Welcome to Phillips and Lowell West

It was an awesome task but we got it done and are ready and excited to welcome you to our new locations. The teachers worked all vacation to get everything ready for Monday! Both buildings look great! We could not have done without our fantastic maintenance and custodian team. This was truly a team effort, it took all of WPS to get this accomplished. Now, it's time to begin our new chapter!

We've worked hard to create safe arrival and dismissal procedures.

There are a couple of tips we can give you to make the morning run as smooth as possible. If you are dropping off your child at the Phillips Building. We strongly suggest using the live drop-and-go line located on the Marshall Street side of the building. To access the parking lot, use Marshall Street (you can put 31 Marshall St. into your GPS for directions). This is a one-way street accessible only from Mount Auburn Street. You will pull into the parking lot, drive up to the drop-off spot where a staff member will help your child exit the car and enter the building. There will be adults along the route to your child's classroom who will help them find their way.

If you'd like to walk your child to the door and see them enter the building you'll need to park your vehicle and walk them to door # 10, located on the Spring Street side of the building. We anticipate parking to be rather tricky around the building. Please, allow extra time to find a legal parking stop for your car.

Live drop-off is the quickest and easiest way to drop children off at school for the Phillips and Lowell West other than taking the bus.

On Monday, February 28th, we'll have Spanish and Portuguese interpreters available at the Phillips Building for parents. Interpreters will be located at the Spring Street door.

Riding the bus is a new and exciting experience for children, but it can also be scary. Please consider being with them as they board the bus on Monday. I'm sure they will take to their new schedule quickly but having an adult present as they board the bus will help them feel confident. There will be many staff members available as they arrive at school.

Monday, students will not need a bus pass to board the bus. However, they will need a pass to ride the bus to and from school beginning Monday afternoon. Teachers will hand out passes and affix them to their backpacks. Bus passes are needed to board and exit the bus. Teachers will make sure students get on the correct bus at the end of the day.

If your child is signed up for the LEDP bus (M-F), (T/TH) or (M/W/F) students will be put on that bus unless you contact us in writing to make adjustments. Unfortunately, we cannot allow children to verbally tell us when there is a change to their dismissal plan. You must let us know in writing by 9:00 am the morning of the change. You must email Kara.flynn@watertown.k12.ma.us if you need to make a change in your child's dismissal plan. Do not email their teacher. Teachers do not check their emails after the school day has begun. We will not allow changes last minute. You will need to pick up your child from their bus stop or LEDP. We must do this to ensure safety for all our students.

Bus passes also indicate if students can walk home from the bus stop without an adult. If you did not give your child permission to walk home from the bus stop without an adult, the bus driver would not allow the student to get off the bus at their designated stop. The bus company will bring the child back to school if their guardian isn't present at the bus stop at the specified time. Parent/guardian will then be required to pick up their child from school.

Students who miss the school bus must be driven to school by their guardians. Buses will not be going back to pick up late students. Be sure to be at your stop on time.

Breakfast and lunch will still be free of charge every day. You do not need to qualify. Students order lunch in their classroom with their teachers. The menu for Lowell West and Phillips will be different. I believe the director of Food Service, Brandon Rabbit, will have two different menus. The Phillips building will have two options. However, both options will be a cold lunch. The Lowell West will continue to serve our traditional hot lunch program.

Our staff is looking forward to welcoming our students back to school on Monday. We have been planning to get ready for this moment for a long time. We understand there are many new procedures and schedules being implemented. As the week progresses, please feel free to email me with feedback. Our goal is to make this time in our swing spaces the best it can be. If you need anything, don't hesitate to contact us.

Stacy.phelan@watertown.k12.ma.us

Qi.chen@watertown.k12.ma.us

Kara.flynn@watertown.k12.ma.us

Please call the following number if you need to contact the school during school hours:

1-781-899-3701.

See you on Monday!

Stacy

School Hours

8:15 am until 2:30 pm

Arrival & Dismissal Procedure – Lowell West

The following procedures are created to maintain an orderly and safe environment during arrival and dismissal. An aerial view of the Lowell West, key locations, and surrounding streets can be located on page 2 for reference. Thank you in advance for your cooperation!

Important Times:

7:45 AM Early drop off – only for families with students at both the Lowell West and the Phillips;

Breakfast will also begin at this time.

8:05 AM Students may enter the school building and go to their classrooms.

8:15 AM Classes begin.

8:20 AM Students arriving at or after this time are considered tardy and must sign the attendance log in the main office.

2:30 PM Dismissal Time.

Arrival Procedure:

• Vehicles will enter/leave the school parking lot using the entrance and exit. Please see Lowell West Aerial View for reference.

• Adult(s) are asked to remain in the vehicle and pull up to the sidewalk where school personnel will be waiting.

• Please have your child(ren) ready to exit the vehicle when you pull up to the sidewalk.

• Cars must remain in the line and are not allowed to pass others. As a safety measure, please do not make a U-turn or deviate from the drop-off line.

• Please yield to school buses when pulling in or out of the school parking lot.

• Students are not allowed on the playground before school as there is no supervision.

Dismissal Procedure for Parent Pick-up:

• Students being picked up by a parent will report to the cafeteria for dismissal. Late pick-up students will also report to the cafeteria (only pertains to students with siblings at Phillips).

• Families are encouraged to park their vehicles on the neighborhood street around the school, exit their cars, and pick up their children at the front door.

• If spaces are available in the parking lot parents are permitted to use those spaces as well.

• The staff at the front of the building will walkie the group leader for student dismissal.

• Please be mindful and respectful of our neighbors. Do not block driveways. If a neighbor asks you to move in order to gain access to their driveway, please comply. Thank you in advance for your support and cooperation!

Late Pickup

• Only families with children at both locations (Lowell West and Phillips) may pick up their child(ren) from Lowell West at 3 PM at the front door. Designated school personnel will stay with your children until their grown-ups arrive.

1. Lowell West Main Building

2. Parking Lot Entrance

3. Drop-off Location

4. Parking Lot Exit

5. Playground

6. Front Door (Parent Pick-up Location)

Students Arriving Late for School & School Day Early Dismissal by Guardian

Students arriving late to school or being dismissed by a guardian should enter through the front door located at 175 Main Street and check in with the main office.

Walking to school:

Two crossing guards are located on Main Street. One will cross pedestrians at the cross-walk directly in front of the school located at 175 Main Street, Waltham, Ma. An additional crossing guard will direct cars and buses at the entrance of the parking lot where cars and buses enter the drop-off car line. They are on duty for 30 minutes before school starts and for 30 minutes after dismissal time. Locations are determined by the School Department in consultation with the Waltham Police Department.

Drop and Go Zone:

• The Drop and Go Zone is located off Main Street for all students.

• These areas are designated for Drop off and Go only. No parking or live parking is allowed in this area. Teachers are on duty to assist and direct students into the school.

Parking:

On-street parking is limited around the school, so we encourage families to use the Drop and Go Zone. The Lowell West School aims to be a good neighbor in our school neighborhood. Would you please not park in or block our neighbor’s driveway?

When dropping students for before-school programs, please drop students at the side door labeled #3 on the aerial picture above, off the parking adjacent to the building.

Handicapped Accessible parking spaces are located and appropriately marked in the parking lot.

Dismissal Procedures:

Dismissal time is 2:30 p.m. and Early Release day at 12:15 p.m.

Students will be dismissed to designated areas or their after-school program.

• Students will be escorted to bus lines at the end of the school day located in the school’s parking lot.

• Extended Day and Courses For Kids students will take a school bus to the Phillips Building at the end of the school day to attend afterschool programming.

• Students being picked up by a parent will be escorted to the gym. Parents will pick up students at the school’s main entrance. The name of the adult must be listed as an approved guardian for dismissal purposes.

Attendance:

Attendance is an essential component of a student’s academic success. School attendance and timeliness create a foundation for healthy social, emotional, and academic development. Absences can have a significant impact on a child’s ability to follow classroom routines and to meet grade-level standards. This impacts students, teachers, and the classroom as a whole. Students absent for 10% of the school year (18 days total), are considered to be “chronically absent”, a designation that impacts our school’s state performance rating.

Please do everything possible to have your child attend school daily unless they are sick. School staff will be taking attendance daily at 8:20. You will get an automated phone call when your child is absent from school. The purpose of the call is to inform you of your child’s attendance for the day. You do not need to call the school back.

If your child is going to be absent for an extended period due to illness or injury, please contact Nurse Taverna at 781-899-3705.

PowerSchool:

The school must have the most up-to-date contact and emergency information for every student. At the beginning of the school year, you will receive your child’s data sheet with the current contact information the school has on file. Please return this to your child’s teacher, making any necessary changes. If no changes are needed, please return the form indicating that the information is accurate. Please remember to contact the main office, in writing, of any changes in contact information that occur throughout the school year. Watch for notices regarding ways for parents to sign up to access our new student information system, PowerSchool.

Visitors:

At this time, visitors are not able to come into the building. If you need to meet with a staff member, please contact the staff member and schedule an appointment.

For the safety of all children, the school doors are locked 5 minutes after arrival time. Visitors must enter at the front door to gain admittance. All visitors, including parents and volunteers, must provide a picture ID upon arrival.

School Hours

8:15 am until 2:30 pm

Arrival & Dismissal Procedure – Phillips Building

The following procedures are created to maintain an orderly and safe environment during arrival and dismissal. An aerial view of the Phillips Building, key locations, and surrounding streets can be located on page 2 for reference. Thank you in advance for your cooperation!

Important Times:

7:15 am Early drop off – only for families with students attending before school care at the Phillips Building. Students will enter the building through door #3, off the parking lot located on Marshall Street.

8:05 am Students may enter the school building and go to their classrooms.

Breakfast will be available as a grab-and-go breakfast.

8:15 am Classes begin.

8:20 am Students arriving at or after this time are considered tardy and must sign the attendance log at the front desk at the Spring Street Entrance.

2:30 pm Dismissal Time.

Arrival Procedure (car):

• Vehicles will enter/leave the school parking lot using the entrance and exit. Please see Phillips Building Aerial View (Page 2) for reference.

• Adult(s) are asked to remain in the vehicle and pull up to doors #5 and #3, where school personnel will assist you in a live drop-off lane.

• Please have your child(ren) ready to exit the vehicle when you pull up to the door.

• Cars must remain in the line and are not allowed to pass others. Please do not make a U-turn or deviate from the drop-off line as a safety measure.

Arrival Procedure (walking with caregiver):

• Parents should drop students off at the door #10 on Spring Street if they walk to school with their children.

Parent Pick-up (walking):

• Teachers will exit the building at door #10 with their classes and wait for grown-ups outside in the enclosed green space.

• Families should park their vehicles in the surrounding neighborhood and pick up students by door #10 on Spring Street.

• Please be mindful and respectful of your neighbors. Do not block driveways. If a neighbor asks you to move to gain access to their driveway, please comply. Thank you in advance for your support and cooperation!

Doors and Directions:

#3 - Phillips Building - Before School Drop-off

#5 - Phillips Building - Drop-off Line Begins

#10 - Front Desk- Security- Late Arrivals/ Early Dismissals/ Extended Day Pick-up

Students Arriving Late for School:

Students arriving after 8:20 must enter the school using the Spring Street entrance located on the aerial map at door #10. Parents must accompany their student’s safety into the building. Students may not be left unattended at the building.

School Day Dismissals:

Parents wishing to dismiss their child early from school must use the Spring Street entrance located on the aerial map at door #10. We will not dismiss students between 2:15 and 2:30.

Walking to school:

Crossing Guards are located at several major intersections in town. They are on duty for 30 minutes before school starts and for 30 minutes after dismissal time. Locations are determined by the School Department in consultation with the Police Department.

Biking to school:

Bike racks are available on the school grounds. All bikes must remain locked at bike racks during school hours. All children are required to wear helmets when riding their bicycles.

Drop and Go Zone: (Mornings Only)

• The Drop and Go Zone is located on Marshall Street for all students. (you can put 31 Marshall St. into your GPS for directions). This is a one-way street accessible only from Mount Auburn Street.

• These areas are designated for Drop off and Go only. No parking or live parking is allowed in this area. Teachers are on duty to assist and direct students into the school.

Parking:

On-street parking is limited around the school, so we encourage families to use the Drop and Go Zone. The WPS aims to be a good neighbor in our school neighborhood. Would you please not park in or block our neighbor’s driveway?

When dropping students for before-school programs, please drop students at the side door labeled #3 on the aerial picture above, off the parking adjacent to the building.

Handicapped Accessible parking spaces are located and appropriately marked in the parking lot.

Dismissal Procedures:

Dismissal time is 2:30 p.m.

Students will be dismissed to designated areas or their after-school program.

• Students will be escorted to their bus at the end of the school day located on Common Street.

• Extended Day and Courses For Kids will be escorted to their after-school program by staff.

Attendance:

Attendance is an essential component of a student’s academic success. School attendance and timeliness create a foundation for healthy social, emotional, and academic development. Absences can have a significant impact on a child’s ability to follow classroom routines and to meet grade-level standards. This impacts students, teachers, and the classroom as a whole. Students absent for 10% of the school year (18 days total), are considered to be “chronically absent”, a designation that impacts our school’s state performance rating.

Please do everything possible to have your child attend school daily unless they are sick. School staff will be taking attendance daily at 8:20. You will get an automated phone call when your child is absent from school. The purpose of the call is to inform you of your child’s attendance for the day. You do not need to call the school back.

If your child is going to be absent for an extended period due to illness or injury, please contact Nurse Taverna at 617-926-7770.

PowerSchool:

The school must have the most up-to-date contact and emergency information for every student. At the beginning of the school year, you will receive your child’s data sheet with the current contact information the school has on file. Please return this to your child’s teacher, making any necessary changes. If no changes are needed, please return the form indicating that the information is accurate. Please remember to contact the main office, in writing, of any changes in contact information that occur throughout the school year. Watch for notices regarding ways for parents to sign up to access our new student information system, PowerSchool.

Visitors:

At this time, visitors are not able to come into the building. If you need to meet with a staff member, please contact the staff member and schedule an appointment.

For the safety of all children, the school doors are locked 5 minutes after arrival time. Visitors must enter at the front door to gain admittance. All visitors, including parents and volunteers, must provide a picture ID upon arrival.

**These procedures are effective as of 2/28/22**

Lowell Before School Program Drop Off Procedures:

1. All Lowell Before School students (grades K-5) will attend the Before School Program held at the Phillips Building.

2. Lowell Before School students can be dropped off beginning at 7:15 am. Students in grades 2-5 must be dropped off no later than 7:55 am to ensure they are present for the Lowell West bus that will pick students up at 8:00 am. Before School staff will walk students in grades 2-5 to the bus when it arrives.

3. Please use the drop-off lane located in the rear of the Phillips Building parking lot. To access the parking lot, use Marshall Street (you can put 31 Marshall St. into your GPS for directions). This is a one-way street accessible only from Mount Auburn Street.

4. When you arrive, please pull forward in the drop-off lane and call the program phone at 857-241-8500. We strongly recommend you program this phone number into your cell phone contacts.

5. All students must be walked to the entrance of the program. Please leave your car in the drop-off zone and walk your student to door #7. Click here to view our map highlighting door #7.

6. A Before School Program staff member will come out to meet your student at door #7. Please do not ring the doorbell to be let in. Your phone call will alert us that you are outside and a staff member will assist you promptly.

Lowell Extended Day Program Pick-up Procedures:

1. All Lowell Extended Day students (grades K-5) will attend the Extended Day Program held at the Phillips Building. Students in grades 2-5 will be transported to the Phillips Building from Lowell West at school dismissal.

2. Please use the pick-up lane located in the rear of the Phillips Building parking lot. To access the parking lot, use Marshall Street (you can put 31 Marshall St. into your GPS for directions). This is a one-way street accessible only from Mount Auburn Street.

3. When you arrive, please pull forward in the pick-up lane or park your car in one of the spaces in the lot and call the program phone at 857-241-8500. We strongly recommend you program this phone number into your cell phone contacts. When you call, you will be asked to provide the name of the student(s) you are picking up.

4. All student pick-up persons must walk to the entrance of the program at door #7. If driving, please leave your car in the drop-off zone, or a parking spot, and walk to meet your student at door #7. Click here to view our map highlighting door #7.

5. If there are any issues when calling in, or you do not have a cell phone, please buzz the bell at door #7. If a line forms at the door, please maintain distance between groups when possible.

6. Your student(s) will be walked to meet you at door #7 by an extended day staff member. Depending on the time of day, it could take 5-10 minutes for your student to pack up and meet you at door #7.

7. Please use caution and drive slowly as you return to your car with your student or walk home with your student.