Happy October!
We hope that the gorgeous weather of September has allowed your family to settle comfortably into the routines that come with the fall season. The school year is off to a great start! Our students are making new friends, getting to know their teachers, and learning the new routines of their classrooms. They are reviewing and practicing skills to help them move forward with new grade level curriculum and building endurance to work hard while they are here. It is such a pleasure to be back in the “kid business”.
The beginning of the year is a good time to remind our families of the important routines that help to keep the building running smoothly. Our school day begins at 8:50. This means that children should be in their classrooms ready to start the day at that time. Students may enter the building as early as 8:30 as supervision is not available prior to this time. Our outside doors are locked again at 8:45. Please enter through the office doors if you arrive late.
As a building, our staff continuously looks for ways to ensure the safety of our children. The Cook Street and Madison Street pick-up and drop-off areas have always been a concern. We continue to work on ways to improve the flow of these areas. They are high traffic areas and involve the movement of our littlest people. We would like to share a few reminders for those of you who pick-up and drop-off your child(ren):
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Please do not park in the pick-up and drop-off line to walk your child to the building. The staff will happily help your children and unfortunately, your parked car causes an unnecessary traffic back-up. If you need to walk your child to the school, please park your car legally before walking them inside.
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Please move all the way forward in the pick-up and drop-off line. This will allow more children to be dropped off at the same time without cars trying to move around each other.
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Please use the crosswalks to cross the road. It is very difficult to see children when they are walking between cars. I know this can be a little more time consuming, but we work very hard to teach our children about traffic safety. This can be one very easy way for you to be a part of that process.
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Most importantly, please be patient. The goal of a safe dismissal is the same for all of us and the process really doesn’t take very long if everyone is patient and goes with the flow of traffic.
One final reminder as the new school year moves forward: If your plans change, requiring your child to go home in a manner that is different than normal, please be sure to contact the office as soon as possible, preferably before 3:15. Due to end of the day procedures, it is often hard to get information to the child before dismissal. This can also cause a bit of confusion for the child and often causes delays for our buses.
The school year is off to a wonderful start. We feel privileged to have the opportunity to watch your children grow and to be an active part of their learning. We believe in open communication and building strong relationships with our students and families. Please feel free to stop in or call if we can help in any way.
Together in providing great opportunities for all kids,
Becky Buhler and Colin Nugent