Just a couple of quick things for kids and parents:
Wear your blue USA shirt tomorrow. If you forget it, I have a couple extras, but it may not be your size, so it’s best just to wear your own. The first time you will be able to change your clothes will be Saturday evening when we check into the hotel. Keep in mind, though, that we check in around 5:00 p.m. and have a dinner reservation at 6:00 p.m., so this stop will be literally drop your bags, use the restroom, freshen up, and back out the door. For this reason, I STRONGLY urge that you take a quick shower when you get home from school tomorrow so you’re at your freshest when we fly out ESPECIALLY if you have PE and you’re doing the River Hawk Walk in warm weather tomorrow. We’ll all be grateful that everyone is fresh and clean when we have to share a bus together.
Do a final packing check. Batteries and chargers are the most frequently forgotten-at-home accessories on this trip. Go through your whole packing list and check and double check. I already have mine laid out on “The Table.” :-)
Let’s keep in touch. Once the trip begins, I will no longer be sending out these regular broadcast e-mails to parents (you might get one or two). Instead, I will be posting regular updates on the blog, Twitter, and Facebook. Check from work, check from home, my goal is to post a trip update every 4-6 hours (probably more than that). These links are great to share with family and friends (grandmas love my blog!). There are a number of ways to follow the “Ipp Trip”:
Blog – http://ipptrip.blogspot.com
Follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/IppTrip
“Like” our trip on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/IppTrip
Check the weather lately? If you've been watching the weather (forecast links to our destinations are available on my blog), you’ll see very typical East Coast weather for early spring: cold and rainy. Be prepared for this weather. I strongly suggest caps and gloves. New York looks like it’s going to be mostly just cold. It gets a little soggier from Philly onward.
Finally, a couple of questions from students that I’ve gotten recently:
Q: If I’m not participating in the wreath-laying ceremony, do I still need to dress nice for the ceremony?
A: No, those of us who will be watching don’t need to dress up, but we will still need to dress warm. Only those selected for the ceremony will need to dress up.
Q: Can we change our shoes once we’re off the plane in New York?
A: I recommend you dress on the plane in layers and dress as if you won’t have access to your suitcase until the hotel Saturday evening. While we don’t anticipate any luggage delays, it would be a shame for you to wear flip-flops on the plane only to find you now have to wear them all day in cold and windy New York City.
Q: Can I bring a bathing suit?
A: Sure, but we won’t be going to a swimming pool.
Q: I have a nice pair of jeans for Broadway. Can I wear jeans that instead of a dress?
A: Sure. Wear nice jeans with a sweater or dressy shirt.
I said "second-to-last" e-mail because I imagine there will be one final one late tonight. See you tomorrow in the Rio Norte front parking lot by 4:30 p.m.!
I've had a couple parents ask about the proper way to fill out baggage tags, so here is an "encore presentation." :-)
We are just TWO days away from our big trip, and the first adventure we will all face together is getting through airport security. However, with some advanced planning and smart decisions, we can all make it through quickly and easily. Here are some tips:
Photo ID – Sometimes the airport checks IDs on our kids, and other times they don’t, but I don’t take any chances. Therefore, I ask that ALL students give me your photo ID tomorrow at our final lunch meeting. I keep all the IDs together in one binder sorted alphabetically to make it easy for check-in. The ticketing agents love this and are usually extra-nice to us as a result. If you will need your ID to use a debit or credit card, just let me know and I will give it to your during the trip. Just keep it safe and prepare to give it back to me before the flight home. All adults will definitely need government-issued photo ID.
Reduce your metal – Try to wear as little metal as possible to the airport. Earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and even clothing with metal accessories attached to them always have the potential to set off the system (metal-rimmed eyeglasses are OK). Boys, if you’re into those big skater belt buckles (those “Famous Stars and Straps” buckles were really popular a couple years ago), leave them at home. Finally, any other objects (watch, camera, cell phone, iPod, coins) that could activate the metal detector should be placed in your backpack. Take some time BEFORE we get to the airport to do this, so you’re not scrambling at the last minute. The only things that should be in your hand or in your pockets as you walk through security should be your boarding pass. You MUST have this with you when you walk through security.
Measure up – I’ve already told you that your checked suitcase should be no heavier than 45 pounds. The airlines set 50 pounds as the absolute maximum, but you’re probably going to bring back more than you went out with, so leave yourself some room.
Smart shoes – The TSA (Transportation Security Administration) will require you to take off your shoes and place them in a bin to be scanned. Make sure to wear shoes that are easy to take off and put on (no double or triple knots in your laces), but keep in mind these are probably the same shoes you will wear throughout much of our first day on tour.
Sweatshirts, jackets, and hoodies – If your outer layer is one that can be easily shed (zip-up hoodie or jacket), be prepared. TSA may ask you to remove it, place it in a bin, and run it through the scanner. If it’s a pull-over sweater or sweatshirt, they generally will let you leave it on. I actually recommend that whatever warm coat you’re bringing on the trip you actually wear to the airport and DON’T pack it. It’s one less bulky item to pack in your suitcase and it could double as a pillow or a blanket on the plane.
Quart-size bags – If you’re toting tons of electronics with you (iPod, iPod charger, cell phone, cell phone charger, headphones) all in your backpack, it may look like you’re carrying some sort of explosive triggering device. Make your life and the life of your TSA screener easier by grouping these items into quart-size storage bags. I’m partial to the quart-size freezer bags because they’re a little sturdier. If the TSA screener has to open your bag, it will be easy for him to see you have nothing suspicious. Plus, it will be easier for you to find your stuff later without cords getting all tangled up.
Avoid liquids – In the TSA 3-1-1 guide (available on http://ipptrip.blogspot.com), it talks about the rule for bringing liquids in your carry-on. I’m not bringing ANY liquids in my carry-on luggage (my backpack). All my hair gel, toothpaste, shampoo, acne cream (OK, well I don’t use this any more, but you might), goes into my toiletry bag in my checked luggage. Why do you need hair gel or deodorant on the airplane? These guidelines are mostly geared to overnight travelers who pack everything into their carry-on, and that’s not us. Ooh, and I have one more tip for you. You know you can’t bring bottled water through airport security, right? But, Mr. Ippolito has been bugging you (and will continue to bug you) about staying hydrated and drinking plenty of water, right? Try this: pack an EMPTY water bottle in your carry-on bag. Once we get through security and we’re just hanging out in the terminal waiting to board the plane, go fill up your bottle at the drinking fountain. This can be one of those fancy refillable bottles, or simply an empty Aquafina bottle.
There are tons of other prohibited items that I'm not going into, but most of these are common sense. Here's a good rule: if it's not allowed at school, it's probably not allowed on a plane. Please ask Mr. Ippolito if you are unclear about what is prohibited and what is not.
“The Table” – When it comes to personal travel, I am a very inefficient packer. For some items, I pack way more than I need. For other items, I don’t pack enough or don’t pack it at all. Inevitably I forget something, and we end up stopping at Target or Walgreen’s or someplace like that to get what I didn’t pack.
We don’t have that luxury next week, which is why I am such a different traveler when I go on the East Coast Trip. My wife laughs at me, but I actually set out a folding table. On “The Table” I place my packing list and then item by item I lay everything out that I need. Deodorant: check. Toothpaste: check. iPod charger: check. Camera battery charger: check.
If you haven’t set up your own version of “The Table” yet, I urge you to consider it. Lay everything out in advance now so you know what you have and what you may still need to get. Places like Walgreen’s are not always easily accessible with the places we’re visiting and the schedule we’re on. Hotel gift shops often sell toothpaste and batteries and memory cards, but it is likely at a significantly higher price.
Our final student lunch meeting will take place tomorrow! We’ll play a quiz game that will test students’ knowledge of everything we’ve learned about the trip so far. Want to “study” for the quiz game? I will draw from every e-mail I’ve sent out, the pre-departure meeting, the packing lists and tips sheets. Basically, it’s everything that’s on my blog: http://ipptrip.blogspot.com.
Students—The next time I’ll see you is TOMORROW AT LUNCH--bring your student ID!!!
Parents—I’ll see you FRIDAY AT 4:30 PM
RVI
11 days from today, we leave on what could be the greatest adventure of your child’s junior high school career: our East Coast Adventure!
Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 22, at 7:00 p.m., we will have our big Pre-Departure Meeting.
Here are the three things you need to bring to tomorrow’s meeting:
1. Your yellow Emergency Medical Release form (this was sent to you via US mail), completely filled out and signed both front and back. Need another copy? Download it here: http://j.mp/ectrelease 2. The child traveling on the trip along with at least ONE parent or guardian
3. $10 total cash for gratuity/thank you for tour guide ($5) and coach driver ($5). These are, of course, optional, but I politely request this.
This meeting is so exciting because it gives both students and parents the chance to meet the families of the other students going, to meet me (the man to whom you are trusting your baby for six days), to see the final itinerary, and to get some important final tips and instructions.
As we get closer, parents and/or students may have questions. Please feel free to call/text me at (661) 347-4990 with any question you may have, big or small.
See you tomorrow!
RVI
Our East Coast Trip will be fun and exciting, but it can be a challenge to stay healthy. Inevitably, heads will ache, tummies will hurt, and eyelids will droop as the trip begins to take its toll on the teenage bodies embarking on this trip (and perhaps on some adult bodies as well). Here are my suggestions for staying healthy:
SLEEP
- I know the switch to Daylight Saving Time has us all a little messed up right now, which really highlights how important sleep is for us. Get plenty of sleep the week leading up to Spring Break. The last thing we want to experience is fatigue and exhaustion before the trip even begins! If you are well-rested, it will help to counteract the less-than-perfect sleep you may experience when we’re on the red-eye flight out.
- Freaked out by your sleeping quarters? Get over it. Girls generally don’t have this problem, but boys sometimes get a little freaked out at the prospect of sharing a bed with another guy. If it makes you feel better, this was a very common occurrence for young men who were roommates in the 1800s (it may help you feel more connected to the history we’ll be exploring—even Abraham Lincoln shared a bed with his law partner, William Herndon). By trying silly things like sleeping on the floor, in a chair, or in the bathtub (boys actually do this!), you may feel slightly less weirded-out, but you won’t nearly get the same quality of sleep.
EAT HEALTHY, DRINK HEALTHY
- Drink lots of water. Some kids experience headaches around Day 2 or 3 of the trip, and often this can be attributed to dehydration. Unless your child is an athlete in training, the East Coast Trip often has far more physical activity (with all the walking) than your child is used to in an average day. Caffeine and artificial sweeteners both act as diuretics, drawing fluids out of the body faster than necessary. Instead of turning to Dr. Pepper or Diet Coke, encourage your child to drink water both at meals and in-between them. If you really need something sweet to drink, consider lemonade, Sprite, fruit juice or some other non-caffeinated beverage. If you really must have a Coke or Pepsi with dinner, match it with an equal amount of water.
- Eat healthy meals. “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” In that same spirit, we offer your child a variety of healthy eating options at each meal, but it’s up to your son or daughter to make those good choices. Day 2 or 3 of the trip is also the day that the stomachaches begin. While it’s not the most fun topic to talk about, constipation often is the cause. I encourage students to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and grains to “keep things moving.” And again, staying hydrated with plenty of water also prevents constipation. Finally, don’t blow your souvenir budget on candy and other unhealthy snacks; instead, it may be a good idea to pack granola bars, trail mix, dried fruit, or other healthy treats in your luggage.
- Eat light before the flight. Two years ago we had a student who was a little nervous about flying eat a large meal for dinner, followed by candy throughout the flight. Match this up with a little airsickness plus being a little anxious about the trip and—you guessed it—she threw up just as we were landing (in the seat right next to me, I might add). Stick to a light dinner before we depart, and then pack a little trail mix or some pretzels for the flight. Breakfast is the first item on our agenda after we land, so you can refuel once we’re back on terra firma. When we land in New York, it’s better to be hungry than be nauseous.
MEDICATION
The only meds that kids are allowed to keep with them are life-saving meds (asthma inhaler, epi-pen, etc). All other medications (prescription or over-the-counter) should be handed to the designated chaperone, along with any written instructions, right before we board the coach to drive down to the airport. If your child is taking meds on a regular schedule, it is his/her responsibility to come to us. We will do our best to keep track of who’s taking what, but it really helps if your child (who will be about seven weeks away from being a high schooler) minds his or her own schedule.
This is an important topic, so medication will be well-covered at our pre-departure meeting next Tuesday. If you have any questions about medication, please ask at the meeting, or contact Mr. Ippolito well in advance of our departure. And of course, please indicate any medication or food allergies on your yellow release form you recently received in the mail from USA Student Travel.
Just a quick reminder that our next student lunch meeting is tomorrow, 3/16, in Room D-6. Thanks for your help in getting your child ready for the big trip, and I will look forward to e-mailing you again soon!
