Hello Dragon Families!

I'm reaching out to you with a few updates for our upcoming middle-school trip to CSU Mountain Campus (formerly named Pingree Park). Please take a moment to read through this email for some important information and reminders. If your child is not attending this trip, you may disregard this message, as it does not include information about our in-school alternatives on those days. This message includes information about a transportation-related issue that is impacting our schedule, as well as information about the reasons why your child might not be allowed to attend this trip.

We've just been made aware of some transportation issues which will result in some necessary adjustments to our schedule. Specifically, we will need to be pulling out and on our way no later than 7:30AM on Wednesday, September 23rd. 

We will have a Middle School Driveline in place with staff to help that morning. 

You must have your child at Flagstaff by no later than 6:45AM, as we will need at least 30-45 minutes to load buses and take attendance.This shift will also result in an earlier return to school on Friday, September 25 between 1:30-2:00 PM. If anything changes with the return time, we will notify you. 

Please don't put us in a position to tell your child he/she can't go, especially while boarding the bus that morning. We've only had to do this once in the past, and it's heartbreaking to stop a student from getting on the bus because of one of the reasons below...so, please forgive the terse "tone" of the following statements.

1. Health/Med Paperwork Issues: If your child is bringing ANY medications, including over-the-counter meds, we MUST have a signed doctor authorization, due and turned in by FRIDAY, SEPT. 18. NO EXCEPTIONS. Students CANNOT carry their own inhalers or meds without proper authorization (yes, they need authorization for self-carry inhalers). We cannot administer ANY meds or inhalers to your student without proper authorization. If your student is missing this authorization, it's not an issue of not having the meds with them on the trip. It's an issue of not going on the trip. Student safety is the first priority.
2. Student with Expired Medication: If the medication you are sending with your student is expired, even doctor authorization will not allow us to administer it to your student. This is a law we must follow and not a Flagstaff policy. Expired medication will prevent your student from going on the trip.
3. Student Arrives Late: Especially due to our latest transportation issues we are trying to solve, it is crucial to be on-time.
4. Student is Running a Fever: Hopefully an obvious one here. If your student is sick, please do not send them on the trip hoping they'll feel better.
5. Permission Slip is Missing or Unsigned: Several permission slips were submitted that are missing the parent signature at the bottom. We are sending these back with students to get signed. These MUST have a parent signature on them, or the student cannot get on the bus...even if a parent has submitted payment and all the other necessary forms. 
6. Incomplete Emergency Contact Information: If the Eco-Week Emergency Contact Information Form is incomplete (especially if it's missing family physician name and contact information), we cannot allow the student to go on the trip.
7. Missing Required Equipment Items: We review with students to check that they have all the most important items for their safety on this trip. For example, students who show up in flip-flops without any other appropriate hiking shoes will not be allowed on the trip. Students without water bottles will not be allowed on the trip. Students without cold-weather gear will not be allowed on the trip.

Hopefully, none of these issues will prevent anyone from going on the trip, and we are looking forward to a great time! Thank you for all your work helping to make sure your students is well-prepared!