OH SNAP!
"It's the Seguin High School Photography Club!"|
Students & Parents,
The Seguin High School Photography Club is yet again sponsoring a spring break trip to the Big Bend area of west Texas. As I have often said, "It's difficult to take a poor picture of the Big Bend." I find this is especially true at dawn and the hours approaching and just following sunset. As always, I am sure this year will be spectacular. Where these trips are concerned, I have always tried to stay true to my original vision. In my first year of teaching at Seguin, I was alarmed by the stories students told about what they did over spring break. I tried to remember what I did during the summers and the spring breaks of my youth. When I was young, many dedicated adults sponsored scouting trips, school, church and community events from which I benefited... greatly. It humbles me to say that I know I can never pay back the debt I owe to these individuals who gave of their time and resources to help me be a better person. However, considering my great debt to those who helped me, I can "pay forward" into the next generation. Much in the same way they did for me. As a result, I formed the Seguin High School Photography Club... mostly because I honestly felt my students deserved the very best I could give them. I felt they should have more options. Options to participate in something really positive and meaningful during their spring break which didn't hinge on their TAKS scores, their grades or their ability to pay. Everyone should be allowed to participate... regardless of who they were... what their grades were... or what their economic status might be. I salute the administration of SISD, Seguin High School and the Seguin community at large who have been very supportive, thus far allowing me to include ANY student who wants to participate.
The 2009 Spring Break Adventure... our fourth, as always, will be aligning with the S.I.S.D. spring break. We will leave the south parking lot of SHS early in the AM on March 7th, 2009 and will be returning the following Thursday late in the PM. As always, I know it will prove to be a fun filled, jam-packed week for those who choose to attend. I must pause here and express a measure of concern. In the past we have been able to find a place for almost any student who attended meetings and really wanted to go on the trip. This year we have a rather large group of very active kids. This poses many challenges. In the past, small groups were easier to maintain and account for... making the budgeting and logistics rather easy. This year with such a large group, I am fearful of having to deny students on the basis of budget. There is a rather large budgetary difference between taking ten students and taking fourteen. Due to insurance requirements SISD does not allow students to ride in private vehicles owned by chaparones and/or sponsors. Unfortunately, large capacity passenger vans are not allowed by the State of Texas. So for our purposes, it's school buses or rented vehicles only! We can easily accommodate ten students and the required sponsors with two seven passenger mini-vans. But exceeding ten students puts us in the cumbersome position of renting another vehicle. Which considering the rental and fuel, easily drives our cost upwards about another 1000 dollars. This year, it breaks my heart to think I might have to deny students from coming on our trip only because of being unable to raise the required funds. Certainly in a community such as this there are solutions. I would like to offer thanks to First Commercial Bank and Walmart for being gracious sponsors in our past.
Having said such. Due to the available seating on the van/s, the number of students will be limited. Seats will be earned by how willing students are to contribute to fund raising and other trip and club related activities. Those members who have paid their dues and contribute the most time and effort will earn their seats on the trip. We will begin accounting for these efforts as of the car wash of 10.04.2008. Because this club is entirely self funded, receiving neither SISD or state funds, the awarding of the seats will be determined on this basis and will not be subject to appeal. This year, we will be visiting Big Bend National Park where we will be camping for two nights at the group site in the Cottonwood Campground just outside Castalon. We will then be moving to rustic rental cabins at The Crow's Nest Ranch, northwest of Fort Davis for two more nights. We will finish our tour of the Trans-Pecos by spending our final night in the campgrounds at Seminole Canyon State Park. We have various activities planned at Big Bend National Park, the Fort Davis National Historical Site, the University of Texas McDonald Observatory and Seminole Canyon. Many of these activities are quite educational as well as being just plain 'ol good fun. At this point, we are planning on having Ritchy Kerfoot from the Science Department and Erik Burns from the Math Department with us as additional driver/sponsors. Both are Big Bend veterans and along with myself, should keep the student to sponsor ratio at about 5 to 1. Hopefully Ms. Kerfoot will also be bringing the Science Department's "monster" telescope for evening stargazing. Astronomy Rocks! (It never hurts to squeeze in a bit of learning along the way.)
As a parent myself, I want to assure you that your children will be safe and properly managed. With dozens of trips spread over the last twenty-five years, I have become quite familiar with the Big Bend area and have personally visited every location on our travel plans. I have previous experience guiding teenagers on trips to this very area and I am familiar with what to expect from the students as well as the environment. Before leaving, there will be a parents meeting to outline our plans, solicit parental support and handle the documents and/or permission forms, which are required by S.I.S.D. Attendance at this meeting is MANDATORY for the parents of every student coming on the trip. I want to encourage parents of all those interested to browse our website regularly to stay updated with the latest information about activities and events. As the weeks between now and spring break pass, I am sure there will be more and more information posted at this site about (but not limited to) the following topics:
I want to encourage an open dialog with every parent. I am nearly always available at the school: Wm. Travis McCulley It's going to be a great trip! |
