<p>I disagree that the school is in the wrong here. If the rule is that the students were not to be in the room of opposite sex students, whether they are in kindergarten or high school, that is the rule. It doesn’t matter if it was one student or 101 in the room, you broke the rules. Were the punishments for breaking the rules spelled out? Probably. Even if you graduated, you agreed to the rules before the trip.</p>
<p>My daughter went on a trip with her drama group and the rules were spelled out - no one in the rooms of the opposite sex, no swimming (state field trip requirement), no traveling in a group less than 3 from your own school (several schools traveling together). Many of the rules seemed stupid to me, but I assumed there were reasons they had to spell out ‘no playing on the escalators’ or ‘no planking’ (whatever that is). The possible punishments were that the student could be ‘talked to’ or sent home. If the actions were severe, the entire team could be banned for future conventions. Would banning future participation stop seniors from misbehaving? Only through guilt as the seniors wouldn’t be participating in the future anyway.</p>
<p>Do I think the college will care? No, but I don’t think the high school or teachers are wrong for enforcing their rules on their trip. I do not think the chaperones should have known where the students were at all times as the students agreed to behave and follow the rules. These were 18 year olds. They should be able to follow rules, even rules they think are ‘stupid.’ Informing the colleges may be the only punishment the high school can inflict, and the only way it can make future ‘recent grads’ behave. Other option is not to take any seniors/grads.</p>
<p>I agree it may be against the rules, but the punishment should fit the actual crime. If there was really nothing else ‘wrong’ going on, then have the kids come to school for a day over the summer and clean desks or do ‘detention’. </p>
<p>I also agree the teacher(s) were at fault. Definitely would stop them from being able to do any overnight field trip type things again if I were the administration. (who knows how tenure works, so that may not be an option)</p>
<p>Whether or not the students should be punished is not the issue here. The issue is that the proposed punishment could negatively impact a student in terms of admissions and/or scholarships. Maybe it wouldn’t have an impact, but it is not a chance that should be taken. This is not appropriate.</p>
<p>Hypothetically, say one of the kids was not in his/her room and something happened & was hurt seriously or worse,…or God forbid a student was raped…remember, the kids were supposed to be following the rules…</p>
<p>Wouldn’t that parent have a case against the school for not chaperoning the students properly? </p>
<p>I’ve learned that teens are rule bearers by nature. That’s why chaperones are needed. Responsible adults who will ensure the safety and whereabouts of the teenagers whose frontal lobes are still being formed…</p>
<p>It goes both ways! The kids were supposed to follow the rules & the adults were supposed to enforce them. Both ends shirked their responsibilities. I hold the adults more at fault…why? Because they are adults. </p>
<p>Now if my own dd was out beyond curfew, I would read her the riot act. She didn’t honor her end of the deal, and her word means everything. But the chaperones need to be held accountable too…maybe take away some of her pay? Her seniority? Again, it goes both ways. She should be punished as well. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.</p>
<p>Teachers VERY seldom get paid to chaperone field trips. Many times, they end up paying a decent amount for the “privilege”. And It’s hard to chaperone on zero sleep. </p>
<p>I think it’s likely there was shift checking going on, which is how the kids were discovered. What else would you have had the adults do?</p>
<p>I think that sometimes parents have NO CLUE how hard teachers work to give kids fun experiences. </p>
<p>That said, I’ve seen LORs retracted, and the result is sometimes very damaging. School districts are then liable for damages or at least bad press. If the parents are vocal, this will likely go away, although I doubt that there will be future senior trips.</p>
<p>I really don’t think the chaperones were at fault based on the info given. The kids were not where they were supposed to be. The punishment? It should have been spelled out BEFORE the trip, and maybe this is what it said would happen, that a bad mark would go on the record and the records would be sent to college. My daughter was on a junior high trip, some kids teased another, and the teasers were sent home (by plane, at the parents’ expense). Most of us thought the punishment was much too harsh and that the school took the word of one student over two others, but it was spelled out before they left that any breaking of the rules would have the children sent home. The school followed the rules it had stated.</p>
<p>There has to be some responsibility on the students if they want to go on these trips. My kids go on a lot of them for school or sports, and it is not the responsibility of the chaperones to be with them every minute of the trip. My kids know that breaking the rules is on them.</p>
<p>What if there weren’t 15 kids watching a movie, but two kids NOT watching a movie but ‘innocent’? What if there were 30 kids and the hotel called the police because of the noise? The kids can’t set the rules or the punishment. The school has no way to enforce the kids coming to do clean up work as punishment (and it isn’t allowed in some places as then they need to be supervised, it can be too hot, too dangerous, etc). You can’t bargain your punishment after the fact.</p>
<p>I think the teacher withdrawing the recommendation IS worried about her reputation as a chaperone. She’s enforcing her standards. What the college does with it is up to the college. My daughter has an athletic scholarship that can be withdrawn if she screws up by drinking or otherwise getting in trouble. She knows it. I wouldn’t expect the high school to not report her errors because it would cost her more than another kid who was also caught drinking or in violation of the rules. With privileges come responsibilities.</p>
<p>Then why have chaperones if the adults aren’t going to be held responsible? I get that a punishment needs to be handed out. But to rescind her LOR? That’s a bit much if you ask me. So because he didn’t keep curfew, his scholarship should be placed in jeopardy? He wasn’t drinking, drugging, robbing old folks in the hotel lobby, destroying property and the like. He was hanging out with his buds past curfew. And yes, chaperones should know where their charges are. They are responsible for them. And if a teacher can’t hold up her end of the bargain, the don’t go! It’s not mandatory. </p>
<p>My son did a bone headed thing during his spring semester of 8th grade. He gave a public apology in front of the class & I made him mow his teachers lawn/yard work each week for the whole summer after. He hated it, but he got the point. </p>
<p>Well, that’s why if no parents are wiling to chaperone, the trip is cancelled. I always think about Natalie Halloway on her senior trip. Make them have some skin in the game. </p>
<p>And 10 teenagers/adult is not that bad. 5 kids per room & the adults can monitor the halls. I thought there were 80+ kids. DDs graduating class was 156. That’s a lot.</p>
<p>So the kids were just in a mixed-sex group watching TV past curfew with no alcohol/drugs in the room? That doesn’t seem too terrible, to warrant an LOR retraction.</p>
<p>In a few months the recent graduates may be doing this in their dorm rooms.</p>
<p>Of course it isn’t terrible, but it was against the rules because it can lead to terrible things! Why have the curfew at all if breaking it is no big deal and deserves no punishment or consequences? Why have any rules at all? The kids and parents agreed to the rules before they left on the trip. The students thought they were better than the rules, and now are learning they aren’t. She now has to do the punishment. If the punishment is what the school determined it should be, then that’s what it is. Running a stop sign is no big deal if no one gets hurt. Jaywalking is fine unless it causes an accident.</p>
<p>She asked IF the merit award would be revoked. We all think probably not, but who knows? The high school is going to do what it needs to, and the college will take whatever action it feels is appropriate. </p>
<p>Don’t blame the high school for enforcing its rules. The students broke the rules.</p>
<p>Add me to the “what were the spelled out consequences?” group. If it was “we will retract your LOR” then that’s that. If it was “we will send you home” or something else, then the LOR retraction makes no sense.</p>
<p>I wasn’t sent home early and nothing was written out that my LOR would be retracted until after the whole situation. There weren’t any spelled out consequences to this situation because we were essentially only breaking curfew, nothing bad.</p>
<p>I’s not that simple. Agreeing to follow the rules isn’t the same as agreeing to abide by whatever punishment a group of administrators from different districts decide to mete out after the fact. I don’t know what state OP is in, but NYS has policies to protect students and families from the whims of the administrators and teaching staff. Rules, and the punishments for breaking them, have to be spelled out, in writing, and officially adopted by our school boards. The policies have to be explained to the students (BEFORE the violation, not after) and a written copy must be dispersed to all parents on a yearly basis. Administrators from another district can’t decide how to punish the students in our district because that’s a violation of NYS regulations and our local governing process. </p>
<p>OP, what state are you in? If I was one of your parents, I’d insist on seeing the policy that allows whatever punishment the districts are considering. I’d also ask to see one that allows personnel from other districts to decide on administrative matters in your district. I’ve been an education advocate for many years. Sometimes, districts do things because they don’t understand the state regulations, but sometimes what they do is out of pure spite. This sounds more like spite than ignorance. Please encourage your parents to get involved, and let us know what happens.</p>
<p>On the field trips my kids have gone on (including the Europe trip) the rules and consequences were in the contract I signed (and they signed) before they left. Some were set by our district, incorporating state and district guidelines, but some were set by the organization running the event. My daughter went to the state drama convention. The rules were strict. Each kid had to wear credentials around his neck, and ANY official, chaperone or teacher could pull the documents and require the student to immediately go to disciplinary proceedings if that official witnessed behavior in violation of the convention rules. Our school had additional requirements. It seems to work. Thousands of kids go every year, and they want to return, so it must work yet still be fun. Some school have been banned for a year or more because their students didn’t abide by the rules. Total humiliation for the drama teacher and the school, so therefore the strict enforcement of rules by each school and chaperone. No leniency. Fifteen kids breaking curfew would have been a major infraction,not to mention kids from the opposite sex in the same room.</p>
<p>OP and others broke curfew. The chaperones caught them. How is that ‘bad chaperoning’ or ‘unfair punishment’? All kids are being treated the same, but the consequences are worse for some who had more to lose, like OP.</p>
<p>I still don’t agree with his scholarship being put in jeopardy. I feel that’s a bit much. Why weren’t there room checks at curfew hour? If curfew is at 12am, then those kids should be heading in that door by 11:59… </p>
<p>I’m not saying that they shouldn’t be reprimanded, but 15 kids is a lot to have slip through the chaperones fingers. Seems quite lackadaisical to me. To have 15 teens hanging out and no one knows about it.</p>
<p>I’m from NJ. We snuck out of our rooms after curfew check. Just heard from the kid who hosted the movie night that his teacher didn’t call any of their parents. Considering that half the kids in that room are going to ivies, the other principal may be trying to cover it up. In that case, I shouldn’t be punished more than the kids at another school simply because they’re going to ivy leagues.</p>
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