No field trips so far this year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Field trips suck! They are a ton of work. Teachers have to do these enormous packets for the field trips. What time do we have to do them? I do not think people truly understand the work these packets entail.

Tell us, please.

Different teacher. First we have to actually plan it and get the tickets. We have to provide the district a full itinerary and how every part of it aligns with standards. A permission slip for every single child. Then the nurse has to review every single attendee and give us their health plan and medications and epi pens to ensure they’re safe on the trip. We have to arrange for the cafeteria to provide bagged lunches. Then we have to get chaperones. Then arrange transportation. Then assign chaperones and groups and keep track of everyone. Then ensure we get the money from the kids whose parents signed them up. Then remind the kids whose parents haven’t signed up of the deadline multiple times. It’s a LOT of moving parts.

Oh wow, that is a lot! If I were a teacher I’d never take my students on a field trip if I had to do all this coordination to make it happen.

I enjoy field trips and when it was easier to get a bus approved, I would plan them. That being said, yes, it’s a lot of work and there are years that I was not willing to do it for the students I had whose behavior I couldn’t trust to be acceptable while we were out and who had done nothing to deserve me being willing to do all this for them.

[Anonymous]

I’m also a DCPS teacher. In addition to the logistic work field trips are super stressful. At the elementary level you are basically trusting volunteer chaperones (usually parents you know very little about) to appropriately keep track of students but those students are still your responsibility even when they are out of your sight in their small groups.

Our 1st graders will have 2-3 field trips this year.

[Anonymous]

I'm still mad that my child didn't get to go to Jamestown last year. I know a lot of FCPS elementariness did send their 4th graders. I don't know why ours didn't get to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Field trips are a lot of extra work for teachers to plan. I work in a school and they are one of the only optional things that school staff can remove from their plates right now.

+1- We can’t control the kids in the schools, much less out of them. We don’t have cell IPads to keep the kids busy while they wait in line like they are used having when they go out with their parents.

+100000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm still mad that my child didn't get to go to Jamestown last year. I know a lot of FCPS elementariness did send their 4th graders. I don't know why ours didn't get to go.

Maybe is a behavior issues .....


Maybe they didn't think the class is ready for a long trip.

[Anonymous]

Jamestown is always there for you to take them if you feel it’s that important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm still mad that my child didn't get to go to Jamestown last year. I know a lot of FCPS elementariness did send their 4th graders. I don't know why ours didn't get to go.

Maybe it’s the cost. Do you have a wealthy school willing to pay a lot? Jamestown was one of the expensive charter bus trips for us. Even with that, one of my kids missed it when it was the Covid year. We offered to take the family to Jamestown and no one wanted to go.

[Anonymous]

So far one of my three kids has had a field trip. I anticipate all three having two field trips each by the end of the year. We are just over a third of the way through the year so still plenty of time, and I think alot of trips happen in the spring when the weather gets better.