East Coast Trip - Medication and staying healthy

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

- 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 start to get 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 and vegetables to “keep things moving.”  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.  Last year 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 and—you guessed it—she threw up just as we were landing.  If you’re prone to motion sickness, stick to a light meal 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.

 

MEDICATION

The only meds that kids should carry with them are life-saving meds (asthma inhaler, epi-pen, etc).  All other medications (prescription or over-the-counter) should be handed to Mr. Ippolito, along with any written instructions, right before we board the coach to drive down to LAX.  If your child is taking meds on a regular schedule, we ask that students take the 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 is just weeks away from being a high schooler) minds his or her own schedule.

 

If you have any questions about medication, please contact Mr. Ippolito well in advance of our departure.  And of course, please indicate any medication or food allergies on your medical permission form.  Thanks for your help, and I look forward to our next student lunch meeting next Monday, March 15.  Take-off is just 26 days away!

 

RVI

East Coast Trip - Cameras, iPods, and cell phones, oh my!

It seems like teenagers and gadgets are inseparable.  This can be good, especially when it comes to taking lots of photos of our big East Coast adventure.  This can also be a challenge, as I do place restrictions on the use of certain types of technology.  These restrictions are put in place primarily for the safety of your child, but also so we can be polite and respectful of the people and places we visit.

                 

Cameras – Since we began doing our trip in 2006, USA Educational Adventures has been suggesting that students bring disposable cameras.  I love our tour company, but I disagree.  If it were my child going on this trip (she’ll be going on her eighth grade trip in 2020), I would definitely go digital.  I would not give her our $600 digital SLR camera with the $250 18-200mm lens, but I would certainly give her a digital point-and-shoot.

 

But that’s me, and every family is different.  When thinking about what camera to send along with your child, you must consider your budget, your child’s ability to keep track of and take care of a camera, and how much of a picture-taker your child is.  You may feel a bit bamboozled if your child begs for an $800 camera only to find they come home with 20 photos.  If you’re still unsure, check out my camera comparison chart on my blog at http://trippolito.blogspot.com.  Finally, students will NOT be able to use the camera feature on their cell phones.  Here’s why . . .

 

Cell phones – As we see in the world around us, cell phones can be both an amazing tool and an incredible distraction.  For teenagers, cell phones are even more of a distraction.  On top of that, these teenagers will be with friends, during spring break, in a strange new place away from home.  I can’t have us walking through Times Square at night with literally a million people all around us with your child text messaging their friends back home as we cross 42^nd Street and –slam!—they become a hood ornament on a taxi cab.  That’s the most important reason for restricting cell phone use on our trip:  the safety of your child.

The other big reason is just simple courtesy.  We are visiting some of our nation’s most honored places:  Independence Hall, Arlington National Cemetery, Ford’s Theater, Gettysburg National Cemetery.  It’s just not right to be texting your friends as we pass by the final resting place of our country’s heroes.  Finally, when we’re touring through a city or town, our tour guide will be sharing valuable information with all of us, either about the amazing sites right outside the window, or perhaps information about a meeting time, a meeting place, or lunch arrangements.  This is important information you might miss if you’re busy talking or texting.  Here’s the bottom line:  if your child wanted to spend all of spring break texting or chatting with their friends, you could have saved a lot of money and just have them hang out at the mall for the week.

 

For all these reasons, we restrict cell phone use.  Cell phones may be used (1) in the mornings or evenings while we are in our hotel, or (2) while we are “in transit” from one major city to the next.  The rest of the time, students are to keep their cell phones silent and put away.  If we find your child using his or her cell phone, I will take it away and keep it for the duration of the trip.  The only permitted use at that point would be to call home once each evening, and your child would do so in the presence of a chaperone.  No fun!  Finally, please make sure your child has a wristwatch, as the cell phone may not be used as a time-keeping device.

 

iPods and other devices – You child may bring an iPod or other MP3 player.  The rules for iPod use are the same as those for cell phone use:  only in the hotel or “in transit.”  We cannot be responsible for any lost electronic devices, so please allow your child to bring only what you trust they will take care of.  Laptop computers are not allowed.

 

This e-mail had lots of information in it, so please feel free to e-mail if you have any questions.  Next topic:  medication and staying healthy.  Have a great week!

 

Cheers,

Mr. Ippolito

East Coast Trip - Yesterday's lunch meeting follow-up

We had a great lunch meeting yesterday! Here's a summary of what we
discussed:

- Please stay in close communication (both parents and students) with me
if you ever have any questions or concerns. We're just over a month
away from our trip, and I know both kids and parents (especially
parents) can get anxious. Don't hesitate to e-mail or text (661)
347-4990 if even the slightest question pops up in your mind.

- If you are taking advantage of end-of-winter clearance sales right
now, remember that the best strategy is to layer your clothing. T-shirt
and jeans as a base layer is good, followed by a sweater or sweatshirt,
and then a good rain-proof jacket. At least one pair of shoes should be
hearty enough to withstand rain and keep your feet dry. DON'T wait
until right before Spring Break to buy a new pair of shoes--get them now
and start breaking them in now.

- I discussed with students how to make sure you sit with your friends
on the coach and on the plane. I will go over this again in the
Pre-Departure Meeting, so no need to detail it here. I did make an
important point that students will not reserve seats on the coach. In
the past, some students have gotten a little territorial on our tour
bus, and hurt feelings have resulted. We're all one big happy family on
our coach, so there's no need for mad-dogging over a seat.

- Finally, we talked about medications. In summary, chaperones should
be given all meds (prescription or over-the-counter) before we leave for
the trip EXCEPT life-saving meds (inhaler, epi-pen, etc.). Life-saving
meds should be kept with the student at all times. We will go over this
in GREAT detail at the pre-departure meeting, and I will devote an
entire e-mail to it very soon.

We have a great group of kids going on this trip, and I'm excited to
share all the wonderful sights and experiences this trip has to offer.
I will be away at a conference all next week, and our next student lunch
meeting won't be until Monday, March 15. Until then, you'll get at
least one or two more friendly e-mails from me.

All the best,
Mr. Ippolito

East Coast Trip - Show me the money!

Parents of students going on the East Coast trip always 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 for the whole trip.  For other kids, if shopping were an Olympic sport, they could medal several times over.  One year I even had parents ask if they could wire transfer their child more money since she had already blown through the $300 they originally gave her!  Are you kidding me?  (By the way, we don’t do wire transfers).

 

You know your child and his/her shopping habits best.   Clothing is usually the most expensive item kids buy on this trip, and one sweatshirt in one “I LOVE NY” gift shop can go for $40-50, easy.  Overall, average souvenir purchases are about $10-$20 per day.

 

As I mentioned in the parent information meeting a few months ago, I do respectfully request a little tip money ($15 total) in advance 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.

 

On a related note, parents also ask:  “Debit card or cash?”  There are advantages to both:  a debit card can be cancelled and its balance frozen if the card is lost, making it more secure.  Depending on the card and the issuing bank, parents can control the amount of spending per day and/or add value to the card if needed.  The downside:  even now, not every place takes plastic, and not every place honors every type (Visa and Mastercard are the most widely accepted).  Cash is accepted everywhere, but once lost is almost certainly gone for good.  Talk to your child and find out what you think will work best.  We’ll talk more about this at the pre-departure meeting.  One thing I know for sure:  travelers’ checks are a thing of the past.  Many vendors don’t accept them anymore (or the cashiers don’t know how to process them).  Don’t even bother with travelers’ checks.

 

Here’s where you can help.  This e-mail also appears on my blog, http://trippolito.blogspot.com.  If you have advice or a helpful tip to offer on debit cards or other money-related issues, feel free to make a comment or ask a question by clicking on the “Comments” link at the bottom of this blog entry.  Your comments will be viewable by other families so we can all be part of the conversation.

 

Well, our East Coast adventure is only 44 days away.  As always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to e-mail me at rippolito@gmail.com.

 

Cheers,

Ron Ippolito

 

p.s. We have our next student meeting this coming Wednesday, 2/24, at lunch in Room B-7.  Make sure you bring your lunch and I will provide another delicious dessert!  At this meeting, I will be asking you for your t-shirt size.  T-shirts we get from the tour company are standard, adult sizes, and will come in small, medium, large, extra-large, and XXL sizes.  Feel free to e-mail your shirt size in advance; otherwise I will ask you at the meeting.

East Coast Trip - Trip blog and our next student meeting

By now you I’m sure you know about our trip blog.  You can find it at:

 

http://trippolito.blogspot.com

 

Included on the blog you will find:

- an archive of every e-mail message I send out to my East Coast Trip families

- a suggested packing list

- a countdown to our take-off

- a camera comparison guide

- more helpful information to come as we get closer to our trip

- photos and updates once we have begun our trip

 

We had a great roommate meeting today, and I would like to have our next student meeting next Wednesday, February 24, at lunch in my classroom.  You bring your lunch, and again I will provide dessert.  Some of the topics we will discuss at our meeting will be:

- packing suggestions and answering common packing questions

- how to make sure you sit with your friends on the airplane and on our motor coach

- which chaperone group you will be assigned to on the trip

 

Please feel free to email me at rippolito@gmail.com if you can think of other helpful content to add to the blog, or if you have any questions.  If you are a student, I look forward to seeing you next Wednesday at lunch.

 

If you are a parent, I look forward to seeing you on Thursday, March 18, at 7:00 p.m. for our predeparture meeting.

 

RVI