Washington Dc Newsletter

WASHINGTON DC NEWSLETTER DECEMBER, 2016

TAKE THIS HOME AND HAND IT TO WHATEVER ADULT IS ASSISTING YOU WITH THE WASHINGTON DC TRIP.

TRIP NEWS AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE JUST A FEW THINGS THAT ARE CERTAIN. I JUST HEARD THAT WE HAVE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE NATIONAL CATHEDRAL ON MONDAY OF OUR TRIP, IT IS AWESOME. WE HAVE A WREATH APPOINTMENT AT THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER ON SUNDAY. USUALLY I GET A TON OF NEWS JUST AFTER CHRISTMAS, SO KEEP TUNED IN!

OUR PARTICIPANT NUMBERS WILL BE FINE IF NO ONE DROPS. OUR TRIP WAS BASED ON 35 PARTICIPANTS AND I THINK THAT IS OUR CURRENT NUMBER. A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS IN OUR GROUP, HOWEVER, HAVE A BALANCE SO HUGE THAT I AM WORRIED. TRADITIONALLY BALANCES OF OVER $2.000 IN DECEMBER END UP CANCELING. THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD WOULD BE TO ENCOURAGE REGISTERED KIDS TO KEEP WORKING AT IT AND MAYBE EVEN TO RECRUIT SO THAT WE DO NOT NEED TO WORRY ABOUT IT. PARENTS, GRANDMA’S, FRIENDS FROM OTHER SCHOOLS..... TWO OR THREE ADDITIONS WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL. IT IS NOT TOO LATE!

FUND RAISERS

KRISPY KREME FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WANT OR NEED ANOTHER FUNDRAISER, WE WILL DO THIS SALE JUST LIKE LAST FEBRUARY. INFORMATION WILL COME OUT LATER IN THE WINTER WHEN I KICK OFF MY 7TH GRADERS FOR THE TRIP. THE PROCESS WILL BE AFTER THE FINAL PAYMENT DEADLINE SO MONEY EARNED CAN BE “PAYBACK” TO MOM AND DAD OR IT CAN BE USED FOR SPENDING MONEY. IT WILL NOT TIE IN WITH THE FINAL PAYMENT DEADLINE IN JANUARY.

RAFFLE AND SALSA. THE $25 RAFFLE COLLECTION DEADLINE WAS NOVEMBER 28TH AND NO ONE WANTED TO DO IT. ONLY 4 KIDS SOLD SALSA. IT LOOKS LIKE MOST OF US MUST BE FINISHED UP WITH FUND RAISING.

FINAL PAYMENTS ALL PAYMENTS ARE DUE TO WORLDSTRIDES THE FIRST WEEK OF JANUARY. THEY USUALLY HAVE A WEEK OR TWO “GRACE PERIOD” BEFORE THEY START GETTING TOO GROUCHY. SOME OF YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING BIG OVER VACATION TO EARN MONEY. .

ROOM MATE LISTS YOU WILL GET A ROOMING SELECTION FORM AND A BEHAVIOR/HEALTH CONTRACT FROM WORLDSTRIDES SOMETIME SOON. USUALLY KIDS GET THEM IN THE MAIL DURING VACATION. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, SO PLEASE BE CAREFUL THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. PLEASE:

*DO NOT ASSUME WHO YOUR ROOMING PARTNERS ARE.

*DO NOT LIST PEOPLE UNLESS THEY AGREE TO ROOM WITH YOU.

*DON’T SAY “YES” TO SOMEONE UNLESS YOU ARE GOING TO ROOM WITH THEM!

EVERY YEAR THERE IS A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF KIDS WHO SAY “YES” TO EVERYONE WHO ASKS THEM. THESE KIDS, THEN, SHOW UP IN ALL SORTS OF ROOMING COMBINATIONS AND IT TURNS BAD IN A HURRY. FOR ME, IT BECOMES A STRESSFULL MESS TO SORT OUT. YOU NEED TO BE MATURE ENOUGH TO SAY “SORRY, I AM ALREADY ROOMING WITH (WHOEVER)” IT BECOMES JUST AS MESSY FOR YOU WHEN I CALL YOU IN TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHY YOU ARE IN 3 DIFFERENT ROOMS. OUR TRIP IS BASED ON 4 KIDS PER ROOM. IT IS VERY UNLIKELY THAT YOU WILL GET A ROOM OF THREE, BUT THERE MIGHT BE A COUPLE ROOMS LIKE THAT. IF YOU WANT TO BE A GROUP OF 5, YOU NEED TO VISIT WITH ME. RIGHT NOW THERE ARE 20 GIRLS – WORLDSTRIDES WILL GIVE ME 5 ROOMS. THERE ARE 9 BOYS, SO, THEY WILL GET 3 ROOMS TOTAL AS OF RIGHT NOW.

(*DO NOT SAY YES UNLESS YOU INTEND TO BE IN THAT ROOM!!!)

ADULTS: IF YOU ARE GOING ON THE TRIP, I AM SENDING HOME AN ADDITIONAL PAPER WITH THE NEWSLETTER. READ IT AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. THANKS.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS“CHINATOWN” WHEN IN NEW YORK CITY, THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN GOING TO CHINATOWN. THE KIDS ARE AMAZED AS IT SEEMS LIKE WE ARE STEPPING INTO A NEW WORLD. IT IS JUST LIKE BEING IN CHINA, JUST A MUCH SMALLER VERSION! THERE ARE PEOPLE LIVING THERE WHO HAVE SPENT THEIR WHOLE LIVES WITHOUT LEAVING THE NEIGHBORHOOD! (ACCORDING TO MICHAEL, ONE OF OUR PAST TOUR GUIDES, ANYWAY). I CAN’T EVEN BEGIN TO DESCRIBE IT, BUT IT IS A HUGE “HIT.” CHINA TOWN WILL EITHER FASCINATE, AMAZE OR DISGUST YOU (MAYBE ALL 3). KIDS CAN WALK UP AND DOWN THE STREETS AND DO SOME SHOPPING. EVERY YEAR, SOME OF US HAVE A LOT OF FUN “BARGAINING” FOR FAIR PRICES WITH THE SHOPKEEPERS. NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, CHINATOWN IS A HIGHLIGHT FOR KIDS!

PARENTS: PLEASE VISIT WITH YOUR KIDS ABOUT PURCHASING REPLICA WEAPONS IN CHINATOWN. IT IS YOUR DECISION. THEY ARE NOT AGAINST THE LAW TO POSSESS SO, I DON’T CARE IF YOU DON’T CARE. THESE ITEMS MUST FIT IN SUITCASES. ONE KID PAID A HUGE SHIPPING BILL IN 2009 FOR A SWORD REPLICA THAT DID NOT FIT IN HIS SUITCASE. BOTTOM LINE – I DON’T HAVE TIME TO POLICE IT, BUT JUST CONSIDER ANYTHING BEING AN ISSUE WITH LUGGAGE OR AIRPORT SECURITY. THE BEST THING HERE, AS PARENTS, IS TO HAVE THIS BE “OFF LIMITS” TO PURCHASE. IT IS NOT WORTH THE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

BY THE WAY, I WILL TRY TO MENTION THIS AGAIN, BUT, I DO NOT WANT ANY LASER LIGHTS TO BE PURCHASED ON THIS TRIP.

LUNCH SOCIALS – IN DECEMBER OUR LUNCH IS SCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY THE 16TH. IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE SO, PLEASE SEND $30 CASH OR CHECK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I NEED MONEY FROM A COUPLE OF YOU. THIS WILL BUY PIZZA LUNCH AND POP FOR 5 SOCIALS AND BURGER WEST ONCE. SORRY, BUT I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO REFUNDS FOR KIDS WHO ARE SICK. TO MY FRUITLAND AND VALE KIDS – IF YOU CAN ATTEND, LUNCH BEGINS AT 11:35. CHECK IN AT THE OFFICE UPON ARRIVAL. LET ME KNOW BY THURSDAY IF YOU ARE COMING AND JUST BRING A $5 BILL WITH YOU

HOODIES HOODIE AND TSHIRT ORDERS HAVE BEEN MADE AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD THEY MIGHT BE DONE TO PASS OUT AT PIZZA LUNCH ON FRIDAY. I AM SUPPOSED TO CHECK MID-WEEK.

MR A