composition of shp
groups
SHP trips usually have 8 to 12 trippers and 2 or 3
leaders (7th grade trips always have 3 leaders). Every effort is made on co-ed
trips to achieve a reasonable male-female ratio.
choosing an appropriate trip for your
age/grade
Choose your trip according to the grade you will be finishing immediately before the trip, not the grade you'll be entering in the fall.
Most parents and educators recognize the large
differences between each grade group, and it is our view that when teenagers are
placed into a close peer situation for a relatively long period of time, it is
important that they be grouped so that none are unnecessarily put at a built-in
disadvantage. Therefore, each SHP group has a close range of ages and
grades.
An 8th grade boy, for example, traveling with 10th and 11th graders will usually be at a great disadvantage in maturity and personality resources vis-a-vis the older kids. Such a situation would not be best for the older kids, either.
discussing special situations with the
director
Our grade groupings are not, however,
inflexible. If you feel, for example, that your 9th grade daughter is very mature and you (and she) are quite certain that she can deal successfully with students currently in the 10th grade, we will consider her for a 10th grade trip.
Another example would be if you have an 8th grade son
who is older than the other students in his grade (he was held back or got off
schedule while living abroad, etc.), he could be considered for a 9th grade
trip.
However, please be sure to consider the matter
carefully before making a final decision. Feel free to call and speak with one
of the directors to discuss which age/grade group would be most
appropriate.
junior and senior groups
In order to offer trippers of varying ages and grades
a structure and trip environment consistent with their level of maturity, our
program is divided into junior and senior groups.
| JUNIOR GROUPS: 7th, 8th and 9th grade
trips. |
| SENIOR GROUPS: 10th, 11th and l2th grade
trips. |
In large towns and cities, senior groups are able to
split into smaller groups of two or more people to explore an area, visit a
museum, or shop, for periods of 2 hours or so before regrouping (based on the
leader's judgment of the level of maturity and responsibility in the group). For
safety and logistical reasons, these activities are done on foot - bikes and
public transportation are not used.
Senior groups can have biking checkstops further
apart than junior groups again based on the leader's judgment of the
capabilities of the group as a whole. In general, senior groups will have more
responsibility in the areas of scheduling, daily activities, and
cooking.
"This is the time of year one begins to think of
summer plans, but my thoughts keep returning to July of last summer, when
my daughter, Semmes, went on your France trip (FRA-3). I want to thank
you (I should have done this long ago) for providing such a fun and
meaningful experience for my daughter. I don't believe there have been
more than two days in a row that she hasn't mentioned something about her
trip, and the friends she made have meant so much to her. We thought her
trip was very well organized and just about every contingency considered
- that she was in very good hands. On the other hand, Semmes said she
never felt so free. That's a wonderful contradiction and just as it should
be. We've highly recommended your trip to others, and we wish you
continuing success each summer."
- Mrs. Mary Semmes
Wright
