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Home   >   School Board   >   District Policies   >   300 Curriculum and Instruction   >   352 Field Trips   >   352 Field Trips Rule

Adopted: 03/16/2009

 

352-Rule

 

The School District of Prairie Farm

 

Student Field Trips and Community Service

 

Elementary Field Trip Guidelines

 

1.       All classes will have the opportunity for two field trips per year (all fieldtrips must be approved by administration).

·         One academic (teacher may request two).

·         One recreational

 

2.       Field trips beyond the two allocated must:

·         Be administratively approved.

·         Charged out to external sources.

 

3.       Each class will be provided with local field trip opportunities that are low cost or no cost in nature. Administration must also approve this.

 

4.       Elementary has one school wide trip per year.

 

Other considerations when requesting an extra trip:

  • Cost of fuel
  • First come, first serve and the availability of dollars.
  • Planning is important-it is a must.
  • Time of year.

 

Middle School Field Trip Guidelines

Grade Level Trips

1.       Each grade level will have the opportunity to participate in two field trips per year. These trips must be educational related.

 

  1. Each class will be provided with local field trip experiences that are low cost or no cost outside the classroom educational experience.

 

  1. The middle school students will have the opportunity to participate in two school wide field trips per year. The purpose of the trips shall be educational in nature.

 

  1. Field trips must be administratively approved.

 

Middle School Combined Trips:

 

Students may have two trips that are a combination of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. One of these trips may be a reward or “fun trip” and the other must be educationally related (see Field trip handbook).

 

 

Other Information:

  1. Chaperone ratio in the middle school is one teacher per twelve students.

 

  1. Administration may approve other field trips. Approval for field trips shall always be subject to budget considerations.

 

  1. $50.00 per staff member for local trips, non-cumulative. This does not include the cost of fuel or the driver.

 

High School Field Trip Guidelines

 

General Understanding

 

High School activities such as FCCLA, FFA, Forensics, athletics, band, etc. are not subject to field trip restrictions except for the following:

 

  • Students need be pre-approved by staff members prior to attending field trip activity.
  • Club activities shall be monitored as to frequency and necessity of them; advisor and/or activity director shall provide rationale for activities.
  • Athletic teams shall leave at pre-announced times and at appropriate times.
  • Academic field trips are paid for by the District following (all other field trip guidelines have been adhered to).
  • When organizations take “extra” field trips such as a trip to the Mall of America, a fee will be assessed to cover expenses of the trip.

Other Considerations

 

  1. The Prairie Farm High School offers programs and activities that all students are invited to participate in. The nature of these programs is that they are high-school based and therefore fundamentally and qualitatively different from Middle School and Elementary programs. Eventually, all of our students will have an opportunity to participate in the programs.

 

  1. Field trips shall be administratively approved.

 

  1. High School clubs and activities are for the most part, self-supporting. The school district via board action has allocated dollars for designated activities and programs.

 

  1. Each teacher will be allocated $50.00 for local field trips, non-accumulated. This does not include the cost of fuel or the driver.

 

  1. Field trips outside of the school day beyond local area shall be self-supporting.  Students shall be charged enough money to cover the costs of the activity, including the cost of the bus and operations.

 

  1. School Board approval shall be required:
  • When a field trip is planned involving an overnight stay.
  • When the field trip is out of the state (excluding eastern Minnesota).

 

 

  1. Note: high school teachers with various classes must use discretion and good judgment when they are planning field trips. For example, it makes little sense for a teacher to plan field trips for everyone of his/her classes separately in one school year. Moreover, if offered to administration, multiple field trips would probably be denied. A better approach would be to have a common field trip of interest in his/her subject area and take one field trip in a year, or, plan multiple field trips over the years.

 

  1. High School teachers desiring to take a filed trip with under ten (minimum) students are asked to team up with another staff member in order to make the field trip fiscally sound.

 

 

Chaperones:

  1. Grade Pre-K 6: One adult for every 6 students.
  2. Grades 7-12: One adult for every 12 students (depending on the nature of the field trip).

 

 

 

       

Community Service

 

Community Service projects are important educational experiences students can participate in. Whether it is helping at a senior citizen’s center or cleaning up a roadside or park, all have value for Prairie Farm students. Teachers planning for community service programs must inform the administration and review plans and activities with the administration. When it is possible, the teachers should arrange a student presentation for the board of education.

 

CROSS REFERENCE:. 352 Field Trips