September 23, 2015
Dear South Middle Eighth Grade Students and Parents:
This spring, each eighth grade student at South Middle School will have the opportunity to visit Washington, D.C. on a field trip with his or her eighth grade class. This trip is an integral part of the eighth grade experience, both from a team and a curricular standpoint. This trip will reinforce and extend many classroom-learning experiences with a focus on a visit to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
The dates for this trip are Thursday, April 28th and Friday, April 29th. The price of the trip will be $230 per student, not including spending money. This price includes transportation, attraction admission, overnight accommodations with private security, and all meals. We do not want any students to be disqualified from the trip because of a legitimate financial need. In the interest of making the payment of the trip more reasonable, we have created a payment plan for the collection of money. Payment will be divided into the monthly installments listed below. Mrs. Viglianco, 8th grade Team Leader, will collect all monies and keep track of all payments. At any point, you can pay for the trip in full if desired. We are also accepting donations if you are interested in helping a student that may need assistance in financing the trip. All checks are to be made payable to South Middle School. If NO payment or ARRANGEMENTS for payment have been made by October 21st, then it will be assumed that you do not want your child to participate in the trip. We CANNOT add students to the trip after this time.
Your child will have the opportunity to participate in fundraising opportunities to help pay for the trip, two of which we have already begun (Sarris Pretzels and Magical Night of Giving tickets). All individual fundraising will be applied to your child’s cost of the trip. For example, if your child sells 10 Magical Night of Giving tickets, which are $5 a piece, the $50 will go directly to their trip. The total they would be responsible to pay out of pocket would then be $190.
The payment schedule is as follows:
First $50 installment / Due October 21st, 2015Second $50 installment / Due November 18th, 2015
Third $50 installment / Due December 16th, 2015
Fourth $50 installment / Due January 20th, 2016
Fifth $30 installment / Due February 24h, 2016
If you have questions or concerns regarding financial needs please contact the 8th grade team NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 21st via e-mail or phone at (304)291-9340.
Student behavior on a trip of this magnitude is of the greatest importance. To successfully complete the schedule of activities, students must be trusted to follow directions and represent the school, county, and community in a mature and responsible manner. If a child commits multiple behavior infractions resulting in suspensions, administration and teachers will meet to determine student’s eligibility to participate on this field trip. If a child becomes ineligible for the trip due to serious behavior concerns recognized by the school administration, his/her money CANNOT be refunded. We have financial responsibilities to the bus company and other attractions, and once our payments are made, we cannot receive refunds.
Our goal is FULL PARTICIPATION. Your child has a wonderful opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and memories that will last a lifetime. Please contact your child’s homeroom teacher if you have questions or concerns. We are excited to share this opportunity with your children. Attached you will find a tentative itinerary and a permission form for the trip. The permission form needs to be returned with the first payment.
Regards,
The 8th Grade Teachers
Proposed Itinerary
South Middle School DC Trip
April 28 – April 29, 2016
04/28/16 Thursday
2:00AM Motorcoaches arrive for boarding at South Middle School
2:30AM Depart Morgantown, WV for Washington, D.C. with a rest stop
Breakfast snack provided by school
7:00AM Lincoln, Vietnam Veteran’s Korean Veteran’s Memorials
AM WWII Memorial and Martin Luther King Jr. Memorials
White House Grounds
10:00AM Drop group at Holocaust Memorial
12:00PM Smithsonian Museums
Lunch at Smithsonian Cafe
PM Franklin D. Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson Memorial
5:15PM Depart for Annarundle, MD
7:00PM Arrive at Medieval Time Dinner and Tournament
7:30PM Dinner and Showtime!!!
9:30PM Depart for Hotel
10:00PM Hotel check-in/Sleep In & Suites
10127 Washington Blvd, Laurel, MD 20723
10:00PM PRIVATE NIGHTTIME SECURITY
04/29/16 Friday
7:30AM Continental Breakfast at hotel
8:30AM Hotel check out and depart for day
10:30AM Arlington Cemetery walking tour including the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers and Wreath Ceremony
1:00PM Lunch at EAT National Mall.
2:30 PM Visit Capitol.
5:00PM Dinner at the Pentagon City Mall Food Court
7:00PM Depart for home with a rest stop en route
10:30PM Approximate arrival home after a great trip!