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:

Programs | Resources

last updated 12/2005