SCHOOL TIME SCHEDULE:
 

All Bus and Van students are to enter the school through the main entrance.  Students are not to arrive at school prior to 8:35 a.m. since supervision is not provided.  We are asking for your support and attention to this, as there are occasionally some parents or children who wish to enter the building before 8:35. a.m. Only staff, parents with pre-scheduled appointments, and children enrolled in the Early Start Program will be allowed to enter the building before 8:35 a.m.  If you need to drop your child off before this time, the child must be pre-registered for the school-based Early Start Program (973) 686-2654 or the emergency number, which is (973) 417-4409. This program is available between 7:15 and 8:35 a.m. on a regular basis, and an “Emergency Use Only” basis to meet your needs.

In order to ensure the continued safety and security of our schools, the doors will remain locked until 8:35 a.m.  Please do not drop your children off before this time and leave them unattended. When the doors open, you may release your child(ren) from your supervision to enter the building.  Students in grades K-2 will report to the gymnasium and students in grades 3-5 will report to the cafeteria where they will be supervised by staff members.  Students are escorted to classrooms at 8:50 a.m. by teachers.  All students are asked to have a book to read between 8:35 a.m. and 8:50 a.m. while waiting for their teachers. 

If it is past 8:55 a.m., do not drop your child off.  Please park in a designated parking place and escort your child(ren) to the front door, ring the bell to enter, and report to the nurse's office with your child for a late pass.  Regarding dismissal, walkers must be picked up by 3:20 p.m.  The doors to the facility will be locked by 4:00 p.m.  No parent of students who are enrolled in our Extended Care Program will, of course, be granted permission to enter the building via the door to the blacktop to pick-up their children.

If you are dropping your child off because of missing the bus, in order to ensure safety for all our students, we ask that cars pull up to the circular driveway at the side of our school.  Dropping off at the front entrance poses a safety risk and is reserved for the buses.  All entrances are monitored by staff during entry and dismissal.

VISITING THE SCHOOL:

All visitors to the school, during arrival, dismissal, or any other time, including parents and PTO volunteers must use the front entrance only. Please ring the bell and state your name and purpose.   For security and your child’s protection, all doors are locked during the school day. We need your cooperation with reporting to the main office upon entering the building, signing in, and obtaining a visitor’s badge, regardless of the length of your stay. Upon your exit, please report back to the office, return the badge, and sign out. Once you have completed your volunteer work, we ask your cooperation in that you wait outside the building for the dismissal bell. Please do not wait in the hallway outside of your child’s classroom or in the main hallway. Staff will ask visitors not wearing a badge to report to the main office, or will escort them to the office.

Appointments with staff members should be made prior to meeting with teachers.  Any articles to be delivered to the children must be left at the office and we will bring them down to the classroom.   PLEASE DO NOT GO DIRECTLY TO THE CLASSROOM.  We appreciate your cooperation, and feel it is in the best interest for our children’s safety and allows our staff to prepare appropriately for students’ arrival.  Please use the security BELL for entrance into the building after student arrival and during the course of the school day.

Again, it is important that we provide a safe, secure environment for our students and appreciate your cooperation.

REGULAR ARRIVAL PROCEDURES:

Children who are “Walkers” and “Car Riders” in grades 1 to 5 should be dropped off on the north side of the building and enter via the side door by the Blacktop/Playground entrance.  If your child is a “Car Rider” please drive your car into the Round-About and have them exit the car on the right side adjacent to the curb.  Please DO NOT STOP the car in order to watch them walk up the path.  This creates a very DANGEROUS SITUATION AND IMPEDES AND BACKS UP THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC.  If you wish to watch them, please park on Geoffrey Way.  This will allow for the greatest number of cars to safely drop-off students.  This area is for quick drop-off.  Please move forward when possible.  (See diagram).

Upon ARRIVAL all students in Grades K to 2 will line-up in the gymnasium.  Students in Grades 3 to 5 will line up in the cafetorium.  Bus students will enter via the main entrance and go to the appropriate area and wait for teacher pick-up.

REGULAR DISMISSAL PROCEDURES:

Walkers exit via the blacktop area.  1-5 students are dismissed at 3:20 p.m. IF YOU ARE PICKING UP YOUR CHILD(REN) FROM THE BLACKTOP AREA, WE KINDLY ASK THAT YOU WAIT NEAR THE PLAYGROUND AREA, AWAY FROM THE CLASSROOM WINDOWS IN ORDER TO AVOID DISRUPTION OF INSTRUCTION.  Bus students report to supervised bus lines and board buses when they arrive.

• School buses and Vans will pick up all our Bus Students in front of the school at the West Side Entrance.  Please do not park or stand in this area.  The Round-about will also be closed at dismissal time for the safety of “Walkers” or those who are meeting their parents by their vehicles.
• Please inform the office on or before 2:30 p.m. if you are removing a child from the bus for a specific day.

• Please park your car in designated parking spaces and walk to the Blacktop entrance to pick-up your child at dismissal time.  If the parking lot is full park on Geoffrey Way, DO Not pull into the Round-about during dismissal time.  This will be blocked off to help ensure the safety of our students.  Do not send them between cars.

• Please avoid blocking driveways. Children will not be permitted to walk in the parking lot area alone.  They must be with an adult.
• All walkers are to cross streets only at the designated crossing areas with our crossing guard.
• Students in grades 1-5 will exit out onto the Blacktop Area.
• Kindergarten students will be dismissed via their classroom door.

INCLEMENT DISMISSAL DAYS:

• Children  should be  dropped-off and  picked-up along  the  curb  on Geoffrey Way.   Do not send them between cars.   They  will  enter school  through  the  double  doors  by   the   blacktop   and   line-up in   the   cafetorium   or   gymnasium  according   to    grade.    Three teachers will  be on duty after  8:35 a.m.                                                                                                  
• Please do not call children out into the street between cars.  This is an illegal and an unsafe practice.  If you  are  late, your child  should  come  to  the Nurse’s Office to inform us.  We will attempt to locate you.

On inclement dismissal days, if your child normally walks home and you have decided to pick them up by car, please call the main office at (973) 633-3150 by 2:30 p.m., so that we can relay the message to your child’s teacher.  Your child will then meet you in the Main Office where you will sign them out.

For the welfare and safety of all our children, DRIVING ON THE PLAYGROUND/BLACKTOP IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN AT ALL TIMES!

DRESS CODE REQUIREMENTS:

Proper attire is essential in creating a positive self-image and goes a long way in teaching our people to respect themselves as well as others.  We ask for your assistance in ensuring that your children adhere to dress code guidelines to avoid any disciplinary action:

• All attire should be neat, clean, reflect modesty, and be appropriate for a school environment.

• Clothes shall not be sheer, brief, low cut, or revealing so as to be embarrassing, distracting, or indecent.  Pants which expose the stomach are not acceptable.

• Bare midriffs are unacceptable; short skirts that do not cover the stomach area and are not at least 6 inches beyond a student’s fingertips when the student’s hands are placed at the student’s side and the student is in an upright position are not permitted in school.  Also, halter tops, tube tops, spaghetti straps, or strapless tops are not permitted.

• Footwear is required at all times.  Flip-flops or flip-flop type sandals are unsafe and not permitted at any time.

• Any garment that has graphics that are suggestive, obscene, have a double meaning, refer to gang affiliation, or promote/depict an illegal substance is prohibited.

• Shorts are acceptable when the weather is hot but they must be neat and ensure modesty.  Shorts that expose undergarments or shorts with distracting/suggestive words or images on them are unacceptable.  Lycra and spandex shorts and tank tops should be reserved for appropriate athletic activities and are unacceptable dress at other times during the school day.
• Hats and caps shall not be worn inside the school building.

• No “wheeled” sneakers/shoes are permitted to be worn in school.

Any student that comes to school in inappropriate dress according to the above-cited guidelines will be asked to change his/her clothing.  If the student does not have something appropriate available in school, parents will be contacted to provide them.  Students who continually violate our dress code will be subject to disciplinary action which may include being marked absent from class(es)/school.  These absences will be considered as part of the district attendance policy and may lead to the loss of credit for a course/school year.

Please review these guidelines with your children.  There are many influences, some negative, some positive, which are impacting our young people. It is important for the school and the home to provide some measure of direction whenever we can.  Your assistance with the enforcement of these guidelines is essential and appreciated.

TRANSPORTATION:

The Transportation Department can be reached at 973-633-3144 or 973-633-3120.

TRANSPORTATION ELIGIBILITY:

Only those students entitled to transportation may ride the bus to and/or from school. Students must take their assigned bus unless other arrangements have been made. Students must board and get off of the bus at their assigned stop.  They cannot go on any other bus, nor can they have a friend, who is not a bus student, go home with them on the bus.

TRANSPORTATION CHANGES:

Students eligible for bus transportation are expected to use the bus unless there is written notice from a parent indicating a change. The note should be sent to your child’s teacher and include the particular date or dates and the specific change of transportation. Please do not call the office to make a last minute request. This option is for emergencies only.  You must plan head.

Emergencies do arise and sometimes notification in advance is not possible. PLEASE CALL THE OFFICE and we will get the message to your child. Again, this is for emergencies only.

EARLY PICK UP:

We recognize that emergencies may occur occasionally and a student may need to be dismissed prior to 3:20.  However, we strongly discourage removal of your child prior to dismissal unless there is an emergency situation. 

*Frequent early dismissals interrupt the flow of instruction in the classroom and creates unnecessary activity in the main office.

*We strongly discourage removal of your child between the hours of 3:00 and 3:15 and ask that you wait until 3:20 for dismissal.

PARKING:

If you must enter the building during the school day, please park in the school parking lot or on Geoffrey Way. Parking is not permitted ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ROAD, directly in FRONT of the school building, at any time.  The NO PARKING zone is clearly marked with a yellow line.  Also, please do not park in spaces reserved for specific staff members.  The police department will be taking an active role issuing tickets to those who park illegally.  On Geoffrey Way, please remember to park in an appropriate area to allow for other vehicles to park.

ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL:

Absence from school should be held to an absolute minimum in the best educational interest of the student. The only reasons permitted for an excused absence are religious holidays, illness of the students, or a death in the immediate family.

LUNCH PROGRAM AND SCHEDULE:

Lunch may be purchased on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis for $2.55 per day, or children may bring lunch from home.  If you wish to participate in our student lunch debit account system, all you need to do is bring cash or a check payable to the Wayne Board of Education to the food service manager. The payment can be dropped off sometime during the hours of operation, preferably morning hours prior to lunch.  If you have any questions, please call the Wayne District Food Service Director, at 973-633-3049.

A menu will be sent home at the beginning of each school month.  

Your child will receive a Free/Reduced Lunch Application.  It is important that you fill it out and return it regardless of whether or not you wish to receive free or reduced lunch.  Lunch will be served on Minimal Days.