Welcome visiting teachers! We want you and your students to feel at home, remember Sunrise is your classroom. About three weeks before your scheduled arrival date, a Sunrise teacher will contact you by email and/or phone to work in partnership with you and create a Daily Schedule of experiences and activities. Creating a Daily Schedule is like planning an adventure, so fun. Involve your students in the planning process and invite them to choose activities that will empower their learning. What learning goals does your class want to achieve at Sunrise? How  can we extend classroom learning in an experiential way? How can instruction be differentiated to achieve the learning objectives for each student group? Answering these questions will enable the selection of experiences and activities that engage and instruct learners. Your learning objectives can be broad and global in nature, for example, “My students need a Gross Motor Day,” or “It's time for a Celebration Day.” You may have a specific learning focus in mind, such as measurement, simple machines, nature studies, or social emotional learning. Perhaps it's time for students to express gratitude via service learning, to be reflective and create poetry, to  work as a team and calculate the trajectory and reach of a trebuchet,  make a gift for mothers day, or appreciate nature from a rowboat. Knowing “Why” students are at Sunrise enables the “How” your students' day will go and “What” students will experience and learn. Your “Why” can be a discovery unit with students actively engaged in a unique challenge, while teachers uncover student strengths not witnessed before. 

Sunrise has 3 teaching staff and serves multiple schools daily. Sunrise staff will collaborate with classroom teachers to create daily schedules that coordinate spaces, activities, and staff which enables multiple programs to engage in learning activities simultaneously. Visiting teachers need to be prepared to lead activities. Activities to be led by visiting staff will have materials provided so that you feel confident in facilitating these activities. Each group of students requires a certified staff person that knows the students and is able to enforce your school’s behavior expectations.

A Sunrise staff person will send an e-mail to the designated contact person(s) from the visiting school about 3 weeks prior to the visit. In this initial contact, the Sunrise staff will ask for the expected number of students and staff, and any student needs, such as wheelchairs and allergies. Ideally, Sunrise recommends group sizes of 15-20 participants, to maximize student engagement.

We strive to provide students with as many outdoor experiences as the weather allows. With this in mind, we create schedules with alternative indoor activities in case the weather chases us inside. If there is inclement weather, we have 6-8 indoor spaces available.

We will also confirm arrival & departure times and lunch plans. Sunrise does not provide a food service; however we do have a kitchen and fire pits which are available upon request. We encourage groups to be creative about lunch planning, such as cooking food over a fire, enjoying s’mores, or making banana boats. Please make sure to inform Sunrise staff of your lunch plans and be sure to bring the ingredients you will need to make your lunch. Freezer and refrigerator space is available in the kitchen.

Please utilize Sunrise staff to brainstorm meaningful activities for your group. Share with us your classroom studies and goals for the day so we can make your trip as meaningful for your students as possible and make connections that can extend classroom learning. Taking your feedback, Sunrise staff will offer activity suggestions based on learning objectives, reviews of schedules or suggestions from previous visits, the age & abilities of the students, and the season. If a teacher has an idea for a new activity in order to meet a learning objective, Sunrise staff will develop a lesson in partnership with the visiting staff. We welcome new activities and enjoy creating new experiential learning opportunities that meet the learning needs of your students.

Logistically, the number of activities must be greater than or equal to the number of groups. Finding this balance requires communication between program leaders and Sunrise staff. The activities requested must fit practically into the time frame of your visit. Activities generally take between 30 and 45 minutes. Based on the activities you choose, Sunrise staff may recommend adding or subtracting an activity in order to meaningfully engage students in learning experiences. Please keep in mind that15 minutes will be designated at the very beginning of the day for introductions, a final count of students & staff, information regarding any necessary changes to times or activities, and an opportunity to answer any last minute questions. 15 minutes will also be allowed at the very end of the day for using the restroom, collecting materials, and taking attendance.

Once all of the necessary information is attained, Sunrise staff will begin creating a Daily Schedule. The final activities will be based on the number of groups, the duration of the visit, and lunch plans. The finished schedule will allow for each groups’ activities, whether indoors or outside, to be experienced by each group individually, unless prior arrangements have been made for groups to participate in separate activities, or to share a time and/or space.

Ideally, the final schedule is sent to the school contact(s) one week prior to the visit. The contact person is expected to share the schedule with his or her colleagues in order to preview the plan for the day and make sure everyone feels prepared to facilitate any designated activities. Visiting staff are strongly encouraged to use this time to communicate any questions, comments, or concerns with Sunrise staff. Please let Sunrise staff know if changes have occurred in attendance totals, arrival or departure times, recent student injuries that necessitate accommodations, or lunch plans.

In the event the contact person has not received the schedule in advance, he or she is asked to inform Sunrise of the situation at least two days prior to the visit. The certified staff person with each group of students should bring a copy of the schedule to Sunrise Lake and use it for reference throughout the day.

Remind students and staff to dress for the weather and plan to be outdoors. Fishing in the rain is an adventure that students enjoy; we provide rain ponchos. Bring sunblock and bug spray, which may require parental permission to apply.

Visiting teachers, you know your students best. Your student insights enable you to achieve learning objectives by empowering, challenging and engaging learners in the activities you selected, in order to extend learning beyond your classroom.

When traveling to Sunrise, it’s important to know that Google Maps works best. OUR ADDRESS HAS CHANGED TO 401 S. IL Route 59, Bartlett, IL 60103.

Your bus ride to Sunrise is an ideal time to prepare for activities. We want to maximize instructional time and ensure that students experience the learning activities planned for them, so please arrive on time. If you are running late, call (630) 830-0146 and we will adjust your Daily Schedule.

Let students know your expectations for the day and how they will be grouped for activities and lunch in advance. Tally student and staff attendance so that when you arrive, you are ready to give the totals to Sunrise staff for use in case of emergency procedures. Please ask your bus drivers to sign in at the office.

As buses arrive, you will be greeted by Sunrise teaching staff in our outdoor amphitheater, Great Hall, or other indoor space. A brief overview of the day’s activities will be shared with the students while visiting teachers get oriented, share attendance totals, and get ready to lead activities.

You will be provided with a radio which enables you to request help when needed by clearly stating your name, location and how a Sunrise staff can help. Sunrise does not have a nurse on staff; however, school nurses are welcome and encouraged to accompany their students to Sunrise, or visiting teachers can contact their home school nurse for medical concerns. In case of emergency, please notify the office so that we can call from the land line. This will help ensure a speedy emergency personnel response.

If there is inclement weather, for example, when thunder or lightning necessitates indoor activities for 30 minutes, check your Daily Schedule for rain plan activities and the indoor spaces assigned. To minimize office disruption, please ask students to refrain from walking through the Main Office and use the side entrances to the Main Lodge.

Based on your lunch plans, you will be assigned a designated cooking time and/or location. Sack lunches can be deposited in bins upon arrival and moved to eating locations for lunch. Please be mindful of your assigned cook times and locations as there may be other groups who need the kitchen, specific fire pit, or lunch space. Sunrise has supplies, such as plates, cups, and silverware for visiting school usage.

We ask that when you are finished eating, that you utilize our sanitation system in our kitchen and clean up after yourself. Sunrise has four large picnic tables beside each fire pit for outdoor lunches and two large decks. IDPH regulations state that tables must be used when eating lunch indoors.

At the end of the day, please make sure to return your radio to Sunrise staff. If you find that a student is missing something, we have a lost and found in our office. After your school has left Sunrise for the day, you will receive an evaluation via email. This is a quick survey that helps both visiting and Sunrise staff reflect on their planning and day of experience. Please thoughtfully reflect on your day.

Looking forward, please remember to schedule early for your next visit. We always enjoy spending the day with you and your students. We look forward to seeing you again soon!

To initiate a 911 Emergency response, calls should be made from the Sunrise office, or any Sunrise phone. If you need help, ask or radio a Sunrise staff. Using a cell phone results in a significant delay in paramedic response time. Please report all student and staff injuries to the office. School nurses are welcome to accompany their students to Sunrise or visiting teachers can contact their home school nurse for medical concerns, Sunrise does not have a nurse on staff. Sunrise staff have completed Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Training, however we do not have a Behavioral Support Team on site. Sunrise Lake Outdoor Education Center, District 805 is a public school and smoking, vaping, alcohol and weapons are prohibited on school property. Sunrise is governed by school code and we implement emergency procedures including fire, law enforcement, shelter-in-place and emergency evacuation procedures. During an emergency, please follow directions from Sunrise staff or our procedures which are posted in each building. If necessary during winter, Sunrise staff will call 911 and implement emergency Ice Rescue procedures, prior to paramedics arriving. Please stay and keep everyone off of thin ice.