Field Trip Guidelines

Rev. 5/22/07 BELLEFONTE AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT Field Trip Handbook Supplement to Board Policy No. 121

This field trip handbook is designed to consolidate all information related to field trips into one reference guide. Trips are designed to connect to the curriculum. Teachers at all levels have spent time over the years determining the best field trip experiences for each grade. The information contained in this handbook serves to ensure trips meet all requirements of the curriculum and are planned and executed effectively and safely according to Bellefonte Area School District policy and procedures.

Contents

Curricular Focus

Field Trip Guidelines Types of Field Trips Planning Checklist

Field Trip Safety and Security

Board Policies/Procedures Field Trips Transportation Guidelines Weapons Student Dress Drugs Medication

Forms Request for Field Trip Instructional Letter of Assurance

Forms Requirement Check List Form Trips Under 50 Miles Trips Over 50 Miles Both Instructional Plan for Field Trip √ Statement of Assurance/Chaperone √ Field Trip Permission/Health Form √ Chaperone Guidelines √ Code of Conduct Agreement √ Liability Release Form √ Request for Field Trip Form √ Field Trip Bus Roster Form √ Student Behavior for Travel √ Field Trip Commitment Form √

1 Field Trip Guidelines

Types of field trips:

Curricular

 Must relate to at least one of the essential learnings of the curriculum.  Should include all students in a grade level enrolled in a particular course or class in the elementary level--allowing all students within the grade level/course to have the experience.  If there is a student cost for the trip, provisions should be made so that all students have the opportunity to participate.  Should provide an experience different from previous years.  Should have an instructional plan which includes instructional activities before, during and/or after the trip.  Can be combined with other activities to provide up to a maximum of one instructional day.  When coordinating a field trip with other schools, the Bellefonte Area School District Field Trip Policy 121 must be followed.  No field trips are permitted during all PSSA testing windows. Please check with your principal or the district office for these dates.

Clubs/Activities

 Should schedule trips as often as possible on other than instructional time.  Loss of instructional time (from classes) should be kept to a minimum.

Planning Checklist:

When planning for a field trip, important steps need to be taken in a timely manner to assure a successful field trip. The checklist below will assist the teacher in meeting all his/her responsibilities.

 Review Board Policy 121 and all guidelines in the Field Trip Handbook. Please note that all overnight field trip are subject to School Board approval. Overnight field trip requests for trips taken within the continental United States must be submitted at least forty-five (45) days in advance of the trip. Field trip requests outside of the continental United State must be submitted far in advance. Please read School Board Policy 121.

 Review Instructional Plan. An Instructional Plan must be attached to the field trip request form. The Instructional Plan and the request form should be submitted to the building principal at least four (4) weeks prior to the date of the trip. The department supervisor and/or principal must approve Instructional Plans.

 Submit Field Trip Request Form to the building principal at least four (4) weeks prior to the date of the trip. The building principal will review the request and, if approved, will forward it to the District Office for final approval. (In those few situations where four-week notice is not possible, approval will be subject to the availability of 2 transportation.)

 Curricular-related trips: Check with the Transportation Department to confirm the availability of van or bus use.

 Teacher arranges any transportation funded by outside sources such as the P.T.O. (Private carrier arrangements, including billing, must be discussed with the principal prior to making those arrangements.)

 Arrange for reservations, ticket sales, and any other destination arrangements. Call the Business Office for payment arrangements. The Business Office must have all requests for payment by the first of the month in order to get Board approval for payment at that month’s Board meeting. Any expense incurred for optional field trips is to be paid by outside sources such as the P.T.O. Such approval must be in advance of field trip application.

 Financial aid is available upon demonstrated need.

 Following District Office approval, notify parents of the upcoming trip and provide the proper parent permission forms.

 Arrange for an adequate number of chaperones (adequate chaperonage shall be approved by the principal).

Chaperones shall be at least twenty-one (21) years of age and may include district employees, parents, guardians, or other interested parties. (It shall be the principal’s discretion whether or not to require male and female chaperones on a given trip.)

The minimum ratios of chaperones to students are:

One (1) chaperones for every 10 primary students (K-3) 15 intermediate students (4-5) 15 middle school students (6-8) 15 high school students (9-12)

Building principals will require at least one staff member and may require additional chaperones based on the nature of the trip and student needs.

A district-employed adult will be assigned to each bus, van, etc.

Similarly, for intra-district trips the principal may approve a higher ratio than above.

Prescribed ratios are not intended to apply to interscholastic athletic trips and selected music trips and selected competitions.

District-employed Chaperones may include:  Grade level or content area teachers supervising the trip  Classroom Assistants and/or Personal Care Aides normally assigned to the 3 participating class(es)  Other classroom assistants/personal care aides/teachers as needed and approved by the Superintendent or his designee

 Secure parent permission slips and medical information, as appropriate.

 Arrange for cell phones or other means of communication to be used by chaperones. Cell phone numbers are to be provided on the roster.

 Conduct orientation sessions for students to review the following items: o Purpose of the field trip, any assignments to be completed, and items to take on the trip. o Student discipline policy with emphasis on the following:  Student responsibilities.  Possession/Use or purchase of lasers or replica weapons as souvenirs.  Bus misconduct (including staying seated, keeping noise level down, and keeping bus clean and vandalism free).  Possession/Use tobacco products, drugs, or alcohol.  Possession of pager or cell phone.  Unacceptable clothing or language.  Unsafe behavior.  Theft. o Weapons policy. o Student dress policy. o Drug awareness policy. o Medication policy. o Accountability to assigned chaperones. o Contact with strangers. o Understanding all videos to be “G” rated unless prior approval received from school administration. o Cell phones and identification are to be kept on the student at all times. They are to be used at the direction of the trip organizer and may be collected by the trip organizer.

 Conduct orientation session for all chaperones and review the following: o All items covered at student orientation. o Expectations of chaperones serving in a leadership/supervisory role. o Itinerary of the trip. o List of students assigned to each chaperone, along with medical and other pertinent student information. o How to handle emergencies (lost child, medical, disciplinary, etc). o Need for cell phones and/or other forms of communication. o Chaperone responsibilities specific to the upcoming trip. o Chaperones must supervise students at all times including unstructured times such as lunch. Students should never be unsupervised. o Stagger chaperone seating throughout the bus to fully supervise students. o Signed "Statement of Assurance." o Chaperone packets should include: departure duties, bus duties, hotel duties if applicable, curfew, parking, and other miscellaneous duties. 4  When a trip must be canceled, the teacher/principal must notify the bus company as early as possible on the day of the scheduled trip.

 The Superintendent shall have the authority and discretion to cancel any field trip without prior notice if the Superintendent determines that canceling the field trip is in the best interest of the health, safety, or welfare of the field trip attendees. By way of example, the Superintendent may cancel field trips in response to declared states of emergency, extreme weather conditions, terror alerts issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, etc.

FIELD TRIP SAFETY AND SECURITY I. Overview

Accidents and incidents are more likely to happen when safety and security precautions are overlooked. Mishaps can usually be avoided when time is taken to plan ahead—when safe thinking lies at the base of all activities.

Safety and security instruction, good supervision, and maintenance of safe surroundings can prevent accidents and incidents. Skill, good judgment, and quick action are also important aspects of safety and security.

Chaperones are always expected to exercise care and good judgment. Judgment and common sense often dictate what is a safe and appropriate activity for students. What is considered to be safe or appropriate in one set of circumstances might not be classified the same way in another set of circumstances. For example, weather conditions can change quickly and may call for good judgment in reassessing a situation, discontinuing an activity, etc. When there is a question, the chaperone should provide the principal with full details and not proceed without the latter’s approval.

The safety of the students is the most important consideration. Because of their lack of experience and maturity, they need guidance and support from adults. Adults must determine the degree of care required, according to the age and skill of the child and the nature of the activity. It is better to err on the side of caution when considering whether to proceed with an activity.

II. Handling Accidents, Major Emergencies, or Fatalities

It is important for each chaperone to observe basic procedures for handling serious accidents, emergencies, or fatalities. Basically, at the scene of an accident, the adult in charge must give priority attention to providing all possible care for the injured person(s). Universal precautions must be followed when administering first aid to any injured person. Secure doctor, ambulance, clergy, and police as needed. Exercise care that no statements are made orally or in writing which could be interpreted either as an assumption or rejection of responsibility for the accident. For reporting purposes, the chaperone must always have on hand the names and telephone numbers of the principal, parents/guardians, and local emergency services such as the police and rescue squad. Cell phones should be available to every chaperone in order to facilitate communication in any emergency. The AlertNow 5 telephone notification system can be used to contact the Director of Transportation, Principal, and parents of arrival and departure times; or, to communicate emergency information.

After receiving the report, the principal may immediately arrange for additional assistance (if needed) at the scene of the accident. S/He will also notify custodial parents or guardians, and other persons as needed.

As a result of an accident or injury, a student may need emergency medical care. After contacting an emergency medical service, follow district procedures for incidents and accidents. Knowledge of and adherence to these procedures are critical, especially with regard to notification of a custodial parent(s) or guardian(s). In cases where the media are involved, the Superintendent or legal counsel should be the only ones to discuss the incident with these representatives.

Advance emergency release forms from the custodial parent(s)/guardian(s) (granting permission for a minor’s emergency medial care) should be obtained only through the principal. The district also has statements available for use by parents who object to their child receiving medical care for religious reasons. Such forms shall be available to the chaperone at the field trip site.

In the event of a fatality or serious accident, or a missing child, the Superintendent, the principal and the police must be notified. A responsible person should remain at the scene. The balance of the chaperone team shall accompany the entourage back to the school; upon release of these students, and if reasonable, a minimum of one (1) chaperone will return to the activity site to assist with the problem at hand. In the case of a fatality there should be no disturbance of the victim or surroundings until police have assumed authority. Information regarding the accident should not be shared with anyone but the police, the chaperone’s insurance representatives, district administrative personnel, and the district’s legal counsel.

Follow up a serious accident, emergency, or fatality by preparing a written chronological report, recording the following information. Clearly, this should occur as soon as possible subsequent to the incident and when the chaperone’s services are not directly in need.

1. The exact time of each occurrence. 2. Each step taken and by whom. 3. Exact statement(s) made, and to whom and by whom. 4. A sketch of the scene, including main physical features of the area and placement of people involved. 5. The name and address of each witness.

III. Handling Other Police Situations

In the event of an arrest of a student while on a field trip, the principal must immediately be notified. The principal or designee will notify the parents/guardians. A responsible person should remain with the student until a parent or guardian arrives. The rest of the chaperones and students shall continue with the field trip and return to the school as scheduled. A representative of the district may need to return to the activity site to assist with the situation 6 and/or transport the remaining chaperone back to the school.

7 BELLEFONTE AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN FOR FIELD TRIP

School______Grade______

Class(es)/Students Involved______

Destination______

Objectives with related standards______

______

Correlation with Subject(s)______

______

Pre-trip Activities______

______

Trip Highlights______

Follow-up Activities______

______

Teacher’s Signature______Date of Request______

Supervisor’s/Lead Teacher Signature ______Date ______

Principal’s Signature______Date ______

Superintendent’s Signature ______Date ______

Comments______

8 Bellefonte Area School District Statement of Assurance: Field Trip Chaperone (other than school employee)

Name ______Phone ______

Address ______

______

Date of Trip ______Location of Trip ______

Teacher ______School ______

o I have attended an orientation session on ______held for chaperones of the field trip listed above.

o I have been given written guidelines stating expectations and responsibilities of a field trip chaperone.

o I have read, understand, and agree to follow all field trip policies and procedures.

o I affirm that I have not been convicted of any crimes related to drugs, alcohol, and/or the abuse of children.

o I understand that this form applies only to the trip listed above.

Signature Date______

Relationship to student(s) attending trip______

Please return the completed form to the building principal.

9 Guidelines for Principals, Teachers and Chaperones/Field Trips

1. Factors to use in determining number of chaperones:

a. Age of group; b. Special needs or difficulties peculiar to that group; c. Whether the group will be moving from one activity to another together or by a schedule; d. Whether there will be large numbers of other people at the location where the field trip is to be held; e. Whether there are any inherent dangers in the location where the field trip is to be held and what those dangers are; f. Number of staff members who are available to chaperone; g. Number of parents who are available, interested in chaperoning and willing to pay their portion of any associated fees; h. How groups will communicate if they are not traveling together or in the same location, and i. What impact the number of staff members out for the field trip will have on the operation of the school.

2. Parents should be apprised at least two weeks in advance of the field trip what the chaperoning arrangements will be for the trip and at least one week in advance who the chaperones will be for their child.

3. There should be at least two adult chaperones over the age of 21 with each group of students.

Expectations for Parents

1. Appropriate attire. 2. Appropriate language at all times. 3. Help students purchase appropriate souvenirs. Refer to Field Trip Policy pertaining to souvenirs prior to trip. 4. Review Bellefonte Area School District field trip guidelines prior to field trip. 5. Maintain contact with your student group at all times. 6. Have appropriate staff cell phone numbers with you. 7. Be aware of any medical/medications issues with your student group. 8. Contact staff members immediately with any problems or concerns. 9. No use of tobacco products.

May, 2007