+10000

I am not any of the PP's, but here I go, wading in!

1) Few kids out of the whole school will receive benefit from this.
Well, the trip is for fifth-graders, so realistically only fifth-graders will benefit. I assume the goal is for every subsequent class to take the trip when they are fifth-graders, so eventually every student will be offered the trip.

2) What is the selling point to convince everyone that the whole school benefits from a dozen kids getting $50,000 to go on a trip to China? It isn't like 10 and 11 year olds are old enough to bring back knowledge, culture and wisdom to the rest of the school. Again, I think the idea is to have as many students as possible benefit directly by taking the trip themselves. I could see how they could bring back improved language skills or at the very least some talking points for cultural differences.

3) How have these students had it harder since the beginning? Every one of our kids who started there have had multiple new teachers and many curriculum changes over the years. I'm guessing that the original thought was that this first class has the hardest time raising the money; hence the $50,000 gift to help offset costs and make it affordable for more students. Other classes will theoretically have more time to raise money; hopefully with the result that money is not a factor in whether or not kids go on the trip.

Seriously, if you don't like the very idea of the trip, you should be objecting to that with other parents and the administration. What you're doing here is just nitpicking posts on DCUM, which isn't going to get you any satisfaction.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:that's the spirit! what a team player you are!!

Your sarcastic response in no way addresses the PPs real and legitimate objections.

Yes. It's more important and legitimate to be mean-spirited and bitch than to be sarcastic about someone's mean-spiritedness and bitchiness!!

WTH??

If you want her to have "spirit" and be "a team player" you could take a stab at answering her objections:

Few kids out of the whole school will receive benefit from this.

What is the selling point to convince everyone that the whole school benefits from a dozen kids getting $50,000 to go on a trip to China? It isn't like 10 and 11 year olds are old enough to bring back knowledge, culture and wisdom to the rest of the school.

How have these students had it harder since the beginning? Every one of our kids who started there have had multiple new teachers and many curriculum changes over the years.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:that's the spirit! what a team player you are!!

Your sarcastic response in no way addresses the PPs real and legitimate objections.

Yes. It's more important and legitimate to be mean-spirited and bitch than to be sarcastic about someone's mean-spiritedness and bitchiness!!

ummmm.....parents DO have the choice of going!

Anonymous wrote:so don't go. sheesh. people are so unbelievably petty. its an INTERNATIONAL school!! And if someone pulls their kid "because of the trip" I call bullshit. They wanted to leave anyway and just found something to pin it on.

I don't know if I would be comfortable sending my 10 year old child out of the country without me. I would be cool if they allowed the parents the choice of going as well. Children are a little faster these days and I just wouldn't trust it and it wouldn't matter if I could afford it or not. I understand its an international school but I just personally think 10 is too young to go without a parent.

Anonymous wrote:that's the spirit! what a team player you are!!

Your sarcastic response in no way addresses the PPs real and legitimate objections.

that's the spirit! what a team player you are!!

Too bad so few kids out of the whole school will receive benefit from this. It goes without saying that I don't buy into the idea that the whole school benefits from a dozen kids getting $50,000 to go on a trip to China. It isn't like 10 and 11 year olds are old enough to bring back knowledge, culture and wisdom to the rest of the school. I also tire of hearing how hard those kids have had it since the beginning. Every one of our kids who started there have had multiple new teachers and many curriculum changes over the years.

Anonymous wrote:I cannot worry or support the fifth grade fundraising efforts because I need to support my child's fundraising efforts for the upcoming trip in a couple of years. There will be far too many grades fundraising at the same time. And, the target audience will remain the same. There must be a better way.

which is why the board gave the one-time big donation to the fifth grade class.

I cannot worry or support the fifth grade fundraising efforts because I need to support my child's fundraising efforts for the upcoming trip in a couple of years. There will be far too many grades fundraising at the same time. And, the target audience will remain the same. There must be a better way.

Third grade class is already fundraising too

4th grade parents, check your email. Looks like someone has started the discussion.

I'm not so much concerned with further discussions about the current group of 5th graders going on a trip. I'm much more concerned that the current 4th and 3rd grade classes -- and indeed, all the grades -- are being told, "get prepared, start fund raising for the class trip when your child is in 5th grade!"

I don't think there will be any "tradition" of 5th graders taking a trip beyond this school year. And I can think of a lot more pressing fund raising needs than a 5th grade trip that many parents seem to feel ambivalent, at best, about.

At the very least, a whole lot more discussion needs to be held amongst the parents in each rising grade.

Anonymous wrote:Agree with above! If more reasonable voices start commenting it would be excellent progress. With respect to this issue though, I wonder what would be achieved. The trip is set, it seems to largely be funded. Whether or not to contribute to further fundraisers is a personal decision (and surely it's reasonable not to contribute funds to something you don't agree with).

I meant I agreed with 16:11. I don't agree with 16:30. It can be done.