The Weekly Update #4

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I hope this message finds you well. As we strive to ensure the safety and efficiency of our student drop-off and pick-up procedures, we would like to remind you of a few essential points:

1. Bus Lanes: Please note that the bus lanes are closed during loading and unloading times. All buses will turn on their flashers and stop signs. It is crucial to keep these lanes clear to ensure the safety of our students.
2. Drop-off Times: Student drop-off begins at 7:35 a.m. Please do not drop off your child before this time to ensure adequate supervision and safety.
3. Instruction Bell: The bell rings at 7:58 a.m. for Hillcrest and 8:03 a.m. for Pine Avenue, and the instructional day begins at this time. To help our students prepare for their day, support staff will bring them into the building at 7:53 a.m. for Hillcrest and 7:58 a.m. for Pine Avenue. We want to ensure all students have ample time to get settled and ready for a productive day of learning. Also, students must be supervised at the lockers, prompted, and supported as they change into their shoes, put their backpacks, and winter garments into their lockers. For Hillcrest students: If your child arrives after 7:53 a.m., please bring them to the office to ensure they are escorted into the building safely.
4. Reducing Morning Disruptions: By ensuring that students arrive on time and enter the building in an orderly manner, we can significantly reduce any disruptive behaviors at the start of the day. Supporting staff in the hall creates a calm and focused environment, allowing students to begin their day positively and benefit from uninterrupted learning.
5. Maximizing Instructional Time: Students should be present and ready to learn from the beginning of the school day. Arriving on time ensures they receive the maximum instructional time essential for academic success.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. Together, we can create a safe and effective learning environment for our students. Please contact the school office with any questions or concerns you may have.

Your partner in education,

Dr. Konowalow

Thank you, parents, for your crucial role in creating a safe and effective learning environment for our students. Your cooperation and understanding are invaluable. Drop-off begins at 7:35 a.m. Please ensure your students are ready to exit the vehicle. Please wait patiently in line and pull up as cars move ahead. We will have many smiling faces opening doors for the students. We prefer that all parents stay in their vehicles; however, parents who want to walk their students to the playground should use the crosswalk. No parents are allowed on the playground in the morning. Support staff will escort Hillcrest students into the building at 7:53 a.m. Support staff must be in the halls to ensure students' smooth and safe transition. If your child arrives after 7:53 a.m., please bring them to the office to ensure they are escorted into the building safely. By ensuring that students enter the building orderly and supervised by teachers and support staff, we can significantly reduce any disruptive behaviors that may occur at the start of the day. By doing this, we can create a calm and focused environment, allowing students to begin their day positively and benefit from uninterrupted learning. Please get in touch with the school office regarding any questions or concerns you may have.

We understand that events come up for parents, and changes must be made to students' dismissal plans. Parents are asked to please make sure to call in any transportation changes before 2 pm. The end of the day is hectic at an elementary school, and we must be aware of any changes before then. In addition, we also encourage you to send a note to your child's teacher or the office on the day of a transportation change. Students will not be dismissed to anyone not on a student's pickup list. Parents who have given us permisson to release to an adult through a change of dismissal plan, the person picking up the student must present a valid picture ID.

Ensuring student safety before and after school is a high priority. We are asking all parents and guardians to support Pine Avenue during school drop off and pick up by adhering to the following procedures:

Campus supervision for students begins at 7:35 a.m.

MORNING Drop Off:

• Pull all the way forward to the light post to drop off students.

• Keep students in the vehicle until you are past the overhang at the entrance.
  
  

AFTERNOON Pick Up:

• Pull all the way forward until you are asked to stop by an adult. This is usually 2 car lengths past the light post.

• For student safety, students will enter vehicles when told to do so by an adult.

• This occurs when the vehicle is past the light post.
• ID checks will be requested as needed. (Please make sure all adults who will pickup your child are on your pickup list.)

Parents are asked to refrain from making left hand turns into the parking lot. This vehicle maneuver will cause the traffic to backup on Pine preventing a smooth flow of traffic.

Parents/guardians who are choosing to park in the parking lot and pick up their student afterschool:

• To ensure students' safety , please use the school's crosswalk which is located outside our main doors, by the overhang. This is the only location people should be crossing the parking lot for safety. We have a paraprofessional assigned to assist students in crossing upon seeing their parent/adult.

We appreciate your support in assisting us to ensure a safe student drop off and pick up.