White Rock Elementary

Dear WRE Parents,

Thank you to all who were able to attend our Meet the Teacher and PTA Expo night on Friday! We had a great time seeing so many of our amazing 2022-2023 students. The big day is finally here - tomorrow, Tuesday, August 16 is the first day of school and we are ready!

Please make sure to read through this newsletter and keep it on hand for future reference. It has a lot of important WRE information in it that you will want to know for the beginning of the school year.

We hope everyone has enjoyed the last day of summer break - we can't wait to see you tomorrow!

Principal Stevens

This year, only the parents of our PreK, kindergarten, and 1st grade students will be allowed to walk their children to class on the first day of school. Parents of 2nd-6th graders should not enter the building or walk students to class. This is a safety measure taking place this year in all RISD elementary schools.

All PreK-1st grade parents should enter and exit in the assigned door in the front of the building on Tuesday, August 16 (these doors are labeled as "kindergarten entry", "1st grade entry", and "PreK entry" on the map below).

Starting on Wednesday, August 17, parents of students in any grade level will not be permitted to walk their children to classrooms. We will have plenty of staff members and even some 6th graders to assist any students who need help finding their classroom.

On the first day, we will start letting all students go to their classrooms at 7:30 AM.

Each morning, the main front door at WRE opens at 7:30. Students who arrive at school before 7:40 will go to the cafeteria to eat breakfast or the front gym until they are dismissed to classrooms at 7:40.

All other entry points open at 7:40 and are monitored by WRE staff members. Students should be in class by 7:50. Students can come in through any entry point. This map lists suggested entry points for each grade level.

To alleviate long wait-times in the back carpool lane, those who drop off in the front carpool should line up on Chiswell only. From 7:30-7:50, cars will not be able to turn right onto Chiswell from Bellewood so front carpool drop-off should only enter via Chiswell.

Those who use the back carpool lane should enter through Broken Bow, Bellewood, or Wildhaven. Please do not enter the carpool line via Forestridge. When exiting, you will drive straight down Forestridge.

Parents MUST stay in their car in the carpool lines– staff will assist with getting children out each morning (including PreK).

These are the options for dismissal at WRE. Please make sure to read these carefully and let your child's teacher know if your dismissal plans change.

Front Carpool

Parents of carpool students in PreK, kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade will pick-up in the front carpool lane on Chiswell. We will begin calling carpool numbers at 2:45 for PreK and ECSE ONLY and at 3:10 for Kindergarten through 2nd grade. If a front carpool rider has an older sibling in 3rd - 6th grade, they will also be dismissed in front carpool.

PreK and ECSE Parents - PreK and ECSE parents will have special, brightly colored carpool tags. These cars will be the only ones allowed to enter the front carpool lane on Chiswell between 2:45 and 2:55 PM.

If you are not a PreK or ECSE parent and you arrive to front carpool before 2:55, you should wait in line at Chiswell and Bellewood. At 2:55, we will open the front carpool lane to all drivers.

Back Carpool

Parents of carpool students in 3rd through 6th grade who do not have younger siblings will pick-up in the back carpool off of Bellewood. Carpool numbers will start to be called at 3:10.

Walker (without a parent)

If your child walks home without meeting a parent on campus, they will be dismissed to walk home starting at 3:00. If they are walking with an older sibling, they will need to meet them outside before walking home.

Walker (with a parent)

If you have a kindergartener, 1st, or 2nd grader, you will meet your child on the soccer field near Chiswell to walk home at about 3:00. Older siblings of kinder, 1st, and 2nd graders will also meet their parents at the field. 3rd through 6th graders should meet their parents in a designated spot decided on by the parent.

Bus, Daycare Van, Forerunner, or xPlore

We will have staff members pick up younger students and wait with them in a designated area until they are picked up. Older students will go to the designated area by themselves.

After a two-year break during the pandemic, the federal government is again requiring families to sign up to receive free or reduced-price school meals in the upcoming school year. Parents at WRE must sign up their family if they wish to receive school meal benefits.

Applications are open now at www.myschoollunchapp.com - click this link to register your family. The first day is August 16th, and parents must register in advance for their children to receive free or reduced-cost breakfast or lunch at school starting on the first day.

For more information about eligibility for free or reduced-cost school meals, please click here.

For general information about school meals in RISD please click on the following link.