Thread: Field Trip

We have a simple policy, if a student is transported by the school, rather it be by school van or chapperone vehicle, they must return the same way, period. We do not have a procedure that allows a student to be signed out when off of school property. Even if a parent attends a field trip (we have field trips just about every other week) the student must be transported back to school and be dismissed. Any student leaving during a field trip would be coonsidered missing and staff would be directed to handle it as a "Missing Student"; if that student was found later to have left with a parent they would be treated as truant.

Moolish Fortals! Never plan field trips! Actually, if we go on a big field trip an administrator usually goes, and the parent usually has to deal with them. If you are a public school teacher you probably have some district level policies to follow- better check 'em first. And welcome to the Forum!

Welcome!

I have yet to plan a field trip, so I am not sure about our district's policy. I can understand your concern, though.

I can also see a parent's side, speaking from the angle of sports. Having traveled to countless games at away schools, it gets interesting. I can appreciate a coach's view of showing support for the other school team. Sometimes, one of my children have had to stay the entire time to cheer on the Varsity team after they have played. They also can learn from watching a game.

However, when the team is pulling in at 11:00 PM and I must go and pick them up, that is pushing the bedtime. If these kids have not had time to do their homework, that is ridiculous. Also, if the game is on a weekend, and we have a familly commitment, it is a waste of gas and family time for the student to have to ride the bus back to town with the team, and up to 1 1/2 hours in time, which doubles when we backtrack to the family event. These situations have happened, and we have told the coach ourselves that we are taking our child from the event, and they might not stay the entire time. We expect to sign something stating that we took our own child, so that the coach has it on record. We also speak to the coach directly, so that he/she realizes the situation. In one case, we told the coach child would not be able to be there if we were not allowed to pull child after the game and take child with us.

Just one way of looking at things.

We allow parents to take their children home from a field trip site IF we receive written notification of the intent BEFORE the field trip.

I try never to look at any situation from a parent's point of view, just makes my job easier to keep everything consistent from a totalitarian, dictator, kind of view point.

Our policy is a bit different as to sporting events. We actually encourage parents to come to games and thus pick their children up following their event. They must sign the out and notify the coach. We just do not allow this on regular field trips to the zoo, museum, etc.

Am yet to discover the joys of field trips.

However...

I found it interesting when I asked admin for a camera to use to film stuff on for Media Studies, I was told that it would be better for me to take my classes on a field trip to the movie theatre to watch "whatever is on". Unfortunatly I can't quite grasp the correlatoin between grades for "Making a movie" and watching one at the theatre... Hee hee

After checking on your district's policy, I'd send a letter home telling the parents what the policy is. Make it clear so that no parent can say they did not understand what they could or could not do. In fact, send this home as part of the permission slip if you have not sent those home yet.

Originally Posted by laurie

After checking on your district's policy, I'd send a letter home telling the parents what the policy is. Make it clear so that no parent can say they did not understand what they could or could not do. In fact, send this home as part of the permission slip if you have not sent those home yet.

It sounded as though the permission slips have already been sent...So I would try and get out another note a.s.a.p. via the mail or even send it home with the students. I would definitly include the school policy on such actions in the next permission slips, though.