Trip
Washington, DC Civic Journey, Wednesday, April 14 to Sunday, April 18, 2027
Group
30 eighth-grade students and six chaperones, one adult for every five students
Program
Fourteen sites over three days: the National Archives, the U.S. Capitol, the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court, two Smithsonian museums, four memorials at dusk, Arlington, the Portrait Gallery, Lafayette Square, and the White House
Travel
Charter bus, 372 miles each way, with a rested second driver team for the overnight ride home
Lodging
Three nights in College Park, Maryland

The documents

Approving the trip

First page of the Off Campus Travel Report

School office

Off Campus Travel Report

Look inside
Off Campus Travel Report, page 2
Page 2 sets out the trip facts, the nearest emergency departments and every contact, and the Head of Middle School signs the approval here.
Off Campus Travel Report, page 3
Page 3 lists each reservation and its confirmation, the 372-mile route with its rest stops, and the calendar the office works to.
First page of the Risk Assessment Report

Head of Middle School and trip leader

Risk Assessment Report

Look inside
Risk Assessment Report, page 2
The charter bus section covers a collision on the highway and driver fatigue on the overnight return, each with its controls and what the adults do if it happens.
Risk Assessment Report, page 5
The hotel section closes with the emergency care for the group. It maps the nearest emergency department by drive time, and the school chooses which one the group uses.
Risk Assessment Report, page 11
The school asks the bus company, the hotel, the venues and the meal vendors these questions before the trip and records each answer here.

Telling families

First page of the Student and Parent Trip Report

Families

Student and Parent Trip Report

Look inside
Student and Parent Trip Report, page 2
The letter to families opens the report, with the report time, the cost and the deposit date across the top.
Student and Parent Trip Report, page 3
Families see the five days at a glance and how students are supervised on the bus and at the hotel, and the page explains how the school keeps in touch.
Student and Parent Trip Report, page 5
Families return the permission slip and health update to the school office in a sealed envelope, with the $250 deposit.

Preparing the trip leaders

First page of the Trip Leaders Brief

Trip leaders and chaperones

Trip Leaders Brief

Look inside
Trip Leaders Brief, page 3
Each chaperone keeps a group of five and a role on the trip, and the page sets the watch rota for the overnight ride home.
Trip Leaders Brief, page 6
The Friday page runs from the 8:30 bus to the memorial walk at dusk, and the bus waits at Lincoln Memorial Circle at 8:45 p.m.
Trip Leaders Brief, page 9
The Emergency Plan starts with a call to 911 and the order of calls. It then lists the nearest emergency departments by drive time, one in Washington and one near the hotel.

Connecting the trip to learning

First page of the Educational Travel Fieldbook

Students

Educational Travel Fieldbook

Look inside
Educational Travel Fieldbook, page 3
The Thursday page maps the day's stops in visit order and says what students see and do at each one, from the National Archives onward.
Educational Travel Fieldbook, page 4
Friday covers two Smithsonian museums by day and four memorials at dusk, each with what students see and what they do.
Educational Travel Fieldbook, page 6
The last page sets the closing seminar and the final response due April 30, and students tick off the evidence they bring home.

Improving next year's trip

First page of the Post Trip Report

School

Post Trip Report

Look inside
Post Trip Report, page 2
This page shows who answered, and how students, parents, the trip leaders and the bus company rated the trip, the plan and the days.

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