Preparing for a trip

1) Transportation Arrangements

• It is the responsibility of the school to arrange the bus for transportation to and from the Outdoor Education Centre.

• Arrival: as soon as possible after school arrival

• Departure: according to the bus schedule at school (please note: a FULL day can be too much for the kindergartens and even grade ones. A slightly earlier departure could be best)

2) Parent Notification and Medication for Students

• In addition to the routine notification given to parents regarding the trip, please note the following items: Parents/Guardians must complete the Permission for Out-of-Classroom Program form Appendix D1 which is found in the Program Safety Manual: Out of Classroom Programs

• Inform parents of the importance of appropriate dress for students to enjoy the day.

• Inform parents of the importance of teachers bringing any authorized medication for allergies such as inhalers or epipens.

3)Supervision:

• Please see the supervision section of this website and ensure that proper supervision is in place

• If a class arrives at the OEC without the required supervision ratio in place, the school will be contacted to request additional supervision. If the school is unable to comply with that request within a reasonable amount of time, the school will be asked to arrange for busing and the class will be returned to school.

• If the usual classroom teacher is unavailable, another teacher within the school, who knows the students, should accompany the class to the OEC.

• Principals and vice-principals are also asked to advise classroom teachers and volunteers ahead of time that we cannot accept the responsibility of supervising children, other than those in the class scheduled for the program. Younger siblings or children that a volunteer is babysitting, may not attend with the class.

4) Roles and Responsibilities

• The program delivery at the Outdoor Education Centres is a collaboration between the naturalist and the classroom teacher. The roles and responsibilities of each are summarized in the chart above.

5) Integration with the Classroom Program

• As with any field trip, students benefit most from their visit to the Outdoor Education Centre if it is related to studies going on in the classroom.

• The naturalists are happy to work with the teachers as they are planning their unit and provide a list of expectations that will be addressed during the visit. They can also make suggestions for trip preparation and, where appropriate, provide ideas for follow-up activities.

• The naturalists will also modify the activities planned to fit the needs of the class, provided sufficient notice is given.

6) Preparing the Students

• Students benefit the most from their visit when they have been well prepared for it. Outdoor Education activities take place in all kinds of weather! During extreme weather conditions the program will be adapted. It is essential that students, teachers, and adult volunteers be dressed for the weather.

• Appropriate dress

  • • • For cold weather students should dress in layers, with hats and warm boots, rain gear, and extra mitts and socks.

      • For wet weather students should have rain gear and rubber boots.

      • For warm weather students should bring hats, sunscreen and insect repellent, as well as long pants, socks, shoes (sandals are not appropriate) and long-sleeved shirts (even on very hot days long pants are essential for protection from insects, ticks, sun, poison ivy, and scratches).

      • Please note that students may be allergic to sunscreen and/or insect repellent. For this reason, the naturalist will not supply nor apply any of these products to the participants.

Lunch

• Students should be encouraged to bring garbageless lunches or be prepared to boomerang their waste back to the school. This promotes a positive environmental ethic.

• Students should be encouraged to bring adequate water (or at GLOEC, their own reusable, environmentally friendly cups).

• A larger than average lunch as well as extra drinks and snacks will be needed. Students will burn a lot of calories at the centres.

• Microwaves will not be accessible.

7) What to Bring

• There is no drinking water available at the Laurie Lawson, Warsaw, and Wilmot Creek Outdoor Education Centres. Safe Water is available at the Goodrich- Loomis site

• Students are encouraged to bring their own reusable environmentally friendly cups.

• Please bring an adequate supply of drinking water to be used for drinking, hand-washing and clean-up (NOT GLOEC)

  • The Occupational Health and Safety Officer recommends carrying the water in 4L jugs.

8) Safety

The safety and well-being of both students and staff is always the priority. There are a number of safeguards in place to maximize safety:

• School staff must bring authorized medication such as inhalers and epipens and must inform the naturalist of any students with health concerns such as allergies

• All naturalists are qualified in Standard First Aid.

• First Aid kits are available in the centres and are carried on the trail by the naturalist.

• The naturalist is responsible for expectations concerning safety and the teacher is responsible for the behaviour of the students.

• The naturalists outline clear boundaries and expectations to the students. If these are not adhered to the naturalist may bring the class back to the centre or in extreme cases send them back to the school to ensure their safety.

• The program proceeds in most weather conditions so school staff are asked to stress appropriate dress to the students.

• Students are encouraged to respect the environment and to leave the site as they found it.

9) Program Feedback

Teachers, Supervisors and Students, are asked to provide oral or written feedback to the naturalist at the end of their visit. This reflection provides useful feedback to the naturalists and is also used as the team works on ongoing program development and modification.