Yosemite Parent Meeting Slides 2011

Editor's Notes

• #2: Good evening. Thank you for taking an hour out of your busy week to learn more about our exciting trip to Yosemite in March.
• #3: I’m Mary Enright, one of the coordinators for the Yosemite Science Trip at CMS. I hope you enjoyed the slides that highlight the activities of the week and gave you a glimpse of the areas where your children will be staying. We have organized this trip for over 20 years. I’ve been involved with the trip for over five years.. I’m joined by Susan Holtzapple who has over 10 years of experience, and we like to think that every year it gets better. Our primary job is to make sure that everyone is prepared for the trip; everyone is safe and cared for when we are on the trip; and lastly that everyone has an experience that they will remember for a life time. Tonight we will be going through the details for parents and we will start meetings for students in December where we will prepare them in much more detail. Our focus tonight is primarily logistical. We keep the meeting to an hour with a short question period at the end, but if you have more questions, we would be happy to meet with you afterward. After tonight you will be initialing and signing a Parent Essentials Agreement. We will review these items and mention them during the presentation.
• #4: Because we have to make initial deposits and payments to Yosemite Institute and the charter bus company, we ask families to pay a non-refundable deposit. This non-refundable check for $75 with your signed parent agreement is your reservation for the trip in March. The remainder of the payment, $595, is made in January when we must make our final payments to our vendors. Please note that there are a few other items that you’ll need to supply to prepare for the outdoors. We have some gear that has been generously donated (boots, socks and even a couple of sleeping bags for example), but most likely some additional items will need to be purchased. We will talk about equipment in more detail later. We do have some partial scholarships available for families; you can pick up the application from Mrs. Butler. We do encourage families to have their child earn part of the money for this trip. Collecting recycling, extra baby-sitting, chores, etc. help students to value to trip even more. We have just covered the Items 1 and 2 in the Parent Essentials agreement.
• #5: Refunds can be requested if a student withdraws from the trip before we leave. The $75 is non-refundable. If a student withdraws for ANY reason a refund of $446 can be provided upon request. If a student’s spot is replaced by an eligible student on the wait list, then a refund of $595 can be provided upon request. All refunds require that a form (picked up from Mrs. Enright) be completed and approved. Refunds are processed in the district office in April. April 8 is the last day to request a refund. It should be noted that if your student attends the trip and has to return early FOR ANY reason, then there are no refunds. We have just finished Item 7 on the Parent Essentials Agreement.
• #6: The forms packet has a bright goldenrod coversheet. The cover sheet is there to help you with the many places where names and signatures are required. The forms should be turned in by the student, not the parent. They can be turned into Mrs. Enright, the student’s science teacher, or Mrs. Holtzapple, rm 13. You can turn them in starting tomorrow, but they must be turned in by December 17. Review some of the forms: White - Yosemite Institute Registration and Health Form; Yellow - District Field Trip Release Form. ; Pink form - CUSD Behavior Contracts. (We’ll discuss this in more detail later.) ;Blue - Stewardship Volunteer form. The health and dietary information on the white form is very important. Be as complete and thorough as you can with medications, other health issues and insurance information. Should we need to take your child to the clinic, we first contact you, second we use this form at the clinic for admission. Administering of all medicines will be covered later. Please also note the special dietary requirements. YI can make accommodations for special food needs or allergies. Mrs. Holtzapple will be contacting parents if necessary to understand the full extent of any health issue so that we are adequately prepared. Lastly, White form (noted as blue) for volunteer service in the park.
• #7: One change this year is we will need specific authorization for all prescription medications that your child uses regularly or in the case of an emergency, for example epipen or inhaler for allergies. This authorization is just for use on the trip and must be completed even if there is a form in the office. We have left this form loose because you will need one form for each prescription. Exceptions might be for a protocol that has more than one medication, for example take benadryl then administer the epipen. We will also need authorization for basic over-the-counter medications like Acetaminophen, cough syrup, cough drops or stomach antacids. We are trying to streamline this process and you will be receiving additional information as soon as it becomes available. Please take note that this form must be completed by a physician. You will have until February 11 to turn this to allow for this extra step. We will not be able to administer any medication without proper authorization.
• #8: We have reserved 280 spots for CMS this year. Last year we had about 270 students attend. The class size is slightlty smaller. All students who turn in the deposit and parent agreement by 3:30 p.m. tomorrow have an equal priority to attend. If for some reason we have more that 280 interested students, then we use the red lottery tickets to decide the students that will be placed on the wait list. The drawing is done in the office with the presence of student council officers, administration and ourselves. Students on the wait list will be notified in person. Any deposits received after tomorrow will be placed on the wait list. Students move from the wait list to the active list if: A student fails to continue to meet the eligibility requirements during the second quarter (Item 3 on the essentials agreement) A student chooses not to attend. A student becomes injured or sick before the trip. A student has several late requirements (forms, payment), unexcused absences from a meeting, not wearing the required hiking boots before the trip, (Items 9 and 10 on the essentials agreement.)
• #9: We have a behavior contracta that parents and students should review carefully and sign.(Pink Form) For parents, you are responsible for picking up your child in Yosemite if they are too ill to hike, if they are injured, or they are being sent home becomes of a behavior violation. For minor issues, the adults meet with the student about behavior that is not acceptable. If the problems persist we contact the parents to warn them that they might have to pick up the student. However, there are some zero tolerance items that will be an immediate trip home. These are focused on safety and well-being of all students involved. We review these in detail with the students before we leave “the longest car ride home” meeting, and students need to be attentive to the rules that YI discusses upon our arrival. They are required to follow the rules at all times, no exceptions. We ask that students leave all electronics at home. They cannot be used, even on the bus ride. Cell phones are not permitted. Any electronics that are found will be confiscated and returned when we get back to Cupertino. Note that this can be a violation that will immediately send a child home. We discourage parents and students from checking in regularly, although there are pay phones. This can make home-sickness WORSE. Visit the web site or follow us on Twitter to get the latest. (If your child needs to speak with you we will provide them a cell phone to use to contact you.) We have covered items 4, 5, and 8 on the parent essentials agreement.
• #11: Additional communication will be provided in short messages via Twitter. These will include reminders before we leave, and updates when we are in the park, Additionally, we will be sending the details of our arrival so that you won’t be waiting at CMS. For those of you that have children that have gone before, one recent change is that we will not be having a phone tree to announce our arrival. We found Twitter is more efficient and accurate. We do have all the phone contacts in the event that we will need to reach you by phone. One change regarding our return is that we will have a snack before leaving, but we will be driving all the way home without a stop. This should have us at CMS around 7:00 p.m. on Friday evening. Students will NOT need to purchase dinner on the way home. You can use Twitter to receive updates via your cell phone if you like, or you can see the updates via the web. If you have questions or need assistance with this, please let us know. If necessary we can arrange some time at school to assist.
• #12: The equipment list from Yosemite Institute is attached. Additional copies are on the web site if this is lost. From generous donations of prior families we have some gear that students can borrow and return clean. (Boots, socks, hats, gloves, ponchos, gaiters.). We even have a couple of sleeping bags for smaller students. There are many places to shop for equipment (sporting goods stores, Army Surplus, Goodwill). If you are unfamiliar with the equipment you can visit REI at Saratoga and Propect and possibly Sports Basement in Santa Clara. They work with us to make sure that there are enough items to outfit the close to 1000 students that go to Yosemite from our district. They can provide assistance and in the past they have provided a discount coupon. Many times, there are great holiday/Winter discounts in January and February as the season winds down.
• #14: We prepare for Winter Conditions, but we do so in layers should we have a warm spell. As you see in the last four years we have an some extremes in temperature. Curry Village is shady and tends to hover around 32, but in the sun, the temperatures can be much warmer. The tent cabins are insulated and heated.
• #15: Layers that are discussed in the supply list are essential. Because we can have precipitation, students should have at least one set of clothes that ARE NOT COTTON. Synthetic materials do a much better job of wicking moisture away from the body and therefore are much better at preventing hypothermia if it is cold. Wind and Waterproof outer layer is essential. We will be checking for rain gear at at noon meeting before we leave. Gaiters are required for deep snow activities. Sometimes that are used just once for cross-country skiing, and sometimes they can be used every day.
• #16: Students should use the clothing and equipment list to PACK THEMSELVES. Students will have to unpack and repack their gear at least once, sometimes three times. They need to know if it is theirs or their roommates, and where everything is located. (Stories of kids who can’t find clothing, underwear, etc.) They will have to carry their bag from the bus to their tent through the mud and snow. It is best to pack a bag that the student can carry. A sleeping bag and pillow can be packed separately in a LABELED well sealed garbage bag. Again these will be placed on the ground during when we move from one place to the other. Make sure everything (socks, shirts, sleeping bag, etc.) is labeled in case something is lost or misplaced. Students will carry their regular school backpack during the day, so the total is: 1 daypack(on back), 1 bag with sleeping bag (hand one), one duffle bag (hand two).
• #17: There is a pad in the front where you can add your name if you would like to assist with the trip preparations. We can use help will the excel database, copying of forms and checks, and assembly of paperwork packets closer to the trip. If you think you might like to chaperone a group of students we have more information for you. (You should know that you won’t be with your own child, in fact you may see your child very occasionally during the trip.) We take many chaperones that have been before(your students will be with a group with loads of experience) but we are always looking for new blood. You can pick up an informational letter and an application at the end of the meeting.