​​Field Trip and Excursion Policy

The policies listed below apply to all excursions, including, traditional class field trips, travel for specific group events (e.g., choir, adult retreats and outings, science fairs, and academic decathlon), graduation and other celebratory trips, athletic games and practices, and certain ministerial and co-curricular activities held at locations. 

Locations may, at their option, plan trips and activities for one or more days, including overnight field trips, retreats, and other excursions. All excursions, whether day or overnight, must comply with the following requirements:

• The excursion must be approved in advance by the person in charge or, if cosponsored or sponsored by an outside entity, by the regional bishop's office or the Department of Catholic Schools, as applicable.
• Traditional field trips for elementary school and high school classes must have specific educational goals for students.
• For excursions outside a 100-mile radius of the location, in which the participants are students or youth, the person in charge should consider the budgetary constraints of parents/guardians, the excursion's financial impact on other fund-raising activities, and class work that students will miss. 
• The person in charge should have a detailed itinerary of any field trip or excursion that involves travel and hotel accommodations, including contact information for all transportation and lodging vendors, coordinators, and sponsors. Verify the licensing and Better Business Bureau ratings of travel agencies, especially those that operate only online.
• On field trips, excursions, or activities with participants who are minors, the supervising adult must have in his or her possession a signed and dated Student and Youth Activity Permission Form for each minor.
• On field trips, excursions, or activities with participants who are minors who take medication, the supervising adult must have in his or her possession a signed and dated Medication Authorization and Permission Form for each minor who takes medication. During the excursion, the supervising adult also must have any necessary medications in his or her possession.
• All participants—adults and minors—must have appropriate identification and, as necessary, travel documents.
• All chaperones and any vendors who both provide the trip and have contact with minors must follow archdiocesan safe environment policies, including fingerprinting requirements and background checks. No chaperone should ever be alone with a minor who is not his or her own child.
• The supervising adult or adult group leader must have immediate access to a first aid kit. First aid kits must be in all vehicles that transport participants to and from activities.
• In any area where there may be poisonous snakes, the group must have a snake bite kit . 
• Vehicles used to transport participants must adhere to the rules on transportation for parishes and schools set forth in Transportation for Parishes and S​chools.
• The supervising adult on field trips, excursions, or activities involving minors must have immediate access to student emergency information .
• At least one adult chaperone for field trips, excursions, or activities involving minors shall be in possession of a cell phone.
• Chaperones driving minors should be at least 25 years old. Non-driving chaperones should be at least 21 years old.
• Both male and female chaperones must supervise coed events.
• There should be at least two chaperones on every trip and two chaperones of each sex on every coed trip, so that no chaperone is alone with a minor. The number of chaperones who must be present to supervise minors should be decided on a case-by-case basis, giving consideration to the age of the participants and the nature of the activity.
• Clergy/staff members/faculty/volunteers who supervise minors or young adults, or who are group leaders of parish- or school-sponsored activities, may not be under the influence of alcohol or any substance that can cause impairment and may not offer alcohol or any controlled substance (except medication that is prescribed for a minor or young adult) to anyone under age 21.
• Adult participants should fill out and sign the Adult Consent and Re​lease Form.

Academic Field Trips

The policy of the Department of Catholic Schools provides for the curriculum in a Catholic High School to incorporate field trips during the regular school day. Field trips must be educational in nature and related to the curriculum and content of the course for which the trip is being planned. For proper supervision, the teacher must check with the destination to find out about any supervision requirements (often suggested is one adult for every 10 students). If the destination does not have a supervision requirement, the school's minimum supervision requirement is one adult for every 15 students. The school's rules of conduct must be followed. Students must wear the school uniform unless dispensed of by the Assistant Principal of Student Affairs or Dean of Discipline for extraordinary reasons.

Co-Curricular Field Trips

Club-sponsored field trips, social excursions, and overnight trips are strongly discouraged but must follow the same procedures as those for educational field trips. These excursions may never take place during regular school hours.

Overnight, Out-of-State, and Foreign Travel

Additional guidelines apply for field trips that include overnight stays, out-of-state, or foreign travel. For out-of-state and foreign travel, student participants will assume all costs related to the trip (inclusive of purchasing additional insurance through the Archdiocese of Los Angeles), must have met all current financial obligations to the school, and must be in good academic standing and have records of good conduct and attendance.​

Non-School Sponsored Trips

St. Anthony High School does not endorse or assume liability for any unauthorized field trip or excursion organized by an employee of the school.  Only Principal or Principal designee can authorize a field trip.