Please find below the information that was discussed at Wednesday's (4/22/09) NASA Field Trip Parent Meeting.  Copies of this were handed out to all parents in attendance and sent home with all students attending the NASA Field Trip through student's science classes the following day (Thursday 4/23/09).  Please post any questions you have about this information below or contact Mr. Dunn directly at (817) 456-7775 (cell) or at nate.dunn@gcisd.net.  THANKS!

Dear Parents,

 

We apologize for the short notice and hasty scheduling of tonight’s meeting.  Primarily as your student’s science teachers, we wanted to meet with you to discuss a potentially detrimental situation that occurred with our NASA Field Trip when we lost about 8 chaperones over the last week.  This occurred a few days before final numbers and money are due to NASA and our hotel, the Hilton Houston NASA Clear Lake.  Originally we had planned the trip and figured up costs for the trip based on having 1 chaperone per students to supervise.  Generally this would have meant each chaperone would have their own student and two others in a room with two double beds for the evening for a total of three students to keep track of and be responsible for during head counts and throughout our tour and activities at the NASA Johnson Space Center.  Due to our present chaperone count of 37 and total of 163 students paid and clear academically and behaviorally to attend the NASA Field Trip as of today (4/22/09), those student/chaperone ratios were impossible to maintain unless we picked up 16 more chaperones in the next 24 hours.  Fortunately a very realistic and perhaps preferable alternative room and chaperoning assignment was worked out based on the flexibility of the room arrangements at the Hilton Houston NASA Clear Lake.  While the idea of having students in rooms without adults at any point was not a realistic consideration, the fact that many of the rooms we have reserved have the option of connecting doors, we devised a reworked chaperone and student room arrangement whereby some chaperones would be needed to supervise two rooms or in some cases three rooms of students with these adjoining room doors opened throughout to allow easy recognition of any potential problems and to closely monitor student behavior in the hotel rooms.  To this end we now have three options for room arrangements:

            Option/configuration #1         (Traditional): 

* One room with two double beds.

                        * 1 adult chaperone, 3 students, one of the students would be the offspring

of the adult chaperone.  The chaperone and their student share one double bed and the other two students share the second double bed.

Option/configuration #2         (2 Adjoining Double Rooms; 2 bathrooms):

* Two connecting rooms with two double beds in each room.

                        * 1 adult chaperone, 6 students, one of the students would be the offspring

of the adult chaperone.  The chaperone has their own double bed.  The chaperone’s student shares the second double bed with another student and the other four students share the third and fourth double beds.

Option/configuration #3         (3 Adjoining Rooms; 1 Double on either side of a King; 3

bathrooms):    

* Three connecting rooms with two double beds in two rooms with a king bed

sandwiched between the two double bed rooms.

                        * 1 adult chaperone, 8 students, one of the students would be the offspring

of the adult chaperone.  The chaperone gets their own room, bathroom, and king sized bed.  The chaperone’s student shares the one double bed with another student and the other six students share the second, third, & fourth double beds.

The Option #2 configuration is available in 13 pairs of rooms, Option #3 is available for 4 triplets of rooms, and the remaining of our rooms would be in the Traditional arrangement (Option #1).  All room assignments will be configured and assigned by the 6^th grade Science Team (Mr. Dunn, Mrs. Hall, & Mrs. Potysman), but we would like feedback from any chaperones that are not comfortable with eth Option #2 or option #3 arrangements so we can plan and assign chaperones accordingly.  If you are not comfortable with 6 or 8 students and multiple connecting room responsibilities, please contact your student’s science teacher and inform them about your reservations.

Additionally we wanted to give everyone dates of upcoming releases of new information about our NASA Field Trip:

·        Our Next NASA Field Trip Meeting will be on Monday, May 18, 2009 @ 7 p.m. in the Lecture Hall.

The first part of the meeting will be a general meeting where the finalized itinerary and details of the trip, including a packet of information, will be presented for ALL parents of students going on the NASA Field Trip.

Directly following the general meeting will be a mandatory NASA Field Trip meeting for ALL CHAPERONES.  If you are chaperoning the NASA Field Trip you MUST be in attendance at this meeting.  Of you can not make it, please contact your student’s science teacher as soon as possible.

·        Room assignments will be released on Friday, May 22, 2009 and will go home with all students through science classes.

 

We would all like to thank you for all of your support, patience, and understanding as we all work diligently to plan what we feel will be an amazing educational and enjoyable experience for your student’s.  As this is our binaural NASA Field Trip, of what will become an annual CTMS 6^th Grade Team tradition, we greatly appreciate your thoughtfulness and assistance in our trip so far!

If you have any questions, as always, please contact Mr. Dunn directly at (817) 456-7775 (his cell) or via email: nate.dunn@gcisd.net, Mrs. Hall at jennifer.hall@gcisd.net or (817) 251-5320, or Mrs. Potysman at mary.potysman@gcisd.net or (817) 251-5320.

Thanks again for your continued support for the science program at CTMS!  Have an awesome day!

 

Sincerely,

Your 6^th Grade CTMS Science Educators:

Mr. Dunn, 6th Grade Pre-AP Science

Mrs. Hall, 6th Grade Regular Science

Mrs. Potysman, 6th Grade Accelerated Science

 

Go to Mr. Dunn’s website to sign up and subscribe your email address and/or text message enabled cell phone number for the NASA Field Trip NewsFlash to receive regular updates and information about deadlines, changes, and upcoming meetings for the upcoming CTMS NASA Field Trip:

http://TeacherWeb.com/TX/CrossTimbersMiddleSchool/MrDunn/

The webpage above can also be accessed through the Cross Timbers Middle School website.  When you get to Mr. Dunn’s website above, scroll down to the NASA Field Trip NewsFlash icon (an astronaut of course!) and click on the icon.  You will be redirected to the NASA Field Trip NewsFlash webpage with directions which detail how to subscribe to the NASA Field Trip NewsFlash feed for your email or text message enabled cell phone so you’ll always have the latest breaking NASA Field Trip news & updates!

 

This information all went home with all science students in Mr. Dunn's classes on Monday 3/9 and in Mrs. Hall's & Mrs. Potysman's classes on Tuesday, 3/10.

 

NASA Field Trip Updates from

Parent Meeting On Feb. 2/23/09

Greetings Parents!

 

For those of you unable to make our NASA Field Trip Meeting on Monday, February 23, 2009 held in the CTMS Lecture Hall, we have compiled the following breakdown of information passed on to those in attendance at the meeting that night concerning details and updates concerning our fast approaching trip to the NASA Houston Space Center on May 27^th & 28^th.  Information specifically tailored to Chaperones for our trip is still being finalized and worked on and will hopefully be sent home later this week (3/9-3/13/09). Please feel free to contact your child’s science teacher (Mr. Dunn, Mrs. Hall, or Mrs. Potysman) if you have additional questions. 

 

* For the benefit of additional questions and to quickly disseminate information, updates, and reminders specifically about the trip a NASA Field Trip Newsflash page has been created on Mr. Dunn’s website:

 

       http://teacherweb.com/TX/CrossTimbersMiddleSchool/MrDunn/NewsFlash3.stm

 

 

Parents are encouraged to register their email addresses and/or text message enabled cell phone numbers on the NASA Field Trip NewsFlash page in order to receive these updates.

 

* All parent chaperones are required to ride the charter buses to the NASA Houston Space Center in order to monitor bus behavior of their students, better facilitate bus stops for food/restrooms and head counts, and loading and unloading of buses at each stop (hotel, restaurants, NASA).

 

* Forms for chaperones, including information specific to their expected duties on the trip, the Volunteer release for GCISD, and other chaperone specific information should go home with students later this week (3/9-3/13/09).

 

*  Parent chaperones need to pay the same amount for the trip as students $250 and can follow the same payment schedule as the students ($100 by 2/27, $100 by 3/27, and $50 by 4/17) or pay in full anytime before 4/17.

 

* Itinerary outline (Final times and schedule will be sent home later in April):      

Buses will depart CTMS early morning on 5/27 for the Houston area, stopping about halfway for food and a restroom break with arrival at our hotel set for between 2-3 p.m.

            Buses will unload students and chaperones will check in to hotel rooms on 5/27.

Students will be reloaded onto buses at 4 p.m. to go to the NASA Houston Space Center Overnight Program starting at 4:30 p.m. 5/27.

Students will watch a special video presentation in the NASA Theatre and then be fed a chicken dinner by NASA staff in their cafeteria on 5/27- this meal is included in the price of the trip.

Students will then participate in 3 hour long experiment/hands on learning sessions back to back with NASA staff.

Students will load buses and return to the hotel for the night around 9 p.m. on 5/27.

Buses will be loaded up and check out of the hotel on the morning of 5/28 to return to the NASA Space Center for general tours of the facility, grounds, exhibits and gift shops.

Chaperones will be responsible for watching and keeping track of their group of students during this general tour and lunch is at the Space Center in the cafeteria and on your own.

Buses will be loaded up around 2-3 p.m. on 5/28 to drive back to CTMS.

Buses will stop again halfway on the way back for dinner/restrooms and return to CTMS late evening on 5/28.

(One of the parents has a contact at the Houston Space Center and Mr. Dunn is currently in talks with this individual about possibly setting up a special behind the scenes tour for CTMS only on 5/28 during out general tour of the facilities.  Details will be available as soon as they become available).

 

* Members of the Future Problem Solving group may be in conflict with the NASA Field Trip due to their own International Competition set for the same time frame.  If the CTMS group is selected as finalists, Mrs. Wied will let those students going to represent the Future Problem Solvers know as soon as possible and if they have paid for the NASA Field Trip as long as notice can be provided before 4/27, the cost of the NASA Field Trip can be refunded to those students and parents in full in order to attend the future Problem Solvers Competition instead.  Mr. Dunn will be in contact with Mrs. Wied to work through this potential conflict.

 

* Parent chaperones will need to fill out Volunteer Forms for GCISD which requires a criminal background check and submit it prior to 3/27 in order to serve as a chaperone.  If parents already have filled one out and have it on file with GCISD for this year, they do not need to fill out another one.  Parents who have filled one out in previous years, should fill out this year’s form and submit it prior to 3/27.

 

*  As much as possible, chaperone and students of chaperone requests for students in their hotel rooms and a part of their group will try to be honored.  These forms will be sent home to be completed by students and chaperones in April.

 

* Each hotel room will have four residents, one chaperone and three students, ideally father chaperones will be roomed with their sons and two other boys, while mother chaperones will be roomed with their daughters and two other girls.  If numbers of dads do not match up with boys, it is possible some mothers will be asked to room with their sons and two other boys.  In this instance preference will be given to these groups about selecting students in their group due to the obvious compromises in privacy this will create for the mothers for an evening.  All rooms are booked and billed for four occupants and have two double beds.

 

* Final hotel accommodations will not be set until our deposit is submitted to NASA during the week on 3/9-3/13/09.  They determine the hotel arrangements and make those reservations for CTMS.  According to their preliminary estimates, the best hotel to accommodate such a large group as ours will most likely be the Hilton down near the Space Center.

 

* Families who have individual financial concerns about the NASA Field Trip should contact their student’s science teacher directly.

 

*  All checks should be made out to:                 CTMS

 

* The timing of the NASA Field Trip is not ideal for many teachers or students given the time frame of other events at CTMS in and around the same week:

            Monday, May 25-        Memorial Day Holiday- No School

            Wednesday, May 27-  1^st Day NASA Field Trip

            Thursday, May 28-     2^nd Day NASA Field Trip (return to CTMS)

            Friday, May 29-          Wolf Fest at CTMS (day long Celebration of the Child)

            Tuesday, June 2-        1^st day of 2^nd Semester Exams (1 exam, regular schedule

the rest of the day)

Wednesday, June 3-    2^nd day of 2^nd Semester Exams (3 exams, early dismissal at 11:55 a.m.)

Thursday, June 4-       3^rd day of 2^nd Semester Exams (3 exams, early dismissal at 11:55 a.m.)- Last Day of School!

            In the future the NASA Field Trip will be schedule at the beginning of the year, payments will be spread out even more throughout the entire school year, and better dates will be selected at the beginning of the year.  Given the late nature of the planning of the trip (January), the only dates left available were the 27 & 28^th of May.  Parents concerned about Exam Reviews and Review Packets that accompany these should know all 6^th grade teachers were consulted about the timing of the trip and the overwhelming majority felt the experience far outweighed the inconvenience.  All 6^th grade teachers will adjust and move up their exam reviews and review packets  accordingly for the benefit of those going on the trip and those students who choose to stay behind will review for exams as normal. 

 

* Meals- The cost of the trip for all students and chaperones, $250, will include the cost of two meals (chicken dinner at NASA on 5/27 and breakfast at the hotel the morning of 5/28).  All students and chaperones should plan on paying for four additional meals out of pocket- breakfast and lunch on 5/27 on the way down to Houston and lunch at NASA and dinner on the way home on 5/28.

 

* A finalized more detailed itinerary, listing of rules and expectations for students and chaperones, room assignments, allowable trip items, lists of recommended packing and luggage parameters, and even more details about the trip will be made available as they are known and closer to the departure date.

 

* Another general NASA Field Trip Parent Meeting will be scheduled most likely at the end of May/beginning of April to go over new information and details.

 

* A chaperone only meeting for NASA Field Trip Parent Chaperones will be held in May closer to the actual day of the trip and be required attendance for all parent chaperones to review expectations, trip procedures and the finalized itinerary.  Parent chaperones unable to make the meeting will need to make arrangements to get the information at an alternative meeting date.

 

These were the most pressing issues covered at our first NASA Field Trip Parent Meeting on Mon. 2/23/09.  We’re sure that many other questions will arise as the dates of the Field Trip draw near, and we encourage you to contact us as those concerns and questions arise.  We hope to be able to address and answer all of them in a timely manner!  In hopes of answering these often overlapping concerns and questions in a more efficient and timely manner, please consult our new NASA Field Trip Blog on Mr. Dunn’s website:

 

http://teacherweb.com/TX/CrossTimbersMiddleSchool/MrDunn/

 

This blog is an excellent place to post questions and have those questions answered by the 6^th grade science teachers in a forum in which everyone can benefit from your inquiries and our answers to those inquires.  If questions are of a personal and sensitive nature, we certainly encourage you to voice them in private with your student’s 6^th grade science teacher, but we felt many issues could be talked through in a more efficient manner through the NASA Blog.  We hope this reference will prove useful. 

 

Please if you have not done so already, go to Mr. Dunn’s website and register your email addresses and/or text message enabled cell phone numbers to the NASA Field Trip NewsFlash so you can get alerts about deadline reminders, new details, and information about the Field Trip in a timely and efficient manner:

 

        http://teacherweb.com/TX/CrossTimbersMiddleSchool/MrDunn/NewsFlash3.stm

 

We hope this information about our 1^st NASA Field Trip Parent Meeting on Mon. 2/23/09 provides some clarity and addresses some of your questions and give you all a better idea about out Field Trip!  New information will be coming home soon!  Thanks for your support and participation in our inaugural and soon to be new annual Field Trip for CTMS 6^th graders, the NASA Houston Space Center!  Have an exceptional day! 

 

Sincerely,

Your CTMS Science Educators:

Mr. Dunn, 6th Grade Pre-AP              (817) 456-7775 (cell)              nate.dunn@gcsid.net

Mrs. Hall, 6th Grade Regular             (817) 251-5320 ext. 3230        jennifer.hall@gcisd.net           

Mrs. Potysman, 6th Grade Accelerated           (817) 251-5320 ext. 3242       mary.potysman@gcisd.net

Hi all!

This is Mr. Dunn and I'm trying to keep up with all of the emails of questions being generated by our upcoming from all of you!

I'm very encouraged and pleased by all the interest and support reflected in your messages, but also finding it difficult to completely and fully answer each inquiry as soon as possible.

I also find some messages are similar and contain information that would benefit all of you to hear the answers.

Through the format of the blog, I believe this will be the best forum to ask those questions and for me, and possibly some of you out there who may know some answers to, address these inquiries.

I will begin posting answers and details to some of your questions from the emails I've received so far, anonymously of course, for the benefit of all to get this information and follow up with other questions and comments that result from my answers.

Always feel free to contact me on my cell directly at (817) 456-7775 anytime if you need more immediate response from me, particularly if your questions are of a more personal and individual nature.

I hope this NASA Blog will provide another means for expanding communication between all of us and better inform you all about important details and more timely responses to your future inquiries!

Happy blogging!