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  • Illnesses and Contagious Diseases
  • General Academic Matters
  • Field Trips
  • Auxiliary Programs
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  • Miscellaneous
  • Middle School Athletics
• Financial Aid Process - Returning Families

Field Trips

Field trips are a key part of the program, planned to support and enrich the learning experience. All students are expected to participate, however, since the school is responsible for the safety of students when accompanying them off campus, students whose behavior has been judged to be consistently irresponsible and uncooperative will not be permitted to participate in field trips. In this matter, administrators will make the final decision.

Teachers plan field trips. Field trips offer a wonderful opportunity for children to explore new places and to extend and apply learning in different surroundings. Sometimes there is a fee or transportation cost involved. Usually we take school buses to the destination. Bus companies have met the requirements set by St. Anne’s School to ensure a safe and comfortable trip. Some trips may involve lunch. When packing a lunch for a field trip, please be certain that everything is in an unbreakable, disposable container.

Lower School Field Trips: Chaperones

We welcome Lower School families to participate as chaperones for field trips. Teachers will supply chaperones with field trip guidelines. These guidelines are also located below. We request that chaperones review this prior to a trip to ensure the safety of all. When chaperoning a field trip, please keep the following in mind:

• Parents serve as chaperones and representatives of the school for the duration of any day or overnight field trip.  Parents maintain their school chaperone supervisory status during overnight hours, serving in this role on trips, at dinner, in hotel/camp settings, and at pools/recreation areas.  The school does not permit consumption of alcohol/cigarettes by adults serving as chaperones.  The school expects that all recreational activities, including music/movie selections, are selected with care and are appropriate for general audiences.  The school expects all adults to be sensitive of their language usage in the presence of children.
• When parents agree to chaperone a trip, we rely on them to be available to the children in the small group they are watching throughout the trip. Because we rely on parents in this way, we do not permit siblings to accompany us.
• We have found that cell phones are more of a distraction than a help on trips, so we request that you use your phone for emergencies only, and not for business, while on a field trip.
• On some trips we can take a limited number of people and have to restrict the number of parents who may attend. Teachers use a variety of methods to select chaperones. 

Field Trip Chaperone Guidance Information

Chaperones are our role models. With this in mind, we deeply appreciate your efforts in making field trips safe and fun-filled learning experiences. Below, please find guidance points for your very important role.

• Stay together. You will be given a small group of students to supervise during the trip. At all times, students under your guidance should be within “arms' reach.” Should a child stray from your group, take all children with you and gather that child. If a child repeatedly strays, please let the classroom teacher know immediately. The classroom teacher may then ask the child to join his or her group.
• Ask for active listening. All students know that this means listening with their “eyes, ears, mind, body, and heart.” If children become boisterous, simply stating, “You need to be an active listener now” will be a good reminder. If a child has difficulty listening, let the classroom teacher know.
• Students know they are ambassadors of St. Anne’s School when they’re away from school, and we consistently see terrific, appropriate behavior on their part. However, if someone is behaving in an inappropriate way, please know there are steps for the chaperone to take. Remind the child that you expect appropriate behavior throughout the visit. Let the child know what that behavior looks like, and that, if inappropriate behavior continues, you will notify the teacher. If a student continues to misbehave, please let a teacher know immediately.
• An adult must supervise students at all times. Supervise restroom visits.  If a student needs to use the restroom, your group should stop what they’re doing and all should travel to the area and wait outside the restroom for the student. If you are with the main group, let the classroom teacher know that you are accompanying an individual to and from the restroom. The rest of your group may stay with the teacher until you return.
• Use hand signals with which the children are familiar to gather them together or get their attention. At St. Anne’s School, common signals include raising one hand and giving the “peace sign” to ask for quiet. Conducting a rhythmic clapping sequence which the children then echo, indicating their attention. These signals will be reviewed in class.
• Gift shops are not part of our visit. Please do not take your group into the gift shop on the field trip. Teachers and students discuss beforehand the reasons a gift shop is not part of a visit, and teachers instruct students not to bring money for such purposes. In the interest of keeping all things equal, please refrain from purchasing items for your child or the group. We encourage families to return on their own to our field trip sites, and that is a more appropriate time to spend time in the gift shop.
• Maintain quiet during presentations. Remind all people in your group that there must be absolute quiet during teacher directions or presentations. Sometimes other adults may even want to chat with you at this time, but we appreciate your cooperation in helping to maintain the guidelines we set for all.
• Emergency procedures.  Teachers will carry cell phones and will indicate where the class should gather in the instance of an emergency. Should an emergency occur, please go directly to the designated area that the teacher has indicated. In an emergency, a chaperone’s first duty is to the small group with whom he or she is charged. Getting directions from the classroom teacher and directing your group in accordance are your primary responsibilities. Please refrain from using your cell phone for business use during a trip. The teacher may ask you to utilize your cell phone, however, for emergency purposes.