Expensive Field Trips

[Laurie919]

Taylor is going on a field trip Thursday that cost $86.00. They started telling us about it at the beginning of the year, you had to pay for it in two installments the first being due right before Christmas and the second due before the Mardi Gras Holidays.

How should the school handle the children that can't pay for this? I know it would not be fair for them to pay for the kids that can't go. It also isn't really fair that the kids just can't afford to go and can't do anything about that. Should they maybe see if other parents would be willing to make a donation to the kids that can't afford to go? It is just heartbreaking to me that some students have to stay behind.

They also sent a note home last week that the kids can bring spending money. They included in this note that it is very expensive there. Again I don't think it is right that some children will bring $50 and others $10. I guess it isn't right that anyone should be allowed to bring money.

I went with her on a field trip a while back and they had told them they would not have time to visit the gift shop. Then it turned out they did so many kids sat there with no money and this sad look on their face. I was the only parent with her class. She bought a couple things and I turned around and gave them to someone else, then brought her back the next week when we were alone.

I know life isn't fair and not every child will have equal amounts of money through life, but why make 5th grade harder than it is by doing things like this.

 

[lovesdolphins]

where in the world are they going that it's soo expensive?

 

[Laurie919]

They are going a couple of places one in Alligator Bayou they will go on an airboat ride in a swamp.

 

[GolfingMom]

This would not be approved at our school.
Either it needs to be taken from the classroom fund or funded by the school somehow but I know the parents at DS's school would not let such an expensive field trip happen.

 

[Black-bird fly]

That would bother me. It is in situations like that where you can see how the children who come from families with a higher income do get a different education in the public school system than families with no disposable income.

 

[Laurie919]

This would not be approved at our school.
Either it needs to be taken from the classroom fund or funded by the school somehow but I know the parents at DS's school would not let such an expensive field trip happen.

We live in a small town of very old family money. We just don't have any of it

Of course I realize we aren't the only ones who don't have it.

One of the other classes went yesterday and Taylor said two of the kids from the class sat in her class because they didn't get to go. That would be so embarassing.

I would be willing to pitch in on children who could not go.

 

[Caffeinated]

It would break my heart if my childrens' school had a field trip that I couldn't afford to send them on!

 

[CelticRose]

In Oz field trips are tied so much to their learning the kids who don't go are disadvantaged twice over. Forget things like the gift shop. They struggle with the next lot of set school work which is linked to experiences on the field trip.

I dislike the whole idea anyway. Too often the kids are bored when they're in a large group & don't gain a whole lot from the field trip anyway; just an opportinity to opt out of school work ~ & I hear kids say it all the time.

Frankly you do better to take a kid outside of school hours to things like this ~ but hey, I'm a homeschooler, & my take on things like this is a little different.

 

[LilLamb219]

Our local schools don't really do expensive trips like that...but certain groups within the schools will and they do fund raisers ahead of time so that the cost is cut at least in half. Sometimes, there are "scholarship" type of things offered to those who cannot pay, and I don't know where the money comes from, but it helps so that all students have a chance to attend something that will benefit their education.

As for spending money, even though it hurts when a friend has $50 and you only have $10, but that's a real life situation right there...it's a life lesson. Sometimes max limits are stated on permission slips but those aren't always followed when Mom comes along to use her credit card

 

[MyaShane]

One of the other classes went yesterday and Taylor said two of the kids from the class sat in her class because they didn't get to go. That would be so embarassing.

Then the trip shouldn't have happened. That's inexcusable. No child should be left to sit out on an activity that includes their entire class. If a child has to miss out due to poor grades or behavior that's one thing, but because of the high cost of a field trip outside of their family's financial ability is just shameful!!

 

[Laurie919]

In Oz field trips are tied so much to their learning the kids who don't go are disadvantaged twice over. Forget things like the gift shop. They struggle with the next lot of set school work which is linked to experiences on the field trip.

I dislike the whole idea anyway. Too often the kids are bored when they're in a large group & don't gain a whole lot from the field trip anyway; just an opportinity to opt out of school work ~ & I hear kids say it all the time.

Frankly you do better to take a kid outside of school hours to things like this ~ but hey, I'm a homeschooler, & my take on things like this is a little different.

I agree that you would be better off to take them at outside of school hours. That doesn't mean that if the class is going I am not going to let her go.

 

[Laurie919]

Our local schools don't really do expensive trips like that...but certain groups within the schools will and they do fund raisers ahead of time so that the cost is cut at least in half. Sometimes, there are "scholarship" type of things offered to those who cannot pay, and I don't know where the money comes from, but it helps so that all students have a chance to attend something that will benefit their education.

As for spending money, even though it hurts when a friend has $50 and you only have $10, but that's a real life situation right there...it's a life lesson. Sometimes max limits are stated on permission slips but those aren't always followed when Mom comes along to use her credit card

They didn't even offer scholarships. Like I said I wish they would have because I would have been willing to help pay a part of one.

Parents aren't allowed on this trip at all. It is a very special trip, sort of like an elementary graduation trip.

I wish they would have done a spending limit.

 

[Laurie919]

It would break my heart if my childrens' school had a field trip that I couldn't afford to send them on!

That is how I feel with the kids that can't go. No child deserves this.

 

[Black-bird fly]

Parents aren't allowed on this trip at all. It is a very special trip, sort of like an elementary graduation trip.

That wouldn't sit well with me. No parents at all? Whose chaperoning this big trip?

We went to D.C. as the big 5th grade field trip but parents went actually they were encouraged to go.

 

[JayCeeGirl]

My elementary school generally had one big trip each year for grades 4-6. We would fundraise by selling candy bars and things like that, and I believe it all went into one big class fund. I'm sure the school paid part, too, but I don't know for sure. I don't remember anyone not being able to go because of money. There were occasionally a couple of kids who couldn't go because their parents never signed permission slips, though.

 

[JayCeeGirl]

Parents aren't allowed on this trip at all. It is a very special trip, sort of like an elementary graduation trip.

I wish they would have done a spending limit.

No parents? That would not fly out here. No way. Parents are always asked to be chaperons. It helps to keep things organized and the kids can be split into smaller groups.

 

[GolfingMom]

No parents? I agree with others. Parents here are encouraged to go and siblings as weel. I've been able to take my younger child to all of OS field trips Grandma's, aunts, etc are always welcome too.
I would talk to the teacher about how you feel. I would also discuss it with the 'higher ups' in the school.

 

[Sign Of The Fish Burger]

Then the trip shouldn't have happened. That's inexcusable. No child should be left to sit out on an activity that includes their entire class. If a child has to miss out due to poor grades or behavior that's one thing, but because of the high cost of a field trip outside of their family's financial ability is just shameful!!

I totally agree.

 

[Laurie919]

That wouldn't sit well with me. No parents at all? Whose chaperoning this big trip?

We went to D.C. as the big 5th grade field trip but parents went actually they were encouraged to go.

The school staff is going. They normally encourage parents to go. This is a very special trip because it is their graduation trip.

 

[Laurie919]

It is because of the cost of the trip that parents aren't invited. They don't have room for everyone to bring a mom or dad. They have chartered a tour bus and they have having lunches and snacks catered. That is why the cost is so high.

It worked out where I was the only parent on her last field trip because she asked first. This one no parents can go because they can't let one and not others. So they have extra school staff going.