Redwood City School District
Field Trip Guidelines
Teachers
“Instructional field trips are planned activities within or outside the school day taken by students under the supervision of a teacher or other school official. The purpose of field trips is to enrich and extend the classroom instructional program. It is expected that field trips provide curriculum connections for students and opportunities for students to experience unique and relevant learning experiences.” Wakefield High School Field Trip Guidelines
General Procedures
1. All requests for field trips must be submitted to the principal on the Field Trip Request Form in advance of the scheduled trip with the names of all staff members and chaperones who will accompany the students. (Check with the office for Field Trip Request Forms and Chaperone Applications)
2. The office staff will complete a Transportation Request. Confirmation of the bus will be given to teachers.
3. Parental Consent Forms (see office staff for forms) must be returned to the administration before the trip. Teachers will take a copy of each Parental Consent Form with them on the field trip. No student will be allowed to participate if the Parental Consent Form is not received prior to the trip.
4. Field Trips may be denied for any of the following reasons:
a. Failure to comply satisfactorily with pre-trip requirements
b. Excessive cost or limited financial resources
c. Excessive number of students taking trips on that particular day
d. Lack of availability of transportation
e. Inadequate provision for student safety and welfare
f. Failure to receive approval from the Board of Education for any field trip to water or overnight.
5. For every field trip there must be a sufficient number of chaperones and teachers. Regular field trips within the school day = 10:1, field trips to water or overnight = 7:1. Chaperones must fill out a Chaperone Application (see the school office for forms)
6. A first aid kit will be taken on all field trips.
7. At no time are students to be left ON THEIR OWN during the course of the field trip.
8. At least one staff member is to remain at the school after the return trip until all students are picked up.
9. Any disciplinary problems are to be reported to the site principal immediately upon return to the school for appropriate action.
10. Any special medications and instructions for administration obtained from the school nurse are to be taken on all field trips.
11. Grade levels should present trip requests that their grade levels would like to take to the principal. This discussion should take place at the beginning of the school year.
Before You Go:
1. Find out if your school has a field trip budget. If it does not, you will need to know how you will cover the costs of the field trip. Check with your principal about fund raising guidelines for field trips.
2. Contact your destination site and/or check on website for admission fees, hours, and travel directions.
3. If a member of your class has special needs, contact the destination to make sure that he or she will have access.
4. Make sure you get a confirmation letter from the destination with a complete itinerary.
5. Plan your chaperone needs. Make sure you have enough chaperones. (See the Chaperone Guidelines and Applications for Chaperones)
6. Establish chaperone behavior ground rules. Exchange cell phone numbers. Provide chaperones with a list of student ground rules. What will chaperones do if students do not behave on the trip? Where and what time will you meet for lunch? Remember – “If you can’t see the students, you are not supervising them.
7. If chaperones are using their vehicle to transport students on the trip, an administrator must check out each vehicle. (See the office for the Vehicle Inspection Form)
8. Remind chaperones – no unplanned stops on the way to or from the field trip.
9. Complete the Field Trip Parental Consent Form. Remember, if you do not have a completed Field Trip Parental Consent Form before the trip, students will not go on the trip. Give a copy of each form and a roster to the office.
10. Give your students a learning task ahead of time. Your students should show up for the field trip with a base of knowledge as well as questions to answer before returning to the classroom. Spend some time in the weeks before the field trip discussing the subject matter. Review a list of questions they will be looking to answer during the field trip. This will keep them informed, engaged and focused on learning all day long.
11. Establish student behavior ground rules and explicitly discuss field trip behavior rules. How should students behave on the bus? Where and what time will you meet for lunch? How should students behave on the field trip? What will the consequences be for misbehavior? Make sure students know what to do if they get separated from their group.
12. Make nametags for all chaperones and students.
13. At least two weeks before the scheduled field trip, notification should be provided to the cafeteria of the number of children not eating lunch that day or who will need a lunch for the field trip. (Check with the office for the form)
14. If a student has constant behavior issues, the student will not be allowed to go on the field trip.
When You Get There:
“Keeping track of each and every student is the number one priority of field trip day.”
1. Make sure all students and chaperones are present.
2. Make sure your students and chaperones know the location of the restroom facilities.
3. Review the public safety ground rules. Make sure students know what to do if they get lost or separated from their group.
4. Establish a meeting place for the end of the trip. Make sure all students and chaperones are accounted for before leaving.
5. Make sure students have in hand everything they brought, including clothing items, backpacks, notebooks, lunch boxes, etc.
After Your Visit:
1. Problems with the field trip should be brought to the attention of the principal immediately upon return. Any disciplinary problems are to be reported to the principal.
2. At least one staff member is to remain at the school after the return trip until all students are picked up.
Some field trip follow up suggestions:
1. Recheck the field trip site’s website for extended content, follow-up activities and classroom discussion prompts that you can use with your class.
2. Collect and review the work students completed on the field trip.
3. Conduct a class critique about the field trip. Have a discussion about what worked and what didn’t work. Ask students open-ended questions that stimulate discussion.
4. Create a classroom souvenir of the field trip. Make a class collage using all the things you have from the field trip – tickets, brochures, photographs, sketches, notes, etc. Have students write their own captions for each item and place in a book.
5. Suggest students write a letter to a family member describing their visit.
6. Write thank you notes. Lead a language arts lesson the day after your field trip formally thanking the people who chaperoned. Include a thank you letter to the site of the field trip, if possible.
I acknowledge that I have received the “Field Trip Guidelines for Teachers,” have read these guidelines, and agree to comply with the guidelines.
School:
Printed Name:
Signature:
Date:
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