The Faculty of Calabasas High School believes that field trips that are designed to stimulate student interest and inquiry and to provide opportunities for educational growth and development can be appropriate extensions of the classroom.

The criteria used for assessing the advisability of a proposed trip include:

• Consideration for the amount of lost school time
• Student safety
• Evaluation of its unique educational opportunity
• Its relationship to the curriculum or standards for the course.

As of the beginning of the 2010/2011, CHS has not adopted quotas for maximum numbers of field trips, or maximum number of field trips for students per year. The hope is that teachers will be mindful of the impact that missed classroom time has on students, and balance the learning opportunity of the field trip with loss of instructional minutes. Teachers are encouraged to consider planning trips that have no negative impact on instructional time.

Field Trips: A field trip is defined as a student or a group of students leaving a school campus or participating in an overnight activity under the sponsorship of the school and under the supervision of school employees. Any trip made by students, which has not been approved in accordance with this policy, shall not be considered a field trip. Note: If an employee of CHS acts as independent agent and plans a non-school sponsored trip involving school students, the employee must inform parents and students that the trip is not sponsored by CHS and CHS assumes no responsibility or liability for the trip.

Application Procedure: Teacher/Advisor/Coach submits application by a pre-determined deadline for the coming academic year.

Applications will include:

• Purpose of trip
• Amount of impact on the academic day
• State/national standards addressed
• Funding source (transportation and substitute
• Three proposed dates
• Alternative times

Type of Field Trip: There are three categories of field trips

• “A” - Field trip is ‘requirement’ of the course
• “B” - Field trip enhances the course and supports standards
• “C” - Field trip is for enrichment

Approval and schedule: All field trips must be approved by the principal. (This shall include any field trip that requires Board of Education approval.)

Approved field trips will be scheduled in an equitable manner.

Requests submitted after the deadline will only be approved if they fall into the “A” category.

Overnight trips MUST allow for a scheduled homework/student time.

All previously scheduled assignments and/or tests will be due on the scheduled day.

Rules for Field Trips

• Field trips must be approved in advance by an administrator. Site approval must be received prior to seeking Board Approval for field trips that require board approval.
  
  
• All aspects of the field trip will be designed to provide highly effective means for accomplishing the objective of the curriculum. The amount of classroom time that is lost must be justified by the educational opportunity provided by the field trip.
  
  
• Students’ safety will be the primary consideration. Adequate supervision will be provided at all times for all students and such supervision will take into account any unique circumstances or dangers posed by the trip.
  
  
• All fees for voluntary class or co-curricular field trips will be reviewed prior to approval. The sponsor of that trip must certify to the school principal that provisions have been made for group members unable to pay required fees.
  
  
• Field trip sponsors shall not pay or commit any deposits and/or fees for any field trip until all required approvals have been granted.
  
  
• The use of private or leased vehicles by staff members or parents for transporting small groups of students must be pre-authorized by the principal.
  
  
• Teachers are responsible for informing accompanying adults of their responsibilities.
  
  
• The teacher will review acceptable standards of conduct with the students in advance of the trip.
  
  
• The teacher has primary responsibility for the conduct of the students.
  
  
• The teacher planning the trip will be responsible for arranging an appropriate educational experience and supervision for the students who do not participate in the field trip.
  
  
• Prior to leaving on the field trip, the teacher will provide the attendance clerk a list of the students who will be on the trip so that correct attendance can be taken.
  
  
• Health emergency information for each student must be taken on each field trip or excursion by the teacher/administrator in charge.
  
  
• Should an emergency occur, the teacher is responsible for notifying a CHS administrator by telephone as soon as reasonably possible.