March 2, 2015

Dear Parent/Guardian,
The 5th graders at Trace Crossings will be taking a field trip to Old Alabama Town in
Montgomery, AL on March 26th. The buses will depart at 7:00am and arrive back at
3:00pm. Please have your child to Trace Crossings at 6:45am. We will not wait past
7:00am to depart. We will arrive at our location via buses.
The purpose of our field trip is to provide the students with hands on experiences
relating to our recent study of the Civil War. We will be going on two different tours that
will walk the children through hands on experience of the old south. The first tour will
walk them through the life of a slave living on an Urban Plantation. The second tour will
walk through the life on an Urban Plantation from other perspectives
The field trip costs are as follows:
Transportation: $20/person
Admission: $10/student and $16/adult
Total Cost: $30/student and $36/adult
Breakfast will be provided on the bus. You will need to provide your child with a sack
lunch. There is NO place to buy lunch at Old Alabama Town. No electronics permitted
on the trip. Please wear jeans and a TCES t-shirt. The only thing your child may
bring is a lunch and a book to read on the bus.
Attached is field trip permission slip. Please return the slip and money to Ms. DeWitt or
Ms. McAlister no later than March 16, 2015. We will need two chaperones. If you are
interested in being a chaperone please email me at edewitt@samford.edu. This will be
on a first, come first serve basis and I will select the first two emails.
Thank you,
Ms. DeWitt and Ms. McAlister
(Please cut on the dotted line and return with your money)
I ______________________________ give my child _________________________
permission to go to Old Alabama Town on March 26 th from 7:00am to 3:00 pm.
In case of Emergency please contact:
Name___________________________ Phone Number________________________
I have enclosed cash/check in the amount of $__________________.

Parent Signature

Date

Schedule for the Day:

6:30 am

Chaperones arrive at the front of TCES

6:45 am

Students arrive at the front of TCES

7:00 am

Buses depart TCES for Old Alabama Town

8:30 am

Arrive at Old Alabama Town

9:00-10:30 am

Tour 1

10:30-11:00 am

Discussion in groups about Tour 1

11:00-12:00 pm

Tour 2

12:00-1:00 pm

Lunch and exploration time

1:00 1:30 pm

Discussion in groups about Tour 2

1:30 pm

Depart for TCES

3:00 pm

Arrive at TCES; pick up in front of school

Important Information:
Ms. DeWitt 469 352 1111
Ms. McAlister 469 867 5309
Groups:
Ms. McAlister Group 1
Orlean Beeson
David Finn
Amy Hoaglund
Janet Smith
Ms. DeWitt Group 2
Karen Bost
Mandy Hilsmier
David Little
Erin Gilchrist
Dr. Johnson Group 3
Tarsha Bluiett
Karen Birkenfeld
Michele Haralson

Myrtis Johnson
Ms. Rogers Group 4
Betsy Rogers
Jeanie Box
Patti Wood
Kristie Chandler

Thank you Letters Will be hand written.

Dear Chaperone,
Thank you again for helping our class on our field trip to Old Alabama Town. The
students had a great time and gained hands on experiences about the Civil War. Please
view our classroom website, www.dewittandmcalister.weebly.com, for pictures. We hope
you had as much fun as we did and learned something new. Thank you again for your
willingness to volunteer.
Sincerely,
Ms. DeWitt and Ms. McAlister

Dear Bus Driver,

Thank you so much for helping our class get to Old Alabama Town safely. The students
really enjoyed the trip. It was nice to meet you!
Ms. DeWitt and Ms. McAlister

March 9, 2015
Dear Chaperone,
Thank you for volunteering to join our class on our field trip to Old Alabama
Town on March 26th. Below I have outlined what will be expected of you
during this trip. If you are unwilling or unable to go on this trip with us,
please let me know as soon as possible.
The responsibilities of the chaperone include, but are not limited to:
Please arrive with your child by 6:30am on the day of the trip to
discuss the schedule for the day.
We will all be on the tours together. You are required to stay with the
group at all times.
You will be in charge of 4 students. Your most important duty is to
keep your students with you and on task at all times upon arrival.
Please help students follow safety rules on the bus and at Old
Alabama Town. Students are expected to follow school rules as well
as rules at the facility. If students are unable to follow the rules please
inform the teacher.
Chaperones should eat with their group at lunchtime. Please bring
your own sack lunch. Do not leave the lunch area without teacher
permission. All trash should be thrown away before leaving the lunch
area.
You may wear jeans and a TCES t-shirt.
Chaperones must not:
Smoke on or during the field trip
Bring other children/siblings on the trip
Purchase gifts or treats for your group
We appreciate your help in providing a positive field trip experience for our
students.
Sincerely,
Ms. DeWitt and Ms. McAlister

Management Plan:
To help keep track of all students they will be required to wear a TCES t-shirt and
jeans. They will be given a name tag with their name and the teachers name on it. The
chaperones will be given a schedule for the day with each teachers cell phone number
listed at the bottom.
The class will be divided into four groups. The students will be together the majority of
the time but each chaperone will be in charge of four students a piece.
Ms. McAlister Group 1
Orlean Beeson
David Finn
Amy Hoaglund
Janet Smith
Ms. DeWitt Group 2
Karen Bost
Mandy Hilsmier
David Little
Erin Gilchrist
Dr. Johnson Group 3
Tarsha Bluiett
Karen Birkenfeld
Michele Haralson
Myrtis Johnson
Ms. Rogers Group 4
Betsy Rogers
Jeanie Box
Patti Wood
Kristie Chandler
Bus rules will be discussed with the students before the field trip. The bus rules are as
follows:
NO electronic devices
NO food, candy, gum, or drinks may be consumed
Students MUST stay in their seat at all times
Students MUST use quiet voices
Rules for behavior at the location will be discussed with students before the trip. The
rules are as follows:
Students MUST stay with group and chaperone at all times
NO running or rough play at any time
Student books MUST be left on the bus
Students must show respect to the workers, chaperones, and teachers

Lunch and Snack Plan:

Students will be provided breakfast (through the grant for school-wide breakfast) on the
bus on the way to Old Alabama Town.
The teachers will provide a labeled box for students to drop their sack lunch into upon
arrival at TCES.
Lunch will be from 12:00 to 1:30pm. Students will eat in the picnic area of Old Alabama
Town. They must each lunch with their group and chaperone. Chaperones are
accountable for their students during lunch. They should make sure all trash is thrown
away at the end of lunch time.

Safety/Emergency/Medication Plan:
The teachers will acquire medications needed from the nurses office the afternoon
before the trip. Medication must stay in the teachers possession at all times. Students
needing medication will be placed in the teachers group. The teacher will have a
schedule of medications from the nurse. She will follow proper guidelines when
administering the medication to the student.
The office will have list of all students and adults on the trip with emergency contact
information and cell phone numbers. The teachers will also leave their own personal cell
phone numbers with the secretary.
In the event of an accident or injury the teacher will first notify emergency personnel
followed by the school and emergency contact they were provided with. The teacher will
have a first aid kit in her possession at all times for minor accidents and injuries.

Communication:
Bus Drivers:
Bus drivers will need to be in front of the school by 6:45am on March 26 th.
Tell the bus driver this information before departing:
Columbus Street is a one-way street, west bound. Our Educational Center is on the
corner of Columbus and North McDonough Streets. Buses should enter the bus lane at
the corner (from the right-hand lane), load and unload on North McDonough in our
special lane, and park in our lot on Columbus Street, across from the Reception Center.
Buses are NOT to park on any of the streets around Old Alabama Town. Parking is
provided free of charge. The address is 301 Columbus Street, Montgomery, Alabama
36104.
From I65 North
Take the Herron St. exitExit 172
Bear right onto Herron St.
Bear left as Herron St. becomes Bibb St.
Bear right as Bibb St. becomes Madison Ave.
Turn left onto N McDonough St.
Turn left into the parking lot adjacent to the Loeb Reception Center on N McDonough St.

The bus will depart the location at 1:30 and arrive back at Trace by 3pm.

Parents:
Parents will receive a letter 3.5 weeks prior to the trip outlining the trip. Parents that are
interested in chaperoning will email the teachers on a first come, first serve basis.
Those selected will be emailed a letter outlining their duties. The morning of the trip they
will be given a schedule, their groups, and important contact information.

School/Cell Phones:
The office will be given a list of all emergency contact information, parent/teacher cell
phone numbers the day before the trip.

Meeting Locations on Site:

The class will stay together until lunch time. They will eat lunch in the same area. When
they are done they are allowed to explore with their chaperone. The groups must return
to the lunch area by 1:30. Otherwise, the group will remain together and a location for
meeting is not necessary. If a student is lost from the group they are to return to the
front of the property and locate an adult to help them rejoin the group.

Meeting Locations at School:

Students and parents will meet at the front of the school to get on the buses. Students
will be picked up in the front of the school in the same area they were dropped off at.

Preparing the Class:

Prior to the trip, the students will have studied the Civil War and its relationship to
conflict. This field trip will help support what the students have learned about the Civil
War.
The teachers will go over bus and facility rules prior to the trip. Students need to
understand the importance of these rules and respecting the teachers, the chaperones,
the bus and bus driver, and Old Alabama Town.

Assessment of Learning:
On this trip the students will gain hands on experience about plantation life in the South
before the Civil War from different perspectives.
The class will complete a KWL chart a couple days before the field trip. The chart will be
completed the day after the trip. Individually, students will complete a before and after
chart of their field trip experience. See the chart on the following page. (Students will be
tested on the Unit before the field trip).
Students will discuss the tours in small groups with their teacher/chaperone for thirty
minutes (view schedule). Students should talk about things they noticed, how the tour
made them feel, new things they learned, how it connected to what they learned during
the unit. Chaperones will be provided with these questions to use.
The teacher will complete a virtual viewing of Old Alabama Town on the website before
the trip. She will post pictures from the trip on the classroom website after the trip.
Old Alabama Town Website:
http://www.oldalabamatown.com/
Classroom Website:
www.dewittandmcalister.weebly.com

Discussion Questions:
1. What new information did you learn during the tour?
2. What were you surprised to learn?
3. How did the tour make you feel?
4. How did the information you learned connect back to what we have been
learning the last few weeks?