News from the Nest

Hello Elm Street School Families and Friends,

It has been so wonderful having our first through fifth graders back in the building filling our hallways and spaces with the joyful sounds of laughter and learning. Kindergarteners and their families had a successful first visit of the school year to the building today and we can't wait for them to join the rest of our eagles here in the nest on Tuesday.

Below are some reminders and new information as we prepare for this school year to get into full swing. There are a lot of upcoming events to help you keep connected and informed so please be sure you are staying on top of emails, newsletters, and other important information home from school.

As we head into this extra long weekend I want to extend a HUGE amount of gratitude to our Elm Street School staff team here at the nest. They put in so many hours to prepare for opening and ensure that these first days were full of connection, joy, and excitement as a way to build a solid and strong foundation for learning this school year. I am so proud of and grateful for all the ways in which our team collaborated, worked hard, and showed flexibility to start this year off successfully. We are certainly off to a fantastic start with so much more to come!

Enjoy the weekend, get out into the beautiful weather if you are able, and I hope you can spend some time unplugged and connecting with those who spark joy for you. See you next week!

Jen

At the beginning of each month I will share a calendar of some upcoming Elm events as well as upcoming cultural celebrations and heritage months with hyperlinks to more information if you are interested in learning more. Below is information for the month of September.

September at a Glance

• 9/4 No School (Labor Day)

• 9/5 First Day of School PreK and K

• 9/7 6:00p Pop In for Popsicles

• 9/11 Anniversary of 9/11

• 9/14 6:45p School Committee Meeting

• 9/15 First Day of Hispanic Heritage Month

• 9/15 Rosh Hashanah begins (ends 9/17)

• 9/18 School Picture Day

• 9/18 3:05p Curriculum Meeting

• 9/21 International Day of Peace

• 9/22 Early Release Day

• 9/24 Yom Kippur (ends 9/25)

• 9/26 6:00p Elm Open House

• 9/26-27 Mawlid

• 9/28 6:45p School Committee Meeting

• 9/26-10/6 Sukkot

If there are cultural celebrations that are important to you and your family that you would like the Elm community to know more about, please be sure to send me an email by the end of each month so I can include them here.

Please be sure to call the school before 8:15 if you are keeping your child home for any reason. Also, if you have an early morning doctor's appointment and you will be bringing your child in late, please call the attendance line to let us know you will be sending your child in late.

Absence/Tardy line: 508-660-7374 ext. 1 - Please leave a brief message about why your child will be out. Please include your child's name, teacher and date.

Our picture day will be on Monday, September 18th. We will be sending more information home with your child(ren) after the start of the school year.

At Elm Street School, students who ride the bus arrive at the first circle parallel to Rt.27. They are supervised by staff as they walk along the sidewalk to enter the main building of the school. The procedures for arrival and dismissal as listed below pertain to parents and other private drivers who transport children to school.

• Students may be dropped off in the Main Arrival Loop ONLY. This is the loop by the main door, near the flagpole. Dropping off students by the Rt. 27 driveway is not safe and is prohibited.
  

• Follow the directions of the staff people “on duty”.
  

• Upon arrival, drivers should turn right and thread through the parking lot. The first car must pull around the loop as far as the stop sign by the preschool playground. This will allow the maximum number of students to disembark onto sidewalks simultaneously.
  

• Instruct child/ren to disembark only from the sidewalk side of vehicle to avoid the danger of crossing between cars in the roadway.
  

• Drivers must prepare students to be ready to exit vehicles immediately upon arrival. If a student is not ready, the driver will be instructed to go around the loop again.
  

• Drivers should be ready to follow a staff member’s signal to exit the loop following the vehicle ahead, once students have disembarked. Do NOT pull around and pass the vehicle in front of you.
  

• Do NOT attempt to park in the loop during arrival. If, for any reason you would like to accompany your child into the building (or help carry materials) please park in the 15 minute parking area near the Preschool Playground.
  

• Do NOT drop off students without pulling into the main arrival loop.
  

• If a child is having difficulty separating at arrival, the driver will be instructed to go around the loop again and pull out onto the service road which leads to the back of the building. Staff there will assist in making the transition.

  
  

• Students being picked up by parents/car pools will be dismissed to the main office lobby. They will be grouped alphabetically throughout the lobby.

  Carpoolers should stand with the driver’s child.
  

• Parents/car pools will thread through the parking lot, then into the loop by the main door.
  

• Anyone picking up students may NOT come into the building.
  

• One staff member with outside duty will use the walkie-talkie. Staff will identify which parents are “in line” and communicate those names to the staff member inside. Those students will then be sent outside.
  

• Staff on duty outside will ensure that students enter the correct vehicle.
  

• It is essential to keep traffic flowing. Parents must not engage staff or other parents in conversation during dismissal.
  

• If a parent is in the building (for example, as a volunteer) and wants to take their child with them, they must stop at the office before exiting the building with their child.
  

• All vehicles must stay in the line until the car in front of them moves. Pulling out and passing the vehicle ahead of you is PROHIBITED.
  

• If a child is not ready when they are called, the parent will be asked to park at the preschool 15 minute parking area and wait. A staff member will accompany the student to the car.
  

• Student safety is our first concern. If you have concerns during dismissal, please get the attention of a staff member on duty to assist you. Please do not get out of your vehicle or move your vehicle out of the line unless instructed to do so by a staff member.
  

• Students who take a bus home will be dismissed from their classroom when their bus is called over the PA system.
  

• All students who take a bus must have a bus pass.
  

• Students and drivers must always follow the instructions of the staff members on duty.

Anytime you need to drive to Elm, please make sure you are driving through the parking lot to the right of the driveway and not straight up the driveway to get to the main front loop. This helps keep all our students and staff safe.

When there are big events, especially ones that cross grade levels and/or overlap with pre-school events, please leave yourself ample time to find parking and be patient with drivers and aware of pedestrians moving about the parking lots and driveways.

Don’t miss this historic event! Sign-up now for the 5K, 10K, or highly-popular Youth Mile. All proceeds support the 200+ athletes in the Walpole High School Cross Country and Track & Field programs. Each race participant will receive a finisher’s medal. Can’t join us live? No problem. We have virtual editions for both the 5K and 10K races. For additional information and to register online, please visit www.walpoleroadrace.org.

I'll be out running the 10K and hope to see some Elm families on the course racing or cheering on the sidelines!

Email: jbuller@walpole.k12.ma.us
Website: https://www.walpole.k12.ma.us/o/ess
Location: 415 Elm Street, Walpole, MA, USA
Phone: 508.660.7374