Trip Update

I am sure many of you are aware that the Hart District has decided to cancel all school related trips involving airline flights over the next two weeks.  Just be clear, our East Coast Adventure is not a school or district sponsored trip.  So, our trip is not effected by this policy and is currently moving forward as planned. 

Having said that, I am sure that many of you are concerned about the situation, and what the possible options are if the trip were to be cancelled or delayed.  NationsClassroom has many resources devoted to the CV-19 situation, so I thought I would share their FAQ with you in order to answer your most pressing questions regarding the trip.  Additionally, I want to give you a video resource from the WHO regarding travel, and the travel notices from the CDC.

Here is the FAQ page from our travel company, NationsClassroom.  

This page should answer most of your trip related CV-19 questions:

https://www.nationsclassroomtours.com/en/coronavirus-faq  

As a quick status update, NationsClassroom has successfully served over 1000 students so far this season, and currently have 600 kids on tour this week.  They are following all guidelines and all students are going about the trip as normal (with an added emphasis on hygiene).

These are some additional resources from the WHO

https://youtu.be/0KBvReECRrI  

and CDC.  

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices  

Should you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Staying Healthy

Our East Coast Trip will be fun and exciting, but it can be a challenge to stay healthy while touring. Inevitably, heads will ache, stomachs 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 some suggestions for staying healthy:

HYGIENE
Wash your hands often!  Be sure to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap.  Do this prior to eating at home, at school, on the trip, and of course after using the restroom!  Use hand sanitizer when necessary.

SLEEP 
I know the switch to Daylight Saving Time this Sunday 3/8 will probably have 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.  Stay hydrated! 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 Adventure 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/protein 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 is available in the same section as Dramamine, but 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 Monday, March 16th. 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 medical release form from Nations Classroom that I passed out at the most recent student meeting.

Our Pre-departure meeting is just 10 days away, and our trip is a mere 29 days away!  I look forward to seeing everyone in the Rio MPR at 6:00pm on Monday, March 16th!

Coronavirus Info

Hello East Coast Trip family,

I've had a few parent inquiries as it relates to the Coronavirus and what contingencies are in place for our trip.  Obviously, we are keeping an eye on the situation, and we want to be sure that the health and safety of our students and chaperones is a top priority.  

A few parents have asked, but at this point, there are no plans to cancel the trip.  While it is important to take the spread of the virus seriously, I also think that perspective is important as well.  New viruses can be disconcerting, but basic hygiene is the best prevention.  You are still far more likely to catch the flu, and the flu is still far more dangerous statistically than the Coronavirus (but I'll bet many of us did not get the flu vaccine this season, and aren't as concerned with catching the flu).  

As far as actual travel is concerned, currently, there are no travel restrictions within the U.S. on domestic flights.  If any of that changes in the coming weeks, we'll be sure to let you know.  

In the meantime, here are some steps NationsClassroom are taking to be as proactive as possible:

1) NationsClassroom provides Hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes on every bus

2) They have added on to the packing list to bring hand sanitizer and optional face masks (however, masks are only for people who are sick already, and want to help minimize spreading germs.  Masks are not for the currently healthy and do not protect the well from getting sick!)

3) Tour Managers, Guides and Chaperones will remind bus leaders to have students wash their hands prior to eating and at every bathroom break.

We also will encourage travelers to follow the CDC guidelines of prevention below:

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/warning/novel-coronavirus-china 

We will keep a watchful eye on the situation and plan accordingly.  I'm looking forward to a great trip, with healthy happy students - and I hope you are too!  I will be sending an email with some suggestions on how to stay healthy before and during the trip in the next day or two.  If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me.