I went with my ds in first grade yesterday to the Science Musuem in Chicago. The teacher did not ask for any parent volunteers. I got to go only becasue I asked to go. She said sure, no one else has asked. What does she expect? Last years teacher always sent with the note about the field trip how many volunteers she would like to have. I guess she just expects the parents to ask her. I know that a co workers grandson who is in ds's class said her or her daughter would have went had they known. Anyway it ended up being me, the teacher and one other parent. Me and the parent had 7 kids each while the teacher had 8. I was a nervous wreck in a big place like that with all those kids. There were big groups of kids and lots were teenagers. I just can't believe the school would allow it. I guess I should mention that the other class that went only had three also. I could see this in the older grades but first graders?? I was lucky nothing went wrong. One little girl got seperated for a brief minute when a big group seperated us. She was one who luckily did not panic and just came back when they moved away. My ds would have paniced. I talked to the kids in my group what to do if someone gets lost. Find someone who works there and tell them.

They have a trip to the zoo planned for the end of year. I am torn as to what to do. I don't want my ds to go if I don't go since have seen how things are handled. But I also don't want to go and get stuck with a huge group of kids that I have to be responsible for. Actually dh usually does the zoo trips but I really don't want him getting stuck with a big group that would have several girls. Then you have the whole bathroom issue. I guess I am just looking for some feed back of what other school do? Please tell me if you think I am over reacting also.

By Sunny on Saturday, March 19, 2005 - 10:09 am:

How many parents go on the field trips depends on a) How much room there is at the event and b)How many buses are available to transport the kids and adults.
If it is a trip to see a movie or play, etc and seating is limited, the number of parents allowed to go is also limited. Usually this is handle by the teacher asking for parent volunteers. If seating isn't an issue, usually all parents are welcomed and most of the field trips I've gone on, roughly 70 - 80% of the parents have also gone. I have never been given responsiblity for more than one or two other children other than my own. Most of the teachers I've known want as many chaperones as possible. On the other hand, every class trip that I couldn't chaperone (for whatever reason), the teachers have always made it clear that the parents were welcomed to attend and tag along, we just had to provide our own transportation.

By Mommmie on Saturday, March 19, 2005 - 10:34 am:

Ours varies. Sometimes they want no parents. Sometimes they want lots of parents. Sometimes they draw names out of a hat bec too many parents want to go. It all depends on where they are going, how they are getting there (buses or parents need to drive) and what age (seems like there are a lot more volunteers in the younger grades than in the older grades).

I have never experienced a field trip like you are describing where the teachers do not ask for volunteers, yet they could use them. Maybe when they ask they get overwhelmed with volunteers and then some parents must be turned away or if they ask specific parents then other parents don't understand why they weren't asked. Course, the number one issue should be safety and not hurt feelings.

By Dawnk777 on Saturday, March 19, 2005 - 11:46 am:

Wow, in elementary school, we always had tons of parents! I usually only had 3-4 kids to keep an eye on! Even the 6th grade zoo trip, I had maybe 6, but those kids were older. I can't imagine having 7-8 6yos to watch! Yikes!

By Reds9298 on Saturday, March 19, 2005 - 12:24 pm:

As a teacher, we always want parents to go, unless of course there are seating/ticket issues, but then we offer that parents drive themselves and meet us there. (Of course there's always that one parent you HOPE doesn't go! haha) I don't think it's fair that you have to watch so many kids. When our 1st grade goes to the museum or zoo we get LOTS of people to go and if there aren't anough parents, paraprofessionals are pulled from their other duties to go with the classes for adult supervision. It's a safety and legal issue if there aren't enough chaperones. You should contact the teacher first about this and then the principal to see what can be done. It's really not safe and I wouldn't want my kid going without me either if this is how it is handled.

By Kay on Saturday, March 19, 2005 - 02:51 pm:

Our school's policy is a mixture of those mentioned above. One thing that ours requires is that every parent volunteer who has ANY contact with a student must have taken an Ethics and Integrity Course - this course was established in our Diocese after the rash of sex abuse accounts in the Catholic Church.

I had no problem taking the course - not that taking the course would prevent someone from doing something, but it gives the rest of us knowledge of what to look for in other people, or our children.

By Mommmie on Saturday, March 19, 2005 - 03:53 pm:

Good point, Kay. Our public school requires a background check done on any volunteer and it takes several weeks to come back so you really have to think far ahead.

By Reds9298 on Saturday, March 19, 2005 - 10:10 pm:

That's such a great idea about the background checks! I've never heard of that but all schools should do them.

By Kay on Sunday, March 20, 2005 - 04:20 pm:

Along with the required seminar, we have to agree to a background check - some parents are not participating because they feel it is an invasion of privacy. My feeling is that if this helps protect one child from a predator, then it's more than worth it.

By Reds9298 on Sunday, March 20, 2005 - 04:45 pm:

I totally agree with you Kay. Anyone working with children should have an 'invasion of privacy' in order to keep everyone as safe as possible.

By Imamommyx4 on Monday, March 21, 2005 - 12:44 am:

Our church is even doing the background checks. You can't work in any of the children's areas without one being done--fingerprints and all.
I am now on file with the TBI and FBI just because I teach crafts to toddlers on Wednesday nights.

By Feona on Monday, March 21, 2005 - 05:50 am:

Maybe you could volunteer to call parents you know would be interested in volunteering next time.

Or offer to type up the letter that goes out asking for volunteers.

I agree, that was a mess... and dangerous too.

By Karen~moderator on Monday, March 21, 2005 - 07:44 am:

I agree with Kay.

My kids are older now, but when they were younger, our school system had a parent volunteer for every 4 kids on field trips. And as was said above, prior to the field trips, notices and requests for parents/volunteers were sent home with the students.

In our case, we always had too many parents, so they had to *take turns*.

The times I went, I always had 3 or 4 kids, and in Jen's class, it tended to be the same group of little girls so it worked out just fine. We developed a rapport and they knew how far they could get with me. LOL

At that time, our school system wasn't doing background checks or requiring any classes or seminars. I think they should do that though, for the safety of the kids.

One thing I *did* notice when I was volunteering, was that some classes had little to no parent involvement, where others had extremely involved parents. I gave some of my time to a teacher who had NO parent volunteers at all, and you could tell that these kids had parents who couldn't have cared less. It was sad.