McClure Middle School
Band/Chorus/Orchestra
Spring Trip to Disney World
May 6 – 10, 2015
Attached you will find the following information regarding the music department trip:
Ø Trip Itinerary
Ø What to Bring
Ø Dress Code
Ø Behavior Guidelines on the trip
Ø Behavior Expectations BEFORE the trip
Ø Chaperoning
Ø Trip Cost and Payment Schedule
Ø Fundraiser information
Ø Forms:
o Behavior Guideline Acceptance Form
o Cobb County “Overnight Trip” Permission Form
o Medical Form- must be notarized
o Video Permission Form
o Student Information Form
o Student/Parent intent form (MUST BE RETURNED WITH TRIP DEPOSIT BY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12th).
Please return all FORMS other than the intent form by Friday, January 16th.
McClure Music Department- TENTATIVE Itinerary
Wednesday, May 6
2:00 PM- depart from McClure
6:00 PM- dinner break
11:00 PM- arrive at the Hilton Doubletree Resort, Orlando
60 S Ivanhoe Boulevard
Orlando, FL 32804
407) 425-4455
Thursday, May 7
7:00 AM- breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM – depart for Disney’s Magic Music Days ‘Your Instrumental’ or ‘Disney Sings’ Workshops
12:30 PM- depart for Disney’s Epcot
o Each student will be given a Disney Dining Card ($30) for lunch and dinner.
9:00 PM- watch Illuminations in World Showcase Lagoon at Epcot
10:00 PM- board buses and return to hotel
Friday, May 8
8:00 AM- depart for Disney’s Animal Kingdom (Breakfast at Rainforest Café)
o Each student will be given a Disney Dining Card ($30) for lunch and dinner.
1:30 PM – Board buses for Disney’s Hollywood Studios
10:30 PM- watch Fantasmic! (depending on Disney’s show schedule)
11:00 PM- board buses and return to hotel
Saturday, May 9
7:30 AM- breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM- Depart for Magic Kingdom
o Each student will be given a Disney Dining Card ($30) for lunch and dinner.
10:00 PM- watch ‘Wishes’ fireworks show located at Cinderella’s Castle
11:00 PM- board buses and return to hotel
Sunday, May 10
7:30 AM- breakfast at hotel
8:30 AM- Pack luggage and check out.
12:30 PM- lunch break
6:00 PM- buses arrive at McClure
WHAT TO BRING
STORAGE SPACE IS AT A PREMIUM! Work with your roommates to pack only the essential items, without duplication. You are limited to your instrument, one large suitcase, and one carry-on. One medium sized cooler per two people is allowed.
NO ONE WILL CARRY YOUR BELONGINGS. PACK ONLY WHAT YOU CAN CARRY!
THINGS TO BRING:
ü Instrument and all essential supplies and maintenance items.
ü Snacks and drinks for bus trip (Drinks must be screw top.)
ü Appropriate comfortable/casual clothes for walking around the park.
ü A favorite pillow and/or blanket for sleep on the bus.
ü Personal items. Work with your roommates here to share items and have less to pack.
ü DVDs – G and PG
ü Camera
ü Cell-Phones
ü Sunscreen!
HOW MUCH MONEY SHOULD I BRING?
The cost of the trip includes everything on the itinerary plus a visor and two meals enroute. You will only need money for souvenirs.
DO NOT BRING: Anything you can’t afford to lose or you would be disappointed about if it disappeared.
DRESS CODE
If what you wear may cause someone’s jaw to drop to the floor, choose something else!
Your clothing should not make heads turn!
Ø Two-finger width sleeveless shirts are acceptable. Strappy tank tops and racerback tank tops are not.
Ø “Cheerleading” type knit shorts ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE!
Ø Shorts length – shorts must come down to the middle knuckle of your longest finger.
o No shorts may be turned down at the waist!
Ø Apparel that advertises substances illegal to minors or that contains sexual double entendres or innuendoes is not allowed.
Ø ANYTHING that could be seen as questionable or explicit to others is not allowed.
Behavior Guidelines on the Trip
In preparation for the Spring Band/Chorus/Orchestra trip, it is important that each of you read, understand, and comply with all rules and behavioral guidelines as stated in this form. All students and parents must realize that all Cobb County Board of Education rules and regulations are in effect during the trip. Any student who violates a Cobb County Board of Education guideline will be disciplined upon return to school in addition to any consequences he/she may face during the trip.
These guidelines are based on concepts of good sense, courtesy, safety and the need to be admirable representatives for the well being of the students during this trip. There are certain restrictions and limitations we must place on your activities that might not apply on a “family trip”. Our goal is to make this event as enjoyable and rewarding, personally and musically, as possible while maintaining a safe and positive atmosphere.
We expect and demand nothing but the very best behavior. So that you can be more aware of what that means, the following items are certain violations of the rules of conduct and consequences:
Minor Violations –
This includes, but is not limited to:
Profanity
Unnecessarily loud talking, noise or horseplay on bus/in room
Inappropriate displays of affection
Over-fraternization with other middle school groups
Inappropriate dress code violation
Consequences: “Quality time with your chaperone,” clean-up duty on bus or in hotel room, change of seating on bus.
Major Violations –
This includes, but is not limited to:
Repeated profanity
Repeated unnecessarily loud talking noise or horseplay on bus/in room.
Repeated inappropriate displays of affection.
Disrespect to a chaperone or anyone else in authority.
Inappropriate behavior within the park/eating establishments/etc.
Tardiness to a required location
Repeated activity or noise in the room after “lights out”.
Over-fraternization with any non-McClure groups.
Straying beyond designated areas or into “off limits” areas or activities.
Fighting.
Consequences: Half to a full day of direct supervision with chaperone – possible supervision for remainder of the trip (pending on severity of violation); clean-up duty on bus or
in the hotel room, change of seating on the bus.
SEVERE Violations –
This includes, but is not limited to:
Being in the hotel room with anyone of the opposite sex.
Possession, consumption, or use of drugs, alcohol or any form of tobacco.
Straying from designated areas with any person outside of the group.
Out of assigned room, for any reason after lights out.
Leaving your park group.
Opening the hotel room door for anyone other than your chaperone or a director.
Consequence: Violators will be sent home immediately at the expense of the parent and/or assigned ISS/OSS upon returning to school (at the discretion of the administration).
Finally, there are no divorces at Disney. You ride the bus with the same seat partner (both coming and going). You spend the entire weekend with the same roommates, even if you suddenly discover that you can’t stand being in the same room anymore.
Behavior Expectations BEFORE the Trip
As we look forward to our spring trip, there are a few expectations that must be followed for students to be allowed to participate.
Ø If a student earns more than one day of ISS, they may not go on the trip at all.
Ø If a student earns any OSS they may not go on the trip at all.
Ø Students must participate in ALL scheduled performances (those performances on the calendar in the program handbook) and Large Group Performance Evaluation. The only acceptable excuses are a death in the family or illness of the student verified by a doctor’s note. Students who miss a performance may make a WRITTEN REQUEST to be allowed to participate in the trip. At least two music teachers and an administrator, who will make the decision together, will review the request.
Ø Any student who misses the trip for the reasons listed above will forfeit their $200 deposit as well as any money earned toward the trip through the fundraiser.
Ø After March 13, 2015, any student who becomes ineligible for the trip will NOT be given a monetary refund. At that point, we can only give the student the park tickets and the meal cards – we will NOT be able to refund any money at that point.
Chaperoning
Several parent chaperones will be needed for this trip; there will be at least one parent chaperone for every eight students participating. Chaperones will be chosen based on previous help with your child’s music program, need of male vs. female chaperones, willingness to be flexible in the groups you are willing to chaperone, etc. We would also like to take two registered nurses who will administer medication to students and be there in case anyone gets sick or we have a medical emergency. PLEASE INDICATE ON YOUR CHILD’S TRIP INTENT FORM IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE A CHAPERONE.
DO NOT SEND A DEPOSIT IN TO BE A CHAPERONE UNTIL YOU HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY A MUSIC DIRECTOR AND TOLD THAT YOU WILL BE A CHAPERONE.
Following is a list of policies set forth by the Cobb County School System and McClure Middle School that chaperones must abide by while chaperoning the Disney trip. Chaperones should:
Ø refrain from the use of alcohol, tobacco, and/or unauthorized drugs during the course of the activity/field trip.
Ø not distribute any prescription or nonprescription drugs. If a child has a parental/physician authorization, then a designated person will distribute the medication. This includes over the counter headache medication, etc.
Ø contact school personnel if any student is not following the behavior guidelines.
Ø refrain from the use of profanity during the course of the activity/field trip.
Following is a list of procedures the chaperones need to follow during the trip.
Ø In case of an emergency contact: 911 (if applicable), an administrator and/or music director.
Ø If a student must go to the first aid station, go with them. There will be a notebook on file at First Aid with contact information. You must remain with the student until an administrator or director arrives.
Ø Any discipline problems contact: an administrator and music director.
Ø All chaperones must be at check-in locations thirty (30) minutes prior to student arrival times.
Ø Tape on hotel doors must be applied to only those doors assigned to you. Also, only wake up students from your assigned rooms. Do not remove tape and wake students from other rooms.
Ø Record student Park Hopper Pass numbers for future reference.
Ø Give out Park Hopper Passes in the morning and collect the Park Hopper Passes at the end of each day. Check each student’s Park Hopper Pass after every check-in time.
Ø Give meal tickets out one day at a time.
Ø Bring cell phone for communication purposes.
Ø Have full knowledge of the school dress code. Students and Chaperones must follow dress code.
Ø If you find a stray student (less than four in a group), keep them with you until their group is located or until the next check-in time. Be sure to record their name(s) and give that information to an administrator and/or director.
Other Chaperone Matters
Ø While at the hotel, chaperones will be in rooms with one other chaperone. We will provide the opportunity to request roommates but cannot promise you will get your choice.
Trip Cost and Payment Schedule
The total cost of the trip will be between $700 and $750. We will not know the exact cost until January.
The first deposit of $200 and intent form will be due on Friday, September 12th. Money (check or cash) should be placed in a white, school envelope. Checks should be made out to: MCCLURE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
Also in the envelope include your TRIP INTENT FORM. The envelope should have the following information on the outside:
o STUDENT NAME
o BAND, ORCHESTRA OR CHORUS (Whatever is appropriate for YOU.)
o DISNEY TRIP
o AMOUNT DEPOSITED
Envelopes should be placed in one of the black school deposit boxes. Do not give money to any teachers.
The first deposit is NON-REFUNDABLE, as we must use this initial fee to secure the hotel, buses, etc. Once we pay the fee, we cannot recoup the money to return it to you.
The first payment (deposit) will be $200. Each monthly payment after that will be $150 except for the last one. Once we have determined the actual trip cost and the amount each student has raised toward their trip with the poinsettia fundraiser, we will provide an invoice for each student. The following is the schedule of payments for the trip:
- September 12th - deposit of $200 and intent form
- October 10th - $150 payment
- November 7th - $150 payment
- January 16th - $150 payment (This is also the due date for all remaining forms.)
- February 13th - final payment- AMOUNT TO BE DETERMINED and will be given to your child in a written invoice by Friday, January 30th.
The chaperone cost for the trip is estimated between $450 and $475 and must be paid no later than March 6th.
Fundraiser Information
Eighth grade students will have the opportunity to raise money for the Disney trip through a poinsettia fundraiser. The fundraiser kickoff will be on Wednesday, October 29th. Orders will be due to the appropriate teacher by Friday, November 14th. Poinsettia pick-up night will be scheduled for the week of November 17th.
Students will receive credit for the full amount of the PROFIT they earn in the poinsettia fundraiser to be applied toward the cost of their Disney trip. If they do not go to Disney they will not be given that money; it will simply be placed in the appropriate music group’s fundraiser account.
STUDENTS WHO WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DISNEY FUNDRAISER MUST SELL AT LEAST FIVE ITEMS IN THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT FUNDRAISER WHICH BEGINS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3rd.
At least one week before the final Disney payment is due, each teacher will calculate the actual amount each student owes by subtracting each student’s fundraiser accrual. An invoice will then be given to each student with their own individual amount due.
BEHAVIOR GUIDELINE
ACCEPTANCE FORM
I have read the information about the McClure Middle School Music Department Spring 2015 Trip to Disney World and I accept the behavior and performance guidelines and consequences outlined therein and directly below.