West Buncombe Elementary School

Greetings parents, grandparents, and all families!!!

I am super excited to kick off a new school year. Hopefully everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable summer vacation.

Our teachers and staff have been back to work preparing everything for students to return. If you are able, please plan on attending our Meet the Teacher on August 25th, from 8:00 to 9:30. If you are unable to attend, please call your child's teacher with any questions regarding classes or the first day of school.

If you are completely new to our campus this school year, I want to extend an extra special welcome to you and your student (s).

This year is going to be a year full of high student growth, exciting learning, and fun. We can't wait to have your children back to school!

If you have any questions concerning classes, supplies, routines or procedures, you can contact me anytime via email: mailto:bradley.johnson@bcsemail.org

Morning drop off takes place in two different ways.

A) Bus students are dropped off at the front of the school and proceed directly to breakfast or the theatre. A member of the school staff is always present as buses arrive to welcome students.

B) Car riders are dropped off in the rear of the school and walk to breakfast or their classroom depending on the time of arrival. School personnel are always present in the car drop off area for reasons of security and to help students with any bags or heavy loads.

For security and safety, parents are not permitted to walk their children to class.

***For the first week only, kindergarten parents may walk their child to their classroom. Beginning September 5th, children cannot be accompanied by parents into the school.

Afternoon Pick Up 2:30 pm

Students are dismissed in four different ways:

A) Bus students are dismissed from the classroom when their bus arrives. School staff are on hand to supervise the bus loading and to keep students safe.

B) Car riders are dismissed from the rear of the school. Parents of car riders are issued a car card to display in the front window of their car. The car line begins in the rear of the school and wraps around and down the entrance drive to Eblen Intermediate School off Lees Creek Rd. Regardless of how long the line may look, this process moves very quickly; it normally takes 15-20 minutes to dismiss all car riders.

C) Any parents who wish to park and pick up their student after 2:00 pm must park on the side parking lot of the school and go to the front office. Students will only be released on an emergency basis. We will be unable to call classrooms for specific children at this time as classes are wrapping up their day and can't answer their classroom phones. The parking spots in the front of the school and along the car line must be kept open to facilitate a smooth dismissal process.

Breakfast and lunch will be provided at no cost to all students next school year!

We are pleased to inform you that Buncombe County Schools will be implementing a program available to schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Programs called the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).

What does this mean for you and your child(ren)?

Great news! All enrolled students at Buncombe County Schools are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at school at no cost to your household each day of the school year. WBES School Parents, there are no action steps for you to take at this time to participate in this program.

K-12 Prepayment will remain active allowing parents and guardians to place money on their students accounts to purchase a la carte items if they would like too.

We look forward to serving your students during the 23-24 school year.

If you have any questions about this letter, please contact us at Buncombe Schools Nutrition Office, 828 255-5932.

To help ensure the highest quality learning environment of all students, we strive to have minimal interruptions to the classroom schedule. One simple, yet powerful way to help boost this high quality learning environment is to have your child dropped off at school before 7:45 am. In this way, they are able to eat breakfast, unpack their things, and start the day smoothly. Any students who arrive after 7:50 am will be marked tardy. In the event that you are running late and arrive after 7:50 am, you will need to accompany your child to the Front Office and sign them in. If you need any assistance with this process, please give us a call.

A second powerful way to help promote a positive, uninterrupted learning environment is to channel all communications with the teacher through email or any digital apps that the teacher may use. Some examples of this would be the Remind app or Class Dojo. When your child's homeroom teacher sends you an invitation, please confirm your invitation promptly and keep yourself up to date with everything that is happening in the classroom.

Students will participate in physical education (PE) class one time per week. To actively participate in PE class, students must have the proper shoes. This is for their own personal safety, and to protect the gym floor. If students are wearing dress shoes, boots or sandals, please send a pair of gym shoes in their backpacks. Teacher can easily provide a quick minute for students to change footwear prior to the beginning of PE class. Students without the proper footwear will have to sit out from class.

Also, if students have a doctor's note stating any restrictions to their activity or movement, please send this note to the teacher. The school will ensure that the PE coach has the proper documentation to assist your child in the process of recovery. Medical notes that limit a student's participation in PE do not have any impact on a student's final grade. Additionally, the school will ensure that classroom teachers have these notes and that the limitations are applied to recess as well.

Please contact your child's homeroom teacher or call the front office with any questions.

The school enjoys celebrating all student birthdays throughout the year. Additionally, the front office presents each student with a small gift for their birthday.

Parents are allowed to bring treats to the class for a student's birthday. You can drop these items off at the front office any time of day. The office will deliver items to the classroom during break times so that learning schedules are uninterrupted. Teachers will ensure that treats and drinks are distributed to all students at the end of the day. This is typically around 2:00.

Please take a look at the link to answer any questions regarding the Buncombe County Schools Code of Character, Conduct, and Support.

Teacher placement lists will be available on August 18th. You can find your child's teacher assignment posted in the breezeway windows between the cafeteria and school or on the front doors of the school.