Did your FCPS go on a really pitiful field trip this year to the Smithsonian art museum?

Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Is there some reason that they can't use parent drivers? I went to a private school and we always had parent drivers. 5 kids to a van. Parents signed liability waivers.


1. Not enough will volunteer.
2. That’s a lot to coordinate and people aren’t reliable.
3. People won’t trust a random parent to drive.
4. Liability, even with your waiver idea.
5. You need subs to stay back with the kids who don’t sign the waivers and don’t accept the parent driver, assuming there are even enough to drive.


6. Parking. Where are these parent drivers supposed to park? And do they simply drop students in front of the museum? That requires a school staffer or volunteer to be there to meet those kids. Does the parent then spend the rest of the field trip circling? Because parking is not worth finding for an hour event.

The PP talking about using parent drivers isn't thinking about how this is (a) public school, not private (which that PP said he or she had attended) and (b) the classes on these field trips aren't small private school classes, they're large 25-35 kid classes.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our school did a similar field trip this year, but it was really great. The museum has a great program where they really went into detail about certain paintings. I think it’s way better than having kids randomly wander around. They learned a lot and really learned how to appreciate paintings.


But to go all the way to the museum and spent less than an hour there and only see 2-3 paintings sounds really lame to me. Do you work at Gatehouse? Like sure, start the program that way, then let them see the rest of the museum!


I was a chaperone and definitely don’t work at gatehouse (I think most of them should be let go). We were at the museum for more than an hour. Probably closer to two. And it was pretty great. The other parents thought so too. And the kids were pretty engaged and happy to be on a field trip. Did your buses get stuck in traffic or something?


When our daughter did this field trip in the fall (which I chaperoned), they got on the buses at 10:15. They arrived at the museum around 11:15 (bus was stuck in traffic in DC, went the wrong way). Waited in the museum lobby for our group's docent for at least 20 minutes. We saw two paintings and a sculpture. There was supposed to be a fourth piece of art, that we didn't get to see. There was no part of the schedule that involved looking around the museum. We were physically at the museum for maybe an hour. Then the kids were herded back on to the buses b/c we were required to be back by 1:30 so the buses could get to the middle school.

It was really terrible. There were kids on our bus who had never seen DC before. It would have been nice for them to get to see more of the museum.


Another hour in an art museum wouldn't have rectified that but would've given the kids more time to disengage and misbehave. Short and sweet is better than disastrous.


Chaperone mom here, the kids were actually very well-behaved. The docent complimented their behavior.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:My 6th grader went on a trip to the National Portrait Gallery. Was there for about an hour. Came back to school and ate lunch. He loves school, but said this trip was lame.

No class trip to Jamestown this year. He is very disappointed and seems to think it is because class behavior is horrible. Don’t know if that’s true, but I wouldn’t be surprised.


Does your school send 6th graders to Jamestown? Only 4th graders go at our school. Of course, the current 6th graders got cheated out of that trip and didn't have any trips last year either.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our school did a similar field trip this year, but it was really great. The museum has a great program where they really went into detail about certain paintings. I think it’s way better than having kids randomly wander around. They learned a lot and really learned how to appreciate paintings.


But to go all the way to the museum and spent less than an hour there and only see 2-3 paintings sounds really lame to me. Do you work at Gatehouse? Like sure, start the program that way, then let them see the rest of the museum!


I was a chaperone and definitely don’t work at gatehouse (I think most of them should be let go). We were at the museum for more than an hour. Probably closer to two. And it was pretty great. The other parents thought so too. And the kids were pretty engaged and happy to be on a field trip. Did your buses get stuck in traffic or something?


You were at the museum for two hours and only saw three paintings, and thought it was great?


DP: I didn't go on this field trip, but as an artist and an art educator, getting students to look deeply at and discuss a work of art in detail is what we want. They probably used a rich discussion process that got students talking and thinking about the work and making connections. That's what makes an artwork meaningful and memorable. I'm sure students walked by and "saw" many other artworks in the museum as it's not likely to be three pieces right next to each other, they just focused in detail on those few.


I’ve been in this field trip many times and this is what they do. The docent introduces the art, there often a small activit, and they ask questions, talk about what they noticed, etc. Much better than running around and not actually looking at any art.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My 6th grader went on a trip to the National Portrait Gallery. Was there for about an hour. Came back to school and ate lunch. He loves school, but said this trip was lame.

No class trip to Jamestown this year. He is very disappointed and seems to think it is because class behavior is horrible. Don’t know if that’s true, but I wouldn’t be surprised.


Does your school send 6th graders to Jamestown? Only 4th graders go at our school. Of course, the current 6th graders got cheated out of that trip and didn't have any trips last year either.


6th graders at my kid’s school go to Philly. Also, covid cheated a lot of people out of many experiences. You can still take your kid to Jamestown anytime you want.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My 6th grader went on a trip to the National Portrait Gallery. Was there for about an hour. Came back to school and ate lunch. He loves school, but said this trip was lame.

No class trip to Jamestown this year. He is very disappointed and seems to think it is because class behavior is horrible. Don’t know if that’s true, but I wouldn’t be surprised.


Does your school send 6th graders to Jamestown? Only 4th graders go at our school. Of course, the current 6th graders got cheated out of that trip and didn't have any trips last year either.


6th graders at my kid’s school go to Philly. Also, covid cheated a lot of people out of many experiences. You can still take your kid to Jamestown anytime you want.


Who pays for a trip to Philly? The charter buses for that must be expensive.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our school did a similar field trip this year, but it was really great. The museum has a great program where they really went into detail about certain paintings. I think it’s way better than having kids randomly wander around. They learned a lot and really learned how to appreciate paintings.


But to go all the way to the museum and spent less than an hour there and only see 2-3 paintings sounds really lame to me. Do you work at Gatehouse? Like sure, start the program that way, then let them see the rest of the museum!


I was a chaperone and definitely don’t work at gatehouse (I think most of them should be let go). We were at the museum for more than an hour. Probably closer to two. And it was pretty great. The other parents thought so too. And the kids were pretty engaged and happy to be on a field trip. Did your buses get stuck in traffic or something?


You were at the museum for two hours and only saw three paintings, and thought it was great?


DP: I didn't go on this field trip, but as an artist and an art educator, getting students to look deeply at and discuss a work of art in detail is what we want. They probably used a rich discussion process that got students talking and thinking about the work and making connections. That's what makes an artwork meaningful and memorable. I'm sure students walked by and "saw" many other artworks in the museum as it's not likely to be three pieces right next to each other, they just focused in detail on those few.


I’ve been in this field trip many times and this is what they do. The docent introduces the art, there often a small activit, and they ask questions, talk about what they noticed, etc. Much better than running around and not actually looking at any art.


Chaperone here, there was no activity. We waited in the lobby for 20 minutes, the docent talked about a few pieces of art, and then we left. It was NOT better than walking around and stopping at something of interest and exploring. In conjunction with actually seeing the museum, it would have been OK.
Anonymous
If equity is the center of everything FCPS does, there sure does seem to ba a lot of inequity with the field trips. just saying,
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My 6th grader went on a trip to the National Portrait Gallery. Was there for about an hour. Came back to school and ate lunch. He loves school, but said this trip was lame.

No class trip to Jamestown this year. He is very disappointed and seems to think it is because class behavior is horrible. Don’t know if that’s true, but I wouldn’t be surprised.


Does your school send 6th graders to Jamestown? Only 4th graders go at our school. Of course, the current 6th graders got cheated out of that trip and didn't have any trips last year either.


6th graders at my kid’s school go to Philly. Also, covid cheated a lot of people out of many experiences. You can still take your kid to Jamestown anytime you want.


Who pays for a trip to Philly? The charter buses for that must be expensive.


DP, I’m a parent at a school that does this. It’s part of the field trip cost (paid by parents, same as Jamestown.
Anonymous
Philly!? You stay overnight? Wow.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My 6th grader went on a trip to the National Portrait Gallery. Was there for about an hour. Came back to school and ate lunch. He loves school, but said this trip was lame.

No class trip to Jamestown this year. He is very disappointed and seems to think it is because class behavior is horrible. Don’t know if that’s true, but I wouldn’t be surprised.


Does your school send 6th graders to Jamestown? Only 4th graders go at our school. Of course, the current 6th graders got cheated out of that trip and didn't have any trips last year either.


6th graders at my kid’s school go to Philly. Also, covid cheated a lot of people out of many experiences. You can still take your kid to Jamestown anytime you want.


Who pays for a trip to Philly? The charter buses for that must be expensive.


DP, I’m a parent at a school that does this. It’s part of the field trip cost (paid by parents, same as Jamestown.


So the parents pay, the school doesn't pay at all? How much does it cost? What about the kids who can't afford or don't pay?
Anonymous
My kid didn't get to go to Jamestown so I don't know how that works, but I am shocked that kids go to Philly. You stay overnight?
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:If equity is the center of everything FCPS does, there sure does seem to ba a lot of inequity with the field trips. just saying,


Probably because the teachers plan them and they are burnt out.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:YES, my kid did this field trip this year and YES it was terrible. I thought she was exaggerating then her teacher confirmed they only had time to look at two paintings, then back in the bus. I was honestly just perplexed by the whole thing. Why even bother.


Teachers would rather not. The kids behaviors are bad....thats why they keep them short and sweet.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My 6th grader went on a trip to the National Portrait Gallery. Was there for about an hour. Came back to school and ate lunch. He loves school, but said this trip was lame.

No class trip to Jamestown this year. He is very disappointed and seems to think it is because class behavior is horrible. Don’t know if that’s true, but I wouldn’t be surprised.


Does your school send 6th graders to Jamestown? Only 4th graders go at our school. Of course, the current 6th graders got cheated out of that trip and didn't have any trips last year either.


6th graders at my kid’s school go to Philly. Also, covid cheated a lot of people out of many experiences. You can still take your kid to Jamestown anytime you want.


Who pays for a trip to Philly? The charter buses for that must be expensive.


DP, I’m a parent at a school that does this. It’s part of the field trip cost (paid by parents, same as Jamestown.


So the parents pay, the school doesn't pay at all? How much does it cost? What about the kids who can't afford or don't pay?


+100. I am so curious about this! I had no idea FCPS ESes did such big trips.
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