor for shopping, sightseeing and lunch at your own expense. (or lunch at the zoo)

  1:00 P.M.   -   Board the bus and depart for home

                                        Dinner stop made enroute at your own expense

  9:30 P.M.   -   Approximate arrival time in Holland.

6.  Software to be used, internet materials, contacts, etc.

We are using First Choice Educational Travel to plan the trip. We are also using a variety of companies such as The Great Lakes Scrip Center and Great American Opportunities to help with fundraising. We are very appreciative of the assistance we have received from The Springville School District to allow us to use some of their documents for the planning process. We have contacted Congressman Higgins to help us arrange a tour of The White House. I will be using virtual tours and documents from The National Archives to help students prepare for the trip.    

7.  Level of Student Involvement

Students have been involved in the planning, the fundraising, and the evaluation process.

8.  Evaluation process (include students when possible)

Students going on the trip will both blog and create a video that highlights key events from the trip and documents lessons learned along the way.

9.  Timeline: how you envision the project being carried out between start up and  conclusion

Trip preparation began last year with requesting permission from the board. Since then we have had parent meetings and participated in a variety of fundraisers to help students raise the money needed to go. Videos and blogging about the trip should be finished within a month after the conclusion of the trip.

10.  Comments or Questions:

This trip was inspired by my attendance at last fall’s WSTCSS conference where I heard Rafe Esquith speak. We would be willing to take some of our planning documents and make them available for other teachers so that they have somewhere to begin the planning process.

Jessica Karches

Holland Middle School

8^th Grade Social Studies

TAH Project: Reflection and Evaluation

On May 12, 2009, forty-eight 8^th grade students and seven chaperones from Holland Middle School became the first to embark on an overnight journey to Washington D.C. We left aboard a Niagara Scenic bus at 7:00 AM on Tuesday and returned around 9:00 PM on Friday. All students and chaperones were accounted for.

Our journey began last year by gathering information from local school districts to help us in our planning. We received the most help and support from the Springville teachers who have been conducting this trip with their 8^th grade students for years. We really appreciate our colleagues providing us with their format, parent handbooks, and guidance. We also decided to utilize the services of First Choice Educational Tours to help plan our trip.

After receiving board approval for the trip we developed academic and behavioral guidelines for students to attend the trip. We informed students about the details of the trip on the first day of school to get them excited. Our goal was to have the students who went on the trip create a movie to generate interest for future years. Following the meeting with the students we held a parent meeting in early September. Since this was the first time many students would be away from their families for such an extended amount of time there were many questions and concerns.

We worked throughout the year at motivating students and encouraging them to reach their academic goals. Unfortunately, three students were unable to meet those goals and could not attend the trip, but the remaining students worked very hard to meet the requirements. We have decided to adjust those goals for next year. We used the Scrip program to fundraise by selling gift cards throughout the year. This proved to be successful. We also used a catalog sale. Our math teacher kept track of the financial payments and fundraising by using Excel. 

As the trip approached we conducted another parent meeting to discuss the parent handbook. We spent a great deal of time debating each policy for fairness and effectiveness. As a testament to the changing time our policy that seemed to face the most issue, debate, and controversy was the cell-phone policy. We talked to schools that both allowed and banned cell phones, there seemed to be no in-between. In the end, we decided to allow students to bring the cell phones but they were to remain in the chaperones room during the day, and then upon returning to the hotel students would be able to use their cell phones for a half an hour and then they would be returned to the chaperone for the rest of the night.

The trip itself was amazing. The students were so well behaved and appreciative of everything. Highlights for the students were the Monument Tour, the trip to Arlington, The Newseum, and The Holocaust Museum. Our one regret was that we would have enjoyed more time in the Smithsonian museums. Upon return, students are developing a movie to show future students how wonderful the trip was. The movie is still in the final stages of production due to the fact that we had to switch from Movie Maker to Roxio because of technical issues. We plan to conduct this trip again in the future, as long as we are board approved.

Dress Code

The Holland Middle School dress code applies.  We try to strike a middle ground between the very dressy outfits required by many groups and the sloppy, grungy look.  Casual wear is in order as long as it is clean and school appropriate.  However, when we tour the Holocaust Museum, students are asked to dress up.  We do not allow inappropriate t-shirts or ripped clothing at any time. 

Plan on bringing:

Þ    Two pairs of comfortable shoes (sneakers are best)

Þ    A jacket or sweatshirt

Þ    Sunscreen and sunglasses

What you can wear:

Þ    Shorts, skirts, sundresses as long as they meet the “fingertip length” requirements

Þ    Cargo shorts

Þ    Capri’s

Þ    Wide strap tank tops (3 finger widths)

What is not allowed:

Þ    Droopy pants, ripped clothing

Þ    Sweatpants, pajama pants, or “comfy” pants

Þ    T-shirts with drugs, alcohol slogans, or inappropriate language or symbolism

Þ    Clothing that has spaghetti straps, is see-through, exposes your back or midriff, or is too revealing

Þ    Flip flops

Any student who is not dressed appropriately will be required to change before touring.

Hotel

We will staying in the Washington, DC / Baltimore, MD area.  The hotel is in a safe area and has excellent food, services, and offers many conveniences to meet the needs of a group of our size.

Chaperones

We will maintain a chaperone to student ratio of approximately one adult for every ten students.  All chaperones are teachers or staff at the Holland Middle School.

Meals

Breakfast:  Our hotel will provide a continental breakfast buffet, which includes both hot and cold menu choices every day.

Lunch: Day 1:  lunch at your own expense or packed lunch brought from home

                        Day 2:  boxed lunch delivered to Arlington

                        Day 3:  lunch at your own expense

                        Day 4:  lunch at your own expense

Dinner:           Day 1:  Old Country Buffet

                        Day 2:  Froggy Bottom Cafe

                        Day 3:  Medieval Times Dinner Theater

                        Day 4:  dinner at your own expense on the way home

Return

We will return to Holland Middle School at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Friday, May 15^th. 

Costs

The estimated cost of this year’s trip is $475.00.  The cost of the trip may experience slight fluctuations due to the varying cost in gas prices.

The package includes:

Þ    3 nights at a Washington hotel

Þ    Transportation to and from Washington

Þ    All tour transportation and admissions

Þ    Chaperones and supervision

Þ    Breakfast and dinner each day

Þ    Lunch on the second day

In the event the trip needs to be cancelled, we are still responsible for some of the hotel and transportation costs, depending on when a cancellation occurs.

Fundraising

We will begin fundraising for our trip starting in September.  Two fundraisers will be offered:

1. The sale of gift cards through the SCRIP program.  The sale of each gift card offers a “kickback” percentage that will begin accruing  within the student’s trip account.  This fundraiser will continue until all monies are due to the travel company.

2. Gift Catalog Sale through Great American Sales Company.   This sale will begin on October 30^th and run for approximately 2 weeks.  Students earn 50% of the sales they make.

The following rules apply to fundraising:

1. Participation in the fundraiser is voluntary.

2. Monies earned by your child will be in the form of a credit to be deducted from the cost of the trip. 

3. Any money earned by a student who ends up not going on the trip will go into a general fund.  Unfortunately, all money that the student fundraised cannot legally be returned to the student.

4. Students will receive receipts for all personal, cash payments and fundraising monies.  KEEP ALL RECEIPTS!

5. Please contact Mrs. Metzger in regards to any fundraising questions or concerns at hmetzger@holland.wnyric.org or 537-8275 x6220.

Earning the Privilege

Academic Points

As you might imagine, an extended field trip requires a strong commitment from the parents, the teachers, and students. We would like this field trip to be the end result of a year’s worth of hard work, designed to make it a privilege that needs to be earned. To this end, each student will need to earn 25 “credits” or points in order to go.

Ø      20 credits will be academic:

Teachers have the option to award up to 10 credits per quarter – 2 from each core teacher.  Credits can be earned by earning an 85% average at the end of each quarter, completing all work on time, earning an 85% or higher on a project, etc.  Credits will be awarded at the discretion of the individual teacher.

Ø      5 of these will be community/ school service credits:

These can be earned by performing tasks within the school and/or for local organizations.  These credits will be awarded for participation in 8^th grade team and/or school sponsored charity drives or events – such as Operation Christmas Child.  We will notify students in advance of these events.  The 8^th grade team will award credits as we see fit.

Behavior Points

Given that we can’t jeopardize the safety of the group by taking students who have not shown the ability to be cooperative in school, the teachers will not take a student who has accumulated 13 of the following points:

1.      If a student is assigned in-school or out- of- school suspension for any amount of time, he or she will receive 3 points for each incident and then one point per day. (ex: 3 days in out of school suspension equals 6 points).

2.      If a student is assigned detention he/she will receive 1 point for each incident.

3.      If a student is removed from the cafeteria and assigned a supervised lunch in the office, 1 point will be assigned for each incident.

4.      If a student commits an act that is deemed reprehensible by the teachers and administration at any time in the year they will not be allowed to go, no matter how good they have been throughout the year, how many points they have earned, how much money they have paid, or how close to the trip it is.

5.      If the student accumulates 13 points, or commits a severe offense, he or she will not be able to attend the trip.  Unfortunately, all money that the student fundraised will be forfeited if this occurs.  It is illegal to return fundraised money to a student. 

Please Note:  Students who intend to go but are unable to for any reason will be refunded their deposit and any personal contributions until November 14^th, 2008.  After November 14^th, deposits are forfeited and additional cancellation penalties determined by the travel agency might apply.

6.  Students who fail to comply with the school’s rules will be flown home at the 

expense of the parents. If you do not think that your child will be able to act responsibly please do not register your child for this trip.

THIS POLICY TAKES EFFECT WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3^rd, 2008 AND IS IN EFFECT UNTIL THE DAY WE LEAVE ON OUR FIELD TRIP.

Responsibilities

The 8^th grade Washington trip is an opportunity to experience our nation’s capital in a hands-on, field experience.  We take our responsibilities seriously and provide a trip that is well-organized, meaningful and safe.  We work hard to ensure that your child has a memorable and rewarding experience.  In return, we expect students to take their responsibilities seriously and make the most of this opportunity.  We will expect your child to follow directions, listen, cooperate, consider the needs of the group, and take an interest in the educational opportunity that this trip offers. 

Parent Meetings

Our first meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 24^th, 2008, from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. in the Holland Middle School auditorium.  This meeting is for parents only.  We will give a brief overview of the trip, student academic and behavior policies, and fundraising.  Although this meeting is optional, we strongly encourage parents to attend this meeting.

Subsequent meetings for parents and students will be announced at a later time.  These meetings will be scheduled at the end of April or early May.  If you intend for your child to go on the trip, you and your child must attend one of these meetings.  Attendance is mandatory and recorded, so please mark your calendars.  The meetings are identical.  Please select the one that is most convenient for you.  We will discuss many items about the trip and we guarantee a helpful and informative session.  You will receive a handbook of important information about the trip at that time.

Dates to Remember for the Washington Trip (tentative)

Þ    September 24^th:  

o       Informational parent meeting

o       Students will begin selling gift cards this month.

Þ    October 17^th :      

o       Deadline for student registration forms and initial $75 deposit to open student account.

Þ    October 30^th :      

o       Students will begin second fundraiser with Great American Sales.

o       Students will continue selling gift cards this month, but not during our catalog sales.

Þ    November 30^th :

o       Students will continue selling gift cards this month.

Þ    December 5^th:

o       A second payment of $100 is due.

o       Students will continue selling gift cards this month. 

Þ    January:

o       Students will continue selling gift cards this month.

Þ    February 27^th:

o       A third payment of $100 is due.

Þ    March 20^th:

o       A fourth payment of $100 is due.

Þ    April 10^th:

o       The balance remaining on your child’s trip account is due.

Refund Schedule

$75.00 booking fee is non-refundable and non-transferable after November 14, 2008. A student unable to attend the trip is encouraged to find a school approved replacement to avoid the loss of monies paid. Participants who cancel and do not arrange for a replacement will be sent a refund after the return of the trip equal to the value of the refundable unused meals and admissions. Transportation, lodging, prepaid admissions, and all administrative fees are not refundable. If it is necessary for FIRST CHOICE EDUCATIONAL TOURS to cancel a trip, a full refund will be issued to all participants. Optional cancellation insurance is available upon request.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES:  If your Board of Education or First Choice Educational Tours cancels your child’s tour due to national security issues, all money returned to First Choice Educational Tours from the vendors will be returned to you in full.

Communication

You will be receiving information on a regular basis, including the balance remaining on your child’s trip account.  Please feel free to get updates on the trip through our website at:   http://www.holland.wnyric.org, Mr. MacIsaac’s website.

Questions

If you have questions or concerns, we will gladly receive your call.  Mrs. Linda Herraez will serve as our team communications leader.  She can be reached at school at 537-8275, between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 2:45 p.m.  For a quicker response, we encourage you to send  Mrs. Herraez an e-mail at lherraez@holland.wnyric.org.

Holland Middle School

8^th Grade Washington, D.C. Trip

May 12-15, 2009

Parent-Student Handbook

Student Chaperone:  ___________________________________

Dear Parents/Guardians and Students,

As the time draws near for our visit to the nation’s capital, we know that you share our high expectations and hopes for a very successful trip. We have planned a very unique trip to one of the world’s most exciting cities, and our chaperones will provide the supervision needed to ensure that all goes well.

But this alone is not enough. You have a vital role in the outcome of this experience. Please read and discuss, together, the procedures and rules found in this handbook, and make sure you understand them. Keep this handbook as a reference, as it contains a great deal of pertinent information. If you have any questions, please contact us at 537-8200.

Working together, this trip will provide our students and your children with memories of a lifetime, and our school the foundation for many more field trips of this nature!

Thank you for your continued support!

Team 8:      Nina Cook          Jim MacIsaac

                   Jess Karches                  Heather Metzger

                   Linda Herráez               Ken Hunt

Drop Off Time & Reminders

1.     On Tuesday May 12^th. Students should be at Holland Middle School by 7:00 A.M.

2.     As you will be carrying your back pack on the bus, plan and pack accordingly: Anything you need for the first day should be in your back pack! (And be sure that it can be zipped closed!)

3.     We will begin touring as soon as we arrive in Gettysburg, PA and suitcases will not be accessible until we reach our hotel in Washington, D.C. late that evening.

4.     You may bring snacks on the bus, but please remember: All drinks need to be in a sealed container and there are to be NO glass bottles or sports bottle. We recommend bringing bottled water if possible.

5.     Parents:  If your child is taking ANY medication (prescription or OTC), please refer to Mrs. Connors’ memo regarding medications..

We will depart Holland Middle School at 7:30 A.M.

Pick Up Time & Reminders

1.     Our return to Holland Middle School will be about 9:30 P.M. Friday, May 15^th. The bus will pull into the Route 16 parking lot.

2.     If our arrival time should change for any reason, parents will be notified via our phone tree system.

3.     Upon arrival and pick up, please be sure that your child has all of his/her belongings (and you have your child) before leaving the school grounds.

Keeping in Touch

1.     As per hotel policy, students will not have long distance access from their room’s phone. 

2.     Students may bring a cell phone provided they abide by rules 3-5 below. Chaperones assume no liability or responsibility for lost or damaged student cell phones.

3.     Students are not required to call home upon check-in or on a daily basis.

4.     Student cell phones will be stored in their chaperone’s hotel room during the day. If they wish, they will be given 15 minutes to call home every evening upon returning to the hotel.

5.     Chaperones will have a school cell phone 24/7 in case of an emergency. If needed, students will have access to this phone.

Please remember…No news is good news!

If You Need to Reach Us…

1.    If you need to contact us during the day for an emergency, please call the school cell phone at (716) 713-7974.

2.    You may also call the hotel and the front desk will leave us a message.

Hotel Information

Comfort Inn-Alexandria

5716 South Van Dorn Street

Alexandria, VA 22310

703-922-9200

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If We Need to Reach You…

1.    A chaperone will contact a parent immediately upon an individual emergency.

2.    If an event occurs that impacts the trip or group, we will implement the phone tree.

Bus Regulations

1.     Respect & Responsibility! You are the ambassadors for your school and town. Be polite to each other and the driver.

2.     All personal items brought on the bus are your responsibility. They will not be replaced if lost, stolen, or broken. Avoid bringing expensive or irreplaceable items.

3.     No standing while the bus is in motion unless using the restroom or throwing out trash.

4.     Taking flash photographs is not allowed on the bus while it is moving. This is especially important at night.

5.     Discmans/iPods/MP3 players with personal headphones are acceptable. Chaperones will ask that you remove headphones and ear buds when they are speaking. These devices will not be allowed while touring.

6.     Handheld games (i.e. Gameboys) are allowed provide the sound remains off or you use headphones.

7.     Cell phones need to be off and packed away. (Refer to Keeping in Touch on page 4). Upon arrival at the hotel, these will be collected by your chaperone.

8.     Disposable cameras are recommended. Remember to label your camera with name or mailing label.

9.      Keep the bus clean! It will be your home for four days!

Dress Code

As ambassadors of our school and town, what we look like will in part let others know who we are. Please plan accordingly. If not dressed appropriately, chaperones will ask students to change before touring.

1.     Any denim clothing should be free of holes and or markings.

2.     No wind pants, sweat pants, pajama pants, or comfy pants while on the bus or touring. Keep these for the hotel.

3.     As per HCS rules, clothing with drug, alcohol, tobacco slogans, or offensive language is inappropriate.

4.     Tank top shoulder straps should be 3” in width; skirts, dresses, and   sundresses should be “fingertip length” when standing. Nylon shorts are not allowed. 

5.     Not allowed: spaghetti straps, see through, back or midriff exposed, spandex, and clothes that are too revealing.

6.     Hats are acceptable to wear on the trip except at all meals and while indoors.

7.     Bring a jacket or hoodie for touring in a variety of weather conditions.

8.     Comfortable shoes are a must! Sneakers would be best. Break in new shoes prior to the trip. Flip flops will not be allowed while touring or on the bus. Sandals that have a back on them or shoes with the toes covered are allowed, but remember, we will be doing a lot of walking!

Packing Tips

You are allowed one (1) suitcase (that you can carry!) and one (1) back pack that should be zipped closed.

1.     Find a spot in your room and start gathering your belongings.

2.     Choose clothes that are comfortable and meet the Dress Code expectations found on page 7.

3.     Think layers! It will probably be cool to cold in the mornings when we start, warm to hot in mid-day, and cool again in the evenings. A jacket (rain resistant) and or sweater/sweatshirt are a must.

4.     Bring 2-3 pairs of comfortable shoes for lots of walking. No flip-flops!

5.     Pack a garbage bag for your dirty clothes.

6.     Carry your necessities (cameras, drinks, iPods, etc) in your back pack, especially on day one since suitcases will be unavailable.

7.     Before boarding the bus on Tuesday morning, all medications, prescription and/or OTC, will be collected by Mrs. Connors. Any medication that is brought on the trip, but is not currently being taken in school by the student, must be accompanied by a physician’s order, a parent signature, and be in a properly labeled bottle.  Students will then give these medications to the nurse prior to boarding the bus.  Students will be allowed to self-carry emergency medications only, such as an Epi-Pen, inhaler, etc.

8.     Check with your roommate while packing. Plan to share items like hairdryers (not clothes).

9.     You are responsible for your own belongings! Label all clothes, bags and packed items for identification purposes. Chaperones or HCS are not responsible for lost or stolen items

Parents: Be sure to be the last person to check your child’s suitcase and back pack!

Food to Pack

1.     Avoid messy foods; bring napkins, paper towels, and/or wipes, and above all, clean up after yourself!

2.     Bottled water would be ideal. Remember, no glass or sports bottles. See Reminders on page 2.

Don’t Forget to Pack…

1.     Spending money (≈$75 to $100) for 3 lunches and incidentals

2.     Rain gear/jacket

3.     Watch

4.     Film/disposable cameras

5.     Batteries for electronic devices and cameras

6.     Garbage bag for dirty clothes

7.     Sunscreen & sunglasses

Not Allowed

1.     Two way radios / walkie-talkies

2.     Video taping devices

3.     Pagers/beepers

4.     Game systems

5.     TV’s

6.     Portable DVD players

7.     Laptop computers

Touring Guidelines

Respect & Responsibility

1.     Stay with your group at all times. Use the buddy system and do not wander. If you do get lost, stay put! We will find you.

2.     Wear a watch and be where you are supposed to be on time.

3.     No chewing gum while in Washington. Most buildings do not allow it.

4.     Be quiet and courteous when guides are talking.

5.     Disposable cameras are recommended.

6.     No Discmans, iPods or MP3 players allowed while touring.

7.     Students will not be allowed to buy from street vendors.

Museum Etiquette

Remember that museums are for:

1.     Seeing real, authentic pieces of our history and culture.

2.     Learning about the world we live in…now, and in the past.

3.     Viewing old things…in new ways.

4.     Discovering links between things, events, ideas, and people.

5.     Being surprised!

6.     Finding answers to questions that you have wondered about.

7.     Forming questions about things you thought you knew about.

8.     Being inspired.

9.     Thinking about new ideas.

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Guidelines:

1.     Walk; do not run in halls or on stairs. Stay to the right, even on sidewalks.

2.     Lower your voice when speaking.

3.     Do not play on elevators, escalators, or benches.

4.     Do not lean on exhibit cases or roped-off areas.

5.     Know where your group is meeting…and when.

6.     Never leave a building without or before your group.

7.     No food, drink, or gum allowed while touring in the buildings.

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We encourage you to:

1.     Use the stairs whenever possible.

2.     Stand back and allow others to exit elevators before you enter.

3.     Remain with your group or buddy. Chaperones should NEVER see a student alone.

4.     Know where you are, and how to return to your meeting place.

5.     If you can’t find an exhibit, ask a guard or chaperone to point you in the right direction.

Your Room at the Hotel

1.     Check your room upon arrival.  Immediately report any problem to your chaperone. If a problem occurs during our stay, again, tell your chaperone. Do not try to fix anything yourself.

2.     Chaperones will inspect rooms frequently.

3.      Any damage that may occur in the hotel will be the responsibility of the student causing the damage. If no one takes responsibility, the cost of any damage will be divided among all students in that room.

4.     Be especially careful with food, soda, hair spray, etc in the rooms; you will be charged for any damage (including stains).

5.     No room changes will be allowed.

6.     Sound carries – please be considerate of others in our hotel.

7.     There will be a fire safety meeting on the first night at the hotel. There will be no room visitations among rooms until this meeting has occurred.

8.     As per hotel rules, there will be no pay-per-view, long distance access, or room service delivery allowed.

9.     Do not open your room door without asking who is there and making visual contact through the peep hole to confirm the identity. Remember that hotels are public buildings and anyone can enter.

10.  After bed check, no one goes into or out of your room, unless there is a true emergency. “Lights Out” means lights out, and you are in bed attempting to sleep. With our schedule, this should not be difficult.

Morning Routine

A chaperone will be assigned to each room group. Your room’s chaperone will wake you up at the designated time. Students should also set their alarms. You will be given information about the weather and what items will be needed for the day. Chaperones will return to check the room and dismiss your room group to breakfast. Touring begins immediately after breakfast, so you will not be returning to your room.

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Bed Check

Chaperones are responsible for making sure that students are in their rooms and settled for the night. Since chaperones may be of the opposite gender, always be dressed appropriately. Students should be back in their rooms by 10:00 P.M. “Lights Out” is NLT 11:00 P.M. We have a very busy schedule and will need our proper rest.

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Expected Student Conduct

Respect & Responsibility

Students on this trip represent the town of Holland and Holland Middle School. As such we expect exemplary conduct. Behavior and conduct on this trip are governed by the HCS disciplinary code.  It is expected that all students will be kind and courteous, show respect to all, and be responsible for their own actions. Such conduct will result in a very successful trip.

1.     Treat everyone with respect. Students are expected to get along with each other. Fighting, harassment, etc. will not be tolerated. Chaperones will handle situations on an individual basis.  

2.     Students are expected to be considerate of others at all times. This includes each other, chaperones, other hotel patrons, guides, drivers and complete strangers.

3.     HCS Drug & Alcohol policy is in effect.  Any violation will result in the child being sent home at parental expense.

4.     Students are not allowed to leave their rooms after bed check except in the case of a true emergency.

5.     No traveling alone – use the “buddy” system.

6.     Most incidents will require only a reminder from a chaperone. Continued or recurring problems may result in grounding for a day/evening.

7.     Repeated and or serious problems may result in the individual being sent home at parental expense.

When packing, remember to include your manners, smile, and best behavior. They can take you almost anywhere!

And Finally…

Any chaperone is your chaperone. Listen to them.

“Please”, “Thank You”, “Excuse me”, and “I’m sorry” go a long way toward making you easy to be around. When you are polite, others will respond in kind.

When traveling with a group this size, you may not be able to always do what you want, when you want. Ask yourself, “Can fifty people can do it with me?”  The answer should be clear without asking the question.

Treat others as you would be treated. Behave in an intelligent and mature manner. Future trips for others depend on you!

This can be a trip of a lifetime! Read the exhibits, ask questions, discuss among yourselves the events of the day, look for the symbolism in the monuments, ask questions of the guides, learn as much as you can, and above all, have a great time!

I have read and agree upon all aspects of this Parent Student Handbook.

Parent/Guardian: _________________________  Date:________

Student:                _________________________  Date: ________

 

www TDHAH.com

Jamestown Public Schools

197 Martin Road

Jamestown, NY 14701

Project Director: Paul Benson
716.483.7112
Fax: 716.483.7104

Web Design and  Research Team:
 Paul Benson
 Pam Brown
 Rick Bates
 Carol Shick
 Rick Walters
 Mike Swanson