Class Trip 2025

Founding Fathers East Coast Trip

The 8th grade Class of 2025 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 2025 semester.

Departure Date: Saturday, April 12, 2025

Return Date: Friday, April 18, 2025

TourCenter ID: Palms-2025

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...

Boston

• Old North Church
• Paul Revere's House
• Old Granary Burial Ground
• Boston Common
• King's Chapel
• Old State House
• Faneuil  Hall (dinner)
• Fenway Park
• Museum of Fine Arts
• USS Constitution "Old Ironsides"
• Boston Duck Boat tour
• Harvard Museum of Natural History
• Harvard Square

New York

• Ellis Island
• Statue of Liberty
• Trinity Church
• Wall Street
• Chinatown
• Little Italy
• 9/11 Memorial
• Subway ride
• Apollo Theater
• Broadway show

Philadelphia

• Independence Hall
• Liberty Bell
• Ben Franklin's grave
• Elfreth's Alley
• Friendship Meeting House
• National Constitution Center

Washington DC

• Mount Vernon
• National Museum of African American History and Culture
• World War II Memorial
• Lincoln Memorial
• Vietnam Veterans Memorial
• Korean War Memorial
• National Mall
• Tidal Basin
• Washington Monument
• White House
• Arlington National Cemetery
• Iwo Jima Marine Corps War Memorial
• Ford's Theatre

Registration

Expected discounted early registration deadline: May 2024

Regular registration deadline: Fall 2024 or when we reach trip capacity

Ways to sign up

1. Go to the Sign-up page and enter Palms-2025.

2. Fill out and mail the Flights Travel Registration Form.

3. Register by phone: 1-888-310-7121

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.

This year's capacity: 40 students

Once capacity is reached, contact Ms. Arevelo to be added to the waiting list. The capacity may be increased. For example, a student who attended another school for 7th grade didn't get a chance to sign-up in the Spring.

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 2025 trip is $3,251 per student, if purchased by April 30, 2024.

A discount or about $60 may be available if you sign up in May 2024. Click or tap I have a voucher code on the Payment page and enter code Travel2025.

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: $3,251.

Maximum cost, with later registration, room shared with one other student, and Travel Protection Plan Plus: $3,422.

Prices subject to change before registration starts.

Payment Plans

Four payment plans are offered with no extra fees:

1. Pay in full.
2. Pay $50 deposit and 10 monthly payments of $320.10, for a total of $3,251.

See below for optional choice of travel protection plan, at extra cost, due with your first payment above.

Scholarships

A few scholarships are provided by Friends of Palms, to be announced in Fall 2024. Student applicants must provide a teacher recommendation and write an essay for the Lisa Clark Scholarship Contest by the deadline.

Scholarship application deadline:
Friday, October 18, 2024

Announcement of scholarship recipients:
Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Typically, two full scholarships are awarded, plus some small partial scholarships to defray trip costs. The awards will be announced before the Thanksgiving break.

Each student's essay should tell who they you, what inspires them, if they have traveled before, several reasons why they want to go to the cities on the trip, specific sites they want to see, what they hope to gain from the sights, why they need financial aid, and the behavior that trip leaders and fellow students would expect from you on the trip.

Essays are read, evaluated, and winners chosen by Palms Middle School staff and Friends of Palms.

Scholarship Winners

• Namkha Drolma (full scholarship)
• Christopher Gurdal (full scholarship)
• Harshada Doddi (partial scholarship)
• Aanya Khattar (partial scholarship)

Congratulations to our scholarship winners!

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 cancellation for any reason, with a partial refund, 30 days or more before the trip.

See travel plan details at the Explorica website.

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.