Effective Date: January 15, 2001
Revised Dates: March 27, 2009 / August 23, 2010 / May 5, 2011 / April 21, 2015
Responsibility: Superintendent of Program & Schools
APPENDIX A: Acceptable/Prohibited/Restricted Activities
APPENDIX B: Volunteer Driver - Authorization to Transport Students
APPENDIX C: Informed Consent / Permission Form For Education Trips (Students Under 18 years)
APPENDIX D: Release and Indemnification Form For Education Trips (Students 18 years of age and older)
APPENDIX E: Information Form For Out-Of-Classroom Education Trips / Activities (under 18 years of age)
APPENDIX F: Information Form For Out-Of-Classroom Education Trips / Activities (18 years of age and older)
APPENDIX G: Student Medical Form
APPENDIX H: Emergency Action Plan
APPENDIX I: Principal's/Superintendent's Information and Approval Form for Out-Of-Classroom Activities
1. Definition of Educational Out-of-Classroom Activities
The Near North District School Board supports efforts of staff to provide meaningful out-ofclassroom activities for students and recognizes that these activities enhance classroom and school objectives. These activities are extensions of the learning taking place within the classroom. There must be clearly stated, reasonable and attainable educational objectives which are part of ongoing school activities. This guideline is designed to assist in planning out-of-classroom experiences to ensure that risks are managed while promoting the educational value of the activity. In some cases these procedures will need to be followed for regular activities in Phys. Ed. and other classes.
2. All out-of-classroom activities...
must be organized on the basis of these guidelines (and where appropriate as a minimum on the basis of the OPHEA guidelines). An activity must not be one of those set out in the list of prohibited activities (Appendix A). The relevant OPHEA guideline must be attached to the Principal and Superintendent Information Form. If no OPHEA guideline exists, staff must contact the Health and Safety Officer to seek advice and this advice must be followed. If an activity is not listed in the OPHEA guideline, the activity may not be appropriate for school trips. In all cases care must be exercised to ensure that the type of supervision is in place and the recommended ratio of supervisors to participants is followed.
3. Equipment, Clothing and Footwear
Refer to OPHEA guidelines re: required equipment, clothing and personal protective equipment and footwear. i.e. CSA hockey helmets shall not to be interchanged with bicycle helmets. To decide which helmet for which activity, consult thinkfirst.ca, softball: OPHEA 2008v2. If students are permitted to bring their own equipment, it must be in good working order and shall not be shared with others. OPHEA elementary and secondary guidelines on ice skating state that staff shall communicate the requirement of wearing a CSA approved hockey helmet. Staff shall model safe sports practice by wearing helmets at skating activities. For trips over water, the weight of students shall be ascertained and the boat operator notified of the number of children under 40 kg and requiring a child’s life jacket. The boat must carry the necessary lifejackets for all adults and children on the trip in correct sizes and other statutorily required lifesaving equipment. Consideration should always be given to requiring all persons, adults and children, to wear their lifejackets throughout the trip. New standards – CSA approved helmets for skiing and snowboarding.
4. Activity Approval Forms/Parental Information Forms
The attached Principal’s/Superintendent’s Information Form (Appendix I) must be completed for out-of-classroom activities that go beyond the category of walking to local areas of interest or nature walks. This form must be submitted to the Principal or appropriate Superintendent for approval two weeks prior to the activity unless exceptional circumstances make that impossible.
For longer trips an itinerary will be sent to parents of all students including accommodation sites and telephone numbers and may include a phone tree. A copy will be kept at the school and by the trip contact person. For each activity an Information Form (Appendix E or F depending on age of student) shall be completed by the parent or student at least one week prior to the activity. For Tim Horton Children’s Foundation – Agency Agreement and Informed Consent Forms OSBIE School Board Trip Agreement Between Agencies Form – http://osbie.on.ca/pdf/School_Board_Trip_Agreement_Between_Agencies_Form.pdf
5. Medical Forms for Out-of-Classroom Activities
Approved forms (Appendix G) for each student shall be completed and need to be screened by the trip leader beforehand to ensure that each participant is medically fit to participate. The form must be filled out by the parent or student (who is 18 or older) and must be taken on the trip by the teacher in charge. Children Under 18 – http://osbie.on.ca/pdf/Informed_Consent_OSBIE Under 18 - Tim Horton_Camp_2009.pdf A supervisor who holds a current First Aid certificate shall be placed with students with serious ailments. Anaphylactic students must be identified and carry at least two epinephrine auto injectors on outdoor excursions and supervisors must be trained on use of the epi-pen. Students must bring a supply of prescribed medication in a clearly marked container plus and an additional 50% supply in a clearly marked container both of which must be kept in the teacher’s/supervisor’s possession. Special care instructions are to be provided in Appendix G.
6. Informed Parental Consent...
is required and the school must provide the parent/guardian with sufficient information to make an informed decision about whether their child should participate. Details must be provided about: the purpose of the trip; risks, if any, including types of activities (ie water activities or high levels physical activity); where the activity will be held - time, date and location; transportation; cost of activity and cost of chaperones; supervision; what student needs to bring – lunch, money, specialized equipment/shoes; safety precautions due to environmental factors (i.e. sun, hypothermia, etc.); and medical information. If a parent does not sign or marks out any part of the consent form, it shall be interpreted as the parents’ unwillingness to accept the risk of the activity and the student shall not be allowed to participate. A sample parental consent form which outlines the activities and elements of risk is attached (Appendix C). A sample Release and Indemnification Form must be signed by students who are 18 years of age is attached (Appendix D). If not signed they shall not participate.
7. Accident Insurance
The Board does not provide accidental death, disability dismemberment or medical expenses insurance for students. Inexpensive student accident insurance is available each year through the Board at the beginning of each school year. Forms can be obtained through the Board and through the Health and Safety Officer throughout the school year.
- Out-of-province/out-of-country medical insurance must be obtained by each student for all travel outside Ontario as a condition of being allowed to participate in the activity.
8. Volunteer Supervision
Principals shall screen all volunteers who supervise activities on school premises or out-of-classroom activities. They shall be informed of school expectations and safety procedures. The level of screening is dependent on the level of responsibility to be assumed by the volunteer. Information is provided in the administrative guideline on Volunteers. Volunteer Coaches. –Any parent who is approved by the Principal (or designate) as a coach and who does not have a teaching certificate, shall:
- be interviewed and approved by the principal;
- become familiar with relevant school and board policies; and
- be assigned a coach liaison who must be a teacher or administrator. The liaison shall ensure the volunteer follows school and board policies. At the elementary level, the coach liaison must be at all practices and all games and at the secondary level, they must always be accessible and their location known.
9. Transportation
Transportation should be on Consortium school buses as much as possible and 15-seat passenger vans must not be used. The Principal will arrange transportation at least 5 days prior to the event; a list of all students, volunteers, drivers, staff and license plate numbers will accompany the supervisor on each bus; one copy will remain at the school and one copy will be in the possession of the trip contact person.
- Volunteer drivers must sign the Volunteer Driver Form (Appendix B) and secondary school students must not be used as drivers. Staff and volunteers must meet school board requirements for insurance ($1,000,000 in third party iability) and licensing. Volunteers must comply with the Volunteer Administrative Guidelines including obtaining a criminal reference check.
- On all outdoor education excursions, a vehicle for emergency purposes must be accessible. If taxis are being used, a list of all students in each vehicle will be prepared. For extended excursions transportation must be booked through a licensed carrier and the Consortium must be contacted to find the number of continuous hours the driver may drive.
- Parental permission forms are required for team travel and parents/guardians are to be informed when the school is unable to provide transportation. Before departing for an overnight excursion, parents must be given the name and telephone number of the trip contact person who will be available on a 24 hour basis and an itinerary will be provided. A parent information session is suggested in advance of the trip.
10. Emergency Planning
Teachers must plan beforehand how to access emergency medical care and prepare an emergency action plan (Appendix H). The “buddy system” shall be used, which allows for faster head counting in case of an emergency. A complete list of all contact names shall be posted in a visible area in the school office. In event of an emergency situation, a convenient meeting area should be arranged, following parental notification, to allow privacy fact-finding and information exchange. Supervisors qualified in CPR and First Aid must be available for high risk activities as required by OPHEA. For higher risk sports, the HOST school is required to provide first aid coverage by qualified personnel throughout the activity or performance.
11. Invitational School Events
Events sponsored by Near North schools may offer other NNDSB schools the opportunity to participate. Schools decide if they wish to participate and school staff should accompany participating students. Volunteers and/or parents shall meet the requirements of the Volunteer Administrative Guidelines including, having a criminal reference check be familiar with Board policies in case situations arise and be qualified to coach in that event.
12. Educational In-School Decisions
In selecting field trips, the maturity of the students and the curriculum being studied shall be considered. Teachers are encouraged to maximize student participation in establishing objectives; planning the trip; administration within their abilities; data collection and post trip use of information. Students may be excluded from participating by the Principal in the interests of the quality of the trip and the welfare of other participants. No student shall be excluded unless the exceptionality is detrimental to the trip and/or the welfare of others or if the parents or an adult student does not comply with the requirements of this Guideline. Students/parents may be asked to pay toward the cost of the trip, but the Principal shall ensure that no student is left out because it is a hardship for the payment to be made. Appropriate practices will be established to select the grades/classes who will gain educationally and socially from the experience. Parents are encouraged to volunteer, provided they meet the requirements of Volunteer Administrative Guideline. The costs are expected to be affordable to students and the costs, including fund raising, will be reviewed annually with input from School Council. The principal shall oversee all fundraising to ensure it conforms to Board policies. Arrangements must be made for accounting of funds, expenditures and a refund policy. A field trip record shall be maintained to avoid replication of trips, to maintain an ongoing evaluation of field trips and to encourage quality of opportunity. Supervisors and volunteers must report any inappropriate conduct to the Principal or designate. They are expected to adhere to the itinerary, to dress appropriately and follow Board policies related to the use of alcohol, drugs and other prohibited substances.
Trips to rural settings, outdoor education camps: The trip provider and/or campsite manager needs to be contacted with information about the seizure disorder to check if the provider/site manager can advise whether they can accommodate the student’s requirements for safe participation in the program. If the safe participation for the students with a seizure disorder cannot safely be accommodated, teachers must choose an alternate trip location that is accessible for the student.
13. Trip Approval
Trips may be refused due to the following: if time lines are inappropriate; safety; equity of participation; little or no linkage to curriculum; cost and lack of appropriate supervision.
14. Out-of-Province/Out-of-Country Travel
Check with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada before travelling to foreign destinations, and follow the recommendations of the Department. Call 1-800-267-6788 for issues related to security and safety of travelers. Ensure that out-of-province-or out-of-county medical insurance has been purchased by the participants. If no coverage is in place, the student shall not participate.
15. Waivers and Release Forms
Great care must be taken when asked to sign a Release by an outside organization. The Board has the power to refuse to sign a Release. Do not sign release forms issued by facility operators or agree to issue Certificates of Insurance naming commercial operators (resorts, ski hills, recreational facilities) as an additional insured. Do not sign a document that includes an indemnification clause in favour of the facility.
16. Insurance
Any requests for certificates of insurance must be forwarded to the Health and Safety Officer. Request confirmation that the operator carries liability insurance.
