IT’S TIME FOR OUR 6 TH GRADE ADVENTURES! April 24, 25, and 26

Around the World in 80 Days Students will kick off their adventure by watching Around the World in 80 Days! They will explore the world as the eccentric inventor, Phileas Fogg.

Around the World in 80 Days Students will ‘visit’ the countries traveled to in Around the World in 80 Days. They will design flags, murals, and maps for their countries, and enjoy a sampling of the foods eaten there!

Student work from “Around the World” Ireland JapanSpain

Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida  We will travel to Orlando, Florida and visit Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure!  This trip will bring to life the 6 th grade curriculum for our students. We will be doing related activities in Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies.  Students will have a 2-day Ticket with park-to-park access, so they will be able to enjoy all that Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure have to offer!  Please visit the Universal Studios Orlando website for detailed park information.

Chaperones  Students will be assigned to a teacher chaperone. This will be their group for the entire trip, including seating on the busses and in the hotel rooms.  There will be one teacher chaperone per students.  No student will be allowed to leave his/her assigned group. Students will be accompanied to each venue with their assigned teacher chaperone.

Hotel and Security  We will be spending Wednesday and Thursday nights at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Orlando—Lake Buena Vista East.  Private security will be provided at the hotel.  Teacher chaperones will check each student room to ensure that all students are locked securely in their rooms. Students will not be allowed to leave their room without chaperone permission.  The security staff will patrol the hotel hallways throughout the night.

Roommates  There will be four students to a room.  Students may choose their own roommates. Teachers will approve the rooms and make any changes necessary.  Students will remain with their roommates during the entire trip, including on the busses.  Roommate selection will take place at the end of March.

Day 1: Wednesday, April 24  Students will eat lunch at school. We will leave around noon on fully equipped motor coaches.  We will stop at the Florida Welcome Center for dinner. Pizza and drinks will be provided at the rest stop.  We will arrive in Orlando around 10 pm and check into the hotel.  Students will enjoy a good night’s rest at the hotel, with private security patrolling throughout the night.

Day 2: Thursday, April 25  We will enjoy a buffet breakfast at the hotel beginning at 7:15, and board the busses by 8:30.  Students will have a 2-day Ticket with park-to-park access. They will travel with their group between Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure throughout the day. Groups will stay with their chaperone at all times.  Students will be responsible for lunch and dinner at the park. There are many choices available at both parks. $15 per meal should be sufficient.  We’ll depart Universal at closing, returning to the hotel by 10:30 pm.

Day 3: Friday, April 26  We’ll enjoy another buffet breakfast at the hotel beginning at 7 am.  Students will check out of their rooms after breakfast, ready to depart the hotel by 8:30.  We’ll return to Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure for all the things we missed on Thursday!  Students will be responsible for their own lunch at the park…again, $15 will be sufficient.  We’ll return to the busses by 3 pm.

The Trip Home…  We will depart Universal Studios by 3:30 pm.  We will stop at the Florida Welcome Center for dinner. Chick-fil-a will be provided for the students.  We will arrive back at Taylor Road between 10:30 pm and 11:30 pm.  A posting will be on the TRMS website with our estimated arrival time. Students may call you when we are getting close.  Please know your child’s bus number…arrival time will be posted by bus number.

Clothing  School appropriate clothing is to be worn during the entire trip, including on the busses.  A t-shirt will be designed for the trip in a bright color. The t- shirt is an additional security measure to quickly identify our TRMS students. Information for purchasing the t-shirts will be sent home when it is available.  Students are required to wear the designated 6 th grade t- shirt both Thursday and Friday at Universal Studios.  Students should wear comfortable shoes (no flip flops) while at the parks.  Bring a jacket/sweatshirt as well as an umbrella or rain poncho.

Food  Dinners on Wednesday and Friday will be provided for the students, as well as breakfast on Thursday and Friday.  Students may bring snacks and drinks from home for the bus rides and the hotel.  All snacks brought from home should be placed in a zip-lock bag or a re-sealable container.  Drinks must be in plastic screw-top bottles.  Students may purchase snacks and drinks at the parks.  Please let us know if your child has any special dietary needs on their registration form.

Carry On Items  One piece of luggage can be stored in the baggage compartment of the bus. ID tags on all luggage and personal belongings are required.  Be sure to keep any snacks, spending money, and other necessities at your seat on the bus. We will not open the storage area until we arrive at the hotel.  Electronics (iPods, hand-held video games, phones) may be used with headphones on the bus. Cell phones are permitted.  ALL ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND PERSONAL BELONGINGS ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STUDENT!  Books, magazines, cards, or magnetic games may be brought on the trip. No personal DVD players are allowed.  A pillow and blanket are recommended for the bus ride.  Students may bring spending money for souvenirs and snacks—a string bag or other travel pouch may be a good idea while at the parks.  LABEL, LABEL, LABEL!!! PLEASE LABEL ALL PERSONAL ITEMS!

Parent Permission Forms  Parent Permission forms went home with the students today. Please contact your student’s homeroom teacher if your child did not get a form.  Please verify the address on the Parent Permission form before returning the signed form.  All students must complete the parent permission form indicating whether they will be attending Universal Studios or Around the World in 80 Days.  The permission form is due to your student’s homeroom teacher by January 31.  All forms and additional information will be posted on the TRMS website and on the blogs of Ms. Bennett and Ms. Greenwood.

Payments  The cost of the trip is $309. This includes transportation, hotel, tickets, and four meals (two breakfasts, two dinners).  Field trip funds will be collected electronically through our tour company, Jim Mulvihill Tours, using PayPal. Detailed payment directions are on the Parent Permission form.  Payment may be done in three equal installments of $103:  First payment due: February 8  Second payment due: March 8  Third payment due: April 8  If you have any questions/concerns about the payment schedule, please contact Chris Martinez, 6 th Grade Counselor.

Medical Information  Medical forms are attached to the Parent Permission form.  Students will complete the Fulton County Authorization to carry medicine, both prescription and non-prescription.  All medication should be in the original packaging and labeled. If prescription medication is required, the medication must be in the original labeled bottle from a pharmacy.  Each chaperone will keep the medication for his/her group (with exceptions made for medicine students are authorized to carry) and dispense as instructed by the physician.  Please communicate any parental concerns on the back of your child’s registration form.

Additional Information  Any student who receives an ISS (In School Suspension) or OSS (Out of School Suspension) at any point during the current school year will become ineligible for the trip to Orlando.  All students going on the trip must be in good academic standing by April 19,  Administration reserves the right to make the final decision on the eligibility of any student.

THANKS!!! WE HOPE THIS HAS BEEN INFORMATIVE… WE ARE SO EXCITED TO BE GOING ON THE 6 TH GRADE FIELD TRIP WITH OUR STUDENTS! PLEASE CONTACT DANA BENNETT, ANGELA ROBERSON, OR CHRIS MARTINEZ WITH ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY STILL HAVE. A COPY OF THIS PRESENTATION WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THE TRMS WEBSITE AND THE BLOGS OF DANA BENNETT AND KATHARINE GREENWOOD.