Class 344 Field Trip to Princeton University Information
What: We will be traveling to the campus of Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, to tour the campus of one of the oldest (and in my opinion, most beautiful,) college campuses in the United States. The trip fulfills the mission of PS 33 as a “College Prep” school. We will be traveling via the New Jersey Transit train from Penn Station directly to the college campus. Princeton is a pedestrian campus, and very safe. I will lead an age appropriate tour of the campus, including a dormitory, academic buildings, student activities buildings, etc.
When: Monday, May 10;
(Rain date in case of severe weather: Tuesday, May 11 – I will make the call about whether the trip will be on Monday or Tuesday by Sunday evening. I will post an update on the homepage of our class website in case of a date change: www.alyciazimmerman.com. If you are in doubt about the weather, please check the class website after 6:00 pm on Sunday, May 9, for the ruling.)
Timing: This is important – we are going to leave school early and return late! If this is a problem, please write me a note immediately or call me at school. (212-244-2426) We need to do this to accommodate the train schedules and to allow enough time on campus to make the trip worth our while. With this schedule, we will have approximately four hours on campus.
Departure: We will leave school promptly at 8:15. Please send your child to school at 8:00 am, to the cafeteria. Your child will have ten minutes to eat breakfast in the cafeteria, if necessary, and then we will be lining up to leave school. Students who do not arrive on time (or who do not attend the trip for other reasons,) will spend the day with another class at Chelsea Prep, and will be dismissed by that teacher at the regular dismissal time. We need to leave by 8:15 to walk to Penn Station to catch a 9:00 New Jersey Transit Train to Princeton.
Return: We will return to school at approximately 4:00. (The train arrives at Penn Station at 3:40, according to the schedule, and we will immediately walk back to Chelsea Prep.) Students who attend Virtual Y will be sent to their program as per usual. For students who attend Hudson Guild, I will either arrange for Hudson Guild to pick up the students, or I will personally walk the students to the Hudson Guild if a pick up isn’t possible. For all other students who are dismissed regularly, please pick your child up from the main lobby of the school at 4:00.
Other details:
1) Please send your child with a hearty lunch and possibly a snack for the trip. It is a long day, and we will be doing a lot of walking. I suspect the children will work up large appetites over the course of the day. If you do not want to send your child with lunch, please check the box for school lunch on the permission slip.
2) Please have your child dress appropriately for the weather. We will be outdoors for most of the day. Have your child dress in layers, since it is usually heavily air conditioned on the train. Make sure that your child wears comfortable sneakers for walking. You may also want your child to put on sunscreen prior to the trip.
3) The train ride is long – almost an hour and a half in either direction! While there is much to see looking out the window, I will be discussing with the students about appropriate train activities. I will instruct all children to bring a book and magazine. Students may also bring small, portable toys or handheld games to use on the train. Please discuss with your child that there may not be a restroom on the train, so he/she will need to use the restroom prior to leaving school, and then will have to wait until we arrive at Princeton. You may want to suggest that he/she refrain from drinking excess liquids at breakfast. Your child will bring his/her backpack to carry his/her lunch and other belongings during the trip. Please see to it that your child does not have extra weight in his backpack from more than one book, papers, etc.
4) The trip is free for all students. (I received a grant to pay for the students’ train tickets and to subsidize the cost of the adult train tickets.) Adult chaperones will need to pay a reduced rate of $12 for their train tickets. (The actual group rate cost for an adult train ticket is $24, but I was able to get this subsidized half-way through the grant.) Parents are welcome to attend the trip as chaperones, however I am going to cap the number of parent chaperones at 6 to ensure that the trip remains child-centered. If I receive more than six parent chaperone requests, I will hold a lottery. I will send confirmation to all chaperones via a letter home with your child. Please do not send in payment for your adult train ticket until you receive a confirmation letter from me. Thanks for your understanding.
When: Monday, May 10;
(Rain date in case of severe weather: Tuesday, May 11 – I will make the call about whether the trip will be on Monday or Tuesday by Sunday evening. I will post an update on the homepage of our class website in case of a date change: www.alyciazimmerman.com. If you are in doubt about the weather, please check the class website after 6:00 pm on Sunday, May 9, for the ruling.)
Timing: This is important – we are going to leave school early and return late! If this is a problem, please write me a note immediately or call me at school. (212-244-2426) We need to do this to accommodate the train schedules and to allow enough time on campus to make the trip worth our while. With this schedule, we will have approximately four hours on campus.
Departure: We will leave school promptly at 8:15. Please send your child to school at 8:00 am, to the cafeteria. Your child will have ten minutes to eat breakfast in the cafeteria, if necessary, and then we will be lining up to leave school. Students who do not arrive on time (or who do not attend the trip for other reasons,) will spend the day with another class at Chelsea Prep, and will be dismissed by that teacher at the regular dismissal time. We need to leave by 8:15 to walk to Penn Station to catch a 9:00 New Jersey Transit Train to Princeton.
Return: We will return to school at approximately 4:00. (The train arrives at Penn Station at 3:40, according to the schedule, and we will immediately walk back to Chelsea Prep.) Students who attend Virtual Y will be sent to their program as per usual. For students who attend Hudson Guild, I will either arrange for Hudson Guild to pick up the students, or I will personally walk the students to the Hudson Guild if a pick up isn’t possible. For all other students who are dismissed regularly, please pick your child up from the main lobby of the school at 4:00.
Other details:
1) Please send your child with a hearty lunch and possibly a snack for the trip. It is a long day, and we will be doing a lot of walking. I suspect the children will work up large appetites over the course of the day. If you do not want to send your child with lunch, please check the box for school lunch on the permission slip.
2) Please have your child dress appropriately for the weather. We will be outdoors for most of the day. Have your child dress in layers, since it is usually heavily air conditioned on the train. Make sure that your child wears comfortable sneakers for walking. You may also want your child to put on sunscreen prior to the trip.
3) The train ride is long – almost an hour and a half in either direction! While there is much to see looking out the window, I will be discussing with the students about appropriate train activities. I will instruct all children to bring a book and magazine. Students may also bring small, portable toys or handheld games to use on the train. Please discuss with your child that there may not be a restroom on the train, so he/she will need to use the restroom prior to leaving school, and then will have to wait until we arrive at Princeton. You may want to suggest that he/she refrain from drinking excess liquids at breakfast. Your child will bring his/her backpack to carry his/her lunch and other belongings during the trip. Please see to it that your child does not have extra weight in his backpack from more than one book, papers, etc.
4) The trip is free for all students. (I received a grant to pay for the students’ train tickets and to subsidize the cost of the adult train tickets.) Adult chaperones will need to pay a reduced rate of $12 for their train tickets. (The actual group rate cost for an adult train ticket is $24, but I was able to get this subsidized half-way through the grant.) Parents are welcome to attend the trip as chaperones, however I am going to cap the number of parent chaperones at 6 to ensure that the trip remains child-centered. If I receive more than six parent chaperone requests, I will hold a lottery. I will send confirmation to all chaperones via a letter home with your child. Please do not send in payment for your adult train ticket until you receive a confirmation letter from me. Thanks for your understanding.