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.