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AUGUST 17 Wilbur Words
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AUGUST 17, 2023
It is hard to believe that the first week of school is coming up very shortly! As a reminder, all grades 1 through 5 students will attend starting on Monday, August 28. Kindergarten students have a split start. Please use the chart here to determine which days your child will be attending. ALL students are off school on Friday, 9/1and Monday, 9/4.
We will be providing breakfast starting on the first day of school this year. Except for Kindergarteners, students will pick up their breakfast at the kiosk carts located in each wing as they travel to their classroom after arriving at school just like normal. Kindergarten breakfast will be delivered to classrooms during the first week of school.
IMPORTANT: We do not have access to bus information until a day or two before school starts. Parents will receive an EMAIL from our Transportation department sometime next week!
KINDERGARTEN CAR RIDERS: IMPORTANT!
As I mentioned in my last newsletters, FOR THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL ONLY (8/28-8/31), we will be having a special Kindergarten only drop off time from 9:00-9:15 each morning for arrival. This will allow our experienced car riders to keep the efficient line going while providing extra time for our youngest students to learn the process of car rider arrival.
If you have an older sibling that is also a car rider and can help your kindergartener get to his or her classroom, you do NOT need to wait for the KN only time! This is just to provide a bit of grace time for those doing it for the first time who may need some additional prompting to exit the car.
BUS PARENTS: VERY IMPORTANT!
Please expect that buses will be LATE for the first few days of school. In the mornings, bus drivers are still learning their runs so it may take more time. In the afternoons, we are not able to start our dismissal until almost all 21 buses have arrived. Once we start, on the first week of school, each teacher verifies that each student is getting on the correct bus. Although this takes a bit of time, we want to make sure that each of our students gets home safely. FOR THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL, WE WILL TEXT WHEN BUSES HAVE LEFT THE WILBUR PARKING LOT IN THE AFTERNOON. This way, families will have an idea of when to expect their child at the bus stop. If there are any late buses, we'll also note that in the text. Starting the second week of school, we will only do a text if buses are leaving the building more than 15 minutes after the expected time. Thank you in advance for your patience as we work through the invariable issues that come up the first week or so with transportation!!
BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT
Please feel free to stop by Wilbur on Thursday, August 24 between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. so your child can find his or her classroom. If you haven't yet gotten your classroom information by then, we'll have alphabetical lists out front that afternoon. It is a great time to bring in those school supplies as well, especially if you have a young child who will have trouble carrying them in!
SECURITY MEASURES
Safety and security is of the utmost importance here at Wilbur. As I hope you would agree, based on tragic events that have occurred around the country, it is always better to be overly cautious when it comes to school safety. We will continue here at Wilbur to limit visitors in the building as much as possible. This truly isn't meant to make anyone feel unwelcome, but as the person who has the responsibility to keep over 1,100 students and 125 staff safe, I am keeping certain procedures in place to do everything I can to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of each and every one of them.
KN FAMILIES: LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP FOR MONDAY'S KINDERDUCTION!
Don't forget to sign up for Kinderduction! In order to get our youngest students off to a wonderful start, we are encouraging all parents to bring their child to our Kinderduction. All eight of our Kindergarten teachers will be a part of this Wilbur tradition. Since I will have class lists finalized at that point, each teacher will be able to work with their own students on routines and procedures and acclimate them to the building. This will give both you and your child the chance to start building a relationship with the teacher that they will spend their year with. (And, will allow your kiddo a shorter time away from you for the first school experience.) Kinderduction will take place MONDAY, AUGUST 21 from 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 p.m. You will drop your child off with their teacher in our Multi-Purpose room and then have a few hours to go relax. A bit later on that same date, I will be hosting a “Q and A with the Principal” from 10:30 to 11:30. This will be an informal time for you to come and ask ANY questions you might have before the year starts. At 11:30 a.m., you will then join your child in their classroom to meet the teacher, get a tour of the room, and go on a tour of the building. We are hoping that this introduction to our Wilbur home will help you and your child feel more comfortable as they walk through our doors on the first day of school. Register for Kinderduction using this form: https://forms.gle/mDU9JE4nwyunq5kE7.
NEW TO THE CAR LINE??
Please make sure you review the step by step directions and videos for both arrival and dismissal if your child is a daily car rider! If your child attends the YMCA, directions are at the bottom as well.
MORNING CAR RIDER ARRIVAL
AFTERNOON CAR RIDER PICK UP
PIK MY KID
This year, our school will be continuing the PikMyKid program to help organize the school car rider dismissal process and improve safety. This program uses a phone application downloaded onto your smart phone (found in the app store) and will allow you to notify the school of pick-up changes, authorize others to pick-up your child from the car line, and help organize the car line during pick-up. PikMyKid numbers DO NOT CHANGE FROM YEAR TO YEAR so, if you had a car tag last year, you will be able to use it this school year as well.
The registration process is easy and we ask that all parents register with the phone application as soon as possible, even if your child is a bus rider. All dismissal changes must be done through the PikMyKid app. Dismissal changes stop at 3:00 p.m. so we can prepare for a smooth dismissal and ensure that all teachers have been notified of changes. With almost 1100 students to get safely dismissed, there will be no exceptions to this rule. I'm sorry in advance for any inconvenience!
Several resources are included below to help you understand how to use the application and assist you with this transition. Please make sure you register with your personal current mobile phone number or the app will not allow you to access your child’s information for security reasons.
If you do not think the school has your mobile number on file or if your child does not appear in your app’s home page, contact support@pikmykid.com mailto:support@pikmykid.com after registration, with your child’s name, school, grade, and updated contact information for you.
Anyone who will be picking up your child will need to have your child(ren)'s PikMyKid number displayed on their dash. You will need to provide them with this information prior to them arriving at Wilbur.
Please note: If you want to know more, go to this link https://www.pikmykid.com/features/for-parents/
YMCA INFORMATION
The YMCA is excited to offer Before and After School Childcare right at Wilbur Elementary School. Students will have the opportunity to engage in a variety of activities to expand learning beyond the school hours. The programs include arts and crafts, games, homework help time, a snack (After Care Only), recreational activities and more! We still have openings for the Wilbur program so sign up today: www.ymcade.org/
YMCA Parents: Drop off and pick up for the Y are at the back of the building. (Follow the sign that says 'buses and deliveries'. There are areas that are marked as YMCA Waiting Areas and you will park there and call the number given to you by the Y so your child will be sent out to meet you. Since this area is also our bus court, there will be no Y drop offs or pick ups during active bus arrival and dismissal. (approx. 8:35-8:45 a.m. and 3:30-3:50 p.m.)