<p>Does your school have a tradition where all the seniors go to the same spot (Florida or Carribean) and there is one parent chaperone for maybe 20 kids? Maybe I worry too much, but I can see kids drinking too much, falling off balconies with poorly installed railings, and engaging in unsafe behavior. Interested in hearing feedback. </p>
<p>Fortunately/unfortunately, I don’t have to decide whether or not to let D go. In our small town, it’s an “exclusive” event (invitation only via the moms). So glad I’m not part of the “in” crowd…</p>
<p>I realized there are different types of parent chaperons when I was a first grade one for the zoo field trip, each chaperon was assigned 4 students. The students had been taught to stay together yet one woman manage to lose a student!! After several hours, the child was found unharmed but so scary. When I can’t go, I make sure I know some reliable and responsible chaperons are going before I’ll let my kids go.</p>
<p>Senior spring break was always a time reserved for college visits or band trips (back before the economy went south). Our school doesn’t have a tradition of seniors going to one spot.</p>
<p>To tell the truth, I’ve been a bit spooked from those kinds of trips every since Natalee Holloway went missing in 2005…</p>
<p>Not only Natalee Holloway, but in Texas many kids traditionally go into Mexico for spring break. Now it is almost a common occurence to hear of murders there (even in Cancun - which used to be fairly safe) I can’t imagine kids still going there - but they DO!</p>
<p>We’re really not in a socio-economic area where kids can afford trips like this. I would be a little concerned to send my kid anywhere where drinking is the main activity. And I would definitely not trust any chaperone but myself! I have seen what some parents call “chaperoning” which means sitting in the condo reading a book while the kids go off to who knows where to do who knows what. </p>
<p>My kids were fortunate enough to have school sponsored trips each year to the beach, or an amusement park. Lots of teachers and lots of parents (including me) and lots of supervision!</p>
<p>Our high school kids used to always organize a “popular kids” trip which my kids were never invited to or interested in going on. Used to be Mexico as it was cheapest. I don’t know if it is still being done but I know that Mexico is off my list. I have been multiple times to locations all over: Ixtapa, Cancun, Acapulco, Punta de Mita. After being burglarized last time about a year and a half ago I vowed not to go again. A few nights ago I saw a news story on Acapulco and how down the tourist business is which also pointed out that the violence has moved into the tourist areas. Done.<br>
My son went on several trips during HS spring break which were supposedly chaperoned by teachers. One of them was to Egypt. He came home with stories of drunk sophomores out until 2 am and one girl who was nearly assaulted until he stepped in. When he got home he was incredulous and asking me “have these dumb $%#^& girls never heard of Natalee Holloway?”<br>
If there is one legacy that we can thank Natalee for it is that at least some kids are more aware.</p>
<p>We have a giant school so it’s not like there’s one big group initiative, people just make plans with their friends. My mom is letting my sister go to Panama City unchaperoned with a group of kids we’ve never met, driving down there by themselves-- and my sister has no license so she is at the mercy of other teen drivers. I think my mom has quite literally lost her mind.</p>
<p>^OMG – I will be up all night worrying for your sister and I don’t even know her!
See if you can tell Mom not to let her go.
Or if she has to go, get the cell #s of ALL kids who are going.
Too far, too unsafe, too many unknowns.</p>
<p>^^ sounds like LI/ Westchester…I’ve heard these are organized as class trips (almost everyone goes)</p>
<p>have never heard of this around these parts of NJ (not that the kids wouldn’t try though…)</p>
<p>I did hear of some boondoggle last year by some of the senior girls who have not had the best reputation for good behavior (but then again, neither did their parents)…but not the norm…</p>
<p>at my daugher’s school, there are teacher chaperoned trips both for education and community service over spring break…</p>
<p>I tried politely, and not so politely, informing my mom that she was taking a major risk by letting her go and she told me to back off, so I’m staying out of it. I assumed at first that she must just not be aware of what goes on there but apparently she feels it is out of her control since she’ll be 18-- I am 21 and my mom STILL pulls the “my house, my rules” card on me but she won’t for my sister apparently. Her good friends, the ones that we know, were originally going on this trip but they didn’t want to go all the way to panama city and didn’t want to be near the party scene, but my sister insisted and in the end those girls parents wouldnt let them go, so she drudged up other friends. And my sister is paying the entire security deposit for their hotel room herself because the other kids are telling her they cant afford it, and its several hundred dollars. I guess this will be a life lesson for her if she makes it back in one piece. I just hope she doesnt call in tears because something goes wrong, there will be nothing we can do from Michigan. Even if we have to drive down to get her it’ll take two days.</p>
<p>We did have an “alternative spring break” program at that high school when I went I think that the school chaperoned, that would have been a really fun trip. I wish I had been into that kind of thing back then.</p>
<p>Traveling for spring break as high school seniors? Where do they get the money?</p>
<p>These are families who are facing four years of college tuition!</p>
<p>The only traveling I know of that takes place at that time is travel to Accepted Students’ Days at some of the colleges where the student has been accepted. Unfortunately, though, these days don’t always coincide with the high school student’s Spring Break.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t even let son go to beach week after graduation. Even though there were parent chaperones - the parents generally let the kids drink (and even supply the alcohol) and it was basically a week-long drunk-fest for a lot of the kids. I saw the pictures. It was sickening. Some of the girls were hanging out in the hot tub with boys…topless. Can’t imagine letting HS students go off on their own.</p>
<p>Frequently (but not always) the parents who are willing to chaperone these things are in favor of letting the kids drink - they may tell you they won’t let it happen but in reality they are either supplying the alcohol and are right in the midst of the partying or they deliberately look the other way.</p>
<p>Spring Break trips to the beach are big in our area. The beach is four hour drive from here. Both my boys went as seniors. They stayed in rented beach houses with groups of friends. Both had been working year 'round jobs since soph. year and paid their own expenses.</p>