Class Trip 2023
Founding Fathers East Coast Trip
The 8th grade Class of 2023 is invited to take a 7-day 6-night trip with the Palms Middle School History Department for the Founding Fathers East Coast Tour during the week of Spring Recess in the Spring 2023 semester.
Departure Date: Saturday, April 1, 2023
Return Date: Friday, April 7, 2023
The tour is run by the Explorica educational travel service, with Palms teachers as chaperones. There is at least one adult for each 9 students.
The trip is for students and teachers only, not for parents, not even as chaperones.
Students Will Visit...
Philadelphia:
- National Constitution Center
- Washington Square District
- Historic waterfront
- Old City Cultural District
- Independence Hall
- Liberty Bell Center
- Ben Franklin's grave
- Elfreth's Alley
- Friendship Meeting House
Washington DC:
- World War II Memorial
- Lincoln Memorial
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial
- Korean War Memorial
- National Mall
- TIdal Basin
- Washington Monument
- White House
- Lincoln's Cottage
- Ford's Theatre
- African American Civil War Memorial Museum
- Shear Madness
- U.S. Capitol
- Library of Congress
- Supreme Court
- National Archives
- Smithsonian Museums
- Embassy Row
- Georgetown
- Mount Vernon
- Evening ghost tour
- Arlington National Cemetery
- Iwo Jima Marine Corps War Memorial
- National 911 Pentagon Memorial
- U.S. Air Force Memorial
- International Spy Museum
- Baseball game
- National Zoo
Registration
Discounted early registration deadline: May 2022
Regular registration deadline: Fall 2022 or when we reach trip capacity
Ways to sign up
1. Go to the Palms Class Trip page and click sign up now
2. Fill out and mail the Flights Travel Registration Form
3. Register by phone: 1-888-310-7121
The Trip ID is Nicholson-8291.
Capacity
There is a practical limit to the number of students that can be taken on the trip and space fills up quickly. Once the initial cap is reached, a waiting list will be available. If enough students sign up for the waiting list, we can reopen registration and take additional students.
Number of students: 87
Once capacity is reached, contact Ms. Rivera to be added to the waiting list. The capacity may be increased.
Eligibility
Eligibility is based on the rules for Eighth Grade Eligibility as of the Fall semester 20-week report card. Students must not have any U's in Cooperation.
The Travel Protection Plan Plus travel insurance plan will cover students who are unable to take the trip because they do not meet these eligibility requirements. The standard Travel Protection Plan does not cover this possibility.
Cost
The cost for the 2022 trip is $2,652 per student.
A $60 discount is available ($2,592) if you sign up in May 2022. Click or tap I have a voucher code on the Payment page and enter code Travel2023.
The price covers:
- round-trip transportation
- 6 overnight stays in hotels
- lodging, 3 or 4 students to a room (or just 1 other student for $45 extra/night)
- tours and tourguides
- security
- meals and meal expenses
- tips
- trip diary on the Explorica website (also on the Palms website)
The price does not include:
- travel insurance (see below)
- souvenirs
- airline baggage fees
Students share rooms with 2 or 3 other students of the same sex. For $270 extra, a student can share with just one other student of the same sex.
Minimum cost, with early registration and no extras: $2,592.
Maximum cost, with later registration, room shared with one other student, and Travel Protection Plan Plus: $3,048.
Payment Plans
Four payment plans are offered with no extra fees:
- Pay in full.
- Pay $50 deposit and the rest in equal monthly checking account payments ending by March 5, 2023. For example, 8 payments of about $319 from July to February.
- Pay $50 deposit and the rest in equal monthly credit or debit card charges ending by February 3, 2023. For example, 8 payments of about $319 from June to January.
- Pay $99 deposit, $300 in 30 days, and the balance by January 4, 2023.
See below for optional choice of travel protection plan, at extra cost, due with your first payment above.
Scholarships
Scholarships, sponsored by Friends of Palms, were announced in the Fall.
Be sure to meet the scholarship application deadline.
Travel Insurance
Optional travel insurance, payable with your initial deposit, provides protection against trip cancellation.
Travel Protection Plan: $84
Covers injury, sickness, death of a family member, bad-weather flight cancelations, lost luggage, and a few other conditions.
Travel Protection Plan Plus: $126
Also covers cancelation for any reason, with a partial refund, 30 days or more before the trip.
See travel plan details at the Explorica website.
Download
See Also
See the Class Trip page for general information.
See the Class Trip Journals section for day-by-day descriptions and photos from previous Class Trips.
