Overseas Trips- Language and Cultural Immersion Programs

[Anonymous]

MV kids just got back from Puerto Rico.

Kids had a great time and parents got lots of pictures!

[Anonymous]

Allow me to clarify what’s happening at Oyster Adams’ international travel.

Seventh grade does go to Taiwan and this year seventh grade went to Puerto Rico. Last year, seventh grade did a home stay in Spain and later the Spanish kids came over and did homestays with us. Given DCPS was in the throes of developing a policy on travel, that Spanish exchange program was set aside for this year. There is hope that it comes back next year.

This year the eight grade “capstone” trip was Costa Rica where the students engaged in some community service projects, participated in dances, made tostones, and saw the local families actually roast coffee beans in an iron skillet over a wood burning stove! It was great fun and easily comported with all the DCPS best practices. The company was “Costa Rica Explorations” - ask for Molly.

As to “equity issues” that was just a ruse some administrators were using to do away with all the work that these trips entail. No one at OA has EVER been left behind due to an inability to pay, those who could pay kicked in to make sure that everyone who met the criteria (B grades, little discipline history) could go. For families who did not want their kids to go that far or maybe were afraid of ever getting back in — they did other trips.

As to “liability” — c’mon give me a break — every time your kid hits the soccer pitch parents sign a wavier, international travel is no different.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oyster-Adams students go to Costa Rica in 8th grade. Those students who take Mandarin in middle school go to Taiwan in 7th grade. My children participated in both trips and LOVED their experiences!

Last time I heard, they were scrapping that because of “equity” issues.

[Anonymous]

Lamb goes to hard bargain farm for one night.