GREENBRIAR MIDDLE SCHOOL Washington D. C. Trip Guidelines May 30 June 1, 2012

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1 GREENBRIAR MIDDLE SCHOOL Washington D. C. Trip Guidelines May 30 June 1, 2012 Parents, Please read these behavior expectations and take the time to review all of this information with your student. It is your child s responsibility to know and follow our guidelines on this trip. Your child will be provided with their bus number by May 24 th. Please check with your child for their bus number and Wednesday morning report time as well as Friday evening return time. MOTEL: Best Western of Arlington 2480 South Glebe Road Arlington, Virginia (703) BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS: 1. ALL SCHOOL RULES APPLY 24 HOURS A DAY WHILE ON THE TRIP! (No smoking at any time, no inappropriate dress, language, behavior, etc.) 2. Always be on time! Students must wear watches, use the buddy system, stay with your bus group, and follow the bus teacher's instructions regarding rendezvous times and locations. 3. Cell phones may only be used at the motel at night to call parents. Any cell phone seen during the day will be confiscated. 4. Be sure that you know both your bus number and the names of your bus chaperones. 5. Name tags must be worn at all times over your outside garment. Not having a name tag may mean that you could be denied a meal or admission to a site. 6. Students should refrain from shouting or loud talking. 7. Bus windows should be kept closed at all times. 8. Drinking is not allowed on the bus. Energy drinks are not recommended at any time while on the trip. 9. Students should not use the lavatory on the bus. 10. Since the flash from a camera can blind a driver, students may not take flash pictures on the bus. 11. Students must wear headphones if they listen to an MP3 player on the bus. 12. While on the bus, students must sit properly with their back resting on the seat back and may not move from their assigned seat without the bus teacher s permission. 13. Students must be sure to keep the bus clean and will be asked to clean the bus before each rest stop or meal. 14. No requests for bus seat or motel room assignment changes will be considered. POSSIBLE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION OF BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS: 1. Students may be assigned a different seat on the bus. 2. If reasonable suspicion exists, luggage may be searched. 3. Students may be removed from the bus and be required to ride in the safety van with the convoy leader. 4. An office report may be filled out and dealt with upon return to Greenbriar after the trip. 5. Students may be removed from the tours and remain at the motel while the others are out. 6. Students may be sent home at their parent s expense. GENERAL TRIP GUIDELINES: 1. FOOD: Enough food will be provided for each student as part of the trip. Students do not need to bring money for food unless they want to purchase extra on their own.

2 Meals will be as follows: Wednesday - Lunch at a fast food restaurant and dinner at Golden Coral Thursday - Breakfast and lunch at Reagan Trade Center, box meal for dinner Friday - Breakfast at Reagan Trade Center, box lunch and dinner at the Oakhurst Tea Room in Somerset, PA. Each student will receive either a meal voucher or cash from the chaperone for some of the restaurants, but most meals are prepaid by the school. The only cost for a student would be snacks over and above the meal provided. Staff members and chaperones will eat first and students should encourage the adults to step ahead of them in line. Snack foods are allowed but should be eaten in moderation to avoid upset stomachs, the need for emergency rest stops, or excessive mess on the bus. No drinks of any kind are allowed on the bus. 2. MONEY: To minimize possible losses, it is recommended that students do not carry a lot of money. Purchases should be kept to a minimum. Students should purchase any school-appropriate souvenirs or clothing at regular gift shops located at the various sites we will visit. Street vendors are more likely to cheat the students and they should refrain from purchasing their items. 3. CELL PHONES, CAMERAS & MP3 PLAYERS: Cameras are recommended for the many picture-taking opportunities but be sure to purchase your film and cameras at home. The use of cell phones for picture-taking is discouraged. Cell phones should ONLY be used at night to call parents. Leave expensive cameras and MP3 players at home. We highly recommend purchasing disposable cameras. Know how to operate your camera before you leave on the trip. All other advanced technology (video game players, etc.) is your child s responsibility. Be sure that your full name is placed on your equipment. Students are responsible for their personal property. 4. LUGGAGE: Each student is allowed two pieces of luggage: one larger suitcase to be kept under the bus and at the motel and one smaller carry-on bag to bring on the bus. The large suitcase should be about 18 high, 26 long, and 9 deep. Once this suitcase is placed in the bus storage bay, it will not be removed until the student arrives at the motel on Wednesday night. On Friday, this bag will be placed in the storage bay and will not be accessible until the student arrives at Greenbriar at night. The carry-on bag should be the size of a bookbag or day-pack and will be placed in the carry-on bins on board the bus. Students should use this bag for items that they will want during the day while on the bus such as snacks, jackets, sweaters, ponchos, CD/MP3 players, cameras, etc. 5. CLOTHING: PLAN TO BE WELL-DRESSED! Clean, crisp clothing is preferred and should follow school dress code guidelines. Only full length pants and or Capri pants are permitted. No faded, torn, or excessively baggy clothing may be worn. Remember that you are representing Greenbriar Middle School and need to portray a positive image. No sweatpants, pajama pants, shorts or leggings are allowed outside the hotel. Students will receive t-shirts that must be worn the entire day while on the tours. On Wednesday, they will receive the shirt that must be worn on Thursday and on Thursday, they will receive the shirt to wear on Friday. On Wednesday, any school appropriate shirt may be worn. USE COMMON SENSE! Clothing and especially shoes should be comfortable and neat. We will do a lot of walking so comfortable shoes or tennis shoes are recommended. Leave your high heels and flip flops at home.

3 BE PREPARED FOR ANY TYPE OF WEATHER! Students should have an appropriate coat, sweater, raincoat or poncho with hood, dry shoes, socks and clothes with them on the bus. We will be outside rain or shine. In addition to three days worth of clothing and appropriate outerwear, each student should remember to pack; casual clothing to wear at the motel sleepwear an alarm clock personal hygiene products (toothbrush & toothpaste, comb or brush, shampoo, cosmetics, etc.) WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE: DEPARTURE FROM GREENBRIAR Students must arrive on time. Students in Convoy A (buses 1, 2, 3) must be in their bus room by 6:00 am and students in Convoy B (buses 4, 5) by 6:30 am. Parents may not enter the school building to say goodbye. It is advised that students share rides to alleviate congestion in the parking lot and that parents leave as soon as they drop off their students. Students must be able to carry their own luggage to their bus room. All medication must be turned in to the nurse who will supervise the dispensing of any type of medication during the trip. Students need to fill out a luggage tag and attach it to each piece of luggage. Name tags should be worn over each student s outer garment for the duration of the trip. Absentees need to be reported to the principal. Students are to be attentive as the bus teachers introduce all chaperones and discuss bus behavior expectations and policies. Students will fill the buses in reverse seat number order and are responsible for carrying their own luggage. Large suitcases will be placed on the sidewalk so they may be stored in the bus storage bays. As the students board the bus, back to front, they should place their carry-on bags in the overhead compartments. ON THE ROAD A 10 minute rest stop is scheduled after every couple of hours so there is no need to use the lavatory on the bus. In case of illness or emergency at any time during the trip, the student should contact the bus teacher immediately. Each bus has supplies on board to deal with bus sickness and each convoy has a safety van with a nurse who can assist the students as needed. Buses will stop for lunch at Sideling Hill Rest Stop Food Court on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Weather permitting, the convoy will travel through the mountains to Gettysburg. To ensure their safety, students must be sitting properly in their seats. At Gettysburg, students will go to the visitor center, museum, cyclorama, view a film and then take a guided tour of the battlefield. Students are expected to be attentive. Headphones are not permitted to be worn. Dinner will be in Frederick, Maryland at the Golden Corral. After dinner the buses will travel to Washington which is about an hour away. Before going to the motel, the students will visit Lafayette Park for the opportunity to photograph the White House. MOTEL CHECK-IN Boys and girls are roomed in separate motel units. Bus teachers are responsible for room checks of their students. Upon arrival at the motel, students will remain on the bus while the luggage is unloaded by the driver, assisted by a couple students. The shirt that the students will wear on Thursday will be distributed. Room captains will be permitted to depart the bus to receive their room key, find the room, and make sure that it works. They will return to the bus to assemble their roommates and luggage.

4 They will ensure that students inspect the room and complete and sign two copies of the room condition report form before anyone leaves the room. They will be get ice and purchase pop for the room. Students are to be in the room by the first bed check. Lights must be out at 10:30 pm and draperies must be closed. If students need assistance at any time during the night, they should turn on their lights and open the drapes to the room. A night-duty staff member from Greenbriar will patrol the motel all night and will arrive to assist them. Under no circumstances should the students open the motel room door for anyone other than a Greenbriar staff member or a chaperone. Motel room telephones may not be used to call home. Students may use a cell phone at the motel only or call from a pay phone at the Smithsonian during lunch on Thursday. FRIDAY NIGHT RETURN SCHEDULE Convoy A (Buses 1, 2, and 3) should arrive at Greenbriar at approximately 9:30 pm Convoy B (Buses 4 and 5) should arrive at Greenbriar at approximately 10:00 pm Parents should be waiting in the parking lot for the arrival of the buses. ATTRACTIONS IN WASHINGTON D. C. We will visit as many of these attractions as possible but facility closings, crowds and weather may make it impossible to see everything on this list. Arlington National Cemetery to view the Changing of the Guard/Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier The Capitol Building Ford s Theatre, the Lincoln Museum, and Petersen House The FDR Memorial The Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial The Jefferson Memorial The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts The Korean War Memorial The Library of Congress The Lincoln Memorial Any student who gets separated from the group while visiting the Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Wall, and Korean War Memorial should sit at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and wait for Greenbriar personnel to find them. Marine Corps Memorial Iwo Jima Memorial Mount Vernon The US Naval Museum and the USS Barry The National Archives The National Cathedral The Smithsonian Institution Air and Space, Natural History, and American History Museums On display are the Hope Diamond, dinosaur bones, mummies, a moon rock that you can touch, old airplanes, space capsules, movie and TV artifacts, etc. The Supreme Court Building The Vietnam Wall The Washington Monument The White House Holocaust Museum If a student becomes separated from the group, he/she should go the pre-arranged meeting point as instructed on the bus or to the entrance of the building and wait for a Greenbriar staff member to find them. WE WILL NOT LEAVE ANY SITE WITHOUT ACCOUNTING FOR ALL STUDENTS.

5 STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT 1. Loud talking, shouting, improper language, pushing, etc. are not appropriate behavior. 2. Students should not direct comments or gestures toward pedestrians, motorists, or the bus driver. This is in poor taste and is dangerous. 3. Eating and gum chewing will be permitted on busses and in the rooms, provided that wastepaper and trash are confined to the wastebaskets. No drinks are permitted on the busses. 4. Lack of time prevents loitering at rest stops or waiting in line to purchase souvenirs. 5. Fine table manners encouraged by parents and teachers are to be practiced at all times. 6. Bus windows are to be kept closed. Nothing should ever be tossed out of the windows. Litterbugging is dangerous and distasteful. 7. MP3 players may be brought on the trip but students must use headphones. They should be put away securely while students are touring the sites. 8. Students should respect the property and rights of everyone on the trip. 9. Large radios, small TV s, and computer games are not permitted but hand-held games are acceptable. 10. Students are expected to show respect for all adult members of the tour. It is expected that all girls and boys will conduct themselves as ladies and gentlemen, practicing good manners throughout the trip and earn the respect of the people who are observing us. It is our hope that students will always remember the significant meaning of the tour and the reverence with which students should visit the many historical areas on our trip. Let s make everyone proud of Greenbriar Middle School!