Safety Announcement
August 31, 2026
Dear Families,
As we settle into the school year, we are reaching out to ask for your full partnership in keeping our students safe during morning arrival and afternoon dismissal.
As shared in our Opening Parent Newsletter and the Welcome Back Letter sent to all families, drivers may not enter the staff parking lot to drop off or pick up students under any circumstances.
If you are driving your student to school, you must pull up to the designated curb to let your scholar out or to retrieve your scholar.
Adhering to this policy is especially critical during inclement weather, when rain, fog, or snow hampers visibility and creates severe safety risks for our walking students and staff.
Arrival/Dismissal Checklist:
Use the Designated Drop-Off/Pick Up Zone: Pull completely over to the curb before allowing your student to exit or enter the vehicle.
Keep the Staff Lot Clear: The parking lot is reserved strictly for staff vehicles, deliveries and emergency vehicles. Do not block the entrance, turn into or pull through this lot to drop off or turn around.
Drive Slowly & Stay Alert: Expect pedestrians and stay off mobile devices while near school grounds.
Our traffic and safety protocols exist solely to protect your children. Please help us maintain a secure environment by modeling adherence to these rules every single day.
Thank you for your immediate cooperation and support in keeping our scholars safe.
With the rainy and cold weather arriving, we want to share our recess guidelines and ask for your partnership in keeping our scholars warm, active, and safe during outdoor play.
Temperature Guidelines:
Fresh air and daily outdoor movement are essential for student well-being. Unless we are advised of a specific and documented medical exception, all students go outside for recess every day and cannot opt to stay indoors. We monitor the local weather closely using the following thresholds:
21°F and Above (Real Feel): Outdoor Recess.
20°F and Below (Real Feel): Indoor Recess.
Thunder/lighting/Dangerous or Hazardous conditions: Indoor Recess
Proper Cold-Weather Attire:
Please ensure your child comes to school prepared for the elements every morning. Warm winter coats, hats, gloves or mittens, and boots are critical for their safety and comfort.
Wet & Snowy Surface Conditions:
Wet Ground: On days when it is not actively raining but the grass is wet, students will play strictly on the paved blacktop area to keep their clothes dry.
Snow: When snow is on the ground, outdoor recess will also take place on the blacktop to ensure clear, manageable foot traffic.
Safety & Behavioral Expectations To protect everyone on the playground during inclement conditions, safety protocols must be followed:
Playground Rules: Throwing snowballs, ice, or splashing in water puddles is strictly prohibited.
Restorative Action: If a student engages in unsafe behaviors like throwing snow or splashing water, they will be assigned "Give Back Time" after school to reflect on their actions and help restore safety to our community.
Group Accountability: If unsafe playground behaviors become widespread across a group, outdoor recess privileges will be suspended for those grade levels, and students will remain indoors until safety can be guaranteed. Safety remains our absolute top priority.
Thank you for dressing your scholars for the weather and reinforcing these safety expectations at home!
Please review the E Learning Newsletter that went out in July regarding our E Learning procedures in the event that we have to close due to weather or issues that make being in the building unsafe.