International trip for 5th graders?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a nephew that was 10 and he has an opportunity to go to Scotland with his soccer team. That announcement was greeted with excitement. What is the big deal with a school planning and educational trip out of the country? Sheesh.

I think what you're hearing is the bitching and whining of a few parents who: don't want to make any financial sacrifices or hard choices, never really supported the language immersion and global education that is now smacking them in the head, and mad that they have to actually do something to support the school or look/feel like a bad parent.

Wow. just. wow. That's it! PP, you are a mind reading, fly on the wall hearing, certified genius! Of course you secretly know the inner workings of every family's finances--they just aren't sacrificing enough! Why, they should just pull themselves up by their bootstraps and spend their mortgage money to send their 10 year old on a field trip. Yes. They're just lazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:oh, and just b/c you can't have "it" DOES NOT mean no one else should have it either.

But we're not talking about an "it" thing. We're talking about the celebrated culmination of their collective learning. The committment of 75% of the cost of the trip by doing 25 hours of volunteering for the fundraising is admiarable. But that means over $2500 per student in 6 months or so. Doesn't anyone think that's unreasonable?

[Anonymous]

"over $2500 per student in 6 months or so. Doesn't anyone think that's unreasonable?"

Nah, they are going to cover it with selling Macy's cards at $5 a piece and bake sales. Nearly $500 earned so far, so at a $1 a cookie...Well, you can do the math.

[Anonymous]

$500/15(?) studentsmeans that each student being $33 closer to the $3500 price tag. Only $60,000 to go! That's a lot of cookies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you're pulling your child from a school because it offered a trip to China for kids who have been studying Chinese for 5 years. Well there you go. It's your right.
I guess I don't see what all the fuss is about. Parents need to make decisions based on what they see is right for their child. Some kids will be able to handle this trip and perhaps some won't. The school and parents (or rather some parents) are committed to fundraising for up to 75% of the cost for kids whose parents will commit to help. So why not leave it at that and quit getting hysterical because the school offered the opportunity?? I'm sure it will be offered again.
(By the way, can you name a Chinese-speaking country that's closer to the US than China/Asia??)

San Francisco Chinatown?

THey speak mostly Cantonese. We struggled to find Mandarin DVDs and books for our kids, or anyone who spoke Mandarin.

[Anonymous]

Sidwell Friends Offers Trips to China

In 1984, at the behest of Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang, Sidwell Friends students, teachers, and administrators traveled to China for the first of several summer trips to the country. Presently, the Program offers students regular summer trips to China. Groups usually visit traditional areas of China as well as the large, modern cities of Beijing and Shanghai, where they meet with students and teachers from Sidwell's sister schools. In addition, faculty and staff occasionally travel to China to enhance their awareness and knowledge of Chinese culture. Trips such as these can dramatically raise the consciousness of the School community to Chinese concerns, deepening the commitment of students studying Chinese language and history.

[Anonymous]

Interesting. Wonder how many from Sidwell knew Mandarin or had been studying it for 5+ yrs.

[Anonymous]

What did it cost? How many of the Sidwell students are on a Free/Reduced Price Lunch? Couldn't help but notice it was a "summer" trip too.

Nice try though.

[Anonymous]

Baltimore Public Schools offer school trips to Montreal and France for elementary students during the school year. Via the Baltimore International Academy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Sidwell Friends Offers Trips to China

In 1984, at the behest of Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang, Sidwell Friends students, teachers, and administrators traveled to China for the first of several summer trips to the country. Presently, the Program offers students regular summer trips to China. Groups usually visit traditional areas of China as well as the large, modern cities of Beijing and Shanghai, where they meet with students and teachers from Sidwell's sister schools. In addition, faculty and staff occasionally travel to China to enhance their awareness and knowledge of Chinese culture. Trips such as these can dramatically raise the consciousness of the School community to Chinese concerns, deepening the commitment of students studying Chinese language and history.

Yes, I was there then. It was for 11th and 12th graders, btw. This trip was only offered to kids who were in the Chinese program which was very small at the time. And again, you're speaking of one the highest income groups in the city: Sidwell parents. And even then, it was considered gauche to just assume that people would all be fine with such an extravagant trip for teenagers. The kids who took Chinese then were huge nerds. Behavior problems on the trip would have been non-existent. The cohort that would be sending a class full of 5th -8th graders to France nowadays would be a much wilder bunch.

[Anonymous]

An elementary school in Texas does international field trips in 2nd and 5th grades. Second graders go to Canada, Fifth graders go to France - each to help learn/solidfy French.

[Anonymous]

Sidwell isn't an immersion language school last I looked so it's in the summer for cultural enrichment only.

Unfortunately, China is far and expensive to visit. The school is offering an opportunity to go. If you don't want to send your child, no one is forcing you.

Yes, it's not fair but it is what it is.

[Anonymous]

San Jose public elementary schools sends some of their 4th graders to China on a sister city exchange program.

[Anonymous]

If I were a Yu Ying parent not connected some other way to Chinese, I'd welcome this opportunity. Lest there is a real and emotional exposure to the context of a language, it's really hard to learn and sustain it in a meaningful way. Children have to experience that it's meaningful. Us parents telling them so (your future job, income, life etc.) doesn't carry that meaning. In the absence of intrinsic meaning such as Chinese heritage, such a trip can really help. It can make the difference between creating that contextual foundation or not. As someone sending my kids to Europe in the summer for $3000 a pop, precisely to nurture that contextual connection to their second language and culture, the price tag seems okay.
Or else, honestly, parents with no connection to Chinese really have to stop fooling themselves about the usefulness of sending a child to a Chinese immersion school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I were a Yu Ying parent not connected some other way to Chinese, I'd welcome this opportunity. Lest there is a real and emotional exposure to the context of a language, it's really hard to learn and sustain it in a meaningful way. Children have to experience that it's meaningful. Us parents telling them so (your future job, income, life etc.) doesn't carry that meaning. In the absence of intrinsic meaning such as Chinese heritage, such a trip can really help. It can make the difference between creating that contextual foundation or not. As someone sending my kids to Europe in the summer for $3000 a pop, precisely to nurture that contextual connection to their second language and culture, the price tag seems okay.
Or else, honestly, parents with no connection to Chinese really have to stop fooling themselves about the usefulness of sending a child to a Chinese immersion school.

PP, when your kids go to Europe (and how old are they, btw?) Do they stay with family? Because that is a completely different and much more meaningful experience than spending 3k so my kid can be bossed around by middle school DCPS scolding principals and teachers as they (the kids) try to duck around in rooms at a hotel with their knucklehead classmates.