International trip for 5th graders?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been lurking on the outsides of the trip discussion for a while, as my child is not yet a 5th grader, but I want to bring up one factor that has not yet been mentioned here, as far as I know.

Our child has one parent with a Chinese background and one parent who is not. We have in fact already been to China, to visit relatives and to see the sights. If I was going to take my 10 year old on a trip in the middle of the school year, it would NOT be go on a group tour of Tian An Men Square, forbidden city, great wall, etc, although these are certainly worthy places to see. Rather, my kid would be running around with cousins in the housing estate, or the alley, playing games, using the language, and generally absorbing the culture more so than any group tour would provide. Or perhaps they'd see how much their cousins have to study and memorize for school and wouldn't complain so much at their homework. And of course they'd be learning proper manners and enjoying local dishes at banquets.

As the 5th grade trip is currently planned, I'm not so sure it would have much value for my family or child. If we were to spend $7000 or more on a trip, we would do it very differently and get a lot more out of this.

Please don't get this wrong. I'm not suggesting the school drop off kids at a random Beijing hutong and have them go at it. And I realize most parents and kids have never seen China and a trip is a great opportunity for them to do so. But, for quite a number of us, if we were to make such a trip at all, we would do it very, very differently.

Perhaps the school could take us into account? Perhaps 2 weeks out of the 5th year could be for "independent study". Some students would go on a group tour to China as is being planned now. Others might go to China, but with family, as I mentioned. Still others might do local events -- such as outdoor education week, or volunteer at a Chinatown nonprofit, or other things still.

Having a "independent study period" would take the pressure off those who cannot afford an international trip or whose kids aren't ready for one. EVERYONE would do a fun, "cool", educational activity and tell everyone about it when they all returned. It would allow more options to accomodate the concerns and needs or all parents, without dictating one set-in-stone agenda to the whole group.

Thoughts? Who would like to see the school offer something like this?

I like the idea of a class trip with DC going with his classmates since preK. DC grandparents live in Asia and we go visit often so going there won't be a big deal but going with his classmates would be. We really hope they have this when DC is in fifth. He'll definitely go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been lurking on the outsides of the trip discussion for a while, as my child is not yet a 5th grader, but I want to bring up one factor that has not yet been mentioned here, as far as I know.

Our child has one parent with a Chinese background and one parent who is not. We have in fact already been to China, to visit relatives and to see the sights. If I was going to take my 10 year old on a trip in the middle of the school year, it would NOT be go on a group tour of Tian An Men Square, forbidden city, great wall, etc, although these are certainly worthy places to see. Rather, my kid would be running around with cousins in the housing estate, or the alley, playing games, using the language, and generally absorbing the culture more so than any group tour would provide. Or perhaps they'd see how much their cousins have to study and memorize for school and wouldn't complain so much at their homework. And of course they'd be learning proper manners and enjoying local dishes at banquets.

As the 5th grade trip is currently planned, I'm not so sure it would have much value for my family or child. If we were to spend $7000 or more on a trip, we would do it very differently and get a lot more out of this.

Please don't get this wrong. I'm not suggesting the school drop off kids at a random Beijing hutong and have them go at it. And I realize most parents and kids have never seen China and a trip is a great opportunity for them to do so. But, for quite a number of us, if we were to make such a trip at all, we would do it very, very differently.

Perhaps the school could take us into account? Perhaps 2 weeks out of the 5th year could be for "independent study". Some students would go on a group tour to China as is being planned now. Others might go to China, but with family, as I mentioned. Still others might do local events -- such as outdoor education week, or volunteer at a Chinatown nonprofit, or other things still.

Having a "independent study period" would take the pressure off those who cannot afford an international trip or whose kids aren't ready for one. EVERYONE would do a fun, "cool", educational activity and tell everyone about it when they all returned. It would allow more options to accomodate the concerns and needs or all parents, without dictating one set-in-stone agenda to the whole group.

Thoughts? Who would like to see the school offer something like this?

I like the idea of a class trip with DC going with his classmates since preK. DC grandparents live in Asia and we go visit often so going there won't be a big deal but going with his classmates would be. We really hope they have this when DC is in fifth. He'll definitely go.

Me too. There are a lot of reasons I think Yu Ying is a special school, and one of them is that by the time my child is finishing elementary school, he will have been learning with the same small community of students for seven years. I think that's pretty amazing to contemplate at a public school. I love the idea of him going to China and having the opportunity to put all of those years of study to use, really experiencing the reward of his hard work, getting to fall in love with his adopted language and culture. I think there are some priceless life-lessons in that opportunity. It is much easier to contemplate when I know that the other children will be from families who have the same academic and ethical expectations that we do.

[Anonymous]

I was sure our family wouldn't stay for the DCI, but the 5th grade trip moved the departure up by a year. No way my 10 yo is going to Asia without a parent. No way our family budget can accomodate $3500 for one child's "vacation" (times 2 if a parent would accompany), the whole family doesn't spend that much when we all go away (think campgrounds, and relative's spare rooms).

The closest trips I'm aware of -- Stokes sends 6th graders, but to much closer countries, that are close to the same time zone. Deal has optional one week trips during spring break. WES (Wash Episcopal) sends 7th & 8th, included in tuition.

Does anyone know if WIS (Wash International School) has a 5th grade trip for the primary students before they move to MS campus?

[Anonymous]

I think that a trip of this nature is horribly inappropriate--whether it is 5th or 8th grade. It is divisive and socially isolating to the parents who either cannot afford it or prefer to allocate their resources differently. There will be immense social pressure placed on the kids who are not going. This country is and has been in a recession. When will we stop raising the bar for unreasonable lifestyle expectations for our kids? My parents sent 4 kids through Sidwell and St. Albans in the late 70's through the mid 80's. A class wide european trip was never a thing. Absurd. Families did this on an individual basis, of course. But to set up such class wide economic division in public school is completely inappropriate. Plus, unbelievably, the trip is free for teachers and administrators. This just absurd. The trip organizers do much of the work and chaperoning-(I worked for one of these companies when I first graduated college). I just really, really find this to be distasteful. I do blame the school for doing this. They are dangling the trip in front of the children and placing the wedge between the haves and the have nots. This is public school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that a trip of this nature is horribly inappropriate--whether it is 5th or 8th grade. It is divisive and socially isolating to the parents who either cannot afford it or prefer to allocate their resources differently. There will be immense social pressure placed on the kids who are not going. This country is and has been in a recession. When will we stop raising the bar for unreasonable lifestyle expectations for our kids? My parents sent 4 kids through Sidwell and St. Albans in the late 70's through the mid 80's. A class wide european trip was never a thing. Absurd. Families did this on an individual basis, of course. But to set up such class wide economic division in public school is completely inappropriate. Plus, unbelievably, the trip is free for teachers and administrators. This just absurd. The trip organizers do much of the work and chaperoning-(I worked for one of these companies when I first graduated college). I just really, really find this to be distasteful. I do blame the school for doing this. They are dangling the trip in front of the children and placing the wedge between the haves and the have nots. This is public school.

Crabs in a barrel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that a trip of this nature is horribly inappropriate--whether it is 5th or 8th grade. It is divisive and socially isolating to the parents who either cannot afford it or prefer to allocate their resources differently. There will be immense social pressure placed on the kids who are not going. This country is and has been in a recession. When will we stop raising the bar for unreasonable lifestyle expectations for our kids? My parents sent 4 kids through Sidwell and St. Albans in the late 70's through the mid 80's. A class wide european trip was never a thing. Absurd. Families did this on an individual basis, of course. But to set up such class wide economic division in public school is completely inappropriate. Plus, unbelievably, the trip is free for teachers and administrators. This just absurd. The trip organizers do much of the work and chaperoning-(I worked for one of these companies when I first graduated college). I just really, really find this to be distasteful. I do blame the school for doing this. They are dangling the trip in front of the children and placing the wedge between the haves and the have nots. This is public school.

Um, yeah, we got it. Got it the first time. You aren't a parent of a YY kid and you have no possible connection to this, but we get that you really, really don't like the idea of this trip and also that your parents sent their kids to Sidwell and St. Albans. Seriously, back away from the computer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that a trip of this nature is horribly inappropriate--whether it is 5th or 8th grade. It is divisive and socially isolating to the parents who either cannot afford it or prefer to allocate their resources differently. There will be immense social pressure placed on the kids who are not going. This country is and has been in a recession. When will we stop raising the bar for unreasonable lifestyle expectations for our kids? My parents sent 4 kids through Sidwell and St. Albans in the late 70's through the mid 80's. A class wide european trip was never a thing. Absurd. Families did this on an individual basis, of course. But to set up such class wide economic division in public school is completely inappropriate. Plus, unbelievably, the trip is free for teachers and administrators. This just absurd. The trip organizers do much of the work and chaperoning-(I worked for one of these companies when I first graduated college). I just really, really find this to be distasteful. I do blame the school for doing this. They are dangling the trip in front of the children and placing the wedge between the haves and the have nots. This is public school.

I don't see the connection unless Sidwell & St. Albans used to have immersion programs with European languages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was sure our family wouldn't stay for the DCI, but the 5th grade trip moved the departure up by a year. No way my 10 yo is going to Asia without a parent. No way our family budget can accomodate $3500 for one child's "vacation" (times 2 if a parent would accompany), the whole family doesn't spend that much when we all go away (think campgrounds, and relative's spare rooms).

The closest trips I'm aware of -- Stokes sends 6th graders, but to much closer countries, that are close to the same time zone. Deal has optional one week trips during spring break. WES (Wash Episcopal) sends 7th & 8th, included in tuition.

Does anyone know if WIS (Wash International School) has a 5th grade trip for the primary students before they move to MS campus?

Did you know that there are countries relatively close, even in the same time zone, where the Stokes students can practice their French & Spanish? Not Mandarin Chinese though. It turns out that if you want to be immersed in Mandarin, you need to go to China.

You stay home, or even leave if you like. However, I would like for my DC to experience this opportunity.

[Anonymous]

12:48 is right. The trip is inappropriate and they are too young to appreciate it plus the kids will get homesick. Can we now shut this down after 29 pages?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:12:48 is right. The trip is inappropriate and they are too young to appreciate it plus the kids will get homesick. Can we now shut this down after 29 pages?

Perhaps the trip is inappropriate for your children, dear, but it is presumptuous to attempt to speak for others. You would know whether or not yours are too to appreciate it, or if they will get homesick. Mine can handle it, and would be excited by the adventure. You haven't made any good point as to why, if your children can't do something, nobody else's children should be allowed to either. You do realize that you don't get to make these parenting decisions for everyone, yes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:12:48 is right. The trip is inappropriate and they are too young to appreciate it plus the kids will get homesick. Can we now shut this down after 29 pages?

Perhaps the trip is inappropriate for your children, dear, but it is presumptuous to attempt to speak for others. You would know whether or not yours are too to appreciate it, or if they will get homesick. Mine can handle it, and would be excited by the adventure. You haven't made any good point as to why, if your children can't do something, nobody else's children should be allowed to either. You do realize that you don't get to make these parenting decisions for everyone, yes?

(too young to appreciate it)

[Anonymous]

There was a nice initiative a few pages back for the actual YY families to move this discussion to a YY listserv. Please can we follow through with that?

[Anonymous]

All it takes is one crying homesick child to ruin the trip for all.

[Anonymous]

The 3rd grade and 4th grade parents (and perhaps younger grades as well) are discussing the trip already in their own forums. Lots of concerns all around, reflecting all that has been mentioned here and more. All conversations have been polite and respectful even with differing viewpoints. YY parents, join the discussions already ongoing on or start one on the PA Listserv

[Anonymous]

Some of this 5th grade group can't make it across town on a school bus for a field trip.

The thought of being trapped on a plane with them for an international flight scares the crap out of my kid.