Covid-19 – Protocols and practice for outdoor excursions
- SD71 approves parent volunteers to assist on outdoor excursions – although it is highly encouraged to use a bus.
- If parents are within 2 m of staff and students it is required they wear a mask
- Parents must drive their own vehicle to meet classes at any off-site location
- Parents can only drive their own child
- Teachers can drive up to two students from their own cohort, masks on and windows ajar.
- Students from the same cohort can ride a bus together
- In accordance with public health regulations currently there is no more than 10 adults gathering at one time outdoors.
Walking Field Trip
A: Short Off-site walks <1.5km
B: Extended Walking/Sightseeing walks >1.5km
A) Walking Field Trips-Safety Guidelines
(e.g., 300 m walk to a park to collect leaves for Art)
Starting and finishing at the school
Generally staying within 1.5 km of the school
Obvious route
Short duration outing; generally within a class period
Group walking as a single unit
No major traffic to contend with (e.g., quiet roads and/or controlled intersections)
All students visible virtually all of the time
What do I need for a walking field trip?
- Annual walking form
- Communications with parents – reminder email – Who / When / Where / What / Why / How
- Notify school admin & office – map
- Identify known potential risks
- Prepare students: Students are adequately prepared for the distance and weather (food, water, clothing). Extra support for students with high needs. Medications, (ex. epi-pen, inhaler).
- Teacher Check List
NOTE: When walking with students, safety management approaches will vary somewhat depending on the age and maturity of the students.
B) Extended Walking Field Trip-Safety Guidelines
(e.g., 2 km walk to/from botanical garden & walk through it)
Walking more than 1.5 km from the school grounds (one way)
Walking in less familiar environments (e.g., following a bus ride to a walking tour location)
Some way-finding likely needed
Duration generally longer than a class period (including any travel to/from the area)
More and/or faster traffic to deal with
Group spread out and/or walking in subgroups
Not all students in sight all of the time
What do I need for extended walking field trips?
- Proposal for Normal Risk activity form – submit to school admin
- Parent/Guardian consent Normal Risk Activities
- Letter to parents/guardians: Who / When / What / Where / Why / How
- Reconnaissance trip to get familiar with specific site to best prepare for the day and your risk management plan.
- Identify known potential risks
- Prepare students:
- Students are adequately prepared for the distance and weather (food, water, clothing).
- Extra support for students with high needs.
- Medications, (ex. epi-pen, inhaler).
NOTE: When walking with students, safety management approaches will vary somewhat depending on the age and maturity of the students.