Field Trip Policy

1. Most field trips will be limited to 20 children maximum. This will ensure a good ratio for learning and questions, while allowing us to spread out the cost of the field trip.

2. Field trip sign-ups will be available via the newsletter one to two months before the trip, and are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

3. Payment for field trips is required at the time of the sign-up. Do not sign up unless you are prepared to pay, as you may be bumped by a family on the waiting list who has already paid, and you will not be notified. The cost of field trips is not refundable. However, on your own you may arrange to transfer your payment to another family and collect your cost from them. If you do so, please let your field trip hostess know ahead of time so she can plan accordingly.

4. When field trips have an age limit, it must be strictly adhered to. Most of the time the limit is set by the tour guides. Occasionally, the Field Trip hostess may have a reason to set an age limit.

5. If the field trip is full, parents are encouraged to place their names on a waiting list. There may be space that opens up at the last minute. At times, a piggyback tour might be scheduled, or a parent may volunteer to arrange another tour date for those on the waiting list.

6. If, after signing up for a field trip you find that you are unable to attend, please call the field trip hostess as soon as possible so that she can notify someone on the waiting list.

7. Parental supervision on field trips is required. If the parent is unable to accompany, she must find another parent or adult to be responsible for her children. The safety of our children on these outings is our first priority.

8. Transportation to and from the field trip location is the responsibility of the parent. Car-pooling with other families is encouraged, but is not arranged by CHECC or the field trip hostess.

9. Children are expected to mind their manners and exhibit Jesus Christ in their behavior. Remind your children to raise their hands for questions and to respect the authority of the tour guides and adults in charge. We enjoy the comments we receive from our tour guides about how good our group is. What a great witness for homeschooling!

10. Field trips are for the children. We ask that parents do not ask questions during the tour, but rather that they are saved for a point in the tour where asking the question will not be disruptive. Adult questions frequently bore children and discourage them from asking their own questions. Adult questions also remove the tour guide’s focus from the children and places it on the parents.

11. Parents are responsible for the behavior of their children, especially pre-schoolers and toddlers. Unruly behavior spoils the field trip for all; however, tour guides often give us extra privileges when they see our group is well behaved.

12. Enjoy the field trip, your children, and the fun and fellowship of being with other homeschool families!

CHECC field trips are easy to plan. It all starts with your willingness to organize a trip and act as Hostess for our group field trip. Choose a trip destination that will enrich your family educational goals, or one that is just for fun. If you or someone you know has a field trip idea book or an excursion book, such as Places to Go with Children in Northern California by Elizabeth Pomada, which can help with ideas.

Download a copy of the CHECC Field Trip Planner sheet. This helpful sheet lists all the information you need to collect while planning and making calls for your trip.

Call the field trip location for pertinent information – costs, age range, and dates & times, etc. Make sure to fill out the information on your CHECC Field Trip Planner. Then submit an email by the 20^th of the month all pertinent field trip information including your phone number and email address to the newsletter editor. Information to include is to ask for names and ages of students, parent’s name, phone number and amount paid. Sign ups should be 1-2 months ahead of time to allow sufficient time for sign ups and collection of payment. Please remember that a sign up is not valid until payment is received.

Send all necessary information, tickets, directions, etc. to participants at least 1–2 weeks before the trip. Keep track of your letters/postage, phone calls, copies, and all expenses incurred for this trip. Keep your receipts.

Confirm the field trip at least 48 hours before the trip, and prepare nametags for the children to wear. On the day of the field trip, you will want to arrive early to see if there are any special safety or other rules to make the group aware of and to check families in as they arrive. You will also need to pass out the nametags and remind parents to supervise their children closely. Instruct the children to be considerate and respectful by raising their hands and obeying the rules and requests of the tour guide. Finally, relax and enjoy the field trip with your family and friends!

After the field trip, please give or send a thank you note to the tour guide from the CHECC group. Complete your expense report and field trip evaluation and send a copy of the CHECC Field Trip Planner and your receipts to the CHECC Treasurer no later than one week after the trip, for timely reimbursement of the planning expenses incurred.

Thank you for your help with field trips. Care to plan another one?

Field Trip Ideas to Get You Started

Community
Police Stations, Fire Stations, Bakeries, Restaurants, Grocery Stores, Hospitals, Post Office, Art Studios, Airports, Factories such as Mother’s Cookie, Oakland; Dreyer’s Ice Cream, Fremont; Sonoma French Cheese Factory, Petaluma; Mrs. Grossman’s Sticker Factory, Petaluma; Jelly Belly Factory, Fairfield;

Local ranches and/or farms and dairies, garden nurseries, Miniature Horse Farm, Marin; Basic Brown Bear Factory, S.F., and much more…

Science and Nature
Crab Cove Marine Reserve, Alameda – Sunol Wilderness Preserve; Exploratorium, S.F.; Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito; Steinhardt Aquarium and Natural History Museum, Golden Gate Park; Ardenwood Historical Farm; Natural Bridges State Beach – for Monarch butterflies – Santa Cruz; Shell Refinery and other manufacturing plants; Chabot Observatory; Tilden Park; Children’s Discovery Museum, San Jose; Tech Museum of Innovation; Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley; Oakland Museum

Historical
Old Mint, Cable Car Museum, Wells Fargo Museum, S.F.; Alcatraz; Hyde Street Pier Historical Ships; Ardenwood Historical Farm, Fremont; Shadelands Museum, Walnut Creek; Sutter’s Fort, Railroad Museum, State Indian Museum, Sacramento; Black Diamond Mines, Antioch; Lachryma Montis (General Vallejo’s city home), Sonoma; San Jose Historical Museum, San Jose; any of the Bay Area Spanish Missions. All area historical homes, sites and ranches & much more…

Fine Arts
Operas, Symphonies, Ballets, concerts of all types, live theatre, plays, musicals, travelogues, museums and exhibits of all sorts. – And much, much more!