Teachers and Nurses

Contact Us

21925 Lyons Bald Mountain
Sonora, CA 95370
(209) 532-6673
foothillhorizons@stancoe.org

Directions to Foothill

FIND KEY CONTACTS

Social

Prepare for your week

School Presentation Materials

Materials for Teachers and Administrators

Safety and Behavior Expectation Video

Foothill Overview of Program for Students

Foothill Overview of Program for Parents, English

Foothill Overview of Program for Parents, Spanish

During Your Stay

Where will I stay?

During your time at Foothill Horizons you will get to stay in our cozy Teachers’ Retreat, complete with WI-FI, living room, fireplace and kitchen.
The kitchen is equipped with a refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker and a few dishes. There is also a storage bin provided for snacks.
There are six bedrooms, each with two twin beds, a sink, and a bathroom shared with another room.
Please bring your own bedding and toiletry articles.
You can be reached by phone on our main office line at: (209) 532-6673 EXT 301.
If you bring your cell phone to Foothill Horizons, please note that only AT&T and Verizon provide service here.
We request that you do not use your phone in front of counselors or students.

What is my role at Foothill?

Your main responsibility is ensuring the safety of your students. This means you will be implementing our discipline system with students when needed (including positive rewards), assisting with group management during activities and emotionally supporting kids in need (eg. assisting with those who are homesick)..
During our Campfire Program (skits and songs) we will ask you if you would like to join in the fun! There are skits that you can easily jump into and your students will enjoy seeing you be part of the entertainment on stage!
During hikes and lessons your main responsibility will be to supervise students and manage their behavior as needed. Such support will allow your naturalist to devote all of their energy to instruction. We also want you to have fun and enjoy the forest with us
Depending on the length of your stay, you might get to eat meals with students. Your role here would be to supervise behavior, promote friendly conversation, and help them follow directions.
Two teachers will supervise freeplay (recess) each afternoon. If you are the teacher signed up for detention duty, you will supervise detention during the first 15 minutes of freeplay, and then join the other adult supervising the yard..
Teachers are responsible for supervising students in the dormitories from 9:15 to 10:00 p.m. You will assist the students in getting ready for bed and help determine which dorms are eligible to earn the Super Sleeper Award!
On a 4-day program you will get an evening off, and scheduled breaks throughout the week
Help us celebrate during our final Closing Ceremony by cheering for the students as they pass through our “Graduation Tunnel”!

Additional Resources

Thank you for getting you students ready for Outdoor Ed!

This checklist is created to assist schools in ensuring a seamless outdoor education experience, with no unexpected issues on arrival day.

Please feel free to call or email us with any questions at 209-532-6673 or foothillhorizons@stancoe.org.

Use Only the Current Forms: You can find the current forms, along with additional planning information, exclusively on the Forms and Resources and Teachers and Nurses webpages of our website, www.foothillhorizons.com.
Late or Grossly Disorganized Fee: Charged when forms are more than 5 days late or are deemed to be grossly negligent, incomplete, or disorganized.
New For 2024-2025: We will bill the schools based on the roster numbers one business day prior to attendance. Billing will not be prorated for partial student attendance.

Pro Tips: Getting Started

Print out the checklist! (link below)
Register a primary outdoor education coordinator to keep track of dates, organize school staff, and communicate with Foothill.
- To register, use the email link or visit the following website: https://forms.gle/j9wXrtnnDpaHN5Mk8
Meet with your office staff, teachers, and administrators to determine who will complete each step.
Enter all the deadlines and important dates into your calendar with reminders.
Email your completed forms on time:
- Schools will be charged a fee for forms submitted later than 5 business days past the deadline, if they are grossly negligent (i.e., submitting less than 95% of health forms), or if they are disorganized.

3 Months Before

Discuss any students who need extra assistance with the Director, Jessica Hewitt at jhewitt@stancoe.org
- i.e., behavior issues, limited mobility, limited mobility serious medical needs
- see the Planning for Students with Accommodations on the Forms and Resources webpage
Tell your families that your school is going to Foothill! Use the fillable flyer on the Forms and Resources webpage; plan a family information night; share at your school’s back-to-school night, conferences, and on school family/social media platforms.
School presentation materials can be found in the Foothill Horizons website, on the Teachers and Nurses webpage, and in the Prepare for your week section.

6 Weeks Before

Print and distribute all the required forms, found on the Forms and Resources webpage in the website
- 1 Adult Permission & Health Form per adult
- 1 Outdoor School Information with Packing List per child
- 1 Student Permission & Health Form per child
- Request for Administration of Medication Form: required for ANY medication a child will need
- Foothill Student Merchandise Order Form, if your school is participating in merchandise orders
Complete the School Information Google form to confirm teacher, student accommodation needs. The form can be found in your email or in the Teachers and Nurses / Forms and Resources webpages.
Recruit high school counselors, especially male high school leaders.
- Flyers can be found on the Forms and Resources webpage
- Email Diann Rastetter at drastetter@stancoe.org with the counselor’s name, school, and dates.
Meet with your School Nurse and/Office Staff to plan when and who will :
- Review the Adult and Student Permission & Health Forms, Request for Administration of Medication Forms
- Plan for a temperature and health check on departure day

3 Weeks Before

Review the Health & Medication Scanning Instructions
Scan and email the Adult and Student Permission/ Health forms and Request for Administration of Medication forms to foothillhorizons@stancoe.org.
Email the School Roster to foothillhorizons@stancoe.org.
Email the School Roster to your Food Service Coordinator to complete the Free and Reduced Status section.
- If your school is CEP or P2, please

1 Week Before

Communicate with Foothill to confirm details.
Make sure to review the following items with your students.
- Watch the Foothill Horizons Safety Video on expectations and consequences.
- Remind your students, the Request for Administration of Medication is required for all medications (i.e., Tylenol, cough drops, etc.).
- Review Outdoor School Information With Packing List with your class.
Compile Student Foothill Merchandise Order Forms on to the Foothill School Merchandise Form and email them to foothillhorizons@stancoe.org.
Jess will confirm bus pick up/drop off times for in-county school buses
- Standard school pick times on departure day: 8:00-9:00 am
- Standard return times on last day: 2:30-3:30 pm
Arrange for someone at your school to help load luggage on departure day (i.e., extra staff, parents, a class, etc.)

Departure Day!

Ensure there is someone there to load luggage (i.e., extra staff, parents, a class, etc.).
Perform Health Check:
- Check students' temperatures
- Perform a visual and verbal health check
- Record on Printed version of the School Roster Checklist to Foothill
Take roll call on the bus and notify your school office and Foothill staff which students are not attending by phone, email, or in person.
Please note, at least one teacher must ride in each student bus to assist with supervision.
Make sure you bring:
- The School Roster Checklist verifying temperatures and health check
- The students' medications and forms
- The principal’s home/mobile phone number
- The principal is on call for discipline/emergencies

Helpful information

The Education Foundation of Stanislaus County provides funding for schools to attend each year. Usually in August, schools complete a simple application form and receive $100-$3,000 in grants to each school depending upon number of children participating, percent free and reduced and the number of days students are attending. The school then decides how to best distribute the funds to ensure all students have the opportunity to attend.
Additional funding is available for Stanislaus County schools through Make Dreams Real with Boyett Petroleum

Dress Code

A packing list with dress code information is included on the Outdoor School Information document. Please remind your students that your school’s dress code must still be followed at Foothill Horizons. Also remind them of the following:
Socks and closed-toe and closed-heeled shoes (no Crocs) are the only footwear allowed at Foothill Horizons (except inside the dorms).
Clothing with inappropriate messages may not be worn.
Students should not bring new clothes to outdoor school because they will be getting wet and dirty.

Student Accommodations

All students deserve the Foothill Horizons experience; however, sometimes we need to plan ahead to accommodate physical limitations, health needs (seizures, diabetes, injections) and children with behavior plans. Please go to All Forms (above) and read Planning for Students with Accommodation and Common Adaptations at Foothill to learn more about what we can and cannot safely accommodate and when we need to bring in a Parent Shadow, Para, or Nurse.

John Muir Laws Scientific Journaling
- Students learn how to make careful observations of plants and animals through fun journaling activities correlated with Common Core.
Project Budburst
- Students learn to make observations by studying a plant or shrub at your school through this citizen science organization.
- California Audubon App
- Download a California specific field guide for your classroom.
Me-wuk Culture & Language
- Me-wuk dictionary and other information.
Environmental Education Initiative (EEI)
- These units are approved by CDE and are replacement science units. They are free and easy to use.
California Regional Environmental Education Community
- The CREEC Network provides educators with access to high quality environmental education resources—lesson plans, grants, conferences, field trips, and free materials.
Talk About Trees
- TAT educates children about the responsible management and use of California’s trees. You’ll find 4th-6th grade lesson plans on sustainability with vocabulary lists and games, and free curriculum packets! TAT facilitators provide thousands of free one-hour presentations to classrooms throughout California each year.
Project WILD
- K-12 curriculum focuses on wildlife, habitats, and conservation. Each activity contains objectives, methods, materials, and key terms. Sign up for their teacher training workshops.
Project WET
- This is a well-known international, interdisciplinary water education program for K-12.
GLOBE Program: Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment
- An international science and education program, GLOBE is a worldwide network of students, teachers, and scientists working together to study and understand the global environment. Students and teachers from over 4,000 schools in over 60 countries are working with research scientists to learn more about our planet.
Great Explorations in Math and Science
- GEMS provides over 70 guides, project kits, and handbooks for activity-based learning in math and science. Developed by UC Berkeley, GEMS curricula is used all over the country for students K-8.
Green Teacher
- Find great articles on a wide range of topics: snakes, soil, tracking, vernal ponds, and more! Learn how to integrate writing and art into the science curriculum. Updated workshop and book lists.
Great Valley Museum of Natural Science
- Right in your backyard—this Modesto museum has a wealth of exhibits on the different habitats of the Central Valley, with live animal presentations!
Association of Environmental and Outdoor Education
- Information on California’s network of outdoor schools with information on spring and fall state conferences.
Water Conservation
- Learn easy tips and tricks that students and their families can use to conserve water in their homes.