Family Bulldog Bulletin for 9/4/23

9/4

NO SCHOOL

9/5

ALL KINDERGARTNERS START SCHOOL

9/15

Instructional Assistant Appreciation Day

First Day of Hispanic Heritage Month

9/21

Parent Curriculum Night

9/25

NO SCHOOL

9/26

Interims Go Home

SEL Classroom Painting

We have a new SEL classroom that we were able to create due to a grant, and it needs to be painted. If we could have some volunteers during that day, that would be wonderful. Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. We have some supplies already, but if you would like to bring in some of your own, feel free. Thank you!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4AAEA72FA3FECF8-painting

Volunteers play an important role in our school district. We are grateful to parents and community members who contribute their time and talents to supporting our students. We do need everyone who plans on volunteering to register at the website or QR code below. For safety and security, it is imperative that you register as a volunteer. If you registered last year, you must re-register this year. Even if you work for WCPSS you must register.

WCPSS Volunteer Registration Website

WCPSS has a new Visitor Management system in place to ensure the safety of all students, staff and visitors. All visitors are required to complete this form upon arriving at a WCPSS school (ie., late student check in, early check outs, volunteering, student registration and scheduled meetings). All visitors are required to scan their government issued identification (drivers license, ID card) for every visit. Please have your identification ready any time you are coming to Briarcliff.

Drop Off and Pick Up

For Tuesday, September 5th you may walk them to class, but starting Wednesday September 6th they must be in carpool, on the bus, or dropped off at the walker area.

Vaccination/Health Forms:

Per state law, we are required to collect vaccination records and student health forms for each kindergarten student. Student vaccine records and health forms are due no later than the first day of school. Forms may be scanned and emailed to Cecilia Sanchez at csanchezguerrero@wcpss.net or they can be dropped off directly at the school.

Addresses and Phone Numbers

​​If you have had a change in address, email address, or phone number please contact Cecilia Sanchez via email csanchezguerrero@wcpss.net at or call the school at 919-460-3443

Talking Points

​​TalkingPoints allows teachers to communicate with parents via text messages easily - including parents who don't speak English as a their first language. TalkingPoints is a two-way multi-lingual platform that allows teachers and parents to communicate in over 100 languages. Teachers use a web or mobile application to send messages to parents who receive them in their home languages as text messages or through the parent mobile app. Parents can reply in their own languages because TalkingPoints will automatically translate it to English for teachers. The software will sync directly to parent contact information in PowerSchool. Please sign up here: Talking Points

Transportation Changes

Please alert teachers via Talking Points or email by 12:00 of any transportation changes. Please also call the from desk to let them know. We ask you to do both as teachers may be focused on student learning and may not see your message.

Staff Response Time

Please note that all staff have 48 hours to respond to call and/or emails. We do our best to respond within 24 hours but this is not always possible. Please understand that during the instructional day teachers are not usually able to look at email and will not often respond until they have time at the end of the day. Please note that staff do NOT check their email from after 4:00 during the week and Friday after 4:00 pm until Monday at 8:00 am.

2023-24 School Meal Prices:

Meal prices for the 2023-24 school are noted below. If your family is in need of meal assistance, I strongly encourage you to complete and submit an application for Free/Reduced Cost Meals. Applications will be mailed out to all WCPSS families in the coming weeks and will also be available during our Meet the Teacher event at the start of the year.

• Breakfast Cost--$1.50
• Lunch Cost--$3.25

Pre-Pay for Meals Online:

The easiest way to pay for school meals is to create an online account at www.MySchoolBucks.com. Please remember, you will need your child's student ID number to register. Once registered, parents may load money, set spending limits, and set-up auto-loading so that your child never runs out of lunch money.

Free/Reduced Price Meal Application:

Families in need of meal assistance must reapply every school year if they are interested in receiving meal benefits. Applications may be submitted online at https://www.wcpss.net/Page/1849. Paper copies are also available at the school.

Carpool Tags:

Please save your old carpool tags! Student will use the same tags they had last year. If you have a kindergartner coming they will use the same number their sibling had last year. Please stop by the office if you need new tags.

CARPOOL LINE

• Carpool starts at 3:45 and ends at 4:05 (except the first two weeks)
• You must use carpool. There is absolutely NO DROP OFF ON POND STREET!! This is dangerous and against policy.
• Adults picking up children may NOT get out of their cars. We have Staff and Safety patrol outside for support.
• Please have your carpool tag hanging when you get in line. This helps speed up the process.
• Please make sure students can exit from the passenger side. We cannot load students from the drivers side due to safety.
• Please make sure your child can open and close the car door.
• Please make sure your child can buckle their own seatbelt. If they cannot you will have to pull up and park to help them. This cannot be done in the carpool line.

• You are only allowed to walk if you have been assigned as a walker in Power Schools. This is done by WCPSS, not the school.
• Walkers may NOT park on Pond Street to drop off. You must either walk or get in the carpool line. This is true even if it is raining. Absolutely no driving up to pick up walkers is allowed.
• Walkers are dismissed at 3:45.

Please remember that students cannot receive medication (prescription or over-the-counter) at school without a signed 1702 form. The 1702 form is linked below and must be signed by a licensed medical doctor before submitted to the school.

• Form 1702--Parent's Request and Physician's Order Form for Medication

All prescription medication must be in original packaging with a pharmacy label. OTC medications must be in the original packaging and labeled with the student's name.

Before and after-school care will be available for students onsite at Briarcliff for the 22-23 school year. Applications and registration information for the before and after-school care programs can be found on our website at: https://www.wcpss.net/domain/11295.

2023-24 Transportation Requests:

If you are not currently registered for transportation but would like service next school year, register for service immediately. Please only request service if you plan for your student to be a regular bus rider. Students who don’t ride consistently will be removed from bus rosters. To register, go to www.wcpss.net/busrider.

A few Reminders:

• Please remember to be out at least 10-15 minutes prior to bus stop assigned times.
• You must go to your assigned stop.
• Our buses are scheduled to run on time but the first two weeks can be impacted and require patiences and adjustments.
• Please note your child cannot be put on the bus in the afternoon if they are not already registered.
• Your child will have a tag on their backpack. Please do NOT remove this tag.

Here Comes the Bus

Please follow the directions at the link below to track the bus. Please note the first two weeks it will take longer. https://www.wcpss.net/Page/35380

Our parent/student handbook (linked here) contains a list of our school-based policies and procedures. Please take several minutes to thoroughly read through the handbook to ensure that you are knowledgeable about our established policies.