Teacher Preparation Checklist

Arrange

Parent Information Session and Slide Presentation (Overnight Programs Only)
This allows parents and students to ask questions directly to a Chewonki staff person and to get a clear idea of what the program will be like. This session will be held in the evening over Zoom. Ideally this will be scheduled 2 to 4 weeks prior to your program.

Meeting with your Teaching Team to discuss Goals
Being clear with Chewonki regarding your goals allows us to better meet the needs of your school and its unique curriculum and philosophy.

Pre-Program Classroom Activities
It can be difficult to find the time in your busy teaching schedule, but many teachers have found that the more time spent preparing students, the richer the Chewonki experience.

Transportation
This can be one of the most challenging parts of organizing your program. Get started early! Both charter buses and schools are common choices.

Chaperones
You will need 1 adult chaperone/group. Please give chaperones the Chewonki “Chaperones: 10 Easy Steps” document that you’ll receive. We also recommend arranging an “alternate chaperone” who could step in if one of your chaperones gets sick.

Establish Communication between School and Chewonki Medical Staff
As health forms are delivered to Chewonki, our Health Center Team combs through each student’s record with a detail-oriented eye. There are times that a student’s health history needs clarification or additional records. While phone calls to parents can provide the needed insight we have found that the nursing team at the sending school can often answer simple questions that may arise in this initial screening. Please provide Chewonki’s School Liaison with your Medical Staff’s contact information.

One-On-One Assistance
If a student requires one-on-one assistance for either physical or developmental disabilities or for behavioral or emotional reasons at school, then we ask that this assistance also be provided by the school or family while the student is at Chewonki, including overnight. This may be a challenging part of organizing your program. Please contact us if you are struggling with this piece so that we can try to be of assistance.

Arrival and Departure Times
Accurate arrival times will ensure that your Chewonki instructors are ready when your bus pulls in. Please call if you are going to arrive either early or late.

Medical Concerns and Special Needs
In order to help us provide the highest level of emotional and physical safety for your students, please notify us well in advance of any medical or behavioral concerns or special needs that your group may have. Some examples of conditions that we should know about well in advance of the program include diabetes, food allergies or intolerances, physical or developmental disabilities, or any other condition that requires one-on-one assistance while at school. We are happy to speak with parents and other health care providers – feel free to give them the Field Coordinator’s contact information.

Parent Pack: Notify parents about when the parent information session and fundraising events will occur. Send home:
- *Health History Consent Form
- *Parent Health and Safety Letter
- *Packing List
- *Students: 9 Easy Steps to prepare for Chewonki Please encourage students and parents to read and discuss this guide together.

Health Forms divided by groups.
Health Forms are due to Chewonki two weeks prior to your program. This ensures that our Health Care Team and Outdoor Classroom instructors have adequate time to review the forms, identify missing forms or information, and call parents in order to clarify questions or concerns regarding medications or student conditions. Health Forms can be completed online and submitted directly to Chewonki. If you choose to collect the forms at school and send hard copies to Chewonki, even if you are missing some forms, please have the bulk of the forms, collated by group, arrive at Chewonki two weeks in advance of your program.
Group List Form with Chaperone names assigned.
The Group List is a shared Google Sheet used to track group assignments and health forms. You should enter all of the student names as soon as you receive the link to it. Group assignments need to be completed one week prior to your program.
Program Preparation Updates.
If you have done any work in your class/advisee groups to prepare for Chewonki or in science class that may relate to ecology lessons, then please let us know so we can be sure to incorporate that into the program!

Medication
Please collect medication from students prior to arriving at Chewonki. They should be bagged per group with names clearly written on each over-the-counter medication, vitamins, inhalers, etc. Prescription medications must come in the original prescription bottle with the student’s name on it. We cannot legally administer prescription medications that do not come to us in this way. Also, if any medication, prescription or not, was not described on the Health History and Consent form, then please include a note from the parent or doctor explaining its purpose and dosage requirements.

Check for payment
The balance is due upon arrival. Remember to subtract any deposit payments made.

*Forms provided by Chewonki