Community Walks

COMMUNITY WALKS

Ratio MUST always be followed and a minimum 2 (two) Educators MUST be present to take children offsite

1. All outlined fieldtrip procedures are to be followed before going off site including a supervision plan.
2. Educator leading the walking group is responsible for the whole group; always looking back, monitoring groups speed and stopping the group if the line breaks or separates.
3. Educator at the back of the line should always have the emergency back pack & medications and be watching the group for children leaving the sidewalk or wandering from the group.

STREET SAFETY
Use cross walks at every given chance!!

1. When coming to a street crossing, educators are to stop at a reasonable distance to the curb and put their back to traffic watching to ensure all children and educators stop and listen for instruction coming as close to the lead staff as safely possible
2. Ask one educator to take crossing lead, one to be Crossing Stop
3. Explain to the children to WALK and KEEP GOING, if anything is dropped staff will pick it up!
4. One educator walks into mid road to act as a Crossing Stop and once all vehicles have stopped (eye contact made with drivers) educator will signal to Crossing Lead to quickly lead children across safely
5. Crossing Stop stands at mid road until the last child has passed, picking up any dropped items and following the back of the group
6. Crossing lead walks a measurable distance from the crossing location so all children have room to SAFELY stand on the sidewalk AWAY from the road after crossing

In the case where only two educators are present to cross, one educator always stands mid-way and one educator always takes the back of the line, crossing stop acts as lead, signaling children to go and giving them a visual marker to stop.

** ALWAYS use a cross walk! **

SPLIT GROUP CROSSINGS
If traffic lights are present and more than 25 children crossing, split the group into two crossings.

1. Ask one educator to stand at the front of the first and second crossing groups to be Crossing Lead.
2. When giving instructions to the group, do so as outlined above and explain that ONLY the front group will walk across the street and the second group is not to approach the road until the first group is safely across.
3. After the first group safely crosses, the Crossing Stop returns to complete the crossing with the last group.
4. Educators must follow all Street Safety procedures for final crossing.