Expensive Field Trips

[MyaShane]

This is a very special trip because it is their graduation trip.

If possible that’s even worse. These kids work hard all year and some of the “less fortunate” kids could well be the best students academically, who knows? So, how do they get rewarded at the end of the year?
“Happy graduation 5th graders! Now all of you whose parents can shell out nearly $100 are welcome to come celebrate your achievements with the rest of your classmates on a fun, exciting field trip!! The rest of you, we hope you don’t mind sitting here quietly in class amusing yourselves with reading or some such. Make sure you wave to us from the window as we pull away; on our way to the Class Graduation Party you couldn’t afford to attend!!!”

 

[Laurie919]

If possible that’s even worse. These kids work hard all year and some of the “less fortunate” kids could well be the best students academically, who knows? So, how do they get rewarded at the end of the year?
“Happy graduation 5th graders! Now all of you whose parents can shell out nearly $100 are welcome to come celebrate your achievements with the rest of your classmates on a fun, exciting field trip!! The rest of you, we hope you don’t mind sitting here quietly in class amusing yourselves with reading or some such. Make sure you wave to us from the window as we pull away; on our way to the Class Graduation Party you couldn’t afford to attend!!!”

I didn't do it.... I just paid for my child to go.

 

[MyaShane]

I didn't do it.... I just paid for my child to go.

I wasn't directing it at you, but at the school.

 

[mina]

When i was in 6th grade we had a 3 day weekend field trip to Savanah to learn about Ga. history. It was expensive. We had fundraisers and bake sales and rummage sales pretty much all year long to earn enough so everyone could go. There were also scholarships avalible. As a teacher, we don't go on expensive field trips- the most we've ever asked is $12 and i ended up paying for one kid b/c they couldn't afford it and they deserved to go. I don't like the idea of an expensive trip where means and ways haven't been made for everyone to be able to go.

 

[Linnis]

In 12th grade my English class went to see a Shakespeare play, I couldn't afford to go. I was already working full time to pay my rent, food etc. When I told the teacher I couldn't go. The school covered half the cost so I could go. I came up with the rest.

It sucks being the kid who can't afford to go.

I'm glad schools around here will not make trips during school hours that aren't educational.

We wouldn't be able to come up with almost 90 bucks for 1 class trip.

 

[Laurie919]

In 12th grade my English class went to see a Shakespeare play, I couldn't afford to go. I was already working full time to pay my rent, food etc. When I told the teacher I couldn't go. The school covered half the cost so I could go. I came up with the rest.

It sucks being the kid who can't afford to go.

I'm glad schools around here will not make trips during school hours that aren't educational.

We wouldn't be able to come up with almost 90 bucks for 1 class trip.

They did warn us at the very beginning of the school year so you had several months to get it together. I can understand being broke enough though that you could not come up with it all at one time.

 

[lucypevensie]

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.

That's all so completely messed up I don't know where to begin. So I don't think I'll even start. 86 DOLLARS? If it's a graduation celebration then how about a fundraiser so that everyone can work together to see that everyone who wants to go CAN.

At our school we have to pay a "field trip fee" at the beginning of the year. It's $20 I think. This covers any admission ticket costs, parking costs, gas costs, etc. of all the field trips for the school year. Our 8th graders have their own fundraiser for their graduation celebration trip to Six Flags.

 

[Laurie919]

That's all so completely messed up I don't know where to begin. So I don't think I'll even start. 86 DOLLARS? If it's a graduation celebration then how about a fundraiser so that everyone can work together to see that everyone who wants to go CAN.

At our school we have to pay a "field trip fee" at the beginning of the year. It's $20 I think. This covers any admission ticket costs, parking costs, gas costs, etc. of all the field trips for the school year. Our 8th graders have their own fundraiser for their graduation celebration trip to Six Flags.

Taylor's school is in the middle of a neighborhood that has half million to million dollar homes. Money to send their kids to a field trip isn't a problem.

 

[CelticRose]

Obviously money is a problem; some kids can't afford to go on the field trip. If education is meant to be eglatarian then all opportunities should be available to all students.

 

[Mskedi]

Taylor's school is in the middle of a neighborhood that has half million to million dollar homes. Money to send their kids to a field trip isn't a problem.

There's an easy way to solve this problem:

Require that all kids who want to go on the trip have to fundraise for it. The rich parents will probably get their kids out of the fundraising by paying the amount upfront or buying all the boxes of whatever it is they decide to sell; the poorer kids will sell all of their stuff easily to the rich kids.

Everyone wins.

That's how it worked in my high school, anyway. I was on the poor end, but I was in classes with some filthy rich students. We all got to do the same things. Some of us had to spend more time fundraising than others, granted, but everyone put in the same amount, and everyone got the same access to field trips.

 

[Laurie919]

Obviously money is a problem; some kids can't afford to go on the field trip. If education is meant to be eglatarian then all opportunities should be available to all students.

You are missing my point. For 90% of the kids it isn't. The 10% is who you need to feel sorry for.

Taylor did just tell me though that they have a couple open paid for seats that the kids can't go because of behavior. So, it looks like they might get to go after all.

 

[Neenie1]

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 agree.

My son is only in grade1 , but if this was us, I would refuse to send him to school that day. I think that is a rediculous amount of money to spend on one day. ( guess camps and things are different)

I also think it's unacceptable to send them with spending money. If that was the case, I wouldn't send him anyway, basically it would be the principal of the matter I guess.

Most excursions (field trips) I went to as a child, we were never allowed to take spending money, for good reason, mainly so the child doesn't lose it, but also because if a child has more money than the next.

 

[CelticRose]

You are missing my point. For 90% of the kids it isn't. The 10% is who you need to feel sorry for.

Taylor did just tell me though that they have a couple open paid for seats that the kids can't go because of behavior. So, it looks like they might get to go after all.

I haven't missed the point. Money, or the lack of it, & whether that is fair in a school field trip situation is the whole point of this thread.

 

[sparassidae]

I've paid more than $80 for school excursions/shows/activities etc just this year alone (only 1/4 of the way through the school year here) : ( Just last week it was $60 for gymnastics, this week it's $20 for Multicultural Day. This is for only 2 children at school so far.


I certainly find it a struggle, and I don't want my children to be the only ones missing out. So the money usually comes from our grocery budget (we have money set aside for school expenses, but it's always used up, buying winter uniforms this week set me back about $200) since it is possible to cut corners on that a little bit.

And here a $86 end of year excursion for Yr 5 wouldn't be out of the question I guess, although they would do fundraising beforehand. At least you were given plenty of warning and a chance to pay it gradually. Our $60 gymnastics note came home one week and was due the next.

School expenses have been a big struggle this year..........

 

[Laurie919]

We got a note yesterday that they need $45.00 in school fees for next year, BY FRIDAY!!!! No warning there.

 

[Tawny]

In Kirsty's school we usually get three months warning of a school trip, they are not allowed to ask us to pay for it, but they ask for a voluntary contribution of £X, there is then a proviso that if not enough contributions are recieved the trip will not go ahead, that way it is all or none.

 

[epiclesis]

I remember when I was in school and we'd have $50 field trips, a lot of the time, kids wouldn't go because of the principle of the situation. The parents didn't think it was right to have to pay that much for the trips. A lot of time we'd have to sell candy or something to pay for the trip... not sure which was worse, selling candy or just paying it yourself.
And my parents always had a 'deal' with me that they would pay for the trip and I would use my own money for spending money.... worked for me

Wouldn't have bothered me not to go when I was in school. The trips were more of a nuisance than enjoyed when I was there. The kids were bad, everyone was grumpy, the teachers were frustrated, nobody wanted to do what they were told, my mother liked embarrassing me ... somebody always tried to roam from the group, we never got everything planned in on time because the kids were misbehaving..... oh it was endless... we did the same things i could have done with just my parents and a lot less stress and more enjoyable.

 

[Mayzoo]

I don't really remember hardly ever going on field trips. My parents, whether they could afford it or not, would not pay (they usually could, but never could handle money--think sieve). It is embarrassing, but kids do live through this. My sister paid my way in life mostly, and I never asked for anything I could do without (I don't think I asked much anyway...what I had I had). It was a life lesson for me in the long run.

When I was in high school I never did any of the paid school stuff. I had a job and it paid for my car to and from school/work, insurance, food, clothes etc.

I tend to agree that a school fund raiser needs to be in place for all the kids to collect funds for the events. Even if some kids went on scholarship, I do not know that would be any less embarrassing. I ended up on free lunches for a couple years, and everyone knew, and that was a source of teasing, tension, and embarrassment.

 

[moonkitty]

My children's school just had two very expesnive feild trips, almost back to back. I have two kids enrolled, diffrent grades, but both grades were going to the same places. All together we spent nearly $200 for both of them to go. The school does offer to help pay for some of the students who's parent's can not afford these ultra expensive feild trips--but the school's PTA and principal are so snotty that they would make you feel like trash for excepting the money.