Fort Hill High School acknowledges and appreciates the volunteer assistance provided by band parent chaperones for trips. Some guidelines for the maintenance of a safe and enjoyable environment are herein provided in an effort to establish uniform policies and procedures on each bus.
A chaperone is defined in this organization as an adult supervisor (of immediate guardianship of a child in the band program) responsible for safety and behavior when a teacher or band staff member is not present.
The number of chaperones we will employ from trip to trip will vary as determined by the number of students we are transporting. It will be attempted to vary whom we take as a chaperone to include as many interested parents as possible.
Regarding Safety:
The overall safe operation of a bus requires that the students follow the rules and maintain an acceptable level of noise with minimal movement about the bus. The driver must be permitted to do his/her job without distractions from anyone in our organization. These are teenagers, however, and a certain level of activity and noise can be expected and tolerated.
Regarding Behavior:
As a member of the Fort Hill Band Program, the students represent our school and community to others. The impression that they give depends on each student's respect for themselves and everyone around them. Chaperones may need to "guide" these young people in how they present themselves when they sometimes get "carried away" with their fun.
Some strategies for being an effective chaperone include:
Be firm, but fair - you should place yourself in the gray area between "buddy" and "boss".
Sit in pairs, scattered throughout the student body - not all together.
Occasionally move about the bus to maintain visibility of your presence and engage the kids in humor and conversation.
Do not get into verbal battles. Simply move a problem student to another seat and note his/her name for reporting later.
In an emergency, contact a member of the staff or Mr. Thompson.
We must remember all the trips we take are for the kids. Your role, though critical in the success of such endeavors, is subservient to this need. Mr. Thompson and the staff are responsible for creating an experience of quality for the students and have the priority at all times: you suspend your parental role for one of mentor when you chaperone with us.
Thank you for your time. May your experience as a mentor to these children in turn teach you about the immense impact the Fort Hill Band has in shaping the lives of these children in such a positive way.
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