Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
East Coast Trip - Great meeting last week!
Last Tuesday was all about questions. I know students have lots of questions, so that's what we did--ask questions! I was able to answer many of them in the meeting, but here are all the questions that East Coast Trippers came up with at last Tuesday's meeting.
Please note that our next student meeting is NEXT Tuesday, March 6, at 2:15 p.m. in Room D-6. Our Pre-Departure Meeting (mandatory for all students and at least one parent to attend) is Tuesday, March 13, at 7:00 p.m. in the Rio Norte Library.
How much money do I take?
Great question, and fortunately we talked about this at length in our meeting, PLUS I sent that out in my last e-mail. If you missed it, you can check it out on my blog here: http://www.ipptrip.com/2012/02/east-coast-trip-money-and-our-next.html
Can we order room service?
No. In the interest of safety, we want to limit the number of unknown adults approaching your hotel room door (limit it to ZERO). If you need anything from hotel housekeeping or maintenance staff, please go through a chaperone so we can assist you.
Will we go into the Statue of Liberty?
Nope, we just don't have the time in New York to go into the statue. However, we will do a harbor cruise where will be pass right in front of it for some great photos.
What are we doing in Amish Country?
I honestly don't know everything we're doing in Amish Country. I do know we're making homemade shoo-fly pie, dressing like the Amish, and trying to have an overall "Amish" experience. I've never done the Amish overnight before, so I'm excited to experience something new as well!
Can we listen to music on the coach?
Yes, when we are "in transit." I explained this at the meeting. When we are on tour, listening to our tour guide describe all the amazing things wherever we are, it would be rude (and a waste of your parents' money) to spend that tour time listening to music. When we are on the highway traveling from one city to another ("in transit"), that's when you can take out your portable electronic devices.
Do we have to put our phones in Airplane Mode? Why?
We do when we're on the airplane. That's why it's called "Airplane Mode." I explained this in the meeting, and I'll talk about it again as we get closer to the start of our tour. For more information about Airplane Mode, click here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1355
Are we visiting any fancy restaurants worthy of dressing really fancy?
We won't be in any restaurants that are too fancy. We will dress up for the Broadway show, and my guide for how you should dress up would be to dress like you dressed for the Winter Dance (if you went, and if you dressed up). If you didn't go to the Winter Dance, then dress like you would if you were going to a nice family event. Just be aware that it could be cold, so you'll want to dress appropriately for early spring weather on the East Coast (possible cold and/or rain).
How often will we get food?
We get three meals a day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). These meals begin with breakfast the morning of our first tour. You are responsible for eating dinner before we leave for our trip.
Can we bring food into the hotel rooms and buses?
Hotel rooms yes. Bus no.
Will we be going to gift shops along the way?
We will be going to plenty of gift shops. Trust me. There will be no shortage of gift shop opportunities on this trip. You will want to shop wisely so you don't spend your money all in the first couple days.
How dressy do the clothes for Broadway have to be?
See the answer to the "fancy restaurants" question above.
Where are we taking off from? Is the flight non-stop?
We're scheduled to depart from LAX. The flight is non-stop, meaning we are flying directly to Washington DC with no stops in between.
Are we going to see the White House?
We are planning to see the exterior of the White House and get photos in front of the White House. We do not have a White House tour scheduled.
Are we going on the subway? Is it fun?
Maybe, and it's quite an experience!
Is there time for shopping?
Plenty. You won't get to shop in every shop in every city we visit, but you will be provided with ample opportunity to spend your money.
Do we get a wake-up call?
We ask the hotel for a wake-up call, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. Bring an alarm clock or use your cell phone as an alarm clock as your primary wake-up method.
How early do we start each day?
We usually have wake-up at 6:30, breakfast at 7:30 and on the road by 8:00 or 8:15.
Are we visiting the Shake Shack in NY?
I don't know. We'll see.
Should we sleep on the plane?
Yes. Your body will thank you for it later on the first day.
How much of the Smithsonian will we see?
There are 17 museums total as part of the Smithsonian. We should see the most popular ones.
Aren't there talking trash cans at the Smithsonian?
I've never seen them, but I'm excited to find out.
When do we get home?
Thursday night, April 5. We'll probably be home around 11:00 p.m.
Are we stopping in Atlanta?
Not planning on it.
Where is Amish Country? What do we do there?
It's in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. See the answer to the previous Amish Country question.
What kind of hotels are we staying in?
They're four-star hotels like Sheraton, Hilton, Doubletree, and Marriott. I don't know exactly where we're staying yet, but it will be in hotels of this quality.
When do we see the final itinerary?
At the Pre-Departure Meeting on Tuesday, March 13.
How long are the flights?
About five hours each way.
What time do we leave?
I don't have an exact time yet, but we're probably meeting at Rio Norte sometime between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m.
What clothes should we bring?
See my Packing List here: https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1RPpsncqHe26iqeXGLZxyAj-b1Sxr2UvY2G3YCWiCqbU
Can we bring snacks?
Yup, but don't overdo it. Last year we had three kids throw up, all from eating too much too fast. One kid ate a whole bag of chips late at night. Bleeeecccch!
Do we have to bring shampoo?
If you're OK with sharing a small bottle of hotel shampoo with three other roommates, then no.
What time do we get back every night?
Usually between 9:00 and 10:00 p.m. every night.
What items can't we bring?
As a general rule, if you're not allowed to bring it to school, then it's not allowed on the trip. Here's a good packing list of dos and don'ts. https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1RPpsncqHe26iqeXGLZxyAj-b1Sxr2UvY2G3YCWiCqbU
What are the airplanes like?
They're nice.
How big are the food portions?
Some portions are fixed. At other places it's all-you-can-eat. I've never had anyone starve on the trip, so I think the portion sizes are good.
What happens if we are out of dress code?
You will be warned on a three-strike system. If you can't comply with our trip dress code after being asked three different times, you will be sent home at your parents' expense.
What kind of shoes do we need to wear for the Broadway show?
Comfortable shoes. We will be doing lots of walking in New York prior to the show, so I would avoid shoes that are too open (could get cold), too high, or too fancy.
What should we pack?
See the packing list here: https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1RPpsncqHe26iqeXGLZxyAj-b1Sxr2UvY2G3YCWiCqbU
When do we get our USA Student Travel t-shirt?
At the Pre-Departure Meeting.
What tech gadgets should we bring? Are laptops allowed?
iPods, cameras, personal video game systems, and cell phones are fine. I think iPads, laptops, or anything like this is excessive, and just creates an unnecessary risk of loss, theft, or damage. If you insist on bringing your iPad or laptop, then I would just want to hear it from your parents that they're OK with you bringing an expensive and unnecessary device like this on the plane.
Is there laundry? Should I bring detergent?
I don't know if any of the hotels we're in will have laundry facilities. I would plan on having enough clothes for everyday without relying on washing.
When is lights-out (curfew)?
Usually around 11:00 p.m. or so, depending on when we get back to the hotel.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
East Coast Trip - Money and our next student meeting
Parents of students going on the East Coast trip often ask, “How much money does my child need to bring with them on the trip?” The short answer, technically, is “none.” Your child won’t like me telling you that, but all necessities are covered on the trip. All meals are paid for, drinking fountains are fairly common in most of the places we’re going, all admissions to all museums, events, and attractions are included, so your child doesn’t need to bring any money. Technically.
OK, seriously now. Your child is probably going to want a bottle of water here and there, perhaps an ice cream cone, or a bag of sweets. So he or she may want a little extra spending money for snacks and beverages beyond mealtimes (about $3-$5 per day). Then there are souvenirs. I’ve seen kids buy a couple small tchotchkes for family, and spend little more than $15 on souvenirs TOTAL for the whole trip. For other kids, if shopping were an Olympic sport, they could medal several times over. I had one kid spend over $400 in less than a week.
You know your child and his/her shopping habits best. Clothing is usually the most expensive item kids buy on this trip, and one nice sweatshirt in one “I ♥ NY” gift shop can go for $40-50, easy. Overall, average souvenir purchases are about $10-$20 per day.
As many of you may remember from the parent information meeting a few months ago, I do respectfully request a little tip money ($15 total) from each student: $5 for our coach driver, $5 for our tour guide, and $1 per night ($5 total) for housekeeping. Naturally, tipping is optional, but in our country it is customary and a nice courtesy, especially for a job well done. All other tips are included in the cost of the tour. I will collect the coach driver and tour guide tip money ($10) at the Pre-Departure Meeting on March 13. The hotel tip money will be gathered up and left in the room when we check out of each hotel (we’ll talk more about this once we’re on the trip).
On a related note, parents also ask: “Debit/prepaid card or cash?” There are advantages to both. Depending on the type of card and the issuing bank, parents can control the amount of spending per day and/or add value to the card if needed; this is a good security feature if the card is lost, and is also helpful in limiting teen spending. Talk to your bank now about your options. Cash is easiest, but once lost is almost certainly gone for good. Talk with your child and find out what you think will work best. Several airlines are now cashless, meaning you can only purchase food on the plane with a debit/credit card. I don’t know if this is true for Virgin America (the scheduled carrier for our trip), but it is becoming an industry standard.
As for VISA, MasterCard, or American Express gift or pre-paid cards, most of them don’t have a name on them, they don’t require ID, and they’re usually as good as cash if lost, so be careful with this option. Finally, don’t even bother with traveler checks; their time has passed. USA Student Travel still recommends them in their “Travel Tips” sheet, but the truth is the 19-year-old behind the counter at the souvenir shop will have no idea what to do with your traveler check.
In each of the past two years, I sent out an online survey to students and parents after the trip was over. This is the advice parents gave with regard to money:
“A mixture of cash and debit cards worked great for our daughter.” - 2010 trip parent
“My child took $200 and that was more than enough,she came back with money leftover,and she is quite the shopper!” - 2010 trip parent
“We got our daughter a debit card for the trip, (which she hardly used, just on the plane), but it made us feel better. AND, it's proven to be a useful budgeting tool for our daughter going forward. Rather than $5 here, $20 there, she uses the card and we review it to see where the money is going.” - Parent of a student on the 2011 trip
“I gave my daughter cash and put it in envelopes by day. I gave her more for NY and then gave less for each day as I saw fit. I also told her that she could keep whatever money she did not spend on the trip. I gave her $300. She was really careful about making good choices and she came home with $291. ( She bought one sweatshirt, but, made money back on the food court allowance). It worked out well and now she is going to buy a cat with her leftovers as well as an Ipod touch. :-)” - Another 2011 trip parent
“I would say slightly more than $20/day.” - Another 2011 parent
Hope all that advice will help your family make a more informed decision about money. Our next student meeting is this coming Tuesday, February 21, at 2:15pm in Room D-6. Our East Coast adventure is now only 40 days away! As always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.
OK, seriously now. Your child is probably going to want a bottle of water here and there, perhaps an ice cream cone, or a bag of sweets. So he or she may want a little extra spending money for snacks and beverages beyond mealtimes (about $3-$5 per day). Then there are souvenirs. I’ve seen kids buy a couple small tchotchkes for family, and spend little more than $15 on souvenirs TOTAL for the whole trip. For other kids, if shopping were an Olympic sport, they could medal several times over. I had one kid spend over $400 in less than a week.
You know your child and his/her shopping habits best. Clothing is usually the most expensive item kids buy on this trip, and one nice sweatshirt in one “I ♥ NY” gift shop can go for $40-50, easy. Overall, average souvenir purchases are about $10-$20 per day.
As many of you may remember from the parent information meeting a few months ago, I do respectfully request a little tip money ($15 total) from each student: $5 for our coach driver, $5 for our tour guide, and $1 per night ($5 total) for housekeeping. Naturally, tipping is optional, but in our country it is customary and a nice courtesy, especially for a job well done. All other tips are included in the cost of the tour. I will collect the coach driver and tour guide tip money ($10) at the Pre-Departure Meeting on March 13. The hotel tip money will be gathered up and left in the room when we check out of each hotel (we’ll talk more about this once we’re on the trip).
On a related note, parents also ask: “Debit/prepaid card or cash?” There are advantages to both. Depending on the type of card and the issuing bank, parents can control the amount of spending per day and/or add value to the card if needed; this is a good security feature if the card is lost, and is also helpful in limiting teen spending. Talk to your bank now about your options. Cash is easiest, but once lost is almost certainly gone for good. Talk with your child and find out what you think will work best. Several airlines are now cashless, meaning you can only purchase food on the plane with a debit/credit card. I don’t know if this is true for Virgin America (the scheduled carrier for our trip), but it is becoming an industry standard.
As for VISA, MasterCard, or American Express gift or pre-paid cards, most of them don’t have a name on them, they don’t require ID, and they’re usually as good as cash if lost, so be careful with this option. Finally, don’t even bother with traveler checks; their time has passed. USA Student Travel still recommends them in their “Travel Tips” sheet, but the truth is the 19-year-old behind the counter at the souvenir shop will have no idea what to do with your traveler check.
In each of the past two years, I sent out an online survey to students and parents after the trip was over. This is the advice parents gave with regard to money:
“A mixture of cash and debit cards worked great for our daughter.” - 2010 trip parent
“My child took $200 and that was more than enough,she came back with money leftover,and she is quite the shopper!” - 2010 trip parent
“We got our daughter a debit card for the trip, (which she hardly used, just on the plane), but it made us feel better. AND, it's proven to be a useful budgeting tool for our daughter going forward. Rather than $5 here, $20 there, she uses the card and we review it to see where the money is going.” - Parent of a student on the 2011 trip
“I gave my daughter cash and put it in envelopes by day. I gave her more for NY and then gave less for each day as I saw fit. I also told her that she could keep whatever money she did not spend on the trip. I gave her $300. She was really careful about making good choices and she came home with $291. ( She bought one sweatshirt, but, made money back on the food court allowance). It worked out well and now she is going to buy a cat with her leftovers as well as an Ipod touch. :-)” - Another 2011 trip parent
“I would say slightly more than $20/day.” - Another 2011 parent
Hope all that advice will help your family make a more informed decision about money. Our next student meeting is this coming Tuesday, February 21, at 2:15pm in Room D-6. Our East Coast adventure is now only 40 days away! As always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
East Coast Trip – Start walking and take a moment to reflect
Our East Coast Trip is just over six weeks away and it’s a good time to get out and stretch those legs. We will walk an average of seven miles each day in this trip--through museums, up and down the National Mall in Washington DC, along scenic farmlands, and through the big-city streets of Philadelphia and New York City. Even the most physically-active students can get worn out by the amount of walking in our trip. I'm over twice the age and over twice the weight of nearly every student on this trip, and I will probably end up walking faster than any student. Yes, consider that a challenge. :-)
I encourage all our East Coast Trip families to take a family walk two or three days a week. If you really feel the need to get a special new pair of shoes for the trip, get them now and start breaking them in now to avoid blisters later. And while we’re on the subject of footwear, we will have one special “dress-up” day in New York City when we see our Broadway show. Again, consider a nice but sensible pair of shoes for this event. If you wear cute little strappy high-heels, it's likely your feet will be both cold and in pain by the time the walk is over. If you’re looking for a more complete list of suggested items to pack, you can check out my Suggested Packing List here: http://j.mp/ectpack. You can also find this same Suggested Packing List on http://www.IppTrip.com listed under Helpful Links and Downloads. In the meantime, get out there and start walking!
Finally, I want to encourage you to review the “Is My Child Ready?” list. It’s on IppTrip.com (or you can link directly HERE). This was the checklist I shared with you at the information meeting last spring. The only reason I ask is because just about every year I have one kid who--while everyone else is having the time of their life--is just miserable the whole trip. They’re unhappy because they got their cell phone taken away, or because they think “all this history stuff is boring,” or because they have difficulty getting along with others, or because they have trouble following the rules. I have tried to be very up-front and honest from the start about all our trip expectations.
Please take some time to review this list of questions and reflect honestly WITH your child. If your child is scoring 15 out of 15, then you’re good to go! 13 or 14, and you should have a talk with your child to make sure they’re fully on board. A score below 13? You should have a talk with Mr. Ippolito. Now. 661-347-4990. Better to get a partial refund now than have your child miserable for a week--or worse: no refund, PLUS you’re paying extra to have them come home early. Why put everyone through that?
Now, to end on a positive note, our next meeting will be NEXT Tuesday, February 21, at 2:15, again in Room D-6. We’ll talk about our chaperone groups, plus how you can sit with your friends on the airplane, among other great topics.
As always, if you have any questions, please e-mail me, post a question to our Facebook Page, or call/text me at 661-347-4990.
Warm regards,
Mr. Ippolito
I encourage all our East Coast Trip families to take a family walk two or three days a week. If you really feel the need to get a special new pair of shoes for the trip, get them now and start breaking them in now to avoid blisters later. And while we’re on the subject of footwear, we will have one special “dress-up” day in New York City when we see our Broadway show. Again, consider a nice but sensible pair of shoes for this event. If you wear cute little strappy high-heels, it's likely your feet will be both cold and in pain by the time the walk is over. If you’re looking for a more complete list of suggested items to pack, you can check out my Suggested Packing List here: http://j.mp/ectpack. You can also find this same Suggested Packing List on http://www.IppTrip.com listed under Helpful Links and Downloads. In the meantime, get out there and start walking!
Finally, I want to encourage you to review the “Is My Child Ready?” list. It’s on IppTrip.com (or you can link directly HERE). This was the checklist I shared with you at the information meeting last spring. The only reason I ask is because just about every year I have one kid who--while everyone else is having the time of their life--is just miserable the whole trip. They’re unhappy because they got their cell phone taken away, or because they think “all this history stuff is boring,” or because they have difficulty getting along with others, or because they have trouble following the rules. I have tried to be very up-front and honest from the start about all our trip expectations.
Please take some time to review this list of questions and reflect honestly WITH your child. If your child is scoring 15 out of 15, then you’re good to go! 13 or 14, and you should have a talk with your child to make sure they’re fully on board. A score below 13? You should have a talk with Mr. Ippolito. Now. 661-347-4990. Better to get a partial refund now than have your child miserable for a week--or worse: no refund, PLUS you’re paying extra to have them come home early. Why put everyone through that?
Now, to end on a positive note, our next meeting will be NEXT Tuesday, February 21, at 2:15, again in Room D-6. We’ll talk about our chaperone groups, plus how you can sit with your friends on the airplane, among other great topics.
As always, if you have any questions, please e-mail me, post a question to our Facebook Page, or call/text me at 661-347-4990.
Warm regards,
Mr. Ippolito
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
East Coast Trip - Follow-up to today's meeting
We had a GREAT first meeting today, and I'm so excited to be working with such an enthusiastic, eager, and polite group of eighth graders. Today we . . .
- Did a fun icebreaker activity to get to know each other better
- Handed out the Student Agreement (must be signed and returned at the next meeting; extra copy can be downloaded HERE)
- Talked about the importance of communication. I set every student up with Twitter Fast Follow (it's free and does not require a Twitter account; standard text message rates apply) to receive my updates. I also gave every student my Google Voice phone number--(661) 347-4990. Students and parents can call or text with questions anytime between now and the trip.
- Assigned roommates
Here are the questions students asked me today:
Q: When do we leave and return?
A: We leave on Friday night, March 30, and return Thursday, April 5.
Q: How is the seating on the airplane?
A: The airlines generally assign seats to groups alphabetically. If everyone cooperates and we have the time, however, I have "the Ippolito system." This system allows friends to sit together. More details as we get closer to the trip.
Q: During the day, are we in small groups or all together?
A: It depends and varies. Sometimes we're all together. Other times we break up into smaller groups of 6-10 in each group. At breakfast and dinner, we're all together. On the coach we're all together. We have lots of "all together" time.
Q: What time do we go to bed and wake up?
A: That also varies, but generally it's lights-out by 11:00 p.m. and breakfast starts at 7:30 a.m. the next morning. However much time it takes you and your roommates to get ready in the morning is how early you should wake up.
Q: Might I able to wear a Red Sox hat in NY?
A: At your own risk, yes.
I look forward to seeing all my East Coast Trip students again two weeks from today, Tuesday, February 21, at 2:15 p.m. That meeting is again in Mr. Sheridan's classroom, Room D-6. Thank you so much again for a great meeting, and please feel free to e-mail or text any questions you may have (students or parents).
Warm regards,
Mr. Ippolito
Monday, February 6, 2012
East Coast Trip - Roommate meeting tomorrow, Tue 2/7/12
Just a quick reminder that our first student meeting, the very important ROOMMATE meeting, will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, 2/7, at 2:15pm at Rio Norte Junior High School in Mr. Sheridan's classroom (was my classroom last year), D-6.
I anticipate the meeting will go about an hour. We will begin with some icebreaker activities so we can all get to know each other a little better, and then we will get to the business of assigning roommates. We will all be spending LOTS of time together during spring break, so the investment we begin making tomorrow in getting to know each other will pay dividends when all 45 of us literally spend just about every waking moment with each other for a week.
Feel free to e-mail me if you have questions, or call/text me at (661) 347-4990.
All the best,
Mr. Ippolito
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