PS 118 Chaperone Guidelines
Thank you for chaperoning our trip(s)! As chaperone, it may be helpful to remember that your job is to support all students, in addition to your own. Chaperones are Parent-Teachers. You may use the same language that the teachers use to reinforce, remind and redirect children. Often, just standing close to a child is support in itself.
Trip Goals: We take trips to enhance and deepen our studies. Often our work is to look closely at something in the world around us. Our trips are not "rewards" or play days. We hope to see the same amount of engagement and serious work that we would see in the classroom from both students and their parents.
Chaperones are asked to listen carefully to the directions and questions posed to students so that you can reinforce the work and support all children. If there is information that should be reviewed before the trip, it will be sent to chaperones a few days before the day of the trip.
Work Time Depending on the trip, we will sometimes break up into groups. The students will have gone over the trip booklets and sheets in class (if there is one), but you may need to reread and clarify directions for them.. While working, please encourage your students' enthusiasm and engagement with the subject. Please redirect stray conversations back to the topic at hand and attempt to engage children's attention to the appropriate focus.
Chaperone Do's
Generally we try to follow all of the rules that we ask children to follow. We do not chew gum, eat candy or drink sodas, chat with friends or disengage from the group's activities in any way.
Chaperone Don'ts
If you have questions, problems, or need support with a child, please let the teacher know.
We hope that you enjoy working with our students and that the experience is informative as well as enjoyable.
Thanks for your support!
Trip Goals: We take trips to enhance and deepen our studies. Often our work is to look closely at something in the world around us. Our trips are not "rewards" or play days. We hope to see the same amount of engagement and serious work that we would see in the classroom from both students and their parents.
Chaperones are asked to listen carefully to the directions and questions posed to students so that you can reinforce the work and support all children. If there is information that should be reviewed before the trip, it will be sent to chaperones a few days before the day of the trip.
Work Time Depending on the trip, we will sometimes break up into groups. The students will have gone over the trip booklets and sheets in class (if there is one), but you may need to reread and clarify directions for them.. While working, please encourage your students' enthusiasm and engagement with the subject. Please redirect stray conversations back to the topic at hand and attempt to engage children's attention to the appropriate focus.
Chaperone Do's
Generally we try to follow all of the rules that we ask children to follow. We do not chew gum, eat candy or drink sodas, chat with friends or disengage from the group's activities in any way.
- Please be proactive, especially when we are lining up and boarding subway trains.
- We expect children to be engaged, to be looking closely, to stay in the vicinity of their group, to use appropriate inside voices and to move respectfully through the spaces. Please redirect children who run, use loud voices, are off task, are disengaged, are playing around, or exhibit any wildness. Use these handy phrases to support children and bring them back to task:
- What are you working on?
- Please walk.
- May I help you with your trip booklet/work/observations?
- Are there tricky words I can help you with?
- Please come and stand next to me.
- Hold my hand, please.
- Be attentive to the teacher's needs. Look up often and "check in." Listen to the directions given and encourage your students to do the same.
- Assist the class in crossing streets safely. This may entail jumping into intersections and placing your body in between cars and the class.
- Constantly scan the class to observe the children. Intervene where you see problems such as gaps in the line, rough-housing or children not paying attention.
- Stay with the class until they are safely back in the building..
Chaperone Don'ts
- Ask to bring a sibling on a trip with the class
- Give your child the impression that you are chaperoning to have a 'special day' with him or her. Please make it clear that your job is to help the teacher, and prepare your child for what that may look like and feel like. It may be hard for your child.
- Inform your child's teacher at the destination that you have to dash back to the office. If you are a chaperone, you see the class safely back to school.
- Text during the trip
- Talk on your cell phone during the trip
- Use any kind of electronic game, video or iPod, even while traveling (picture taking in okay, and encouraged!)
- Encourage rough or wild games with children
- Cluster with other adults and chat
- Sit with your child separate from the group
- Shop at the gift shop, for anything! (Return on another day.)
- Give your child and his/her friends food/treats not included in their lunches
- Carry your child's or any child's coat, lunch or backpack (unless asked to do so by the teacher)
- Allow any child to eat or drink at undesignated times, snack or lunch
- Spoon feed your child
- Allow your child to sit in your lap, lean on you, lay down or pout
- Walk in the line with your child. Chaperones should walk next to the line where needed, and not necessarily next to their child
If you have questions, problems, or need support with a child, please let the teacher know.
We hope that you enjoy working with our students and that the experience is informative as well as enjoyable.
Thanks for your support!