What do we need to do to look after our students?

Like we mentioned in the Safety tab, disclosing what the school has got planned for their students to their parents/ caregivers is crucial. This is a vital element in your Health and Safety planning of a EOTC event. Mum and dad want to know if Johnny is going to swim, as that gives them the opportunity to inform you that he sinks like a brick. Our safety tab before should have covered that. But part of that process is collecting the right information from the parents, like ” can johnny swim ‘yes’ or ‘ no’?

We would like to give you some pointers as to what type of information to collect from students. The easiest way to do this is through google forms if your school works with Google, and excel surveys if your school works with Office 365. The processes are essentially the same in that you can create an online form easily, send it out via e mail, and collect the data automatically in the cloud once parents submit the form. It will create a simple excel sheet with names and all the other needed data stacked up nicely in a row.

You’re not a computer nerd? Simply go to U tube and there are hundreds of video’s of people who will walk you through it step by step.

Essential student info you should collect:

Emergency contact info; two options are always better than one.

Medical requirements: You need to know if your student as any medical condition that will put his life or that of others at risk. For example a days kayaking trip with someone who is prone to severe asthma when cold is something you should know about. But also simple stuff like sleep walking is essential to know as you would want to sleep that child in a bottom bunk bed.

Allergies and Anaphylaxis reactions:

Students physical and emotional state: Is very important to know for a Finlay Park instructor if a child has a irrational fear of deep water as it could take up quite a bit of time in a group setting to deal with that. Also the basics like can your child swim, is essential to know.

Consent: You need consent from the parent or caregiver to administer panadol, seek emergency first aid,  and of course permission to have the student join the event.

Sleeping arrangements: 

Finlay Park mostly provides bunk bed options. We require all groups to arrange rooms in such a way so that people with sleeping disorders (sleep walking, rest less sleeping, etc), and children under the age of 9 years, sleep on a bottom bunk bed.

We also recommend sleeping boys in the Lake cabins (bomb proof cabins, with lino floor and timber walls), Girls in the upstairs apartments (carpeted which girls can handle), parents in the river cabins (en suites, so no need to share with students) and teachers in the lagoon suites (slightly more peaceful!). See the map below

Map of Finlay