Thanks for a Great Meeting Last Week!

Hey East Coasters,
Thank you all for coming to our pre-departure meeting last Wednesday.  It is great to see how excited the kids are becoming as we get closer to our trip.  I wanted to go over a couple of quick items that I mentioned at the meeting, but may not have explained as well as I would have liked.

Medication Authorization foldable:
This is the sheet that you picked up at the meeting that gives me or a chaperone the permission to administer some basic medications (Advil, Pepto-Bismol, etc.) as well as specialty medications that you wish to provide.  This sheet should be folded and put into a quart sized Ziploc bag along with any daily supplements, or medications that your child takes on a regular basis.  Bring the baggie on the day we depart and I will assign it to your child's chaperone.  Please pack only enough meds for the trip, not the whole bottle.  Your child can get their medications from their assigned chaperone as needed (usually at meal times).  As always, any life saving medications (epi-pen, inhaler etc.) should be kept by your child for emergencies.


The Flight:
It is a red-eye flight, and it is very important that the kids try their best to get some sleep/rest on the plane.  We will be touring all day when we arrive, so please let the kids know that they will regret not getting a little sleep when they have the chance.


And finally, I want to have a quick student meeting at lunch on Thursday, April 3rd in room D-6.  At this meeting, I will collect student ID cards in the event TSA needs them, and I will go over the rules of the trip and signed student agreement in detail one final time.  Thank you again for allowing your child to have this experience.  I will likely be sending a couple more e-mails before we leave, but as always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. 

-Mr. Sheridan

Pre-Departure Meeting Tonight!

East Coasters - Don't forget to come to our Mandatory Pre-Departure meeting tonight at 6:00pm in Rm. D-6...be sure to bring your yellow medical release form with you.  The meeting should take about an hour.  See you there!

Pre-Departure Meeting Tomorrow!!

Hey East Coasters,
Just a quick reminder that our MANDATORY Pre-Departure meeting is taking place tomorrow, Wednesday, March 26th at 6:00pm in room D-6.  At least one parent or guardian must be present with their child.  We are less than two weeks away from our east coast adventure!  Please bring the completed paperwork you received in the mail from USA Student Travel, plus $10 cash (optional, but politely requested) for tips for our coach driver and tour guide.  Additionally, if your child has not turned in my trip agreement, please bring that as well. See you all tomorrow!

Mr. Sheridan

Pre-Departure Meeting Less Than a Week Away!

Hey East Coasters,
Just a quick check-in to remind you that our MANDATORY pre-departure meeting will be taking place this coming Wednesday, March 26th at 6:00p.m. in Rm. D-6.  One parent/guardian and the traveling student must be in attendance.  See you then!

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
- I know the switch to Daylight Saving Time on Sunday probably has us all a little messed up, 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.

EAT HEALTHY, DRINK HEALTHY
Drink lots of water on the trip. 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 Mountain Dew or Diet Coke, encourage your child to drink water both at meals and in-between them. If you absolutely have to have 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, have just one, and 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 "regular.” 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, pack granola bars, trail mix, dried fruit, or other healthy snacks in your luggage.

Eat light before the flight. Kids who are nervous about the flying, or who eat a large meal, or eat too much junk will probably end up sharing their partially digested meal with the rest of us if they aren't careful. Gross. 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 Washington DC, it’s better to be hungry than nauseous.  Along those lines, if you are prone to air sickness, or motion sickness of any kind, my suggestion is ginger gum.  It doesn't make you drowsy, and can help to keep your stomach calm.

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.

This is an important topic, so medication will be addressed at our pre-departure meeting on Wednesday, March 26th. If you have any questions about medication, please ask at the meeting, or contact Mr. Sheridan well in advance of our departure. And of course, please indicate any medication or food allergies on that yellow release form you recently received in the mail from USA Student Travel.

Our Pre-departure meeting is only two weeks away, and our trip is a mere 25 days away!  I look forward to seeing everyone on March 26th at 6:00pm!!

Great Meeting Last Week!

Our meeting last week was all about questions.  We went over some important information, handed out the student agreement to kids who didn't already have it, went over chaperone groups, and then let the kids ask any burning question that they just couldn't wait to get answered.  I answered many of these questions during the meeting, but for those who may have missed some, here they are, all the questions, with answers, that were asked last week.

One quick reminder that our next meeting is our MANDATORY Pre-departure meeting at 6:00 pm in room D-6 on Wednesday, March 26th.  At least one parent/guardian must be in attendance.

Q:  What are we supposed to pack?  What should we wear in NY?
Check out the Packing List tab at the top of this page for basic information.  New York clothing should be the same as the rest of the tour.

Q:  Do we have to stay in our chaperone groups?
No.  The chaperone groups are for organizational purposes only.  Most of the time we will be in a full group tour.  Chaperone groups allow us to account for all kids before we leave a location.

Q:  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.

Q:  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.  Be careful not to over-do it!

Q:  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.

Q:  What will the weather be like? 

It really depends.  It is early Spring on the east coast which means it will likely be cooler than it is here in California.  It could potentially be cold enough to snow, or you could have an 80 degree day (like we did 2 years ago in NY).  Pack for all eventualities.  

Q:  What play are we seeing on Broadway? 

Right now we are scheduled to see "Aladdin". This new Broadway version has been in production in Seattle and Toronto before making its way to the "Great White Way" this Spring.

Q:  What kind of chocolate bars can we make at the Hershey factory? 

 I have no idea what ingredients they offer.  I'm looking forward to finding out with the rest of you.

Q:  How long are the plane rides? 

We are scheduled to take a direct flight from LAX...it's about 5 hours each way.

Q:  What time do we leave the hotels in the morning and what time do we get back? 

It depends, but usually we have breakfast at the hotel around 7:00am and leave around 8:00am.  Depending on how long you take to get ready in the morning, you should set your alarm accordingly.  We will return around 10:00pm each night.  Lights out is usually around 11:00pm.

Q:  Is the school dress code in effect? 

Yes.  You are allowed to wear hats and sunglasses (if you are a Red Sox fan, I wouldn't recommend wearing that hat in NY).  If you insist on wearing leggings, whatever shirt you wear must reach your thumbs with your hands flat at your sides.

Q:  Are there opportunities to buy snacks in between meals and can we bring water with us on tour? 

 Yes, but be careful not to eat too much junk or you will get sick.  Water is fine to bring with you while we are on tour.

Q:  Can we bring food in the hotel rooms and on the bus? 

In the Hotel the answer is yes, on the bus, NO.

Q:  Can we chew gum on the plane?  

Yes...I like to chew gum on planes during take-off and landing because it makes it easier to keep your ears clear. Just make sure to dispose of your chewed gum properly in the trash!

Q:  How long is the trip? 

We will leave Rio around 5:00pm on Sunday, April 6th and return around 10:30pm on Saturday, April 12th.

Q:  What if our phone goes off while we are walking around? 

Your phone should be on silent mode for the trip...we don't want to be disrespectful.

Q:  Can I bring my tablet? 

I would recommend against bringing a tablet...there's no need, and it is just one more expensive thing that can get broken or lost.

Q:  Should we bring cash or a pre-paid card for the trip? 

This is up to you and your parents.  I would suggest looking into whether your bank will allow a debit card with set maximum daily charges.

Q:  Is it just us on the plane, and are the planes nice? 

We will have our own bus for the trip, but the plane will have many others.  At this point it looks like we will be flying on United Airlines.

Q:  What are we doing everyday? 

We will be touring, and seeing many of our most important national treasures!

Q:  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.

Q:  What is the bed situation? 

There are two beds per room and 4 kids per room...that means 2 people per bed.

Hope that helps!  See you all at our Pre-Departure Meeting: 6:00pm on Wednesday, March 26th!