Post by RoxMonster on Aug 30, 2014 16:03:56 GMT -5
That trip sounds like hell on Earth to me. But putting aside my bias against camping primitively...
I think a call home was in order to the parents of kids who got stung, even just once. They had no idea if the kid would have a bad reaction or what not. Definitely should have called home for the kid stung 16 times.
But beyond that, I don't think moving the campsite or going home was necessary/feasible. I do think they should maybe consider doing this trip at a different time of year in the future to avoid the height of bee/wasp season at least.
It seems odd that any type of field trip is required. Throughout all my years of school plus my years teaching, field trips have always been optional. If parents/students want to opt out, there will probably be an alternate, related assignment, but as most trips involve a cost to parents, they are not required.
I would have no problem letting my kid not go on the trip next year (if she herself said she did not want to go). There is something to be said for doing things outside our comfort zone. And then there are toilets which are comprised of holes dug in the ground. I have done PLENTY in my life outside my comfort zone and have happily never had to pee or poop in something besides a toilet/pit toilet. I turned out OK.
Post by karmasabiotch on Aug 30, 2014 16:13:10 GMT -5
If you are sensitive to stings you should have your child testedin a controlled setting so that the first time it happens if she does have a reaction it can be handled without a wait and worry approach.
I would probably talk to the school and make sure they know to ask parents about kids' allergies and have a plan in place if any kid gets stung and shows an allergic reaction. I don't know what kind of middle school this is, but I'm surprised this activity is compulsory. I support not being a helicopter parent/mama bear/whatever, but I also think it's important to listen to your kid about their likes/dislikes. She tried it, stuck it out for the three days, and I'm not sure why it's required she continue to go on more trips of the same. I dunno, I don't have kids so I could just be talking out of my ass
Is this normal for middle school to have required camping trips? Sounds like a huge fucking hassle and kind of a big liability.
My middle school my kids attend is really large, that would make this pretty impossible I think.
A lot of schools have some sort of outdoor experience around middle school. Even back when I was in school, and the risk was dinosaurs rather than bees, the 6th grade went en masse to camp in a fairly remote location. I believe Cali has a requirement called "outdoor school" for its middle schoolers.
If it had been my kid who got 16 stings, and I learned the teachers hadn't tried to help her get them off, I would be talking to the school. As it stands, though, I'm not planning to bring it up. It's not like they can do anything about it now. However, I'm also not going to require my child to go on the next trip, unless she decides she really wants to. They can say it's compulsory, but they can't keep me from calling in sick for her.
Is that really a great precedent to set with her? That if something is out of her comfort zone she should totally avoid it all together?
Or that you (or later her) should just lie to get out of things she doesn't want to do?
I wouldn't phrase it as not having to do things outside of her comfort zone, but as something that I, as her mother, don't deem safe.
This trip sounds like a horrible idea and I would question the judgement of the adults involved, and wouldn't leave my child in their care. ( aside from the normal school day)
It sounds like a rough trip, but these are 12s who should be up to that kind of 72 hour trip. I've done this sort of camping with new boy scouts (end of 5th grade). There are generally a couple of less robust boys who struggle at first but do grow in the process.
Is this a mandatory thing? A private school?
I would expect a first aid kit to contain an Epi and Benedryl; DS's school doesn't take trips of this nature without an RN. His marching band did a performance tour of Argentina a few years ago where they managed to nearly all come down with Norovirus- the nurse had her work cut out for her with 120 sick kids.
Yes, private school. I do think it is kind of funny that part of the tuition we pay goes so that our daughter can have the experience of digging a latrine They do say it is mandatory, which - after this experience - I am not too thrilled about.
Private schools can do as they please. If enough parents complain, you could probably make this go away. Unless of course it's an elite school that has a waitlist that could replace the ones who leave over this.
Did they dig an actual communal latrine? Or were they making individual catholes?
I know that scouts do this kind of thng all the time, but it sounds like (1) the scouts are better prepared,
But that was my point, the first time they go out, they're not. My kid is a seasoned camper now, but at 11 he was learning. Being out of his comfort zone made him a more resilient and resourceful person. He knows how to be safe in nature- from bears, poison plants, insects, from extremes of weather, etc. When my DN was preparing for survival training at the USAFA, DS was able to give her some tips on mentally preparing for her time in the wild.
and (2) scouting is voluntary. I mean, I realize that attending a private school is also voluntary, but we have been there for many years and overall had a very good experience.
Like you said private school is also optional. I'd agree with you that this trip seems to have been planned poorly. This time of year one would expect stinging insect activity, especially if the summer has been dry. Dry conditions can make them aggresssive.
That's one of the downsides of private school; my son has attended 2 private schools prior to attending a great public school. They just don't seem as aware of liability and frankly, many of the teachers just aren't up to the level of that found at the public schools. In our district, kids don't stay overnight without an adminsitrator and several teachers. Trips where medical care might be an issue include and RN. All sports teams travel with an RN, even the marching band travels with one.
I wish they did have an RN to accompany them - they would make me feel a lot better. But i will find out if they at least have an EpiPen in the first aid kit.
They should slso be carrying Benedryl. Epi helps support cardiac function in the event of an extreme allergic reaction, but the antihistimine helps the body recover frorm it. My BIL the ER doc says the childrens liquid is as fast acting as the shot he'd give you in the ER, btw.
My dad has a pretty intense reaction to fire ants- we carry epis and he also did a series of shots to help him deal if he gets stung again. It's still pretty scary. Another thing the stung kids should know is that once stug, they will carry a phermone other wasps/bees/hornets can sense that marks them as a target- I've heard this effect can last several months to a couple of years. I got swarmed gardening about 5 years ago and attracted "attention" for all of the following summer.
I may be the line descender here but I'd be pissed. I realize it's not like a hotel where you can call the front desk and request maintenance but couldn't the teachers have contacted the campsite managers or something to come look at the problem? I think that many kids being stung is excessive
I've never been toilet-digging camping, but I've done my fair share at camps and if there were wasps nests near campers we'd get that shit sprayed and removed. Ofcourse that was a campground and not hiking through the wilderness.
Sometimes you are in the position where you act breezy about an issue because you don't want to freak out the kids and also you know it's going to be addressed but not immediately. I guess what I'm saying is that I wouldn't necessarily take your daughter's take of her teachers attitude as how the school/ campground dealt with the situation, kwim?