Planning Timeline and Checklist
July of the New Academic Year
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Set OEEP parent meeting date, time and location and add to school’s master calendar
Identify staff for teaching confidence course – check PDO for spring and fall dates for
certification class and recertification sessions – communicate information to team teachers
Check PDO for schedule and registrations for fall preparation workshops: predator/prey, stream
study, Treasure Earth, exploring the watershed using map and compass, etc. – communicate
information to team teachers
Discuss student payment for the residential program with school administration – anything
charged above the county’s cost must be deposited into a separate IAF account. Can you
collect money online?
Three Months Prior
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Locate previous year’s resources and review last year’s program
Meet with school nurse to discuss timeline to review permission slips and medication forms.
Check website to make sure you have the most up to date forms.
Update parent letter and request translation(s)
Contact OEEP coordinator to confirm first team planning meeting date
Start contacting staff to determine coverage needs – particularly to hire subs
o See principal for present year’s sub allotment (The principal is the only one who may
request an increase in the sub allotment for unusual circumstances – ex. large number
of students with special needs.)
o Determine which teachers will spend the night for each session.
Complete bus reservations with field trip office (see financial secretary)
Discuss SSL requirement for students with science RT, Grade 6 science teachers and SSL school
coordinator
Two Months Prior
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Meet with OE coordinator – full team meeting
o review the OE packet and handbook
o discuss the curricular options and instructional objectives
o choose instructional units and match each with an instructor
o determine training needs of teachers on these outdoor lessons
o schedule trainings
o choose roles: night nurse(MCPS staff person), KP teacher, chaperone liason, etc.
Determine how student lists will be created
o team lists
o bus lists
o instructional groups – KP
o dorm/cabin assignments
o evening groups (if different)
Create schedule of lessons and events
o day schedule
o evening schedule
 Are outside performers going to be used?
 What food items are needed, if any? Quantities?
o KP rotation
o Integrate SSL
□ Determine how students will be notified of their grouping
□ Meet with a representative from the high school to discuss your application process for high
school chaperones
□ Determine procedure for collecting permission forms and money
□ Prepare for parent meeting
o Collaborate with the Grade 6 administrator on planning and implementation of the
meeting
o Contact ESOL department for an interpreter
o Invite a 7th grade student from an underrepresented population (i.e. Latino) and his/her
parent to the meeting to talk about the program and address underlying concerns
o Arrange for school nurse to be present
o Print copies of permission forms in multiple languages
o Acquire OE power point, if desired – available in English and Spanish; show videos if
available
 Suggestion: Add own student pics to power point
Chaperone Tasks:
□ OEEP chaperones complete the appropriate disclosure form:
o Adult chaperones serving during the day only and high school student assistants complete
the Daytime Only Adult Chaperone/Student Assistant Disclosure Form.
o Adult chaperones serving overnight complete the Overnight Adult Chaperone Disclosure
Form. Police officers are required to provide a copy of their official law enforcement
agency issued police ID to verify exemption from the fingerprinting requirement.
o All forms must be stored in the principal’s office for 5 years.
□ School provides the OEEP Overnight Chaperone Background Check Requirements Overview to
overnight chaperones and guidance regarding the timeframe when they can begin scheduling
fingerprinting appointments.
□ School screens daytime adult chaperones and student assistants via the Visitor Management
System using driver’s licenses or the Maryland Sex Offender Registry website at
http://www.dpscs.state.md.us/sorSearch/.
□ School completes and submits the OEEP Overnight Chaperone Recommendation Form to MCPS
Office of Human Resources and Development (OHRD). OHRD will accept reservations for
fingerprinting appointments from potential volunteers.
One Month Prior
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Copy and distribute permission forms and packet for each student
o Be sure that special education and ESOL classes receive all materials
o Ensure that ESOL teachers receive packets so that they can help facilitate student
comprehension of the material
Conduct OEEP parent meeting- School nurse should participate in this meeting
Determine procedure for distributing and collecting permission forms and money
Create the student lists
Finalize the schedule of instructional programs and teachers for each
Assure that teachers are trained for the lessons they will be teaching
Chaperone Tasks:
□ OEEP overnight chaperone schedules appointment one month prior to OEEP session with MCPS
OHRD or American Identity Solutions, Inc.
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OHRD reviews criminal background results and informs the principal of authorized and nonauthorized OEEP overnight chaperones.
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OHRD contacts an OEEP overnight chaperone if any information identified in the criminal
background check warrants further explanation.
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Create plans for school coverage for students that do not attend OE and plans for each group
while they are not at OE
Two Weeks Prior
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Forward schedules to OE coordinator with time allotments and teacher assignments
Send list of student participants to nurse
Organize schedule, coverage and materials for stay-back students
Create table assignments for meals (or number index cards for random assignments – 6 of each
number for Smith and Skycroft; 10 of each number for Summit Lake)
□ Copy and prepare instructional materials (journals, worksheets, etc.)
□ Have teachers highlight different aspects of OE in their classes
Chaperone Tasks:
□ School ensures that OEEP overnight chaperone completes the Recognizing, Reporting, and
Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect volunteer training.
One Week Prior
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Contact school cafeteria for extra lunches for first lunch and remind the cafeteria manager
about the number of students that will be out of school
Finalize numbers and use the Organizer Meal Count Form to send the following to Chris
Rogewitz ([email protected])
o Numbers of students, teachers, parents, high school counselors
o Number of vegetarians (students and adults)
See the school nurse to for updates on students with special medical situations/emergency meds,
etc.
Gather materials for transportation to the site(bus slips, signs, etc.)
Decide how to organize students for departure: location, order for loading buses
Reserve any media or PE equipment needed.
Determine where students will put luggage and lunches when they arrive at school – assign
monitor to safeguard student belongings
Distribute stay-back plans and student lists (going and not-going) to entire staff
Prepare student lists and permission slips: alphabetized with an alphabetized list of names.
Mark day-only students. All student permission forms must be reviewed by the school nurse
Create a staff emergency contact list including cell phone number, emergency contact name and
phone number for every teacher, parent, and chaperone.
Complete and bring a copy of the “Process for Communication of a Serious Situation at OEEP
On-Site Staff After the Situation is Under Control”.
Day of Departure
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Pick up lunches from cafeteria
Attendance – take it before getting on the bus and on the bus; report absentees to school
secretary and cross off students on lists.
Pack buses with luggage and lunches – keep out supplies needed for hike and assign adults or
chaperones not on the hike in to unload the buses
Pick up medications – assign someone not going on the hike to carry meds and permission slips
directly to site nurse (Hike in Teacher carries emergency medications)
Bring permission slips, student lists, and medications to nurse’s office before the hike starts
Call the Smith Center upon departure to confirm time to meet for the hike and how many adults
need a ride to the trailhead.
Bring, email, or fax the financial assistance form (separate form for each session)
Upon Arrival
Arrange for teachers who do not plan to participate in the hike to do the following:
□ Carry meds, student lists (separate lists for boys and girls and both alphabetized) and permission
forms (organized into two piles by gender and each stack alphabetized) to site nurse
□ Set out lunches
□ Unload luggage buses
□ Get materials ready for afternoon instruction
□ Move personal belongings to dorm/cabin
□ Meet with the chaperones to review their roles and expectations
□ Assign one teacher to bring the meds back to school on Wednesday and one teacher to bring
the next set of meds to the Smith Center.
During the Program
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Continue to communicate with the OEEP coordinator about schedule changes, facilities and
equipment needs
Ensure teachers and chaperones are supervising and actively engaging students during class
time, transitions, meals, and dormitory time
Keep a list of adjustments you’d like to make for next year’s program
After the Program
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Conduct an evaluation of the program with school staff to get ideas about how to adjust things
for next year (invite the OEEP coordinator if possible)