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I guess I'm going to come from another perspective- but I'm also not a parent.
When I was in 4th grade, I went on a 4 day overnight trip to Washington, DC with about 20 other students, the principal, a few teachers, and chaperones involved in the Young Astronauts program. It was one of the best experiences in my life and very much has shaped me into the independent person that I am.
After that, I went to Space Camp which was a few hours away in Huntsville, Alabama, 4H camps that were far away and often included very unsupervised trips (I remember running around 6 Flags with 3 other 10 year olds alone), Girl Scout trips (10 girls and 2 chaperones), and 4H trips all over the South. By the time the *big* 7th grade overnight trip rolled around, I was embarrassed for most of my friends who had not spent much time away from their parents before and were freaking out!
And honestly, these types of trips are MUCH more supervised than the average day field trip. I got left behind by a chaperone in the zoo when I was 7 or 8. When you're on further away trips, I've always felt that the chaperones are much more diligent about making sure everyone is there, regardless of the age.
If you don't feel comfortable with your child going, don't send them. However, that doesn't mean that there aren't plenty of 9 year olds who are mature and responsible enough to handle an overnight trip away from home. A pedophile is just as likely to snatch your child up out of your yard than they are to pick a random child out of a crowd of kids on a field trip.
I would only allow my child to go if my husband or I were going. Overnights not in someone I trust's house would make me nervous for a host of reasons.
We had a similar thing this year. My daughter is 9 and they had an overnight trip (2 nights). Lucky for me they cancelled for other reasons, because I wasn't going to let her go. I don't understand why they start these so early. 9 is too young IMO. I'm ok with 12, but 9????
My elementary/middle school had week-long trips for kids 4th through 8th grade. All were bus trips, except for the 8th grade trip, which was by air. We (the kids) slept in hostels/dorms, with the teachers on the premises. There were never any problems on any of these trips, although this was a long time ago and we were more disciplined than kids these days.
I think part of the idea was to teach us some self-sufficiency. We all had an "allowance" from home which was expected to last all week. During the trips in the later grades, we were allowed to go shopping or visit museums on our own. These were some of the best experiences of my childhood. Much better than sitting in the same classroom in the same town all year long.
I have no problem with field trips, but not by air and not for children less under 14 - and not with my tax dollars or my family money. Somehow, I don't think the teachers that chaperone the trip pay for any of their expenses.
We travel quite a bit as a family and our older kids have traveled quite a bit on their own- in college when they could really appreciate it. I'm sure it would be a wonderful memory for a child, but you could say that about any over the top vacation. That doesn't mean it's appropriate.
As long as you know (at least meet) the parents who are chaperoning and check their names against the Megan's list law and no one's name pops up, it should be okay. The kids will view it as a sleepover. Let kids be kids. It'll be fun for them. Besides, how will your child feel if she is the only one who doesn't get to go?
I know that when I was in 4th grade, I was scared of going on field trips that lasted more than a day, and never went on any. I think it's nuts to send people that young on multi-day field trips, but some kids are more independent than I was at that age. I'd say let the kid decide for him/herself.
The thing I keep thinking about is the cost. I assume the PTA or a parents group has offered to pick up the tab for kids that can't afford the trip, otherwise the whole idea is offensive, but what about the family that is just scraping by? One that has multiple children or kids in college? Any trip that involves hotels and flights is not going to be cheap - Any chance you can tell us how much this shindig costs?
Our HS marching band does a "big trip" every year by taking a charter bus down to SW Virginia and particpating in a band competition, staying in hotels for 2 nights and going to a big amusement park. Cost to the kids is a couple of hundred dollars and they fundraise for two years, or just cough up the total amount. I live in a nice area where travel is not unusual or a hardship but even here there are kids that can't afford this trip.
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