FIELDTRIPCHAPERONERESPONSIBILITIES
TheNationalCenterforAtmosphericResearch'sfieldtripprogramwouldnotbepossiblewithouttheassistanceofchaperoneslikeyourself.Alongwithteachersandeventleaders,weconsideryouourpartnersinensuringthateachstudent'sexperienceiseducationalandenjoyable,andtheoverallgroup'svisitisaresoundingsuccess.Whatisexpectedofachaperonecanvaryfromonefieldtriplocationtoanotherandoftenfromoneteachertoanother.Consequently,wehavelistedwhatweviewasthedutiesandresponsibilitiesofeachchaperonevisitingNCAR.BEFORETHEVISIT
Findoutaboutus.ExploretheUCARandNCARWebsite.Watchthevideo,Connectionssothatyoucananswerbasicquestionsfromstudentsabouttheorganization.Ifpossible,visitusinadvanceoftheofficialfieldtrip.Remember,thebestchaperoneisaninformedchaperone!
Findoutwhattheteacheroreventleaderexpectsofyouinadditiontoourrequests:o Willyoudrivestudentsorwillyoutravelbybus?o Ifdriving,isitnecessaryformetoprovidedetailsregardingmycarinsurance?o Aredrivingdirectionsandparkinginformationavailable?o Howmanystudentswillbeinyourgroup?Doanyofthemhavespecialneeds?o Whatisthescheduledlengthanditineraryforthefieldtrip?o ShouldIpackalunchorisNCAR'scafeteriaavailable?o Willeveryonebegivenanametag?o Confirmthedateandtimeofdeparturewiththeteacher/eventleader.o Confirmwhereyouwillmeetthegroupbeforeleavingonthefieldtrip.
Willthegroupbehikingduringthefieldtrip?Ifso,arestudentsandchaperonesawareofappropriate attire,sunscreen,andwaterbottleneeds?
Ifastudentmisbehavesorisdisrespectfuloffellowstudents,NCARstaff,chaperones,orthephysicalfacilityduringthefieldtrip,whatisthedisciplinepolicy?
ProvidetheteacherwithyourcellphonenumberincaseofunforeseeneventsinroutetoNCARorbacktoyoursiteoforigin.
AlthoughnotprohibitedbyNCAR,wehighlyrecommendthatchaperonesavoidbringingtheirstudent'ssiblingorsiblingswheneverpossible.Thisallowschaperonestogivetheirundividedattentiontostudentsintheircare.Pleasecheckwithyourstudent'steacheroreventleaderwhowillconfirmthepolicytobefollowed.
PREPARATIONSONTHEDAYOFYOURVISIT
FollowtheBoyScout'smotto,"BePrepared!"Packafewthingsthatmayproveinvaluablesuchastissues;asmallfirst‐aidekitthatincludesBand‐Aids,sunscreenandwipes;anumbrella;acameraorvideocamera;awristwatch;water;andapenandsmallpadofpaper.
Essentialstobringincludeacellphoneandcellnumbersoftheteacher/eventleaderandNCAR'sfrontdesk;directionstoNCAR'sMesaLab;alistofstudentsinyourgroup;essentialinformationthattheteacher/eventleaderhasprovidedchaperones;money;andalunchifneeded.
TypicallyafieldtriptoNCARwilllastanywherefromtwotofourhoursandincludethreetofivedistincteventsincluding:
1.Tourofthefacilityandsupercomputers 2.ScienceLearningLab,pre‐chosenatthetimeofscheduling 3.Exhibittime 4.WeatherTrailand/orMesaTrailhike(optional) 5.LunchatNCAR(optional)
DURINGTHEFIELDTRIP Ifyouaredrivingandtransportingstudents,pleasegodirectlyfromthelocationoforigintoNCARand
viceversatoavoidbeinglateineitherdirectionandunnecessarilyworryingothers. Pleasefollowthetimeguidelinesandmeetinglocationssetforthbytheteacheroreventleader.Itis
helpfultowearawatchinordertostayonschedule. Gettoknowthenamesandpersonalitiesofthestudentsinyourcare.Makesurethattheyalsoknow
yourname. Staywithyourassignedstudentsatalltimes.Makesurethattheyknowthisexpectationaswell. InstructallyourstudentstogoimmediatelytotheNCARFrontDeskiflostorseparatedfromthe
group.Thefrontdeskstaffwillensurethatthestudentisescortedbacktohis/hergrouppromptly. Studentsinmiddleschooloryoungeraretobeescortedtotherestrooms.Ifyouhavebothboysandgirls
inyourgroup,workwithanotherchaperonesothatonemayescorttheboyswhiletheotherescortsthegirls.
PleaseturnofformuteyourcellphoneduringthefieldtripasacourtesytotheVisitorProgramstaff.Ifyoumusttakeacall,pleasestepoutsideoftheclassroomifitoccursduringtheLearningLabtoavoidadisruption.
Ifstayingforlunch,pleasehelpstudentsuseNCAR'srecycling,composting,andtrashbins.Ifyouareunsurewhatisrecyclableorcompostable,pleaseaskforassistancefromVisitorProgramorCafeteriastaff.
StudentsarenotallowedtousethecafeteriatobuydrinksorlunchunlesstheteacheroreventleaderhasmadepriorarrangementswithNCAR'sEventServicesstafffortheentiregroup.Ifastudentorstudentsforgettheirlunch,pleasenotifytheteacherandVisitorProgramStaffsothatfoodcanbearranged.
Chaperonesmayusethecafeteriaaslongasanotherchaperone,teacher,oreventleadercansupervisetheirstudentswhiletheydoso.
Pleaseknowthatyouareanimportantcomponentofasuccessfulfieldtrip.Modelrespectfulbehavior;encouragestudents to question, investigate, and talk about what they see and experience.
Establishapositiverapportwithyourstudentsbutensurethattheyknowyouwillenforcethebehavioralexpectationssetforth.
EncouragealoveofnatureandfosterobservationalskillsbyincludingawalkontheWalterOrrRobertsWeatherTrailwithyourstudentsduringthefieldtrip.
STUDENTEXPECTATIONSPleasebesuretoenforceandreiterateNCAR'sstudentbehaviorexpectationswithyourgroup.Thesewillbereviewedwiththestudentsuponarrivalbutarelistedhereforyouradvancedreview:
EnterthebuildingquietlyandsitontheentrancerugwhileyourteacheroreventleadersignsinwithNCAR'sfrontdeskstaff.
BecauseNCARisaplaceofbusiness,pleaseuseinsidevoicesatalltimesbothinandoutsidethefacility. Alwayswalkwhileinsidethefacility. Staywithyourchaperoneandgroupthroughoutthevisit. Ifseparatedfromyourgroupforanyreason,pleasegoimmediatelytotheNCARFrontDeskandnotify
theNCARreceptionistwhowillpromptlyensurethatyourareescortedbacktoyourgroup. Questionsandquestioningarehighlyencouragedduringallcomponentsofthefieldtrip,asisactive
explorationofthevariousexhibitsandtheWalterOrrRobertsWeatherTrail. Mostimportantofall,havefun!
Please have students leave backpacks on the bus or in the cars in which they came to NCAR. It is best to bring student lunches into the buildingif the group will be eating lunch at NCAR.