Classroom Responsibilities

Field Trips

Field trips are an important extension of classroom learning. The staff is encouraged to involve students in field trips, even when the field trip may take time away from other classes. Field trips should be educationally sound, and designed as an aid in meeting the objectives of the class.

Transportation for field trips: transportation may be by school bus, commercial bus, school van, or private car. If private cars are used, follow these guidelines:

1. They should be limited to the general area - a 10-15 mile radius of downtown Eugene.
2. Drivers must be a staff member, parent, or person over 21 years of age acceptable to the principal.
3. The driver must carry a minimum of $25,000 liability coverage, and $50,000 property damage insurance. The driver must be notified that the district provides no insurance coverage for private cars.
4. No reimbursement or gas may be given to persons providing private cars. Any such reimbursement will likely void the liability insurance of the driver.

Procedure for Field Trip Request

Whenever a teacher or coach desires to have a student excused or to take students on a field trip, the following procedure must be followed:

1. Approval must be obtained from an administrator at least two weeks in advance.

2. Check the school activity and outside building use calendars for possible conflicts.

3. If you are sponsoring a field trip, give the details to Terri in the office by 8 a.m. on Friday at least one week before the planned event so that she can arrange travel insurance. The trip will be included on the weekly Monday Notes calendar for teachers.

4. Develop guidelines regarding student behavior, which would result in their being restricted from participation, and communicate them to the administration, students, and parents ahead of time.

5. Staff must inform parents of the purpose of the trip, the time leaving, transportation plans, itinerary and time of return, as well as secure a permission slip for each student (forms available in front office).

6. Requests for district bus service must be made at least two weeks in advance. Forms are available in the office from Becki.

7. A one-week notice must be given to teachers before each field trip. The notice must also be given to Becki and the kitchen staff as well as to teachers when applicable.

8. A ratio of one adult to fifteen students should be used as a guide for adequate supervision. Adults are to be given guidelines regarding their supervisory responsibilities and procedures.

9. Do not schedule field trips that extend beyond the class period during the last five (5) days of each term. Involve the principal before making any commitments or starting any moneymaking activities or overnight field trips, or travel outside the local area. Special guidelines have been established by the Site Council and the 4J School Board for these situation.

Student Travel Insurance

When taking students on overnight field trips (i.e., Traveling School), the school will be billed $ .25 per student and adult per day. Please budget this into the field trip.

Student travel insurance provides minimal medical and accident insurance for day trips, overnight regional trips of one day or more and foreign travel. Coverage’s and basic limits provided are: $2,500 for accidental death and dismemberment and $1,000 for accidental medical expenses.

Student travel insurance provides coverage for students, staff and volunteers who have no coverage and acts as a supplement to any primary health insurance coverage.

Purchase coverage prior to the excursion by having terri contact the Risk Management Office with the following information: How many students, staff and volunteers need coverage. The dates coverage is needed and the destination of the field trip.

Please, keep a record of all names of people who go on each field trip.

What if an accident or liability claim occurs? Contact Risk Management at 687-3335 whether a claim is to be filed or not, to: Notify them of the accident and request a claim form for processing instructions if a claim is to be filed.

Other Considerations

Students taken on field trips may have medical conditions that would affect their health and a field trip; the following procedures must be followed:

1. Consult the most current Medical Concerns roster, which each teacher has. Please consult the Red Medical Problems Notebook in the office for any additions or changes.

2. If a student on your field trip requires medication at school, you are responsible for acquiring the medication (in it’s pharmacy bottle) from school and administering at the appropriate time. Upon returning from the field trip record in the medication log the time the meds were given and your name. Return the medication to the appropriate storage area.

3. The teacher is to manage and care for all medications with the only exceptions: emergency medication such as asthma inhalers and bee sting medications, which can be carried by the student.

4. Students who may need Emergency Treatment, i.e., seizures, diabetes, severe allergy asthma, may have additional guidelines to follow. Consult the Red Medical Problem Notebook in the Front Office for that information. Photocopy the information for that student and take it with you on the field trip.

5. Consult with all students who you may have medication to administer or medical concerns.

6. Consult with the regional school nurse if you have any concerns regarding a particular students and his or her medical situation. Special training of the teacher may be necessary for a student to go on a field trip.

7. Consult with the principal for special guidelines requiring students to be gone longer than the normal school day. This may have an effect on the management of certain health problems.