Day Programs Overview
What follows is a set of general guidelines which apply to all Day Program
field trips conducted at the Lathrop E. Smith Environmental Education Center and at Maydale Nature Center. Grade level, weather, and seasonal
considerations are factored in to help prepare teachers and parents to
get ready for the day's learning activities. A careful reading of relevant
program descriptions will help provide useful information in planning.
In addition, teachers whose classes
are scheduled for these programs will be asked to attend an orientation where they will be given information and
materials which will help them to assist in the delivery of the program while their students are at the Center. MCPS field trip guidelines should also be reviewed and considered prior to requesting
a Day Program trip to the Center.
Permission Forms
Permission forms for the use of the Smith Center facility apply only
to Confidence Course activities for 6th graders and above. Please see the "Forms" section of
this website, or call
the Smith Center @ 301-924-3123 to obtain a copy of the required form
and insurance information related to the Confidence Course.
Daily Time Frame
The field trip schedule is tied to the home school instructional day.
Accordingly, visitors typically arrive at the Smith Center by 10
a.m. In order to arrive back at school for afternoon departure, students
typically leave the Center by 1 p.m. If private transportation is used the
day's activities can be extended.
Lunches
Bagged lunches and drinks must be labelled and will be stored at the center
upon arrival then distributed when it is time to eat lunch. Students typically dine at the Diamondback Terrapin Pavilion, Solar Schoolhouse ar Maydale Nature Center. Placing the lunches into cardboard boxes or similar containers labelled with teachers' names
at the home school assures a smooth redistribution process. Cleaning up
leftover lunch trash and collecting recyclables is an important part of
the day. Here students can demonstrate respect for the natural and learning environments, as well as working together as a community be recycling and composting.
Clothing
Outdoor wear geared to seasonal and daily weather considerations should
include comfortable shoes for hiking, and all clothing should be suitable
for active outdoor pursuits. Dress for the weather of the day and come prepared to be outside for most of the program.
Transportation
MCPS school buses, private buses, and parent-driven autos
are the three chief means for getting students to and from the Lathrop E. Smith Center
and Maydale Nature Center.
Group Sizes
Overall size of a visiting group should not exceed 55 students (or one
MCPS bus load) per day unless special arrangementshave been made
in advance with the Day Program Coordinator.
Rotational Grouping
Instructional groups of approximately 10 to 18 students each (depending
on the activity) should be designated at the home school in advance of the
field trip date. Students should be grouped heterogeneously with an adult
leader identified and special support assigned to meet the needs of individual
students as required. Students may wish to give their group a name or mascot
that is tied to science or social studies learning objectives in order to
foster a team identity.
Classes generally divide into three instructional groups. Ideally, after an adult
leader has been appointed to each individual activity, additional adult chaperones are
assigned to assist at each activity site. This provides instructional and logistical
continuity throughout the program. Once the classes are put into the rotation,
the Coordinator usually has the responsibility for teaching a core or hub
activity. It is left for the visiting teachers and parents to provide instruction
and supervision at the other learning centers.
What About Weather?
Inclement weather of the kind that would make a field trip unsafe or
instructionally inoperative and which may be foretold in advance will force
a cancellation or rescheduling of that day's events. Cancellations will
be initiated by the home school with advice and consultation from the Day Program Coordinator
who will attempt to set a new date for the trip.
Outdoor Education Decorum
The Day Program is devoted to teaching respect for nature to environmental
education students of all ages. The recreational aspect of an outdoor field
trip setting must be clearly subordinated to the instructional objectives
of the experience. Moreover, students should be coached in the lessons of
outdoor education inquiry and taught respect and love for our "shared"
natural world. Visitors to Day Program settings should understand that the
freedom implicit in a trip to the outdoors must be accompanied by responsibility
to preserve and protect plant life, animal habitats, and the man-made structures
that comprise the "outdoor classroom". A great motto to present
to students is:
|
