Did your FCPS go on a really pitiful field trip this year to the Smithsonian art museum?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So my 6th grader is going in a couple of week. They leave school from Vienna at 10am to DC. And they leave the museum by 12pm. Do the math. What’s even the point?

Well complain to the school board. This is a county field trip. They plan it in accordance with the museums. The docent tours are about 1 hour and 15 mins and buses need to leave no later than 1:00PM to do the middle school runs.

When my kid went, left at 10, the bus got lost, then we had to wait for the museum guide. They saw exact three pieces of art, then it was time to go. We were told the bus had to be back at school by 1:00 and we are way out in the boonies. Less than 45 minutes physically in the museum, maybe 30 minutes looking at art. First field trip in five years. The kids were craning their necks trying to see things as they were bum-rushed out the door. I never paid the $5 out of principle TBH. That was their only field trip all year!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My now fifth grader went on three field trips last year. The Kennedy Center (I think all 4th grades go), Jamestown and a nature center where they collected and investigated species living in the pond. I thought they were great trips!

Our school did jamestown and the richmond science museum. No kennedy center or nature center

Every 4th grader goes to the Kennedy Center and every 6th grader goes to an art museum.

our 4th grade did not go to Kennedy Center. Nor did our 6th grade go to an art museum. This is not true.

We just got the notice about the fourth grade trip to thr kennedy center.

It is true. Every school is offered the fourth grade trip to the Kennedy Center. I can’t speak for the art museum trip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What happened to the big trips that FCPS used to do, Philly, Williamsburg, etc.

Mine is a 6th grader scheduled to do the trip to National Gallery. Sounds like it’s not going to be a great experience.

I taught 6th grade for years. It’s an interesting trip, but there aren’t any videos, games, etc. and they have to listen, so it’s “boring” to them.

I guess that makes sense. Kind of
sad but makes sense.

Nonsense. When I chaperoned this, the kids were bored waiting for the (late) docent (that seems to be a recurring theme? why are they always late?). Then they were very engaged, asking questions, talking about the paintings. We saw 3 paintings. Then, the kids thought it was (finally) time to walk around and see what they wanted to look at. They were so disappointed to be shoved out the door. We were there for less than an hour. It just felt mean to do to the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What happened to the big trips that FCPS used to do, Philly, Williamsburg, etc.

Mine is a 6th grader scheduled to do the trip to National Gallery. Sounds like it’s not going to be a great experience.

I taught 6th grade for years. It’s an interesting trip, but there aren’t any videos, games, etc. and they have to listen, so it’s “boring” to them.

I guess that makes sense. Kind of
sad but makes sense.

Nonsense. When I chaperoned this, the kids were bored waiting for the (late) docent (that seems to be a recurring theme? why are they always late?). Then they were very engaged, asking questions, talking about the paintings. We saw 3 paintings. Then, the kids thought it was (finally) time to walk around and see what they wanted to look at. They were so disappointed to be shoved out the door. We were there for less than an hour. It just felt mean to do to the kids.

Teacher here. The problem is the limitations for school busses. We used to take a big field trip with coach busses but 1) I don’t get overtime for leaving at 6:00 in the morning and coming back at 7:30-8:00 at night. I have a family at home.
2) Behavior- the behavior post Covid is poor.

We are going on a local field trip in a few weeks. If the kids are great, I will consider a spring trip.
2) T

[Anonymous]

It seems like a trip could be done within the regular school day if FCPS allotted a few extra buses per day to just field trip runs.

Our middle school sent kids to a museum with rented buses and the trip was just the length of the regular day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems like a trip could be done within the regular school day if FCPS allotted a few extra buses per day to just field trip runs.

Our middle school sent kids to a museum with rented buses and the trip was just the length of the regular day.

Middle School Hours only go to 2:15-2:30 so yes if they left around 9, it would be most of the day. We are talking about ES kids and many if these ES schools don’t start till 9:20 and get out at 4:05. So having to leave by 1:00 means they still have several hours of school when they return.

[Anonymous]

Our school isn't doing DC this year because the kids are out of control and the school board won't allow anyone to be expelled. Instead they are doing a trip to a local strip mall. Not a joke, their big trip is to the Eden Center.

[Anonymous]

10+ years ago, senior HS year field trip to DC was extremely lame. Once they had parent chaperone's committed, teacher said each parent had to plan what they were doing to do.

[Anonymous]

going to do

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid was so excited to FINALLY get to go on a field trip (her grade hasn't had one since pre-covid).

They spent less than an hour at the art museum and saw three paintings. That's it. The teacher said the whole thing is planned by FCPS Gatehouse. The kids weren't allowed to walk around at all, they had to leave because the buses had to be back to do middle school runs.

This is exactly something my kid would have said with just those words. And I would know that it wasn't true.