security check at Mount Vernon for elementary school field trips

[Anonymous]

I was recently a chaparone for DC's class field trip to Mount Vernon. Everybody in the group was carrying a small bag because the students were planning to eat a snack during a boat cruise. It took a while to get everyone through security as they required all bags to be checked which resulted in needing to skip a planned activity.

One adult said it was an error on the part of the Mount Vernon staff that our group was delayed so much because they student groups are not supposed to be subjected to bag checks. In looking at the website, I don't see any exclusion for school groups and tend to think the school staff member arranging the trip should have known bags would be checked and planned for this in the schedule.

What do you think? Was the Mount Vernon staff unaware of a policy saying elementary school groups shouldn't be subjected to bag searches?

TIA

[Anonymous]

Um, call them?

[Anonymous]

Do you know of *anyone* in the last year or so that has gotten into Mount Vernon without a bag check?

[Anonymous]

Of course they should still be subject to bag searches. Mount Vernon can't trust that the school staff searched every child before getting on the bus. Would they exempt all school groups and private tours?

Next would be the posts from parents upset that the teacher searched their child's possessions. It's better to keep this consistent and everyone safe.

[Anonymous]

One of the children in your child's class is being raised by a primadona.

[Anonymous]

We took our grade level to Mount Vernon this month. I organized the trip. The invoice and every correspondence I had via email had a statement about the maximum size bag allowed and that there would be a bag check at the entrance.

[Anonymous]

OP here - thanks everyone for the replies.

Just to clarify, the student bags were not checked over by school staff either. These are older kids, many of who packed their own snacks so there was zero adult oversight on what was in their bags prior to the security check. The kids had been told to bring a snack to eat on the boat ride but I don't recall any specific instructions saying no snacking allowed between getting off the bus and getting on the boat.

I didn't allow the kids in my group to eat on the grounds but I did see at least one teacher in the group chewing gum and another teacher ended up having her group sit off to the side in the shade to snack. (It could be there were special circumstances for the teacher allowing her group to snack but I can't imagine a reason why the other teacher would be need to be so obviously chewing gum.) I did offer the option to my group that we could go back to the entrance area and try to find an area where snacking was permitted.

The Mount Vernon web site specifically says no food or beverage other than water is allowed: http://www.mountvernon.org/plan-your-visit/tips-for-your-visit/guidelines/bag-inspection-policy-prohibited-items/

[Anonymous]

OP you are certifiably nuts. You're upset over a teacher chewing gum? Is gum now considered a food or a beverage? Did the teacher see you chewing gum and asked you to spit yours out? I can't see a reason why you would start this thread. Like a PP said, if you have a question about Mount Vernon's policy, then call Mount Vernon.

[Anonymous]

I've chaperoned that trip in the past and the kids lunches were rounded up in a box and not taken into the grounds. Lunch was eaten outside the main gate after the tour. Only the adult women had purse sized bags and they were checked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've chaperoned that trip in the past and the kids lunches were rounded up in a box and not taken into the grounds. Lunch was eaten outside the main gate after the tour. Only the adult women had purse sized bags and they were checked.

We did that once. Now we just eat when we return to school.

[Anonymous]

OP, I'm curious what you're hoping for here. Are you wanting to get evidence that Mount Vernon somehow cheated the students of an activity by checking bags when bags weren't supposed to be checked? Mount Vernon is clear about no food on the grounds and about bag checks, as PPs have noted. Or are you wanting to tell the school that a teacher messed up and wrongly thought it was OK to bring the bags in, and so ended up causing the kids to miss an activity--? If that's the case, the school is already aware, isn't it? I genuinely wonder what the goal is if you're seeking anecdotes here. It's very frustrating, and a pity, that the kids missed an activity and had to waste time in a bag check line due to a misunderstanding on what seems to be the school's part. I'd be pretty ticked off about that too, in your shoes. But after the fact, now, all you can do is double check details next time there's a field trip (anywhere) and possibly be the parent who steps up and organizes a way to collect and transport all the snacks, as a PP mentions above.

[Anonymous]

This is such a first world problem.

[Anonymous]

Wow. I mean, I'm usually one to push on rules but OP is...

I don't know what OP is. Mental illness maybe?

[Anonymous]

OP, unless an institution specifically waives a bag check, which is rare these days, the bag check is for everyone, and the organizers should have known and told the children not to bring bags.

I chaperoned a field trip to Mount Vernon last year, and the children had lunch at the cafeteria with prepaid coupons the teachers had already ordered and distributed. The kids were told not to bring bags. The adult bags were checked.

I chaperoned a field trip to the Air and Space this year, with a different school. The children also had prepaid coupons for lunch at the McDs, one kid had a bag for his special lunch and it was checked. The kids were told specifically not to bring bags unless they had to.