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       Last Updated: March 2, 2023

Dear 6th, 7th and 8th Grade Families,

Flyers with information for the Washington, DC and New York trip for Spring 2024 (4/1/24-4/5/24) were sent home with your middle school student.

This trip happens every two years, with the last one taking place on Spring 2022. This is why participation is open to all middle schoolers.

You can check our  https://worldstrides.com/custom/2024-madonna-del-sasso-school-dcny-207583/ website, which contains more details about our specific trip such as registration, cost, places, what is included, etc.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to reach me through email (justo_minerva@yahoo.com) or through my phone (call/text) 831-776-9630.

I have a Q&A section below. So don't forget to check it out!

Link to information flyers can be found here.

Link to informational presentation from February 7, 2023 can be found here.

Registration discount of $200 extended to May 19, 2023.

Our trip ID is: 207583

Regards,

Justo Perez

 

    Q&A
  1. What is the best place to find information about our trip and where do I register? The best place to find information and to register is our trip's website  https://worldstrides.com/custom/2024-madonna-del-sasso-school-dcny-207583/
  2. Are there informational videos to get a visual overview of this trip? Students and parents can check this informational video to get a quick and general overview of the trip → https://youtu.be/YJ-82jfcFkQ. Parents can also find information about the technical aspects of this trip here → https://vimeo.com/669248312/c52fd8b642. 
  3. Is there any advantage to registering early? Absolutely! You get a $175 discount for the trip and $25 for the registration fee if you register by May 19, 2024. Your initial deposit is also smaller and the payments are spread out based on the number of months remaining between when you sign up and January 17, 2024, which is the date your last payment is due. 
  4. Are scholarships available? Yes, but you must have a household income less than $85,000. The best way to know what amount might be available to you is to make a simple call to 800-468-5899 and you'll know how much may be available for your trip.
  5. What is the Full Refund Protection Plan? Under this optional program, you are refunded all money paid to WorldStrides minus the program fee and other nonrefundable fees (initial deposit) should you have to cancel at any time prior to departure for any reason. You can sign up for the Full Refund Program at the time of registration or within 14 days from the time of registration by calling WorldStrides Customer Service at 800-468-5899. The cost is $339 per person. More detailed information can be found at https://worldstrides.com/resources/question/full-refund-policy-frp-can-travelers-sign/
  6. How do students get paired at the hotel? They will be paired four to a room. A student will never in a room by themselves. In the event of an “odd” number of students, it is possible to have two or three students in a room. There are no mixed rooms. Boys will room with boys only and girls will room with girls only. The room pairing will be determined before the trip. There will also be hall chaperones posted outside the hotel hallways to make sure no students go roaming outside of their bedroom at night. A month or two before our trip we will ask every student to submit their four top choices of whom they would like to room with. We will try our best to pair students with their top choice(s) .
  7. What is the schedule like? It is a very exciting and energy charged trip. We leave from Salinas on a charter bus around midnight to catch a flight to Washington DC from San Francisco airport early in the morning (eg. 6AM). Our WorldStrides guide and charter bus will pick us from the airport. We start our tour the same day we arrive. Days will be rather long and we are likely to arrive at the hotel late in the day (eg. 10PM). Each day will start early and students will need to be ready for breakfast as early as 7AM. We have a separate tour guide and charter bus for NY. We fly out from NY late on Friday and land in San Francisco around midnight. This means we don't get back to Salinas until the early morning hours of Saturday.
  8. What is the protocol for cell phone use? Students are welcomed to bring their cell phone but they need to be very responsible about not leaving them behind (in the plane, the hotel, a place we visit) because we won't be able to turn around to retrieve it given our tight schedule. Students can to use their phone at most times, except when the place we visit requires they be put away. We also ask students to not use their phones at breakfast  because we have a limited amount of time to prepare before starting the day's activities. But if they want to take a quick photo at breakfast they will be allowed to take out their phone.
  9. Do we fly on separate planes? No, the whole group will fly on the same plane. Every attempt is done to have a direct flight to Washington DC and from NY. In some rare occasions involving weather, one stop had to be added.
  10. Are there upgrades available for flight and hotel if someone chooses to additionally pay? No upgrades to flights since they are booked as a group. A traveler can upgrade to a double or single if they choose by calling customer service at 800-468-5899 to modify your room option.
  11. How far in advance are the flights and detailed itinerary sent?  This is all sent in a draft shortly after the 75 day mark. At that time, flights, hotels, sites, etc. will start to come together!
  12. Is there a Broadway show included in the NY portion of the trip and do we get a list of choices to possibly choose from? Yes—your group has a premium Broadway show built into the trip. I send the 2024 list in the fall once the spring shows are announced!
  13. If we visit NY Times Square, how much time are we given before we need to depart to the next activity? Usually a group will spend about 2 hours of free time in Times Square. 
  14. Is there a limit of adults that can go? No—you can bring as many as you want!
  15. Are there any extra costs? All food, room, transportation and tips are covered by the registration cost. Traditionally, we have tipped the charter bus driver for Washington and NY, as well as our guides. We ask each student to contribute $5 towards the tip and we also have everyone in our troop sign a thank you card for our tour guides.
  16. Do we have our own charter bus? We will have our own charter bus to/from San Francisco airport. If our group happens to be less than 35 participants we share a charter bus with other WorldStrides participants in Washington DC and NY. We make use of the same charter bus for DC and NY.
  17. How do we communicate with the group once they depart from Salinas? We will have a Remind app group to communicate the group's daily progress during the trip. Parents are welcomed to text or call me, Justo Perez, at (831) 776-9630 at any time before, during or after our trip.
  18. What if my student gets sick? We will have over-the-counter medication such as dramamine, aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, Pepto-Bismol in our First Aid kit. Parent approval will be required before any over-the-counter medications are given. We are required to know about any student allergies and routine medications before our trip. WorldStrides will also have a doctor on duty at all times.
  19. Are we going to have fundraisers to help with the cost of this trip? I will send out a survey by mid February, 2023, to ask everyone who expressed interest in going whether we should do some fundraising activities. If the majority is in favor of fundraisers we will discuss what types of fundraisers and how many of them to have.
  20. What should my student pack for the trip? Comfortable clothes with an eye for possible cold weather and rain. I know of one instance where a previous group from Madonna had a very rainy day. Closed toe shoes for lots of walking and a light rain jacket (or poncho) are important. Here is a link to the WorldStrides website that has a comprehensive packing list for the trips to the East coast → https://worldstrides.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/COR-2021-Packing-List-Redesign-243566-DCNYC-n.pdf
  21. Any other pre-trip recommendations? Make sure your student has plenty of rest  the days before the trip (eg. no late night texting, Tik/Tok or streaming online, among others). Extra pre-cautions before the trip to avoid getting sick (eg. a cold) are a plus. In these occasions I tell my daughter to always wash her hands and to avoid biting her nails. Little tips like these go a long way.
  22. If I have questions and concerns before, during or after the trip who should I contact? Justo Perez @ 831-776-9630 or justo_minerva@yahoo.com. I'm Annie's dad from 7th grade.