Letter to Parents….
Dear Parent,
Thank you for visiting the Parents section of our website. Whether you are the parents of a student already registered for a trip, or are simply trying to learn more about Xstreme Xcursions, we want you to appreciate the importance that educational travel plays in the lives of young people.
Xstreme Xcursions is the most trusted name in student travel. We specialize in providing exceptional travel experiences to that enhances their social, cultural and educational growth.
We encourage you to visit other areas of our website for information on great destinations, special programs and events.
If you need further help or additional information please contact a Customer Service Representative at 1-313-752-3215 or info@xstremetours.com.
Thank you on behalf of the Xstreme Xcursions Team for being one of the thousands of parents who support educational travel for young people.
Parents FAQ….
Q: Why should our student group use Xstreme Xcursions?
A: Xstreme Xcursions recognize the importance of educational travel in the lives of young people. Each itinerary is customized to specifically meet educational objectives, and remain within the groups’ budget.
The programs and services we have developed are designed to handle all of the trip details before, during, and after the tour. We do all of the work, so students and adults can enjoy the travel experience and focus on the educational benefits.
Most importantly, the safety of the entire group is our number one priority. Each tour is carefully planned to maximize the educational value while making it safe and fun for everyone.
Q: What are Xstreme Xcursions safety procedures?
A: Your child’s safety is our number one priority.
- Xstreme Xcursions makes private nighttime security available to every student group so teachers and parents can sleep comfortably.
- A toll free 24-hour emergency hotline is provided for each student.
- To help ensure the well being of the students and adults, Xstreme Xcursions uses quality motorcoaches and hotels evaluated on a checklist of safety features and amenities.
- Xstreme Xcursions carry both general and professional liability insurance well above industry standards.
Q: How can I register my child for their trip?
A: Registration can be done online or at informational meetings.
Q: What type of motor coach will be used for the trip?
A: When selecting a motor coach carrier, Xstreme Xcursions uses the following guidelines to ensure that each trip is a safe and pleasant experience:
- Newer-model, wide-bodied, video and/or DVD player equipped coaches.
- Restroom and air-conditioning equipped coaches.
- Motor carriers that provide a thorough training program for their drivers.
- Motor carriers who are in full compliance with all state and federal regulations regarding motor carriers including a current satisfactory Department of Transportation rating and required insurance coverage.
- We provide written expectations to the motorcoach company and the individual driver in order to help assure that each trip meets Xstreme Xcursions standards and customer expectations.
Q: What type of hotel does Xstreme Xcursions use to house their student groups?
A: The hotel is a key component in making a positive experience for each trip participant. When selecting a hotel, Xstreme Xcursions only uses high-quality hotels. The hotel we select for your trip has been evaluated based on a checklist of safety features and amenities to help ensure the well being of the students and adults. Commonly used hotels at some of our major destinations are Springhill Suites, Hampton Inn & Suites, Drury Hotels, and Holiday Inn.
Q: What types of meals will the group have on the trip?
A: Xstreme Xcursions only uses national and locally recognized restaurants on out tours. We strive to provide a healthy variety of meal options for all of our trips.
Normally full American breakfasts are scheduled at the hotel or at a local restaurant. Since groups will be touring at lunch time, we frequently select food courts, fast food, or cafeteria locations that offer a variety of food types and can handle larger groups and motorcoaches.
Dinners vary depending upon the itinerary. The majority of our dinners are sit-down restaurants, buffet style restaurants, food courts, or cafeteria-type restaurants.
Upon request, we will also schedule special meals for any of participants with dietary restrictions.
Q: Can Xstreme Xcursions assist us in fundraising to pay for the trip?
A: Please see the Power to Pledge Form. The school parent organization or booster group may also be involved in fundraising for the trip.
Parent Resources….
Parent Resources
Welcome to the Xstreme Xcursions Parent Resource Center. Our passion is education. We encourage parents to stay involved in the education of their children.
We've compiled a list of terrific websites for you. We would also love to add new sites to our list which you have discovered. Please let us know so we can share them with other parents.
Child & Family Web Guide: Tufts University
The WebGuide is a directory that evaluates, describes and provides links to hundreds of sites containing child development research and practical advice. Topics are selected on the basis of parent recommendations; they cover all ages, from early child development through adolescence.
Education.com
Education.com provides parents of school-aged children with free access to information and resources to give them the answers they need — plus activities and articles that make learning together more fun for everyone.
Education World: Parent Resources
Education World's goal is to make it easy for educators to integrate the Internet into the classroom. With 98 percent of the nation's public schools connected to the Internet, the need for a complete online educational guide is evident.
Family Education Network
Our mission is to be an online consumer network of the world's best learning and information resources, personalized to help parents, teachers, and students of all ages take control of their learning and make it part of their everyday lives.
Fema for Kids: Resources for Parents & Teachers
The Federal Emergency Management Agency initiated the FEMA for Kids Web site in October 1997 as a safe and fun place where children could learn what to do before, during and after a disaster to safeguard themselves, their families - even their pets.
Flu.gov
One-stop access to U.S. Government H1N1, avian and pandemic flu information.
www.flu.gov/travel/travelerinfo.html
Kid Info: Parents
"KID INFO saves valuable time by providing students, teachers, and parents QUALITY links to thematic websites relevant to the Pre K-12 curriculum in ONE website directory. Kid Info also provides a collection of QUALITY fun, interesting, and informative non-educational website links!"
National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education
At NCPIE, our mission is simple: to advocate the involvement of parents and families in their children's education, and to foster relationships between home, school, and community to enhance the education of all our nation's young people.
The National Middle School Association
National Middle School Association is dedicated to improving the educational experiences of young adolescents by providing vision, knowledge, and resources to all who serve them in order to develop healthy, productive, and ethical citizens.
Parenting.org
We specialize in training, consulting, and researching parenting practices that will help you and others like you deal with the day-to-day care taking, guidance, and development of your child.
The Parent Institute
The mission of The Parent Institute is to encourage parent involvement in the education of their children. The Parent Institute publishes a variety of materials including newsletters, booklets, audio CDs, brochures, videos and presentation kits.
www.parent-institute.com/educator
Parent Teacher Association: PTA
As the largest volunteer child advocacy association in the nation, Parent Teacher Association (PTA) reminds our country of its obligations to children and provides parents and families with a powerful voice to speak on behalf of every child while providing the best tools for parents to help their children be successful students.
Safe Kids Worldwide
A global network of organizations whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury, a leading killer of children 14 and under.
Scholastic: Home of Parent & Child Magazine
A global children's publishing, education and media company. Recognizing that literacy is the cornerstone of a child's intellectual, personal and cultural growth, Scholastic has a mission of helping children around the world to read and learn.
Teacher Pathfinder: Parenting Resources
Scores of great websites for parents on a variety of topics. Check us out!
USA.gov: Education Issues for Parents
Official information and services from the U.S. government. Whatever you want or need from the U.S. government, it's here on USA.gov. You'll find a rich treasure of online information, services, and resources.
Students FAQ…..
Q: What is a typical day like on the trip?
A: A typical touring day begins with breakfast. This is normally a buffet provided at the hotel where the group is staying. Everyone then boards the motor coach and begins touring according to the day’s itinerary. You will not return to the hotel until that evening so you must take important items such as your nametag and items for a change in the weather (e.g. coat, umbrella, and poncho)
When the motor coach arrives at a venue/museum, the students remain on the coach while the chaperones’ get directions and/or admission tickets. Students then exit the bus and gather according with their chaperone.
It is very common to go through a security stop when entering the building. We advise only taking necessities like your cell phone, camera, and spending money with you to speed up admission into the facility.
Your chaperone will tell you how long you have to visit the exhibits and where the group will reassemble to exit the building and board the motor coach.
Lunch and dinner are scheduled according to the itinerary. You will be told ahead of time whether the meal is pre-paid, requires a meal card, or is a cash allowance. Prior to entering the restaurant or food court you will be given the necessary payment and a time schedule.
Many itineraries have an evening activity following dinner and the group returns to the hotel at approximately 10:00 p.m. or later.
Q: What should I pack for my trip?
A: Please bring clothes for each day of your trip. Pack any items that you need prior to hotel check-in a carry-on bag.
Be prepared for weather extremes, such as rain or wind with cooler than expected temperatures. Check www.accuWeather.com to set up a weather advisory sent directly to your e-mail, and to find out average temperature highs and lows at your destination.
Plan to dress comfortably during the days. It makes sense to bring informal outfits—jeans, shorts, slacks and comfortable walking shoes. All clothing must be neat, clean and modest – The School Dress Code is in effect.
If your group is going to the theater or planning a fine dining experience, include one dressy outfit.
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PERSONAL ITEMS •Soap •Deodorant •Shampoo •Comb/Brush •Toothbrush/Toothpaste Medication (if needed)
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OTHER CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES •Trip Tee Shirt (if applicable) •Rain Gear •Sweater and/or Jacket •Dress Clothes (hangers) •Pajamas •Swim Suit •Laundry bag (plastic liner)
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MUSIC GROUPS •Instrument •Extra Equipment (reeds, oil) •Music Stands (portable) •Folder & Music •Costume Accessories (ties, shoes, stole/robe, etc.)
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OTHER (optional) •Spending Money •Camera/memory Card •Cell Phone •Ipod •Pillow/Blanket •Notebook/Pencil •Watch •Book
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Once your luggage is stowed under the motor coach, you will not have access to items until hotel check-in. On the final day of the trip, you will not be able to access your luggage until you arrive at home. Pack your valuables (camera, money, medicine, a change of clothes, etc.) in your carry-on bag.
VALUABLES ON THE TRIP:
Trip participants assume full responsibility for any valuables brought along on the trip. Unless there is a room safe, DO NOT leave valuables in your hotel room while touring. Even though the motor coach will generally be locked when the group or the driver is not on board, it is recommended you leave any valuables not needed on the trip at home.
SPENDING MONEY:
Don’t forget spending money to purchase souvenirs, snacks, miscellaneous items, and meals not covered on your itinerary.
IDENTIFICATION – CANADIAN & INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL ONLY:
A Passport is necessary for international and Canadian travel.
US Passport Agency
US Postal Office
Q: How much spending money should I take along?
A: Review your trip itinerary to see if there are any “meals on your own.” If so, you must take along some money for these occasions. It is also recommended that you take some money for souvenirs. Although there is no specific amount, $75-$100 should be sufficient for most multi-day trips.
Q: Can Xstreme Xcursions assist me fundraising to pay for my trip?
A: Please see the Power to Pledge Form. The school parent organization or booster group may also be involved in fundraising for the trip.
Student Resources
You have stumbled upon our "Student Resource Center", a collection of websites which contain thousands of links for students of all ages. We hope you find some of them useful.
We need your help too! Please send us an email and tell us about some of the great websites that you can't live without. We'll add them to our list and share them with thousands of students across the country.
Awesome Library
A student-friendly search engine maintained by librarians. This award-winning search engine has more than 35,000 resources available, the top five percent in education.
CIA World Fact Book
From the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). You'll find brief facts about all of the countries of the world.
www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook
Download.com
The ultimate file repository that links to literally tens of thousands of downloadable free or shareware programs. This includes utilities for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux, Internet tools, desktop dictionaries and language translators, Pocket PC and Palm applications, and of course, computer games.
Education Oasis: Super Sites for Students
Education Oasis is an independent site. It was created in the summer of 2003 by K. J. Wagner, M.A., a teacher. Our contributors are a diverse group of teachers, parents, and grandparents who believe education is power.
www.educationoasis.com/resources/student_sites.htm
Encarta
The free MSN Encarta site features more than 4,500 articles pooled from Microsoft Encarta, the award-winning electronic reference library, and comes with dictionaries, maps, fast facts, interactive quizzes, handy homework tools, and more.
Fact Monster
This site features an almanac, atlas, dictionary and encyclopedia made especially for kids, as well as handy search engine and layout designed for easy fact-finding. Check out fun features such as Biographies of the Presidents, the Geography Hall of Fame, and the Tallest Buildings Slideshow.
FreeTranslation.com
Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Perfect for language studies, this handy Web site automatically converts text from one language into another, such as English to Simplified Chinese or French to English. You can even cut and paste a Web URL to convert the entire site.
A Guided Tour of the Visible Human
The Visible Human Project has generated over 18000 digitized sections of the human body. This introduction and tour uses images and animals from the project to teach key concepts in human anatomy.
How Stuff Works
Ever wanted to know why earthquakes happen? How CD burners work? What the sun is made of? These questions, and a large amount of others related to computers/electronics, automobiles, science, entertainment, and people, are all answered at this award-winning Web site.
How to do Research
There's a step-by-step run through of the process of writing a research report. This is a great tool for parents, students and teachers of grades K-8.
www.kyvl.org/html/kids/homebase.html
The Internet Public Library
A public service organization and a learning/teaching environment founded at the University of Michigan School of Information and hosted by Drexel University's College of Information Science & Technology.
Kids Click
Think of Kids Click as the children's and teen's sections of your public library. Librarians have put together research sources that are kid-friendly. The search results include the reading level so your child can select ones he/she can more easily read.
Kids Info
"KID INFO saves valuable time by providing students, teachers, and parents QUALITY links to thematic websites relevant to the Pre K-12 curriculum in ONE website directory. Kid Info also provides a collection of QUALITY fun, interesting, and informative non-educational website links!"
www.kidinfo.com/SchoolSubjects
The Library of Congress Experience
We offer you an amazing opportunity to immerse yourself in the largest collection of knowledge the world over, more than 138 million artifacts! Interactive technology brings history to life with touch, allowing you to travel back in time by virtually “handling” the rarest of treasures.
www.loc.gov/experience/teachers
Math.com
This site provides help in a number of mathematics-related subjects, including basic grade-school math, calculus, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and statistics. Practice exercises are automatically graded, plus this free site also features a glossary, calculators, homework tips, math games, and lesson plans for teachers.
MLA Citation Generator
OK, let's admit it. The bibliography is the ugly underbelly of research writing. It's grunt work. But there's a simple online tool for making this task easier. Just go to Palomar Community College's MLA Citation Generator.
National Archive Vaults
The Foundation for the National Archives works in partnership with the National Archives to “open the stacks” of the Archives and enable millions of visitors to interact personally with the original records of our democracy through the National Archives Experience.
Noodle Quest
Sometimes, one of the hardest parts of a research paper is helping your student find a topic, narrow it down and find appropriate resources. NoodleQuest from NoodleTools was designed to help.
www.noodletools.com/noodlequest
Novelguide.com
The Web's answer to those black- and yellow-striped Cliff Notes is Novelguide.com, a reliable and free source for literary analysis of classic and contemporary books such as Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn and Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Notes from the Underground. The site offers character profiles, metaphor and theme analysis, and author biographies.
One Look
You plug in the word. OneLook displays quick definitions, as well as the results of dozens of online dictionaries. A nice feature is the reverse dictionary. You type a short definition, such as "barrel maker". The reverse dictionary search returns possible words to fit the definition, ranked in order of the closest match.
Redzee
Family-safe search with a twist. RedZee is based on the premise that a picture is worth a thousand words -- or at least an image of a website. That red and white zebra will show you a fanned array of websites when you hit the search button.
RefDesk
Since 1995, Refdesk.com, which stands for "reference desk," has served as a one-click springboard to many of the Web's top dictionaries, encyclopedias, calculators, atlases, news headlines, and search engines. The site also includes a handy "homework helper" section that provides help in all subjects to students in every grade.
Science Made Simple
Kids of all ages can get detailed answers to many of science's questions, read current news articles related to science, get ideas on school projects, and take advantage of unit conversion tables. Users can also find out if their school's textbooks pass the test.
Shakespeare-online
On the aptly named Shakespeare Online site, visitors can read every play or poem from the world's most celebrated writer and, more importantly, make some sense of his works with free analysis, Old English language translations, and famous quotes.
Think Quest
Students work in teams to build innovative and educational websites to share. ThinkQuest is a protected, online learning platform that enables teachers to integrate learning projects into their classroom curriculum and students to develop 21st century skills.
Word Central
We make frequent use of the thesaurus, dictionary and rhyming dictionary. This Merriam-Webster site is designed specifically for the K-12 crowd. The dictionary has a speaker icon that lets you hear the word pronounced correctly.