International trip for 5th graders?

[Anonymous]

There are actually lots of parents who disagree with the trip very strongly. Many of them just happen to hold back the rhetoric in person and vent it here anonymously instead.

[Anonymous]

As far as rallying, what is objectionable is the fact that the 5th grade parents were the only ones consulted in the decision to do the trip. If they want support from the rest of the parents then they should have been transparent from the start. Instead we were presented with a done deal and asked to blindly support it. It should be obvious that this trip is relevant to everyone and is not just about the 5th grade. I am a big fan of the school but this was an unfortunate blunder.

FWIW, don't know if this is true but I heard the 50K was a grant not a board donation.

[Anonymous]

No matter how well the trip is communicated in future years it will always be divisive in its current form and all the parents at the school will not rally around it. Some will. Some won't. That is life.

As long as the trip remains a 5th grade trip, some will believe the children are too young, some will believe the age is appropriate.
As long as the trip is conducted during the school year some will believe that it is wrong to have a "haves" and "have nots" situation. Especially when none of the fundraising is planned to be used to do some special enrichment activities for those staying in class during the trip.
As long as the tradition, though not the rule, is that a parent will accompany the young child continues some will not support the trip as it doubles the family's cost.

There are many reasons for sane, smart people to oppose the trip.
They should feel free to not participate in the fundraising efforts for the trip.
They should feel free to express their reservations about the trip to the school.
They should feel free to not rally around the trip.

However, they also should not do anything to torpedo the trip. They need to respect the decisions of the Board, the School and other parents (this of course goes both ways).

I support the school. I don't support the trip. I will participate in school wide fundraisers (computers, nature center, playground, library, etc.) and not China trip fundraisers.

[Anonymous]

My sense is that this trip is more about the parents than the kids. The 5th grade has been with YY since it's start. The parents and kids have indeed "been through" a lot. I'm sure it will be a lot of fun for them to travel together to China with the kids.

Beyond the social experience for parents, I don't see much educational value of this trip for the kids. With parents and kids going together I doubt much Chinese will be spoken. The kids are too young for the type of random exploration where, say, a college student might profoundize an interest in Chinese culture and people. But for many parents, it will no doubt be their first, and perhaps only, opportunity to visit China, so perhaps that is how they justify the trip.

And yes, I'm a YY parent and usual "booster" of the school. I don't have "vitriol" about this trip -- I do have valid concerns about the appropriateness and funding of this trip. I suspect next year, if there is a trip at all, planning, communications and purpose will be much better prepared. Perhaps a more modest class trip with more focus on the kids themselves will be better received by all.

[Anonymous]

Regardless of whether you support the trip or not, I don't see why people are distinguishing between the class and the rest of the school, and the very intense comments about it not benefiting the entire school. Support for this year's trip won't benefit the entire school but continued support for a fifth grade class trip (along with 8th and 11th) will eventually lead to benefiting the entire student body - not simultaneously but as they reach the grades where the trip takes place. I think there will never be complete agreement about which age/grade is the most appropriate and whether and if so how parent chaperones (I'm the one that commented about an international school I know of not allowing parents to chaperone their own kids' trips) will be utilized. Some who have commented seem to believe that college-age, or at least high-school, would be the most appropriate. Each kid is different in terms of maturity so there is probably no golden rule. I do think that kids are more capable than we give them credit for (myself included). I'm always shocked by what my little one accomplishes without me that she seems incapable (or not fond of) doing by herself when she's not around. I was lucky enough to travel abroad when I was in fifth grade (albeit a family trip) and although I have traveled intensely since then (including a 9th grade sister city exchange as well as a full year 12th grade exchange as well as college exchanges and working abroad), I still remember that summer very vividly. I was able to soak up the language way more easily and started the habit of keeping a travel journal which I continued through my early adult years. I have a pretty poor memory in general but I still remember that experience so vividly. Travel is more than just the language and culture but also learning independence and gaining confidence. I went from being barely able to speak the language to having friends with whom I only spoke the language. Yes, this trip is only a couple of weeks but my sister city exchange was only 10 days (albeit a home stay with a non-English speaking family) and I had the same experience in seeming my language skills improve dramatically. Learning Chinese will only become more difficult as the kids get older (more pressure in the English subjects as well as the difficulty of improving reading/writing characters) and I think part of the importance of the trip is to motivate the kids. They'll get to see in a real-life way the fruits of their labor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As far as rallying, what is objectionable is the fact that the 5th grade parents were the only ones consulted in the decision to do the trip. If they want support from the rest of the parents then they should have been transparent from the start. Instead we were presented with a done deal and asked to blindly support it. It should be obvious that this trip is relevant to everyone and is not just about the 5th grade. I am a big fan of the school but this was an unfortunate blunder.

FWIW, don't know if this is true but I heard the 50K was a grant not a board donation.

They were not consulted. They were told that the school was sponsoring a trip to China for the fifth graders. The dates were then told to the parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As far as rallying, what is objectionable is the fact that the 5th grade parents were the only ones consulted in the decision to do the trip. If they want support from the rest of the parents then they should have been transparent from the start. Instead we were presented with a done deal and asked to blindly support it. It should be obvious that this trip is relevant to everyone and is not just about the 5th grade. I am a big fan of the school but this was an unfortunate blunder.

FWIW, don't know if this is true but I heard the 50K was a grant not a board donation.

They were not consulted. They were told that the school was sponsoring a trip to China for the fifth graders. The dates were then told to the parents.

Well that's a bummer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are actually lots of parents who disagree with the trip very strongly. Many of them just happen to hold back the rhetoric in person and vent it here anonymously instead.

wow. how incredibly effective that is and such mature adult behavior. what great role models those people are!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My sense is that this trip is more about the parents than the kids. The 5th grade has been with YY since it's start. The parents and kids have indeed "been through" a lot. I'm sure it will be a lot of fun for them to travel together to China with the kids.

Beyond the social experience for parents, I don't see much educational value of this trip for the kids. With parents and kids going together I doubt much Chinese will be spoken. The kids are too young for the type of random exploration where, say, a college student might profoundize an interest in Chinese culture and people. But for many parents, it will no doubt be their first, and perhaps only, opportunity to visit China, so perhaps that is how they justify the trip.

And yes, I'm a YY parent and usual "booster" of the school. I don't have "vitriol" about this trip -- I do have valid concerns about the appropriateness and funding of this trip. I suspect next year, if there is a trip at all, planning, communications and purpose will be much better prepared. Perhaps a more modest class trip with more focus on the kids themselves will be better received by all.

ummmm maybe you in particular should focus on a writing and grammar class before you pass it on to your child: "it's" instead of "its"? and "profoundize"??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My sense is that this trip is more about the parents than the kids. The 5th grade has been with YY since it's start. The parents and kids have indeed "been through" a lot. I'm sure it will be a lot of fun for them to travel together to China with the kids.

Beyond the social experience for parents, I don't see much educational value of this trip for the kids. With parents and kids going together I doubt much Chinese will be spoken. The kids are too young for the type of random exploration where, say, a college student might profoundize an interest in Chinese culture and people. But for many parents, it will no doubt be their first, and perhaps only, opportunity to visit China, so perhaps that is how they justify the trip.

And yes, I'm a YY parent and usual "booster" of the school. I don't have "vitriol" about this trip -- I do have valid concerns about the appropriateness and funding of this trip. I suspect next year, if there is a trip at all, planning, communications and purpose will be much better prepared. Perhaps a more modest class trip with more focus on the kids themselves will be better received by all.

Then you haven't travelled outside the US enough. International travel is a great way to broaden the kids' horizons. They'll get to see another way of life and experience things first hand that they'd never be exposed to in the US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:10:56 here. My child is going without a parent.

In general the YY community is great. I meant the vitriol on this site by supposed YY parents, who say things like they won't attend a single fundraising event because they don't agree that 5th graders should be taking this trip.

I suspect most of the participants in this discussion are Yu Ying parents. And obviously many do have legitimate issues with this trip. I'd rather keep this discussion "in house", and not air dirty laundry, so to speak, so perhaps best we move the discussion to the Parent Association board.

[Anonymous]

I have not found the PA list serve or the PA meetings to be a place open to discussion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have not found the PA list serve or the PA meetings to be a place open to discussion.

Well, let's make it one. These issues cannot just be swept under the rug. Speak out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have not found the PA list serve or the PA meetings to be a place open to discussion.

Well, let's make it one. These issues cannot just be swept under the rug. Speak out.

No, the PA listserve does not work that way. Any conversations with even the minimum amt of controversy will be taken off the list serve and discussed "privately."

[Anonymous]

Agree with above! If more reasonable voices start commenting it would be excellent progress. With respect to this issue though, I wonder what would be achieved. The trip is set, it seems to largely be funded. Whether or not to contribute to further fundraisers is a personal decision (and surely it's reasonable not to contribute funds to something you don't agree with).