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       Last Updated: April 15, 2025

Dear 6th and 7th Grade Families,

The Washington, DC and New York trip for Spring 2026 will take place between April 6th and April 10th 2026.

This trip happens every two years, with the last one taking place on Spring 2024. This is why participation is open to both 7th and 8th graders in the year the trip takes place.

Please read the Q&A section below for  details about the trip such as registration, cost, places, what is included, etc.

If you have any questions, please reach us via email at jevans@mdsschool.com and/or justo_minerva@yahoo.com.

For reference, the 2024 trip itinerary can be found here.

Our trip ID is: 223139

The 2026 trip/program leader is our very own principal, Mr. Evans!

The photo album for the 2024 DC/NY trip can be found here → https://photos.app.goo.gl/XXC42qJe5ksv9aNo9

Regards,

Justo Perez (Spring 2024 trip leader)

 

    Q&A
  1. Where do I register? To register, please navigate to this link: https://myprogram.worldstrides.com/custom/2026-madonna-del-sasso-school-dcny-223139/
  2. What information do I need to register? You need our trip ID 223139. After that, just follow the instructions on the registration page.
  3. How much does it cost?  $3,599 per student and $3,989 per adult. An early bird registration discount of $150 is applied if you register before June 30th, 2025. An additional discount of $50 is applied if you register before April 17th, 2025.
  4. Any plans for fundraising activities to help with the trip cost? Yes. The plan is to discuss fundraising activities in the early summer of 2025 to get a start on what is possible during the summer and the 2025-2026 academic calendar year. Profits from fundraising activities would be divided equally among the families that participate.
  5. Is there a limit to the number of adult chaperons? There is no limit. Any interested adult can join.
  6. 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.
  7. Is there any advantage to registering early? Absolutely! You get a $150 discount on the trip  if you register by June 30, 2025, and an additional $50 if you register by April 17, 2025. 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 February 20, 2026, which is the date your last payment is due.
  8. Are scholarships available? Yes, but you must have a household income of less than $85,000. The best way to know what amount might be available to you is to call WorldStrides at 800-468-5899, and you'll know how much may be available for your trip.
  9. 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 of the time of registration by calling WorldStrides Customer Service at 800-468-5899. The cost is $359 per person. More detailed information can be found at https://worldstrides.com/resources/question/full-refund-policy-frp-can-travelers-sign/
  10. How do students get paired at the hotel? They will be paired four to a room. A student will never be 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 chaperons posted outside the hotel hallways to make sure no students go roaming outside 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).
  11. What is the schedule like? It is a very exciting and energy-charged trip. We leave Salinas on a charter bus around Monday at midnight to catch a flight to Washington DC from San Francisco airport early in the morning. Our WorldStrides guide and charter bus will pick us up from the Reagan International airport in DC. We start touring the same day we arrive. Days will be rather long, and we are likely to arrive at the hotel late in the day (e.g. 10PM EST). Each day will start early and students will need to be ready for breakfast as early as 7AM. We have a tour guide and charter bus for NY. We fly out from NY late on Friday and land in San Francisco around 9 to 10pm. This means we get back to Salinas between 11pm to midnight on Friday evening. As an example, the 2024 trip itinerary can be found here.
  12. What is the protocol for cell phone use? Students are welcome to bring their cell phones, but they need to be very responsible for not leaving them behind (on the plane, the hotel, a place we visit) because we won't be able to turn around to retrieve them given our tight schedule. Students can use their phones at most times, except when the place we visit requires them to 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.
  13. Do we fly on separate planes? No, the whole group will fly on the same plane. Every attempt is made to have a direct flight to Washington DC and from NY. On some rare occasions involving weather, one stop has to be added.
  14. Are there upgrades available for flight and hotel if someone chooses to pay additionally? 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.
  15. 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! As an example, the 2024 trip itinerary can be found here.
  16. 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. The shows to choose from will be sent in the fall of 2025 once the spring shows are announced for 2026! Students will be asked to vote on their show preferences and the three shows with the most votes will be submitted to the travel company.
  17. If we visit NY Times Square, how much time are we given before we need to depart for the next activity? Usually a group will spend about 2 hours of free time in Times Square. But there is very limited time to wonder around. A group photo in Times Square by a professional photographer is also included in our trip schedule.
  18. Are there any extra costs? All food, room, transportation, Times Square photo 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 group sign a “Thank You” card for our tour guides. The only additional money needed by your student for the trip would be if they want to purchase souvenirs for themselves.
  19. 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 fewer than 35 participants, we share a charter bus with one or two other schools in Washington DC and NY. We make use of the same charter bus for DC and NY. The Madonna del Sasso group will tour ALL tour sights together.
  20. How do we communicate with the group once they depart from Salinas? We will have a text group to communicate our daily progress during the trip.
  21. 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.
  22. 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://wst-p-001.sitecorecontenthub.cloud/api/public/content/2a3f593e21424113abdbbf6391f8d7f0?v=82c41cea
  23. Any other pre-trip recommendations? Make sure your student has plenty of rest in the days before the trip (e.g. no late night texting, Tik/Tok or streaming online, among others). Extra pre-cautions before the trip to avoid getting sick (e.g. a cold) are a plus. On these occasions, I tell my son/daughter to always wash her hands and to avoid biting her nails. Little tips like these go a long way.
  24. If I have questions and concerns before, during or after the trip, who should I contact? Mr. Evans at jevans@mdsschool.com (2026 trip leader) or Justo Perez at 831-776-9630 or justo_minerva@yahoo.com (2024 trip leader).