The CBE values the educational benefit of field trips. Field trips close to our school can complement classroom learning by giving students opportunities to explore the community around their school.
For class trips that are within walking distance from the school, we do not require parents/guardians to fill out a consent form for students to attend. Appropriate walking distance is determined by the principal and may vary, depending on the age of the students.
Teachers will provide at least 48 hours' notice when planning a trip to a local site. You will be notified about these trips by either an email or letter. The following is a sample list of sites near the school that teachers may use to complement classroom learning:
Name of Location | Address/Description | Distance from school |
North Glenmore Park | 7305 Crowchild Trail SW | 550 meters |
Weaslehead Natural Area | 6634 37 St SW, | 1.1 kilometers |
Community Greenspace | Greenspace beside Bishop Pinkham School | 300 meters |
As with any field trip, we want to inform you about some common hazards involved with walking trips to the above locations. Please note this list may not include all of the hazards for a given trip:
- Slips, trips and falls
- Getting separated from the group
- Street crossings
- Pre-existing medical conditions and/or allergies
- Exposure to infectious diseases (eg. COVID-19 virus, SARS, MERS, influenza).
If you have any questions regarding field trips within walking distance of the school, please contact me or your child’s teacher.
Off-Site Activities at the CBE
At the CBE, we call “field trips” off-site activities. Off-site activities are learning experiences that occur away from the school site and are organized and supervised by the CBE. All off-site activities must adhere to our Administrative Regulation 3027 – Off-Site Activities. Off-site activities enable students to participate in quality learning experiences that are:
- Supporting educational outcomes
- Relevant, flexible, and accessible
- Connected to the Alberta Programs of Study and learning outcomes, Guide to Education and CBE Results statements
An off-site activity usually originates with the classroom teacher (called the teacher-in-charge) who makes a proposal to his or her principal. Once the activity is approved (based on learning impact and safety), the teacher will provide information to parents regarding the off-site activity including potential risks that are unique to the activity.
Preparing Your Child for an Off-Site Activity
- Read all of the information sent home with your child from the teacher
- After reviewing information, if you want your child to participate in the off-site activity sign the Acknowledgement of Risk Form and any other documents provided by the teacher
- A parent meeting is required for all overnight off-site activities, and may be held for other off-site activities
- Talk to your child about the activity – where they will go, what they will do and what they will be learning about
- The consent of the parent, guardian, or volunteer must be obtained before the student may participate in an off-site activity
Volunteering for an Off-Site Activity
If you want to volunteer for an off-site activity, you can find more information on the Volunteer page (in the Get Involved section of our website).