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Washington DC Trip

Full and Voyager

May 26-29, 2015

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This Presentation will cover….

1. WCS staff going on the trip
2. Contact Information during the trip
3. Transportation – bus and Metro
4. Hostel
5. Where to eat?
6. What to pack?
7. Itinerary
8. Planned destinations for everyone

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Full and Voyager Staff

attending the trip

Full Staff:

• Cris Milks
• June Gulla

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Voyager Staff:

• Colleen O’Brien

Contact Information

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• Each student will receive an information card to keep in their wallets.

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• Chaperone will receive folders with itinerary, contact/medical information, food allowance $, Metro map, etc.

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Transportation – Premier Bus

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• We will stop every 2-3 hours, lunch will be at a large travel plaza in NJ.

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• Students may bring school appropriate media.

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• Portable charging device is strongly suggested for the bus and DC

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• Keep the bus clean!

Room & Bus Assignments

• We will finalize these right before the trip, and will base our decisions on student and parent input, as well as our own knowledge of the kids and how they interact with others who are going on the trip.
• Our focus should be on being one group where we all help and support each other. We want everyone on the trip to be inclusive of others.
• Parents will be placed in or near their child’s room as often as possible, and will most likely be asked to check in with one other child whose parents are not on the trip. Adults will be place in all student rooms. Male and female students will not be placed in the same room.
• Buses will be close to full at 50 people each, so we will all need to be patient and keep a positive attitude! We will stop a few times on both the trip there and the trip back.

METRO - DC Subway System

• Everyone will receive

a $15 Metro card $18

for city transportation.

• Students will

have ability to add more

$ to this balance, if they

choose to use own $.

Hostel

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• Great location
• Nice neighborhood
• Quiet hours* 10 PM – 7 AM Don’t hang *No hanging out in hallways
• Breakfast served at the hostel

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The inside

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Bring earplugs!

Hostel - Additional Information

• International has a total of 250 beds in dorm-style rooms, which come in four-bed, six-bed, eight-bed and ten-bed configurations (all with bunk beds), and shared bathrooms separated by gender.

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• There is no food or drinks allowed in the dorm rooms, so please help us follow the rules by not sending your kids with tons of candy and snacks.

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• They do not allow you to bring in your own pillows, blankets, sleeping bags, etc. If kids bring those items with them, they will be asked to leave them on the bus.

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• They do have lockers so if the kids want to lock anything, they should bring their own lock.

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• Showers are very private, but may require a wait, so the kids might want to plan some in the mornings and some in the evenings.

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Meals

• Kids do receive a food allowance each day, included in the price of the trip.

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• On average, $32/day
• Tues. - Lunch on your own; Pizza Dinner at hostel
• Wed. - $10/lunch; dinner at Carmine’s
• Thurs. - $10/lunch; $15/dinner
• Fri. - $10/lunch; dinner not included

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Dining Options

• Continental Breakfast – served at hostel
• Lunch – finding lunch near the Mall can be tricky.
• Street vendor?
• Museums?
• Chinatown?
• http://dc.about.com/od/restaurants/a/DiningNearMall.htm
• Use Yelp or UrbanSpoon app
• Ms. Taylor’s favorite: “Mitsitam Cafe” at American Indian Museum. Zagat rated, a bit pricey, closes at 5PM.

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What to bring?

What to bring to Washington, DC

Important Details to Know!

• Bring good WALKING SHOES....You will walk 5+ miles/day!
• Not allowed in Federal Buildings:
• Backpacks
• Water/liquids
• Food
• Keep valuables either locked or with you at all times.
• Students will need to bring a bag lunch or money to purchase lunch on our Tuesday travel day

Basic Itinerary

DC 2015 Itinerary

What our days will look like:

• Group Meeting: We will meet groups in the lobby around 9-9:30 finalize plans for the day. If groups would like to venture off together they are welcome to do so. Please text a teacher to keep them informed of changes.
• Almost all of the museums open at 10 AM.
• Your groups will make the decisions about where to go for lunch, afternoon destinations, and Thursday dinner.

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Tuesday

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• 6:30 AM - Departure from WCS
• 12:00 PM - Lunch on the Road
• 6:00 - Arrival around Dinnertime: Pizza at Hostel
• 7:30 - Nighttime tour of the Monuments: Walking!
• 10:00 PM - Lights out!

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Wednesday

• 7:30-9 AM - Breakfast
• 9:15 - Group Meeting
• 9:45 - Departure for the Day
• 12:00 PM - Lunchtime
• 1:00 - Holocaust Museum
• 5:00 - Dinner at Carmine’s
• 7:00 - Evening Activity
• 10:00 PM - Lights Out

Thursday

• 7:30-9 AM - Breakfast at Hostel
• 9:15 - Group Meeting
• 9:45 - Departure for the Morning
• 12:00 PM - Lunch and Meet at Capitol Building
• 1:00 PM - Capitol Tour
• 2:15 - Photo with Senators on Capitol Steps
• 2:45 - Afternoon Activities
• 5:00 - Dinner on your Own
• 7:30 - Nightime Activity
• 10:00 PM - Lights Out!

Friday

• 7:30-9:00 AM Breakfast and Pack up
• 9:15 - Departure
• 12:00 PM - Lunch on the Road
• 6:00 PM - Arrival at WCS

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Evenings…..

Getting back to the hostel…

• Take the Metro, walk, or taxi

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If you visit the Monuments at night….

• Every 8^th grader in America will be there too!

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There will be options for evening activities.

• Please be back to the hotel no later than 10 PM, it can take some kids an hour to settled down

Can kids “switch” groups?

• Each student will be assigned to a chaperone for the whole trip.
• The school board requires 1 adult to 3 students for supervision.
• Student groups are more than welcome to join up with other groups!
• If one student wants to join another group, chaperones must be informed.
• Everyone needs to be comfortable.

8th Grade Project

As part of our trip, we are asking students to engage in a fun SELFIE project!

• This will require at least one electronic device per group.
• It will be scavenger hunt-like!
• It will expose students to the wealth of discoveries in DC!
• Project will be completed upon return to school.

Planned Sites

• Visit the National Mall

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Planned Sites

Memorials

• Lincoln

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• World War II

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• FDR

Planned Sites

• Vietnam Wall

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• Korean Conflict

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• MLK Jr.

Planned Sites

• Capital Tour- Thursday arrival at 12:00 to clear security.

On the “back” facing Supreme Court, down the stairs

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• Holocaust Museum – small groups

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Behavior at Memorials

• It is important to know when you are visiting any of the Memorials in Washington, D.C. you may be standing next to someone who lost a husband, father, brother, sister, cousin, or a friend.
• Please be considerate of those around you and be aware of your behavior.
• Take a deep breathe, walk away and compose yourself; if needed.

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Optional Places to Visit

IMAX movie at one of the Smithsonian museums

Spy Museum (not a free museum)

Ford's Theater

National Archives

Library of Congress

US Botanical Gardens – great place to zen out

Newseam (not a free museum)

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Questions?