Families of Oct 15 "In-Person" Kindergarten Students,
I wanted to bring attention to our arrival and dismissal procedures to answer logistical questions for families preparing to transition their child to in-person learning on October 15th. Families who chose “in-person” on the July survey will continue their half-day assignment in-person beginning Thursday, October 15. Hours and AM/PM assignments remain the same.
AM Kindergarten - 8:30-11:00 (arrival beginning at 8:15 AM)
PM Kindergarten - 12:30-3:00 (arrival beginning at 12:15 PM)
If you are dropping your child off, we ask that you come closer to the 8:15 AM/12:15 PM time to allow for morning routines as learning begins at 8:30/12:30. Tardies are disruptive to the classroom environment. Please be on time.
All Willow Grove children will receive a bus route that will include a stop and specific times. We anticipate families receiving this routing information by about October 7th. Routing information will come by email to families.
When children arrive at school, attendance procedures are in place that account for every child. Parents do not need to notify the office if their child is arriving in a different way than what is typical.
If your child is not routinely taking the bus home and you have alternate daily arrangements we need you to complete THIS FORM so we know where to bring your child at the end of the day. Alternate arrangements must be consistent each week. If this information should change throughout the year, please contact the office. If your child will take the bus home daily, you do not need to complete the form.
Parents must be at the stop waiting with their child to be picked up and for their child at the end of the school day. If the bus driver does not see you, they will continue with the route. This is important for the smooth running of our bus routes to ensure timely pick-up and drop-off for all families. If you are not at your child’s stop waiting on your child’s route home, your child will be routed back to Willow Grove and we will call you to come to the school to pick them up. This situation is not ideal, as it does frighten children when adult routines are off (as much as we try to comfort them), so please be at the stop. Please anticipate buses may run late in our first week or so of school as routes are becoming routine.
Parent drop-off and pick-up for kindergarten are located at our main entrance. We do not have a rolling drop-off or pick-up at Willow Grove. Parents must park and bring their child to the main entrance where we ask that you honor social distancing in line as we welcome kids into the building one by one. The building opens at 8:15 AM to begin AM arrival and 12:15 PM to begin PM arrival. Parent pick-up is promptly at the AM and PM dismissal times of 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM. Parents need to park and come to the main entrance to pick-up, as they do for drop-off. Please wait in a socially distanced line. If someone other than the parent is picking up, please call the office and tell them who will be coming. That person must present ID (license or state ID) at pick-up.
Daily changes (non-routine) must be provided to the office in writing by student note or by phone - DO NOT EMAIL CHANGES. On a day-to-day basis, children attending Willow Grove may temporarily change from bus to parent pick-up, however, we cannot accommodate temporary changes to place a child back on a bus route if your routine plans are different. Placing a child back on a daily bus route schedule requires a route change. Route changes take at least 5 days to take effect and need to be a newly established routine, not a one-time request. Children may not access the bus on days outside of their regularly established routine.
Our arrival and dismissal routines within the school building have been designed to maintain social distancing. For purposes of social distancing and to maintain order on the bus, all students will be directed to sit in an assigned seat separated from peers. Siblings may sit together. Please prepare your child for this routine to sit where the driver or school assigns and to always stay seated in their seat. As a reminder, complete the daily self-certification (further details will come from the district) before your child gets on the bus or comes to the school by parent drop-off. All children coming to school must wear masks on district transportation as well as in the school building.
As always, please feel free to reach out to our office for any questions.
Thank you,
Jenny Smith, Principal
Willow Grove Early Learning Center