International trip for 5th graders?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know plenty about this trip. It's divisive and silly.

Furthermore, are you the parent who is spearheading the fundraising efforts?

Here is a newsflash, you can't raise 10s of thousands of dollars with bake sales and raffles. It. won't. work.

It doesn't matter how hard you or any other angsty parents at Yu Ying work. It's way too much $$ to raise in such a short time period.

Here is another newsflash, the admin is going along with you because in your flurry to sell raffle tickets, bake cupcakes and such, you're serving as a distraction from the fact that the school has NOTHING worthwhile planned for middle school.

I agree with you although I think the trip is a good idea. I don't think making parents pay is horrible. If they can afford to send their kid on the trip, they send, otherwise the kid does not go. Perfectly understandable if a parent can't/won't send their child for whatever reason. Some kids won't be able to go for financial reasons but such is life. Unfair, sure. I would like Hermes bags and a closet full of Blahniks like my bf but will not die without them.

The constant fundraising that everyone will have to endure til May is annoying and doubtful they can raise that much money... and unfortunately, the leading edge class has to bear the blunt of poor planning as usual this trip, middle school...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know plenty about this trip. It's divisive and silly.

Furthermore, are you the parent who is spearheading the fundraising efforts?

Here is a newsflash, you can't raise 10s of thousands of dollars with bake sales and raffles. It. won't. work.

It doesn't matter how hard you or any other angsty parents at Yu Ying work. It's way too much $$ to raise in such a short time period.

Here is another newsflash, the admin is going along with you because in your flurry to sell raffle tickets, bake cupcakes and such, you're serving as a distraction from the fact that the school has NOTHING worthwhile planned for middle school.

Wow, you are really mean. The person who is coordinating is putting in tons of hours to this project. There are lots of planned projects some big and some small. Whether or not it raises enough money for all the kids to go may not be the point. The point is kids are seeing their parents working towards an important goal to further their education and some of the kids are organizing their own projects to raise money for the trip.

[Anonymous]

What happens to the kids who can't go during the prep for and the trip itself?

This. Can someone answer this, please?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I believe that a third issue is:

(3) Timing and educational value of a tourist trip while school is in session.

Personally, I would be more supportive of either a tourist trip during the summer or at least partly during spring break.

Or I would be more supportive of a trip that was a cultural exchange, actually attending a school in China with Chinese students.

But just as I would not be supportive of an extended tourist trip in the U.S. during school time (2 weeks off from school to see the Statue of Liberty, Boston Freedom Trail, and Philadelphia Betsy Ross House), I do not see the educational priority for a tourist trip that takes at least 10 of the 180 educational days in a year.

But of course, can't say this to the YY adminstrators. Sigh.

Don't be a drama queen - of course you can say it to them. Just because they don't kowtow to your personal preferences doesn't mean that you can't speak or haven't been heard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:17:42 must be one of the classic Type A's at the school that everyone seems to be talking about on this board.

Let's try to be civil; can anyone offer a decent counter argument that refutes 12:45... without sounding like a character from Heathers?

Why did you choose a Chinese immersion school, if you're opposed to immersing your child in China?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:17:42 must be one of the classic Type A's at the school that everyone seems to be talking about on this board.

Let's try to be civil; can anyone offer a decent counter argument that refutes 12:45... without sounding like a character from Heathers?

Why did you choose a Chinese immersion school, if you're opposed to immersing your child in China?

I wonder how many of you are parents of 5th graders who were told for the first time in May 2012 that there would be a school sponsored trip to China in May 2013? And, how many of these parents who love the idea and support their child(ren) learning a level 5 language. Parents who buy the chinese dvd and books, fund chinese tutoring, and took parent chinese classes as well. Parents that expected to have two to three years for the expense notice, instead of one-year notice.

It is beneath you and does not speak well of parents at YY who think that just because parents do not have the finances as you they do not support their children's immersion.

[Anonymous]

and again, they have been told that there will be financial aid (both through the company which offers 30% scholarships) and from the school and parent fundraising. Now can everyone stop whining and get up and help??? Jeez.

[Anonymous]

The company does NOT offer 30% scholarships to all students. If you make $20k or less a year, you might be eligible for a 30% grant, but how many families at YY fall into that category.

They have a total of $50K available for the entire year, across all programs. Are you saying YY is getting the whole $50K? Because that's what it's going to take to make this trip fly.

Seriously, do you guys even read the information handed out?

Here is the link, for those non YY parents who have basic reading comprehension skills:

http://www.isemn.org/parents/financial-resources/financial-aid.html

[Anonymous]

i never said it did. i said it offered 30% scholarships assuming people would understand that it would be for those who truly needed it. i'm sorry you're such an angry person. have you ever thought about finding a school that didn't bring out these feelings in you???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i never said it did. i said it offered 30% scholarships assuming people would understand that it would be for those who truly needed it. i'm sorry you're such an angry person. have you ever thought about finding a school that didn't bring out these feelings in you???

I think you are arguing with multiple people. And, you are coming across as an ass!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I think you are arguing with multiple people. And, you are coming across as an ass!

A very succinct statement with wide application to posts on the forum, and a great argument for not raising complex, political issues in a forum, anonymous or otherwise. Unless, of course, you are looking to just to stir up gossip, and are less interested in finding creative solutions in ways that are in the best interests of our kids.

[Anonymous]

Very few of the students would even meet the financial cut-off, so including that as a selling point is moot. The fund raising efforts are led by ONE woman who I know is working her ass off to do this with very little help compared to the work load, btw. Her efforts so far have brought in probably a couple thousand dollars including this past Saturday. Anyone out there who is supportive of kids and their education in a grander sense please send some dollars her way to support the cause.

I think there are bigger issues at hand with the trip that have been outlined throughout this thread.

[Anonymous]

how on earth would you know how many kids would meet the scholarship cut off? and what are YOU doing to help???

[Anonymous]

If you are in charge of the fundraising, which I suspect you are, then you should be very, very aware of this number.

As it stands, the families in the 5th grade class will qualify for little or no financial aid. Even if they qualified for the full amount, the company's website makes it clear the average award is in the under $600 dollar range.

You need to sell thousands of cupcakes to make this happen. Ranting on DCUM is not going to make it happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:how on earth would you know how many kids would meet the scholarship cut off? and what are YOU doing to help???

Not every person who is working on this stood behind the cupcake or pizza table on Saturday. There aren't enough cupcakes out there to get the job done, but just because that's all you see doesn't mean that is all people are doing.