Field trips are always fun as these bring children to museums, national parks, educational centers, and more. The experience is a great learning opportunity, especially for less-fortunate kids who cannot otherwise afford these outings. There is one requirement, however, and that is for the students’ parents to sign a permission slip.
Contents
Permission Slip Templates
Types of permission slips
When children leave the school grounds to take part in certain activities or projects, it has become a requirement for schools that they submit a permission slip. This is a necessary part of any school activity. Teachers use a field trip permission slip to get the signature of each of the student’s parents signifying their permission for the child’s participation.
A permission slip template is almost like a waiver where the parent waives the responsibility should an accident or injury occur. Although there are different types of permission slips like LDS permission slip, BSA permission slip, boy scout permission slip, girls scout permission slip, and more, there are two main kinds:
- Blanket Permission Slip
This covers all of the basics and is generally used for standard field trips which happen throughout the academic school year. - Informed Consent Slip
This is more common for events, activities or trips which involve “inherent risk.”. The slip includes a detailed explanation of the “inherent risk” for the person signing the slip. This exempts the school from any responsibility in any eventuality of something happening.
In simpler words, when parents or a guardian fills up the slip, they’re admitting that the people in charge of the trip won’t have to answer to legal issues in case something happens. For the Blanket Slip, this includes a “Waiver of Liability,” meaning that the guardian or parent, upon signing the slip, agrees that the school will not be at fault should something happen.
On excursions that involve taking the students on extended trips, out of state or out of the country, it’s normal practice to get the permission slip notarized too.
Importance of using a permission slip
If you’re a part of an organization, it’s incumbent upon you to maintain the etiquette of that organization. For example, when taking a casual leave, you should first ask permission to do so. You can make known your intention through a permission slip template. Ditto with students who need a signed slip before they can participate in activities or trips.
A field trip permission slip is a useful document which you can use any time. When people ask permission from their respective administrators, from school children to professionals to anyone else, they will all need a permission slip. The purpose of these can vary depending on the type.
Whether you need an LDS permission slip, a BSA permission slip, a boy scout permission slip, a girls scout permission slip or any other type, you can download the templates online. Using this slip can help improve life for students, parents and, of course, the faculty.
Field Trip Permission Slips
What to include in your permission slip?
For those who are part of a school or preschool that has an administrative system which utilizes permission slip templates in getting the permission of parents for the school’s various activities, you can download these free online.
With these templates, teachers and school faculty can design and customize their own permission slips to suit their requirements for any event or specific situation. Students can then take these home to get their parent’s consent through their signatures.
Are you now ready to make your own permission slip? First things first. You should know what contents to include. Carefully consider your project or activity to give you a good idea of what to write down. Start your permission slip with a brief, concise, but detailed summary of the activity or trip.
Then include the basic elements along with any other information relevant to the activity so the people who should sign know of all of the details. The basic information to include are:
- Teacher, chaperone or guardian
- Name of the class
- Start time of the trip and expected time of return
- Date of the trip
- Route or destination (if only traveling to one place(
- Reason for the trip
- A list of the costs, possible payment methods, and a deadline if any
- The transport service you plan to use
- Medical information of the students like medications taken, allergies, and so on.
- Emergency contact details for each student
- A section for parents or guardians to leave special instructions or comments
- Any important requirements like attire, supplies, meal options, and more.
The next section of the permission slip will be in a fill-in-the-blank format, where parents or guardians will be fill-in their details to grant their permission.
Creating your own permission slip
You need to create a permission slip template when you plan a trip with students. If you’re planning to make your own permission slip where parents or guardians would affix their signatures among other things, you need to know what exactly should you include on it.
Fortunately, making one is not that difficult to do. All you need are the relevant details, space for the guardian or parent’s signature, and your contact information. With the signed permission slip, you can have that peace of mind when you go through with your planned activity. Here are some pointers for you:
- Launch the word-processing software of your choice
Google Docs, Pages or Microsoft Word are the most popular word processing programs that you can use to create your template. Use a standard, clear fonts like Arial or Times New Roman. Writing, editing, customizing are but a few features why you should use a word processor. - Include all the details about the trip or activity
Provide answers to all the pertinent questions about the activity. Usually, this includes the who, what, where, when, how much, and what transportation you plan to use. All this information should partly summarize the trip and you should place it at the very top. - Create the fill-in-the-blanks section
The statement should include a space where the guardian or parent would affix their signature to signify their permission for the student to join the trip. - Add space to write down medical information
This space is where the guardian or parent could provide information about their child’s allergies and other medical information. This becomes especially important if the trip would last for a couple of days. - Include an option for an alternative emergency contact
Also, provide space for an emergency contact number on your template. This should include the name of the person to get in touch with, in case something would happen to any of the students and the teachers cannot contact the guardian or parent. - Leave a space for the guardian or parent to sign
Finally, add space for the parent or guardian’s signature which you would place at the very bottom.
Parental Permission Forms
Customizing a pre-made permission slip template
At first glance, a permission slip may seem complex. After downloading a permission slip template, you can start customizing it to come up with a perfect form for your own situation. Using a downloaded template takes away the guesswork from the process. Furthermore, it’s cost-effective because there’s no charge for downloading.
Then you can start printing after you have finalized your template. There are no “special software” to purchase nor is there a need to spend time and effort learning how to create your own permission slip. Customizing ready-made templates is easy, smooth, and quick from start to finish. Here are pointers for you:
- Include the information about alternate activities
In cases when the guardian or parent, for some reason, doesn’t want the child to take part in a suggested activity, include information about alternative activities. For instance, if the guardian or parent does not approve of the child to join the planned trip, what can the child do at school?
Perhaps there’s an activity you planned in class which involves kids eating cakes, what alternatives can the child do or what food can the child eat if he isn’t allowed to eat cakes? - Provide details about payment methods
If the trip requires the parents to pay a certain amount of money, include the cost along with the method of payment. Include the deadline of payment, if it’s different from the date of the field trip or activity. - Invite chaperones
Parents may want to chaperone their children during field trips. If they do, include a choice for the parents or guardians to volunteer. Request for the parent’s contact details so that you can give them a call before the date of the trip. Also, provide the date when you can contact the volunteer parents to give them the details. - Include space for the comments of parents
Provide space where parents or guardians can write their “Special Instructions and Comments.” This allows the guardian or parent to provide information or details that you asked for. - Use a letter format for the permission slip
For a more formal look, you can write your permission slip in the form of a letter. Always use a professional but friendly tone and include all of the significant details in sentences. You can even close with a comment that encourages further communication.
