Preparation: School and other Approval - Greek Program
Obtaining approval from the school
Once the date and duration of the field trip was established by the teachers and the researcher, the school's approval was gained and arrangements were made by the daily organizer to cover the teachers' classes on the day of the field trip and to engage two more teachers for further assistance during the field trip.
Obtaining approval from the students
Long before the day of the field trip, the teachers distributed to students consent forms that were to be signed by their parents/guardians. Once the signed consent forms were collected by the teachers, the trip could be made. It was a good idea for the teachers to suggest (on the consent forms) that students bring a small amount of spending money for lunch or other possible shopping expenses: during the field trip, all students bought their lunch, with some choosing to purchase Greek food, while others, during the morning recess break, chose to sit at a Greek cafe and order drinks and Greek sweets.
Obtaining approval from the shops
Long before the date and details of the field trip were determined, approval from the shops that would become involved in the activities had to be obtained. The teachers and researcher approached the store managers, who were very willing to assist in the activities, providing these were conducted during the least busy business hours. Finally, the shop managers of the shops that were to be involved in the more challenging activity (see Activity 2), were reminded of the students' pending visit by the teachers a few days in advance.