WHEN & WHERE TO MEET FOR AN FRC PROGRAM:
TIMING is EVERYTHING!
Please allow yourself plenty of time to arrive at the program location, find parking and get to the meeting place at least 20 minutes prior to the program start time (unless otherwise stated on the FRC website).
It might seem like a small thing but arriving early so the program can begin ontime is very important to the program educators and to each family driving in for this special opportunity. It only takes one late family to delay the entire group which often times results in the educator having to delete portions of the planned program in order to finish on schedule.
LOCATION, location, location!
Unless otherwise stated on the FRC website, families gather in the main lobby area of a facility, to be greeted by the facility staff or an FRC representative. Please inform admissions staff that you are there for an FRC program.
Always check the FRC website for the meeting place address (even though you may be familiar with a particular site, the meeting location may be different than the main facility).
PARKING:
You should expect anything from on street metered to open lot parking on site. Please be sure to call the facility directly if you have any questions about parking arrangements. In the rare case that the FRC would provide you with a parking permit or voucher we would make this known on our website.
LATE ARRIVALS:
Programs begin promptly. We cannot accommodate late arrivals. If you arrive late, please do not disrupt the program in progress, wait for an appropriate time to ask if you can be added into the program in progress. There are no refunds or credits for missed programs.
It is expected that all children will be supervised by their parent or the adult that accompanied the children to the event. It is not the responsibility of the FRC staff, Museum staff or any other adult to request considerate, respectful behavior of another program participant. Disruptive, disrespectful behavior could result in a membership termination and or not being allowed to register for future FRC events. Considerate, respectful behavior by all, is expected.
PARENTAL SUPERVISION:
A parent must accompany their child on every FRC field trip. The FRC does not provide child care services nor does it take on the responsibility for your children's safety and well-being during any of our programs. Parents must be with their children (on the premesis of the field trip site) at all times during any FRC field trip and they are completely responsible for the monitoring of their own children. Unless otherwise stated in writing or on the FRC website, in all cases, every parent should understand they are responsible for the care and well-being of their own children and not presume to leave that responsibility to any FRC staff person or museum educator.
NONPARTICIPATING SIBLINGS:
You must register all persons visiting the facility during an FRC program (even babies and toddlers - there may not be a fee involved but we need to inform facility staff of the entire group count so they are prepared with enough space to accommodate everyone.) We do ask that all non participants (including adults) make room in the classroom spaces for paying students. We also require that parents move out of the classroom with unhappy babies and busy toddlers so as not to disrupt student learning in progress.
LUNCHES:
If a program runs into the lunch hour (between 12:00pm and 1:00pm) we plan a 30 minute break for lunch. Unless otherwise noted on the FRC website, plan to bring lunch or call the facility ahead of time to be sure there are facilities to purchase food.
WHAT TO BRING:
For record keeping purposes we recommend taking lots of pictures, and don't forget a copy of the FRC RECORD OF PARTICIPATION Form for each student (see additional information about the ROP below)
This is great way to keep track of programs attended and materials studied in relation to the topic of the field trip. The form may be photocopied. You can also download the form from the FRC website. The form can be signed by the program educator, the Director of the FRC or the homeschooling parent. We suggest you also staple a program brochure to each student form and save all of this for later record keeping.
We carefully review and select materials from Dover Publishing, Cobblestone Publishing, Milliken Publishing and Kids Discover Magazine to create themed packets of educational resources for the whole family that can be ordered inexpensively and shipped directly to your home. Current Ed-Pack themes include: Ancient Egypt, Civil War, First Amendment, Immigration and Industrial Revolution, Shakespeare, World War II, Alternative Energy, Birds of Prey, and Wolves. You will find additional information in your Membership packet and on the FRC web site.
The credit system was developed in the early 1900s by the Carnegie Foundation as a means of improving the vertical articulation between high schools and colleges. Credit units are sometimes called Carnegie units. Each credit or Carnegie unit (120 credit hours originally) represents a certain number of hours of classroom instruction or contact, and is a means of describing the amount of instruction. High school students traditionally earn a certain number of credits in order to receive a diploma. Colleges will review earned credits in a students high school transcript. Homeschooling students may choose to develop their own homeschool transcript. Keeping track of earned credit units can make that process easier. Learn more about credit units and transcripts by reading: The Homeschooler's Guide to Portfolios and Transcripts by Loretta Heuer published by Arco Publishing.
The FRC will provide a number of credit hours earned for each program students attend. You will find this information on the FRC web site.
In case of inclement weather, plan on dressing appropriately and attending as planned. If we do have to cancel a program due to inclement weather we will post a notice on our website and email you directly. We will ask you to confirm receipt of the cancellation notice and if we do not hear from you in a reasonable amount of time, we will call your cell phone (if we have one), and or leave a message on your house phone. When in doubt about a cancellation it is your responsibility to contact us (via phone, email or web) to inquire about program status.
If you have questions - Please call or E-mail:
