Victory Reins Therapeutic Riding Center

1. Victory Reins Therapeutic Riding Center Michelle Miller and Kathryn Lindemulder

2. Pre Trip • Students will be split into groups • Pass out the “Horse” Ag Mag • Each group will be assigned a page to read. The students can read silently, or take turns reading aloud. • The groups will then become “experts” for their page, and complete a Jigsaw activity. • Students should take notes about each others’ page • The students will individually write at least one thing they learned from each page, and one question that they have for Victory Reins.

3. Proposal February 15, 2012 Dear Mr. Slattery, The fifth grade team is getting ready to begin an Interdisciplinary Unit centered on the “Wild West”. As part of this unit, the students will be learning about responsibility in character ed, and various animals in the West in science. Since the Old West is known for mustangs, we decided to focus on horses for the field trip for this unit. Because of this, we are requesting permission to take the students to Victory Reins, a therapeutic riding center in Peotone, Illinois. Our objective of this field trip is for the students to have an experience that may be out of the ordinary for many of them. The field trip will give students a unique opportunity to experience some of the responsibility of caring for a living creature, as well as study firsthand one of the animals they learned about in “Wild West” unit. While at Victory Reins, the students will be put into groups in order to experience various stations that the riding center offers. The students will have the opportunity to participate in all of the following: grooming, painting a horse (to learn the parts), riding, a classroom station, and chores (i.e cleaning stalls). In addition, the students will have a station to eat lunch. The tentative date for our field trip is April 27, 2012. The cost for each student will be ten dollars. Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to discussing this trip with you. Sincerely, The Fifth Grade Team Kathryn Lindemulder Michelle Miller

4. Cost calculations • Entry Fee: • $25 donation • Transportation: • 4 hours x $36.48=$145.92 • 30mi + 30mi =60mi x $.96= $57.60 • $72.97 minimum charge • $145.92+ $57.60+ 72.97= $276.49 • Total • $301.49 • $301.49/50 students= $6.03 or $10 per student

5. Itinerary • 9:05- School begins • 9:10- Pre-Trip Activity • 9:40- Explain the different stations and place students in groups • 10:00- Board the bus to Victory Reins! • 11:00- Arrive at Victory Reins and view lounging demonstration • 11:15- Break into 6 stations and switch stations every 15 minutes • 12:45- Gather outside barn to meet the other animals • 1:00- Board the bus and back to Creekside! • 2:00- Follow-up activity • 2:40- Words Their Way • 3:10- Silent Reading • 3:40- Dismissal

6. Station 1- Grooming • Students will learn how to groom a horse from a volunteer at the barn • Vocabulary- Curry, Dandy Brush, Body Brush, Hoof Pick, Mane Brush

7. Station 2- Riding • Students will have the opportunity to ride and play the Pony Express Relay Game • Vocabulary- Walk on, Trot on, Woah!

8. Station 3-Muck • Students will get the experience of hard labor cleaning out the horses stalls • Vocabulary- Muck fork, shavings, deoderizer

9. Station 4-Paint • Students will learn the parts of a horse by painting one of the horses • Vocabulary- Withers, Hock, Hoof, Muzzle, Shoulder, Chest, Barrel, etc.

10. Station 5- Lunch • YUM!!! • Depending on weather, the students may eat outside on the picnic benches or in the tack room so they can see their peers riding.

11. Station 6- Classroom • Students will learn the parts of two saddles, proper horsemanship, and their diets.

12. Services Provided • Victory Reins is a therapeutic riding center. • Hosts Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Special Recreation agencies, Birthday Parties, Private Lessons, and travels too! • Trained Volunteers on site

13. Groups

14. Parent Communication March 30, 2012 Dear Parents/Guardians, On Friday April 27th, 2012, the Fifth Grade Team will be going on a field trip to Victory Reins Horse Stable in Peotone, IL. This year, we have learned a lot about the “Wild West, and we want to put our cowboy (and cowgirl) skills to the test! The purpose of this field trip is for the students to get firsthand experience working with the animals that we’ve been learning about! The students will be able to participate in various activities while at the barn, including riding, grooming, and painting a horse! This will be an exciting, fun day that is full of learning! For more information about Victory Reins, you can visit www.victoryreins.org. Students will be required to wear CLOSED TOED shoes, and comfortable clothing – the students MUST wear long pants. Student s will also need to bring a sack lunch on the day of the field trip. We will depart from Creekside at 10am, and returning at approximately 2pm. Students MUST return a permission form and release form, along with $10 (Cash or Check Payable to Creekside Elementary School) NO LATER than Wednesday April 18th if they would like to attend. Although the barn provides volunteers, we are asking for 8 parent chaperones. If you would like to be a chaperone for this trip, please fill out and return the bottom portion of the permission slip. If you have any questions, pleas feel free to contact Miss Lindemulder at klindemulder@stfrancis.edu / (xxx)xxx-xxxx or Miss Miller at mmiller@stfrancis.edu (xxx)xxx-xxxx. Fifth Grade Team Kathryn Lindemulder Michelle Miller

15. Permission Slip Signature below indicates an agreement to release liability of school district CCSD 202, its employees and volunteers against any and all damages, claims or actions for bodily injury and lost or damaged property. Print:____________________________________ _________________________ Student Name Teacher I give permission for my child,_______________________,to attend the field trip to Victory Reins on Friday April 27, 2012. Parent Signature:_______________________________________________ Date __________ _______________________________________________________ List any Health Concerns:__________________________________________________ Medications:_____________________________________________________________ In case of emergency, please contact: _____________________________________________ Parent Name___________________________ Phone________________ I give permission for teacher or chaperone to authorize emergency medical care: Parent Signature_________________________ Date __________ I am willing to be a parent chaperone for the Fifth Grade team’s field trip to Victory Reins on Friday April 27, 2012 PARENT’S NAME: ________________________________________ STUDENT’S NAME: _______________________________________ PHONE between 8am and 3pm: ______________________________ Thank you for volunteering to chaperone! A teacher from the Fifth Grade Team will be in contact with you on or before April 13th to review the details of the trip.

16. Reminder! Reminder! We are going to Victory Reins on Friday April 27th! Students must bring a sack lunch! Remember to wear closed toed shoes and long pants!

17. Waiver Victory Reins Horsemanship Program Consent Form I hereby give my permission for (participant)________________________ to participate in the Horsemanship Program. This may include any of the following activities: receiving horseback riding instruction, feeding/grooming animals, riding the horses, and maintaining the barn at Victory Reins. In consideration for Victory Reins allowing (participant) _________________ to participate in the riding program the Participant and his/her successors and representatives do hereby agree to release and discharge Victory Reins’ officers, staff, administrators, employees and agents from any and all causes of action damages, claims, costs, expenses (including attorney’s fees) and liability in any way arising from or incidental to this authorization. X ___________________________________________ Date __________ (Participant Signature) X ____________________________________________ Date__________ (Participant signature required of all individuals ages 12 and over unless a guardian has been legally appointed.) X ____________________________________________ Date___________ (Parent/Guardian signature required of all individuals under age 21 and those who have a guardian appointed.) X ______________________________________________Date _________ (Staff witness required in all instances when only a participant signature is required.)

18. Release Form Video Tape /Photo Release/Media Release I give permission for the Victory Reins Horsemanship program its advertising agencies or news media to publish or reproduce the print/slide photographs, moving pictures orvideo tape for publicity purposes. Publicity may include but is not limited to newspaper, television, brochures, pamphlets, instructional materials and books. I understand that no inducements or promises have been made to secure my signatureto this release other than the intention of the Horsemanship Program to use or cause tobe used for the purpose of promoting the Horsemanship program and its work. Specific limitations to the above____________________________________ This release is valid for (1) year from the date it is signed and may be revoked by me in writing at any point in time. Signed _________________________________ Date _________

19. Medical Release Authorization for Emergency Medical Treatment I authorize Victory Reins to (1) Secure and retain professional emergency medical treatment and transportation if needed and (2) Release rider and records upon request to the authorized individual or agency involved in the medical emergency treatment. In the event emergency medical treatment is needed, due to illness or injury during the process of receiving services, or while being on the property of this agency, Rider Name__________________________________________________ Address__________________________________ City________________ Zip Code_______________ Phone ____________________ In the even that I cannot be reached contact: Contact____________________________ Relationship___________ Phone_______________ Contact____________________________ Relationship___________ Phone_______________ Physician’s Name__________________________ Medical Facility______________________ Health Insurance Co_______________________________ Policy #_____________________ Date______/_____/________ Signature__________________________________________ Date______/____/_________ Non-Consent Signature______________________________ Print Name_______________________________________ Phone_____________________ Address_____________________________ City______________ State_____Zip_________ Consent Plan: This authorization includes x-ray, surgery, hospitalization, medication and any treatment procedure deemed “ Life saving” by the physician. This provision will only be invoked if the person listed is unable to be reached

20. Learning Standards • STATE GOAL 12: Understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the life, physical and earth/space sciences. B. Know and apply concepts that describe how living things interact with each other and with their environ­ment. 12.B.2a Describe relationships among various organisms in their environments (e.g., predator/prey, parasite/host, food chains and food webs). 12.B.2b Identify physical features of plants and animals that help them live in different environments (e.g., specialized teeth for eating certain foods, thorns for protection, insulation for cold temperature).

21. Learning Standards • STATE GOAL 5: Use the language arts to acquire, assess and communicate information. C. Apply acquired information, concepts and ideas to communicate in a variety of formats. 5.C.2a Create a variety of print and nonprint documents to communicate acquired infor­mation for specific audiences and purposes • STATE GOAL 16: Understand events, trends, individuals and movements shaping the history of Illinois, the United States and other nations. D. Understand Illinois, United States and world social history. 16.D.2b (US) Describe the ways in which participation in the westward movement affected families and communities.

22. Learning Standards • STATE GOAL 19: Acquire movement skills and understand concepts needed to engage in health-enhancing physical activity. A. Demonstrate physical competency in individual and team sports, creative movement and leisure and work-related activities. 19.A.2 Demonstrate control when performing combinations and sequences in locomotor, non-locomotor and manipulative motor patterns.

23. Follow-up activity • Write Sandy a “Thank You” letter and draw your favorite part of the field trip. • The letters will be sent to Victory Reins. • The teacher will read “ You Wouldn’t Want to Be a Pony Express Rider!”

24. reflection I have taken so much away from this project! It is fairly complicated to plan, organize, and implement a field trip! Being on the other side of the desk has certainly changed my view about field trips! However, I believe that field trips can be great opportunities to learn outside of the classroom! This particular field trip site is special to me personally, so it was exciting to plan a hypothetical field trip there. Although Victory Reins is primarily a therapeutic riding center, so much can be learned there by any student! VR also provides unique opportunities for students that they may never otherwise experience. I think it is important for students to expand their horizons, and for many students in the city/suburbs, they are not used to a farm-like experience. There is also more content than it seems. One of my favorite pieces that can be taken away from a trip to VR is a lesson in character ed – the barn cannot function without everyone’s help! While a riding center may not be a traditional field trip choice, I think the students would benefit greatly from visiting!

25. reflection • Victory Reins has always been an important place to me. As everyone knows, I love horses and this is the best program to work with horses and Special Needs students. I think bringing students with or without Special Needs is important because although we covered many subject areas, the students also receive a great character ed piece. The students were able to work with their peers, learn things that most are probably not familiar with, and get dirty and dusty. This field trip can be for any age level because Victory Reins hosts students ages 5-99. The work is manageable for all ages and can be modified easily. I didn’t realize how lengthy the preparation for a field trip is before this project. It was nice to work with a partner, or in a fifth grade team- so you have someone to turn to with questions and bounce ideas off of one another. I think that field trips are great opportunities for students because it gets them out of the classroom for a day and they learn without even realizing it sometimes. Many students think it is a “Fun Day” or a day off of school, which is true, but I like how they will be so actively engaged they don’t realize they are learning. Planning a field trip takes a lot of time and organization, but if all goes well it is a great experience! This project can be carried on in the future because I now know the planning and effort needed to create an effective field trip.