Children from the Center may participate in a variety of field trips. Upon enrollment, parents complete a permission form allowing their child to participate in these activities. On-campus field trips can occur weekly and may include walks to campus places or activities such as the library for stories or the campus woods for nature walks.
Field trips off of the IWCC campus will be announced in the Center newsletter as well as by parent notification. Children generally participate in off-campus field trips one or two times per semester. Travel for off-campus field trips will be by college van or bus. All children less than five years-old who participate in off-campus field trips will require a federally approved child restraint seat provided by their parents. These seats will be secured in the college van for the trip and will be returned to parents after the trip. Drivers for field trips include paid college faculty and staff; the college has copies of the driver’s licenses for these persons and has run background checks on their driving records. Staff carries first aid kits as well as emergency notification cards for each child on field trips off of the campus.
Outdoor Play:
Children will play outside daily, including the winter season, as weather permits. Children will go outside daily when the temperature is above 15 degrees Fahrenheit or below 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Please, make sure your child has weather-appropriate clothing. Wind chill and heat index factors will be taken into account in determining outdoor play safety. A child who is well enough to come to the Center is usually well enough to be able to play outside.
Clothing:
Play at the ECE Center is active and occasionally messy. Children should wear comfortable, washable play clothes and shoes. Each child will need an extra change of clothes clearly labeled with his/her name. This change of clothing can be left at school. Soiled clothing will be sent home to be replaced with clean clothes the next day. Parents should check this supply regularly to ensure that it fits and is appropriate for the seasonal weather.
In the winter, please make sure your child has the necessary clothing to go outside. If your child wishes to play in the snow, they must-have boots, snow pants, coats, mittens/gloves, hat/hood, or scarves and extra shoes to change into when coming inside. Please dress your child warmly. Parents are asked to clearly label all clothing with the child’s name. Mittens and boots all start to look the same; labeling assists staff in returning items to proper owners.
In the summer, children should have swim clothes and a towel for water days.
