Field Trip Procedures

Wakefield High School Field Trip Guidelines Instructional field trips are planned activities within or outside the school 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. To provide communication among various teams/teachers in the school and in order not to infringe on the regular instructional program for students who are not participating in field trips, the following guidelines have been developed. Final decisions about field trips lie with administration and all exceptions to guidelines listed below must be approved. Field trips cannot be scheduled:

the last week of a grading period
the first three days of a new semester
after April 30th. Final decisions about field trips lie with administration and all exceptions to guidelines listed below must be approved for trips that will occur after April 30th.
if they involve 10th and 11th graders on the day of the PSAT administration
if they involve 11th graders (or 12th graders needing the credit) on the days of the administration of the English 11 SOL Writing exam

It is expected that:

If school transportation facilities will be needed you should contact Sarah Robertson (sarah.robertson@apsva.us), who will notify transportation to make arrangements for buses. Buses must be arranged 4 weeks in advance. Trips cannot be scheduled with transportation less than one month in advance of the trip. The only exception to this is when the purchase of tickets is involved.

Complete Wakefield’s Field Trip Planning Form/APS’ Field Trip Planning Form (copied back to back and available on the website or Athletics Office) and obtain Sarah Robertson-Kenny’s signature. Field trips may not be scheduled without this signature.

Once trip is approved, please post a roster of potential attendees with times of departure from and return to Wakefield and location of the trip on the board in room E-118 within 7 school days of the trip.

At least 5 days before the trip, notification should be provided to the cafeteria manager of the number of children not eating lunch that day or who will eating during a different lunch period.

Careful consideration and planning need to be done when entire grade levels take a full day field trip. Please consider the impact of the trip on other classes and be proactive in communicating the date and times of the trip well in advance.

On the day of the trip, the following forms should be placed in Sarah Robertson’s box in the main office. Students, chaperones or drivers without completed forms will not be permitted to participate in an APS approved field trip:

Parental Authorization for Field Trip. Students who have reached the age of consent (18) are permitted to complete the forms themselves.
Student Field Trip Emergency Contact and Authorization.
Medication Authorization, as applicable.
Driver/Chaperone Information, as applicable.
Field Trip Luggage and Lodging Search Permission, as applicable.

The field trip planner should have on hand:

Copies of the forms listed above;
Land and cell phone numbers of an in-school contact;
Access to communication devices; and
Copy of the detailed itinerary on file with the school.

Field trip planners should bear in mind the APS required chaperone ratio: For Routine Field Trips, a minimum of one (1) adult per ten (10) students is required. All Routine Field Trips must include at least one (1) APS employee. Unusual Field Trips require a minimum of two (2) APS employees plus the minimum of one (1) adult to 10 students. Additional chaperones may be required depending on the trip and circumstances. Non-staff chaperones are volunteers and are not considered employees.

Teachers should plan to provide scholarship funds for students who cannot afford to take the trip. This may be accomplished through adjusting the total cost per pupil on a trip or by using a team’s funds.

Field trip planners should remind students that they are required to take responsibility for make-up work they missed due to a field trip absence. Students are to turn in work due and get new work from teachers on or before the day of their field trip, or if the trip is for the full day, then turn work in on the next school day after the trip.

Timeline:

4 to 6 Weeks: Field Trip Guideline Form/Checklist (Overnight Trip also provide hotel and itinerary)

4 to 6 Weeks: Field Trip Request Form

3 Days Before – Provide kids with Field Trip Permission Form and Luggage Search Form (if overnight)

Day Of: Collect Forms and Luggage Forms (if overnight) Store in secure place while traveling

Return from Trip: Turn in Field Trip Form and Luggage Form to DSA Office Admin Assistant