WEST ESSEX MIDDLE SCHOOL West Essex Regional School District 65 West Greenbrook Road, North Caldwell, NJ 07006

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1 WEST ESSEX MIDDLE SCHOOL West Essex Regional School District 65 West Greenbrook Road, North Caldwell, NJ November 2, 2016 Dear Eighth Grade Parents/Guardians & Students: It is once again the time of year when we start talking about a significant 8 th Grade rite of passage: the two-day educational excursion to Washington, D.C. Please see the attached informational packet from the tour company who is working with us on this trip All Aboard Tours. If your child has had an older sibling participate in this trip, a few things have changed for this year. We are in the second year of the digital registration and payment process - there are no forms to hand in to the school (see the next page of this packet for details). We have also made a few changes to our usual itinerary to include some new and exciting stops! All information regarding the trip s itinerary, rules, procedures and school field trip policies are accessible via the Middle School website. Some important points to ponder before registering your child for the trip: This trip involves a lot of walking over a period of 36 hours. Students should consider the physical demands of touring a large metropolitan city before signing up for the trip. Please carefully read the fine print on Page 5 of this packet so that you are aware of the Payment and General Terms and Conditions of the trip. Students must abide by the WEMS Code of Conduct throughout the trip. Ø Any student who has accrued 8 or more demerits within two weeks of the trip will not be allowed to participate. Ø Any student who is suspended from school or on social probation will not be allowed to participate. Ø Students who violate the Code of Conduct while on the trip will be sent home immediately at the expense of the parent. Parent Chaperones - Parents who wish to chaperone should Mr. Ferrara (lferrara@westex.org) in order to be placed on the list priority is given to students who have medical needs. Parent chaperones will be required to do the following tasks: Supervise 8-12 students throughout the trip - on the bus, at rest stops, at tour sites, and in the hotel. Hotel Responsibilities o Room check at Lights Out and at morning check out o Monitor hallways until Security arrives o Wake up call o Supervise dance party and breakfast Assist Faculty and Administration in ensuring that the WEMS Code of Conduct is observed at all times. Rooming Assignments - Once the final payment date has passed, we will meet with students to go over the process for room assignments. On the day of the trip, students must arrive at school no later than 5:00 am. Your child will load his/her own luggage onto the bus. Packing lists and item restrictions will be communicated closer to the date of departure. If you have any questions or concerns, please Mr. Ferrara at lferrara@westex.org. We thank the West Essex Board of Education and the Superintendent of Schools for making the eighth grade field trip to Washington, DC a reality. We look forward to a great time with the Class of 2021 this spring! Very truly yours, Mr. Vee Popat, Principal Mr. Louis Ferrara, Trip Coordinator Mr. Vee Popat, Principal (973) , x.300 vpopat@westex.org Mrs. Lisa Tamburri, Assistant Principal (973) , x.331 ltamburr@westex.org

2 WEST ESSEX MIDDLE SCHOOL Eighth Grade Washington, D.C. Trip MARCH 30 th MARCH 31 st, 2017 Dear Parent/Guardian or Student, 2017 WASHINGTON, D.C. TRIP EIGHTH GRADE TRIP OVERVIEW All Aboard Tours & Travel is proud to be planning an exciting tour to Washington, D.C. on March 30 th to March 31st for this year s eighth grade class. As experts in student travel for over 40 years, school districts nationwide have chosen All Aboard Tours & Travel for life-changing educational tours that emphasize safety and security, reliability, trust, and most of all memorable learning experiences that extend beyond the classroom walls. Trip Registration and all Payments are processed ONLINE directly with All Aboard Tours & Travel. You may register for your tour online at our MyTrip website. Online registration provides 24-hour access to your account profile and payment plan schedule. If you had an 8 th Grader participate in this trip last year, please use the same login information or click Forgot Password to obtain your login. The MyTrip Portal is 100% Merchant Verified secure with the highest level of payment processing security. Trip payments are payable via MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express and PayPal personal account. You will have the option of paying for the Tour in two installments or one-time payment in full. We highly recommend that you also include the optional FULL REFUND PROTECTION (FRP) program. The My Account section of MyTrip provides you with immediate registration confirmation s, payment confirmation s, and payment reminder s. Register and make Payments today at and follow these steps: Enter Tour Web Code GUUN6R (no quotes, use the number 0) and finish editing your account Profile Click on My Travelers on left side of the page and complete the Register a new traveler form Go to My Payments and click Schedule Payment to select Installment plan or One-time payment Click on the Schedule Payments page to select Make a Payment Now and review summary Choose your Payment Type and enter Credit Card or PayPal information to Submit Payment The Registration and Payment Deadline is December 9th, Your trip registration will be confirmed and secured once your online payment has been received. All registrant payments are due by the payment schedule due date noted on your Trip Facts Sheet. Registrations received after the deadline and initial payment due date are subject to current tour availability and the late registration account policy. All Aboard Tours & Travel and West Essex Middle School are fully committed to providing an outstanding educational trip that students will be talking about for years to come! Please review the trip information and terms and conditions enclosed in this Trip Packet carefully. Should you have questions or concerns about trip details, please contact Mr. Louis Ferrara via (lferrara@westex.org) and for questions about trip payments you may contact All Aboard Tours & Travel via at support@allaboardtours.com.

3 West Essex Middle School 8th Grade 2017 WASHINGTON, D.C. TRIP Trip Facts Sheet TRIP DATES: Thursday & Friday, March 30 th March 31 st, 2017 COST: $ per traveler / Quad Occupancy PAYMENT SCHEDULE: You may pay in full or in two installments per the following deadlines - Dec 9, Registration and 1 st payment ($175.00) due Jan 13, Final Payment due FULL REFUND PROTECTION (FRP): $49 per person (see FRP Program Flyer on next page) TOUR COMPANY: All Aboard Tours & Travel Inspiring student learning beyond classroom walls Phone: Fax: SCHOOL CONTACT: Eighth Grade Trip Coordinator, Mr. Louis Ferrara lferrara@westex.org

4 ALL ABOARD TOURS & TRAVEL Enroll now in our FRP Program Benefits of Enrollment 100% trip cost refund Protection - providing peace of mind that you will receive a full refund Convenient - easy enrollment just sign up at time of registration Reasonable - guaranteed cancellation protection for a small investment We highly recommend participation in our FRP plan to ensure your refund for almost any reason up until day of departure. To enroll, select the YES option from your traveler registration options. Cancellation: Request for Refunds must be received in writing via to: support@allaboardtours.com Without FRP, our Standard Cancellation Policy applies with no exception Refunds will be received approximately 4-6 weeks after request is approved Refund total will be based on tour price agreed upon between All Aboard Tours & Travel and your organization. Our FRP plan will refund full amount of the trip less cost of protection plan* Refund will apply only if you are a registered participant Not included in FRP Program: Refunds will not be available if entire tour is canceled due to Acts of God, Government or Terrorism. *Non-refundable items will include installment fees, late fees, declined credit card fees or merchandise fee. Please refer to our program s TERMS & CONDITIONS for full details in your Trip Packet or as stated on our website at mytrip.allaboardtours.com or contact us at support@allaboardtours.com.

5 ALL ABOARD TOURS & TRAVEL PAYMENT & GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS Tour Price: Tour price is based upon the features of your Tour and a minimum number of travelers. A change in the Tour features or number of Tour participants may cause the Tour price to increase, and therefore the payment schedule to change. Parents will be notified well in advance if a price adjustment will apply. In addition, an increase in supplier costs (e.g. fuel or energy surcharges, currency conversion ratios, etc.) may cause the Tour price, and therefore the payment schedule to change up until final payment is received. Thereafter the only increases which can be passed on are governmental tax increases. Fixed Group Costs: Each Tour contains fixed costs that must be paid no matter the size of the group. Fixed costs may include, but are not limited to, motor coaches, step-on guides, security guards, prepaid non-refundable costs (i.e. theatre tickets), etc., and the expenses of non-paying Tour participants. Rooming List: A Trip registration report will be sent after the final payment deadline for the organization to determine occupancy type totals. The organization will be required to submit a Rooming List form, completed with all traveler room assignments, 45 days prior to departure to ensure the group is appropriately accommodated. Payments: A payment schedule has been laid out on the Trip Facts Sheet. Payments are accepted online only via MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express and PayPal personal account You will have the option of paying in three installment payments, or paying for the Tour in full in one payment. Cancellations and Refunds: All cancellation notices and requests for refunds must be in writing postmarked prior to trip departure date and sent via to support@allaboardtours.com or fax: Refunds for cancellations take approximately four to six weeks to process and are issued directly back to payee. Full Refund Protection (FRP): All Aboard Tours & Travel offers a cancellation protection program that covers Tour payments should the passenger not be able participate for almost any reason up until the day of departure. FRP is a highly recommended optional program at an additional charge. By accepting the optional program, the cost for FRP is in addition to the Tour price and will be added to the total Tour price and included within payment for total amount due. FRP must be selected and paid at the time of the initial Tour registration and is not available after your first installment due date and/or within 60 days of trip departure. The price of FRP can be found in your schools Trip Packet. If you have purchased FRP and need to cancel prior to departure, all tour payments made by you will be 100% refunded, minus the cost of the FRP, any handling charges, merchandise fees, declined credit card fees, or late payment fees. All payments, inclusive of the FRP program fee, if elected, are due as of the final payment schedule due date for your program. If, as of that date, the additional amount of the FRP program to your total Tour price has not been received in full, your FRP election will be canceled. By choosing not to enroll in the FRP program option you may lose up to 100% of monies paid. Standard Cancellation Policy: If participant chooses not to enroll in the FRP program, the Standard Cancellation Policy applies with no exceptions. If your cancellation notice is postmarked 75 days or more prior to departure date a fee of 20% of the Tour price will apply; cancellation notice postmarked days prior to departure, a fee of 50% of the Tour price will apply and cancellation notice postmarked days prior to departure a fee of 75% of the Tour price will apply. In all cases any handling charges, merchandise fees, fees for declined credit cards and/or late payment fees will be added to Tour price calculations. If cancellation occurs 14 days or less prior to departure date then no refund will be given. Prior to registering, All Aboard Tours & Travel strongly recommends accepting FRP as part of your tour package. Health Proxy Forms and Medical Matters: Passenger and/or Parent or Legal Guardian understand that they are solely responsible for any pre-program, program and post-program medical care in all respects, including, but not limited to, obtaining and taking necessary medication(s), vaccinations and any other medical care and treatment. Parent and/or Legal Guardian certify that he/she will consult a physician qualified in travel medicine, immunizations and infectious/tropical diseases prior to my trip departure if deemed necessary. All Aboard Tours & Travel may attempt to bring a participant to a medical facility for emergency treatment, but is not responsible for any negligent or unsuccessful treatment thereat. Late Payments, Late Registration, and Fees: Passengers will not be permitted to participate in the Tour if their account is not paid in full. Failure to completely pay for the Tour by the deadline date may result in the participant being dropped from the Tour. All Aboard Tours & Travel reserves the right to cancel a Tour or Tour participant due to insufficient funds or non-payment. If participant registers prior to the final payment deadline as stated in your Trip Packet but your account is not paid in full by that date, All Aboard Tours & Travel charges a $30 late payment fee. If you register after the final payment deadline: (i) full payment is required with your registration, and (ii) participant is automatically placed on a waitlist until it is determined whether a bus seat and/or hotel accommodation can be secured. If space is still available after the deadline date, All Aboard Tours & Travel charges a late registration fee, equal to the greater of 10% of the base Tour price or $30, for registrations received after the final payment deadline. The fee for any late payments made after any scheduled installment date is $10. Behavior and Alcohol/Drug Policy: Participants are responsible for exercising sound judgment, caution and respect for people, places and things while on Tour and are expected to adhere to all rules and regulations set forth by the Tour Organizer and chaperones. Failure to do so, may result in the participant being sent home at own expense with no refund. All Aboard Tours has a zero tolerance rule for possession or drinking of alcohol for any participants under 21 and/or possession or use of any illegal drug or drug paraphernalia by any participant. Any participant violating this rule is subject to immediate expulsion from the Trip. In any such case, the participant, student or his/her parent or guardian is responsible for transporting the participant home, and waives any claim for any refund of any portion of the Trip cost. Binding Arbitration: Any controversy or claim arising out of or relating in any way to these Terms and Conditions or any other information relating in any way to the Trip, or to the Trip itself, shall be settled solely and exclusively by binding arbitration in Bergen County, New Jersey in accordance with the commercial rules of the American Arbitration Association then existent. In any such arbitration the substantive (but not procedural) law of New Jersey will apply. The arbitrator and not any federal, state, or local court or agency shall have exclusive authority to resolve any dispute relating to the interpretation, applicability, enforceability, conscionability, or formation of this contract, including but not limited to any claim that all or any part of this contract is void or voidable. Cancellations due to Governmental Action or Impossibility of Performance: In the event that the Trip is canceled or postponed as a result of or following acts of force majeure, including, without limitation, acts of God, war (whether declared or not), terrorism, or civil unrest, or in the event of All Aboard Tours & Travel s bankruptcy, insolvency, or cessation of business the Full Refund Protection will not make refunds and the Standard Cancellation Policy will apply. Responsibility Clause: Aboard Tours & Travel, L.L.C., its employees, shareholders, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, successors, and assigns (collectively, Aboard Tours & Travel ), your sponsoring organization, chaperones, if applicable, and its and their employees, (collectively, Sponsor ) do not own, operate or control any person or entity which is to or does provide goods or services for your Trip including, for example, lodging facilities, airline, vessel or other transportation companies, guides or guide services, local ground operators, entertainment or sightseeing operators, providers or organizers of optional excursions, food service providers, etc. All such persons and entities are independent contractors. As a result, neither Aboard Tours & Travel nor your Sponsor is liable for any negligent or willful act or failure to act of any such person or entity, or of any other third party. Without limitation, neither Aboard Tours & Travel nor your Sponsor is responsible for any injury, loss, or damage to person or property, death, delay or inconvenience in connection with the provision of any goods or services resulting from, but not limited to, acts of government, acts of force majeure, war, civil unrest, insurrection, strikes or other labor activities, criminal conduct, threatened or actual terrorist activities, lost or stolen belongings, overbooking or downgrading of accommodations, mechanical or other failure of airplanes or other means of transportation or for any failure of any transportation mechanism to arrive or depart timely or safely, vehicular incidents, dangers associated with or bites from animals, pests or insects, sanitation problems, food poisoning, lack of or quality of medical care, illness or disease, epidemics or the threat thereof, difficulty in evacuation in case of a medical or other emergency, or for any other cause beyond the direct control of Aboard Tours & Travel or your Sponsor. Changes in hotel or itinerary may be made at the discretion of Aboard Tours & Travel or your local ground operator as it or they deem necessary or desirable. Trip participants are solely responsible for securing their own personal belongings, passports, visas, medical inoculations, reviewing State Department and other advisory warnings. Miscellaneous: Aboard Tours & Travel reserves the right to decline to accept or retain any person as a member of any Trip. Failure to exercise sound judgment, caution and consideration for people, places and things while on the Trip that may affect the welfare of the participant, the operation of the Trip and/or the well-being of others, in the judgment of Aboard Tours & Travel or Sponsor, may result in the participant being removed from the Tour at his or her own expense with no refund forthcoming. These Terms and Conditions can be changed only by a writing signed by an officer of Aboard Tours & Travel.

6 Privacy and Photo Release: All Aboard Tours & Travel retains the right, in its sole discretion, to contact participant s parents, guardian, and/or emergency contact with regard to health issues or any other matter whatsoever which relates to participant or participant s program. These rights transcend any and all privacy regulations that may apply. All Aboard Tours & Travel reserves the right to take photographic or film records of any program. I understand that Aboard Tours & Travel may use such records for promotional and/or commercial purposes without limitation, without liability and without payment of any fees.

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