Safety First!

So you made it to your activity site safe and sound, having all students and adults accounted for. Good for you! You can now stop worrying about the safety of your group, right? Wrong! On field trips, the safety of your class is priority #1!

The following are some things to consider while on your field trip in High Park:

While in transit to the park, if you are walking or taking public transit it is probably easier to use the buddy system, having students grouped in pairs. However, for the purpose of participating in activities on your trip, you will likely want your students placed in small groups (4-6 students per group, depending on the student / adult ratio).

Activity groups and transit buddies (if required) should be determined prior to departure from the school.

When in transit (either from the school to the park or from one activity site to the next),
teachers should be taking frequent ‘head counts’ to ensure the presence of all students. This will help to ensure that if a student does wander away from your group, it will be noticed as soon as possible and the proper measures can be taken.

While the students are taking part in their activities, students should be provided with CLEAR BOUNDARIES for them to adhere to. So, prior to the commencement of any activity, the teacher needs to inform the students what the boundaries are and make sure the students clearly understand what those boundaries are (see Boundary Establishment activity on the activities page).

When planning the locations for field trip activities, the teacher should choose locations that have clear sight lines for teachers and volunteers to be able to view and monitor entire group.

For emergency purposes, all teachers and volunteers attending the field trip should carry a cell phone and be aware of all relevant medical conditions.

Similarly, teachers and volunteers should be familiar with the site prior to departure from the school. Take a look at a map of High Park, and note the various entry points to the park, as well as which areas can and cannot be accessed with vehicles. This will allow emergency services to locate the group in a timelier manner in the event of an emergency.

For more information on the official excursion policy of the Toronto District School Board, click here.