Anonymous
Post 12/26/2025 23:55     Subject: Why are the field trips so underwhelming?
Anonymous wrote:My kids are in the younger end of elementary but I'm really surprised by the field trips. They go on one a year, to places like Green Spring Gardens, Huntley Meadows, or Cox Farms. Are the other elementary schools like this? We live 20 minutes from the nation's capital - why aren't they visiting some of the many, many offerings there? (And yes, I take my kids to the museums!). It's not a lack of chaperones - they always have more volunteers than they can use.

Does anyone know if there are big high school trips anywhere? Where I grew up (Ohio) our big high school trip was to DC. Wondering what the equivalent is here.


This is crazy to me. I went to FCPS in the late 80’s and 90’s and we visited dozens of Smithsonian museums, Ford Theatre, the Capitol, Kennedy Center, etc. Why would they just take kids to such obscure locations for field trips when all of this is in their backyard?!
Anonymous
Post 12/26/2025 23:50     Subject: Re:Why are the field trips so underwhelming?
Anonymous wrote:Appropriated funds cannot be used for field trips. This means parents have to fund buses and any entrance fees. Or there have to be fundraisers and/or PTA subsidies. There are some grant funded trips such as all the fourth graders going to the Kennedy Center and all sixth graders going to the Portrait Gallery.

Different grade levels at different schools go on different trips that are connected to the curriculum. Our 4th grade visits Jamestown and 6th grade goes to Gettysburg. First grade studies animals and visits the National Zoo.


My kid's elementary doesn’t do Jamestown anymore. They went to Luray Caverns, which returned an hour after school got out. My kid is really into history so I was telling my kid that some schools do still go there for a field trip. My kid said the teacher said they can't go anymore because Jamestown has a gift shop. What?!
Anonymous
Post 12/26/2025 23:48     Subject: Why are the field trips so underwhelming?
The worst was the 7th grade trip for the MEEWEE. They had to fill out pages and pages of information while at Burke Lake. They were graded on these packets of paper so it had to be completely filled out. They had heads to paper the entire field trip. They barely got to look around or catch a breath of enjoyment. It was work then back on the bus. No one enjoyed it.
Anonymous
Post 12/26/2025 23:35     Subject: Why are the field trips so underwhelming?
Anonymous wrote:The FCPS field trips at our ES were so, so, so sad.

Wait until your kid goes to the "mandatory" art museum field trip. They aren't allowed to walk around the museum. They are herded into a room, shown three pieces of art, lectured about the art, and then back on the bus.

Our principal said the field trips were pathetic because they couldn't leave until a certain time and had to be back by a certain time, and that meant only about 60 minutes available at the actual DC destination.


+1

Anonymous
Post 12/26/2025 23:13     Subject: Re:Why are the field trips so underwhelming?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Appropriated funds cannot be used for field trips. This means parents have to fund buses and any entrance fees. Or there have to be fundraisers and/or PTA subsidies. There are some grant funded trips such as all the fourth graders going to the Kennedy Center and all sixth graders going to the Portrait Gallery.

Different grade levels at different schools go on different trips that are connected to the curriculum. Our 4th grade visits Jamestown and 6th grade goes to Gettysburg. First grade studies animals and visits the National Zoo.
\

Who pays for Gettysburg? How does your school get to spend so much time at the Zoo? Does your PTA pay for commercial buses?


It’s a combination of fundraisers and families paying. Every kid goes.

The PTA has started paying for commercial buses for the zoo. They help each grade level out and put it in their budget.
Anonymous
Post 12/26/2025 23:07     Subject: Why are the field trips so underwhelming?
Anonymous wrote:The FCPS field trips at our ES were so, so, so sad.

Wait until your kid goes to the "mandatory" art museum field trip. They aren't allowed to walk around the museum. They are herded into a room, shown three pieces of art, lectured about the art, and then back on the bus.

Our principal said the field trips were pathetic because they couldn't leave until a certain time and had to be back by a certain time, and that meant only about 60 minutes available at the actual DC destination.


This is accurate. I teach at an ES that starts at 8:45. We can’t leave for a field trip until the buses get back from their later runs. By the time you make it in to DC there isn’t a lot of time before you have to head back so the buses can start their afternoon runs.
Anonymous
Post 12/26/2025 23:07     Subject: Why are the field trips so underwhelming?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kids have been to Huntley Meadows, Hidden Oaks, Hidden Pond, Luray Caverns, Glen Echo Park to a show, George Mason for a show, a museum downtown, and soon another museum downtown. Usually 2 per year except Covid years.


And Lake Accotink in middle school.


Also forgot the Science Center at Fair Oaks. That one was nice.
Anonymous
Post 12/26/2025 23:05     Subject: Why are the field trips so underwhelming?
Anonymous wrote:The FCPS field trips at our ES were so, so, so sad.

Wait until your kid goes to the "mandatory" art museum field trip. They aren't allowed to walk around the museum. They are herded into a room, shown three pieces of art, lectured about the art, and then back on the bus.

Our principal said the field trips were pathetic because they couldn't leave until a certain time and had to be back by a certain time, and that meant only about 60 minutes available at the actual DC destination.


I was just going to mention the issue is bus schedules and was also going to mention the art trip. My kid was so frustrated. You apparently don't even have time to look at the paintings right next to the featured ones. It sounded awful. My kid would love to wander around taking in what speaks to them.
Anonymous
Post 12/26/2025 23:02     Subject: Re:Why are the field trips so underwhelming?
Anonymous wrote:Appropriated funds cannot be used for field trips. This means parents have to fund buses and any entrance fees. Or there have to be fundraisers and/or PTA subsidies. There are some grant funded trips such as all the fourth graders going to the Kennedy Center and all sixth graders going to the Portrait Gallery.

Different grade levels at different schools go on different trips that are connected to the curriculum. Our 4th grade visits Jamestown and 6th grade goes to Gettysburg. First grade studies animals and visits the National Zoo.
\

Who pays for Gettysburg? How does your school get to spend so much time at the Zoo? Does your PTA pay for commercial buses?
Anonymous
Post 12/26/2025 23:01     Subject: Why are the field trips so underwhelming?
The FCPS field trips at our ES were so, so, so sad.

Wait until your kid goes to the "mandatory" art museum field trip. They aren't allowed to walk around the museum. They are herded into a room, shown three pieces of art, lectured about the art, and then back on the bus.

Our principal said the field trips were pathetic because they couldn't leave until a certain time and had to be back by a certain time, and that meant only about 60 minutes available at the actual DC destination.
Anonymous
Post 12/26/2025 22:59     Subject: Re:Why are the field trips so underwhelming?
Appropriated funds cannot be used for field trips. This means parents have to fund buses and any entrance fees. Or there have to be fundraisers and/or PTA subsidies. There are some grant funded trips such as all the fourth graders going to the Kennedy Center and all sixth graders going to the Portrait Gallery.

Different grade levels at different schools go on different trips that are connected to the curriculum. Our 4th grade visits Jamestown and 6th grade goes to Gettysburg. First grade studies animals and visits the National Zoo.
Anonymous
Post 12/26/2025 22:56     Subject: Why are the field trips so underwhelming?
There’s not enough time with all the testing these days. It’s the same at our DCPS school even though they could literally walk to the Capitol and the Smithsonians are a few metro stops away. It gets slightly better when the kids are older and it’s easier for teachers to handle them.
Anonymous
Post 12/26/2025 22:55     Subject: Why are the field trips so underwhelming?
Anonymous wrote:My kids have been to Huntley Meadows, Hidden Oaks, Hidden Pond, Luray Caverns, Glen Echo Park to a show, George Mason for a show, a museum downtown, and soon another museum downtown. Usually 2 per year except Covid years.


And Lake Accotink in middle school.
Anonymous
Post 12/26/2025 22:54     Subject: Why are the field trips so underwhelming?
My kids have been to Huntley Meadows, Hidden Oaks, Hidden Pond, Luray Caverns, Glen Echo Park to a show, George Mason for a show, a museum downtown, and soon another museum downtown. Usually 2 per year except Covid years.
Anonymous
Post 12/26/2025 22:49     Subject: Why are the field trips so underwhelming?
My kids are in the younger end of elementary but I'm really surprised by the field trips. They go on one a year, to places like Green Spring Gardens, Huntley Meadows, or Cox Farms. Are the other elementary schools like this? We live 20 minutes from the nation's capital - why aren't they visiting some of the many, many offerings there? (And yes, I take my kids to the museums!). It's not a lack of chaperones - they always have more volunteers than they can use.

Does anyone know if there are big high school trips anywhere? Where I grew up (Ohio) our big high school trip was to DC. Wondering what the equivalent is here.