Title: CLS3-Palm Beach Gardens High School's Field Trip Cruise to Key West and Mexico

Recommendation:
Recommend that the School Board approve an educational performance-based trip for the Palm Beach Gardens Gator Sound Wind Ensemble to travel on a Music Festivals Cruise to Key West and Cozumel, Mexico from April 20, 2006 to April 24, 2006 for an adjudicated concert festival performance.

Description: The Gator Sound Wind Ensemble (28 members) will be chaperoned by Luke Basso, band director, and five band parents on a cruise festival aboard Royal Caribbean Cruise lines.  The group will have a festival guide once aboard the ship to guide them through all activities.  This trip will provide the students two performance opportunities; one in front of judges for an evaluation (along with other high school performing groups) and another at one of the two ports of call.  The purpose of the trip is to:
     1.  Provide the students the opportunity to perform their music outside a school setting.
     2.  Provide them an opportunity to be evaluated by a national panel of judges, and then allow them to
          become better musicians by listening to the judges' comments, and rehearsing in a clinic-like setting.
     3.  Help encourage the students to continue their music education by building on this experience.
     4.  Provide the students the opportunity to hear other bands from other parts of the country.
     5.  Expose the students to the culture, language, arts and architecture of Mexico.
The students will travel to the Port of Miami via private transportation (parents) and will board the ship as a group.  The cost of this trip is $589.00 per student plus an additional $34.00 for optional travel insurance.  The students are able to raise funds through lunch cart sales, car washes, Christmas plant sales and donations.  Every effort is made to ensure that all students have the ability to participate regardless of economic difficulty.
The benefits to the district include:
     1.  Representing Palm Beach County and Palm Beach Gardens High School.
     2.  Increasing interest in Fine Arts Education.
     3.  Representation of the quality and talent found in the students of Palm Beach Gardens High School.
 

Financial Impact:
All funds will be raised through fund raisers or parent contributions, so there is no cost to the district.

For Additional Information, contact:
Ann Killets     akillets@palmbeach.k12.fl.us
Marisol Ferrer
Jon Prince

Attachments (list):
PBGHS FTR-Mexico.pdf
PBGHS Itin-Mexico.pdf
PBGardensData2.pdf