East Coast Adventure...Let's Get Walkin'!

Well, our East Coast Trip is just 5 weeks away.  This is just a quick suggestion to get out and start walking.  While on tour, we will be walking, on average, about 7-10 miles a day.  Granted it isn't all in one shot, but we will be going through museums, the national mall, large estates, and major city streets in Philadelphia and New York.  It is easy to get tuckered out if you aren't in decent shape.

I encourage all the East Coast Trippers to get out and walk at least a few times a week - and not just in P.E.!  If you are thinking about getting some walking shoes for the trip, I would suggest getting them now and breaking them in.  You don't want to be walking miles a day in new shoes...blisters hurt.  I would also suggest bringing two pairs of shoes on the trip in the event that the weather is uncooperative and one pair gets wet.  If you are looking for a complete list of things to pack, feel free to take a look at the suggested packing list on the top of this page by clicking on the "Packing List" tab at the top of the page.

I hope that everyone is getting as excited as I am to start our journey.  Remember that our Rio Norte students consistently get praised for their outstanding behavior on these trips...I am certain that this year's group will continue that tradition.  I will be handing out a student behavior expectation agreement at our next student meeting on the 28th.  This is my agreement, and is separate from the one sent to you by Nation's Classroom (make sure you have filled that one out as well).  Be sure to review the agreement and have both the student and Parent/guardian sign it and return it to Mr. Sheridan prior to the online departure meeting on the 14th of March (students can turn it in to Mr. Sheridan as soon as it is completed).  Knowing what is expected of you will make it easier to make good choices.  That should do it for now.

A quick reminder that our next student/chaperone meeting is this Monday, February 28th in the MPR at 2:10 pm.  During this meeting we will talk about chaperone groups, review the student agreement, and cover other interesting topics - this meeting should take about an hour.

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to email, text (661) 621-3655, or even post a question on our Facebook page.

Money and Our Next Meeting

Hey East Coasters!

So, parents of students going on the East Coast trip often 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, but seriously... Your child is probably going to want a bottle of water here and there, and 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 TOTAL for the whole trip. For other kids, they would put the Kardashians to shame. We had one kid spend over $500 in less than a week.

You know your child and his/her shopping habits best. Clothing is usually the most expensive item kids buy on this trip, and one nice “I ♥ NY” sweatshirt in Times Square can go for $50-60, easy. Overall, average souvenir purchases are about $10-$20 per day.

Also as you may or may not know, I do respectfully request a little tip money ($10 total) from each student: $5 for our coach driver, $5 for our tour guide. These people will be with us for the whole trip and become a part of our trip "family".  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. I will collect the coach driver and tour guide tip money ($10) after the Pre-Departure Meeting on Monday, March 14. Students can either drop it off to me on campus or you may give it to me personally on our departure day, Saturday 4/2.

On a related note, parents also ask: “Debit/prepaid card or cash?” There are advantages to both. Depending on the type of card and the issuing bank, parents can control the amount of spending per day and/or add value to the card if needed; this is a good security feature if the card is lost, and is also helpful in limiting teen spending. Talk to your bank now about your options. Looking online, many financial magazines rate the Wells Fargo card for teens and the Capital One MONEY account as good options, but your personal bank will probably offer something as well. Cash is easiest, but once lost it is almost certainly gone for good. Talk with your child and find out what you think will work best. Most airlines are now cashless, meaning you can only purchase food on the plane with a debit/credit card.

As for VISA, MasterCard, or American Express gift or pre-paid cards, most of them don’t have a name on them, they don’t require ID, and they’re usually as good as cash if lost, so be careful with this option. Finally, don’t even bother with traveler checks; their time has passed...the truth is the 19-year-old kid behind the counter at the souvenir shop will have NO idea what to do with your traveler's check.

 When asked, this is what previous East Coast trip parents had to say with regard to money:

“A mixture of cash and debit cards worked great for our daughter.” 

“My child took $200 and that was more than enough, she came back with money leftover and she is quite the shopper!”

“We got our daughter a debit card for the trip, (which she hardly used, just on the plane and one souvenir shop), but it made us feel better. AND, it's proven to be a useful budgeting tool for our daughter going forward. Rather than $5 here, $20 there, she uses the card and we review it to see where the money is going.” 

“I gave my daughter cash and put it in envelopes by day. I gave her more for NY and then gave less for each day as I saw fit. I also told her that she could keep whatever money she did not spend on the trip. I gave her $300. She was really careful about making good choices and she came home with $291. ( She bought one sweatshirt, but, made money back on the food court allowance). It worked out well and now she is going to buy a cat with her leftovers. :-)”

“I would say slightly more than $20/day.”

Hope all that advice will help your family make a more informed decision about money. Our next student meeting is in less than a week, on Monday, February 28, at 2:10pm in the MPR. Our East Coast adventure is now only 39 days away!  As always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Follow up to our Meeting!

Hello East Coast Trippers!

We had a very successful meeting last week.  I'm extremely excited to be working with such fun, well-behaved, and respectful 8th graders - we're going to have a great trip!  Here are some of the things we were able to accomplish in the meeting:

- We played an ice breaker game to try and get to know one another better
- Wrote down shirt sizes for our commemorative t-shirt
- We assigned roommates

- We checked vaccination status
- We answered a few questions related to the trip

There are a couple of things I covered with the kids Monday, and I am including them in this message for parents as well.

I will have a student behavior agreement for the kids at the next student meeting on February 28th.  This is a separate agreement from the one sent by Nations Classroom. The kids should sign it along with their parent/guardian and return it to me sometime before the departure meeting on March 14th.

Nations Classroom should have sent you some travel documents to your email as well (behavior agreement, medical release etc).  Be sure to complete and submit them.

Due to the importance of communication, I informed the kids of different ways to stay in touch with me and the trip - and it might be good for you too.  One that I recommend for parents, is following my text alerts by having you follow sheridantrip on twitter.  Another way is through my Google Voice number (661) 621-3655.  Although e-mail is still best, students and parents are welcome to call or text this number with any burning questions between now and the trip.

Here are a few of the questions about the trip that the kids asked Monday:

Q: When do we leave and when do we get back?
A:  We leave on Saturday, April 2nd and return on Friday, April 8th.

Q:  Is food included on the trip?  Are there vegetarian options?
A:  Yes, breakfast. lunch, and dinner are included.  Breakfast is usually at our hotel.  Yes, there are vegetarian options at every meal.  If you have dietary restrictions, be sure that you included those in your registration with Nations Classroom.  If you didn't, please contact them so we know who needs adjusted meals for allergies etc.

Q:  How many bags are we allowed to bring?
A:  You are bringing one check in bag weighing no more than 45 lbs. and one carry-on (usually a backpack)

Q:  What time do we go to sleep and wake up?
A:  It varies, but usually we will get up around 6 am and get to bed around 10 pm

Q:  Does the school dress code apply?

A:  Yes.  

Q:  Are we allowed to use our phone on the trip?
A:  Yes, and no.  You should absolutely bring your phone on the trip, and you are welcome to use it as a camera while we are touring (although it might be a good idea to bring an actual camera as well).  However, phone calls, facetime, texting, surfing etc. should be reserved for times when we aren't on tour.  What does that mean?  You can use your phone in your room, at meal times, and when we are traveling between major cities on the bus, but NOT when we are in the city actually looking at sites (including the bus).

Q:  What sporting event are we going to?
A;  It looks like we will be going to the an NHL game.  Flyers vs. Bluejackets in Philadelphia.

That should do it for now.  I am looking forward to seeing my East Coast Trip students at our next meeting on Monday, February 28th.  That meeting will again be in the MPR at 2:10 pm and will conclude around 3:15.  Thanks again for a great meeting and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

East Coast Adventure 2022...Here We Go!

Dear East Coast Trip Family,

While the Covid pandemic has forced us to adjust our expectations, increase our flexibility, and roll with the punches, we are now good to go.  In a little over 2 months, we will be departing on our big adventure to Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and New York.  I can tell you from personal experience, that history travel is amazing.  I am so very excited to be able to share the experience of visiting some of our most famous national treasures and landmarks with your child.  For the past few months we have been finalizing our roster, and we now have a good idea of who is going on the trip, so it's time to inform you of some important dates.

Monday, Feb. 7th @ 2:10pm - Rio Norte MPR: Roommate Meeting 

So, this is the meeting that all the students will be most interested in attending!  This is my opportunity to become familiar with the kids, and we will finally have a chance for the students to meet their fellow adventurers who are going on the trip.  This meeting is intended for students and teachers only.  We will start with an ice-breaker activity, a quick check of vaccinations, and then we will move on to the all important process of choosing roommates.  If your child cannot attend this meeting, it might be a good idea to have them designate a person to speak on their behalf regarding room assignments (unless they don't care who they room with).  This meeting should take a little over an hour, and will conclude at 3:30.

Monday, Feb. 28th @ 2:10pm - Rio Norte MPR: Student Meeting 

Topics to be determined

Monday, March 14th @ 6:00pm - Zoom: Pre-Departure Meeting 

Organized by Nation's Classroom, and hosted by both myself and our tour company rep, this meeting will go over the specifics of the trip.  We finally get to see our exact itinerary, and our hotel and flight information.  Now that we know for sure everyone who is going on the trip, our tour company is working hard making final arrangements to secure the very best flights and hotels possible. This meeting is MANDATORY for the traveling student and at least one parent/guardian to attend, so please mark your calendar.  A Zoom link will be sent to your email prior to the meeting.  

That should just about do it for now.  I'm looking forward to a great trip, with a great group of kids.  I will be trying to stay in contact with all of you on a pretty regular basis now as the trip gets closer.  

On that note,  I would also like to remind you (or inform you for the first time) that besides email, you can stay connected to the trip through my trip website, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  

You can visit my website for any missed email messages by visiting https://sheridantrip.blogspot.com/  

You can also "Like" our Facebook trip page located: at https://www.facebook.com/MrSheridansEastCoastAdventure  

You can follow on Twitter;  http://twitter.com/sheridantrip

or you can check us out on Instagram at http://instagram.com/sheridantrip  

Thank you, and I will see your child this Monday, February 7th!