August 30, 2026

Dear Florida Ruffin Ridley Families and Caregivers!

Welcome Back to School!

Our Administrator Team

Sara Yuen - Principal (sara_yuen@psbma.org)

Steve Simolaris - Vice Principal Grades K-2 (steven_simolaris@psbma.org)

Mary Gallant - Vice Principal Grades 3-5 (mary_gallant@psbma.org)

Michelle Crowe - Vice Principal Grades 6-8 (michelle_crowe@psbma.org)

Arrival and Dismissal

If students would like to eat school breakfast in the cafeteria, they may arrive as early as 7:30 am and enter at the main Stedman Street entrance. For safety reasons and due to capacity and coverage constraints, only students who are participating in school breakfast come in at this time. All other students may enter the building beginning at 7:55 AM.

Arrival Procedure

There are three main entrances for students when arriving at the building each morning. Adult caregivers do not enter the building during drop off.

• Stedman Street (circled in blue on the map below)

• Playground Entrance (circled in orange on the map below)

• Main Entrance on Harvard Street (circled in green on the map below)

Please note that car drop-off at the Stedman Street entrance is a rolling drop off. Thank you for your patience and support in ensuring a safe and smooth arrival process for all students.

Please do not enter the circle driveway in front of the school by car during arrival and dismissal as this is a safety issue. Only student buses and vans may enter the circle driveway at this time.

Staff will be staggered throughout the hallways and at each entrance to ensure students travel safely through the halls and follow hallways expectations.

Dismissal Procedure

Kindergarten - Grade 2 students will be walked out to designated areas and are dismissed to their caregivers. All adults and caregivers who arrive at the building to pick up students must remain behind the designated line 6 feet away from the assigned student/teacher outdoor area.

Grades 3-8

Grades 3-8 students will enter and exit the building independently and staff will help direct them as needed. Students in Grades 6-8 should report directly to their advisories during arrival.

Late Arrivals

For students who arrive at the building after 8:05a.m. they will need to enter the building through the main entrance on Harvard Street. Students should ring the doorbell and they will be let in by a member of the main office staff. Upon entering students will need to check in at the main office. Students in K and 1 will be walked down to class by a staff member.

Early Dismissals

If for any reason a student needs to be picked up during the school day, families should come to the main entrance on Harvard Street. When you arrive, you may ring the bell and share your name, your child(ren)’s name(s), their homeroom(s), and the reason they need to be dismissed. A member of the front office staff will then connect with staff in the building to have the student(s) dismissed. Students in Kindergarten - Grade 2 will be walked down to the main lobby and then sent outside to the adult waiting. Students in Grades 3-8 will be dismissed independently from their classrooms and walk out through the front entrance to the adult waiting.

**NO STUDENT may be dismissed without an adult waiting outside for them. **

Food Services

The Food Services website is linked here. All students have access to free breakfast and lunch in public schools in Massachusetts.

Students have a 30 minute lunch and a 30 minute recess daily. Students eat lunch in the cafeteria with their grade level bands (K-2, 3-5, and 6-8) and are supervised by staff.

What's new at Florida Ruffin Ridley School

One of our priorities in the Public Schools of Brookline this school year the implementation of our PSB Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) plan as referenced in the District Strategic Plan. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education defines MTSS as "a framework for how school districts can build the necessary systems to ensure that each and every student receives a high quality educational experience. It is designed to support schools with proactively identifying and addressing the strengths and needs of all students by optimizing data-driven decision-making, progress monitoring, and the use of evidence-based supports and strategies with increasing intensity to sustain student growth."

This school year, every grade level in K-5 at Florida Ruffin Ridley School will have a daily 30-minute WIN block ("What I Need"). The K-5 WIN blocks are intentionally scheduled at a different times for each grade band to allow for staff who work with multiple grade levels to support during each of their respective WIN blocks. After fall benchmark assessments take place, teams will work on planning WIN blocks based on students' needs.

Fire Drills

Typically, there is a fire drill during the first week of school and four are required by law throughout the school year. If you believe your child may need any form of assistance in preparation for a fire drill, please contact your child’s classroom teacher or grade-level guidance counselor and vice principal.

Calendar

Please bookmark the district calendar for important dates throughout the year.

District Calendar

Please note that September 3, 2026 is the first full day of school for students in grades 1-12. Kindergarten students have two half-days on September 3, 2026 and September 4, 2026. Our wonderful Kindergarten teachers have shared details regarding the half day schedule for your students. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your child's classroom teacher or school administration with any questions.

Conferences

Dates

The following dates are scheduled conferences for the 2026 - 2027 school-year. Please know that all dismissal times are 12:40p

Fall Conferences

• Wednesday, November 4th (K-6)

• Thursday, November 12th (K-8)

• Wednesday, November 18th (K-8)

• Thursday, December 3rd (K-6 conferences; 7-12 Teacher PD)

Spring Conferences

• Thursday, April 8th (K-6 conferences; 7-12 Teacher PD)

• Wednesday, April 14th (K-6)

• Thursday, April 29th (K-6)

• Wednesday, May 5th (K-6)

Virtual Conference Procedures

Families may request to participate virtually over Zoom/Google Meet. For any virtual conferences, links to those conferences will be shared 3 working days prior to the conference with all specialists, special education staff, and related service providers who work with the student.

Attendance

Student Attendance

Success at the Florida Ruffin Ridley School is directly correlated to student attendance.

• 2 Consecutive Days

If a student is absent from school for two consecutive days, the homeroom teacher will send an email home and cc the grade level vice principal and guidance counselor.

• 5 Days

If a student is absent from school for five days in a given quarter or cumulatively, the corresponding guidance counselor will call home.

• 10 Days

If a student is absent for 10 or more days in a quarter or cumulatively, the corresponding vice principal will call home and/or request a meeting.

Cell Phones and Personal Electronic Devices

Student Use - “Off and Away”

Cell phones and other personal electronics, such as portable music players, tablets, handheld game consoles, cameras, and audio and video recorders, must be turned off and put away during school hours and during school-led activities unless its use is deemed a necessary component for the completion of an assignment or activity as determined by a Florida Ruffin Ridley staff member.

GRADES 6-8 CELL PHONE/SMART WATCH RULES

• Cell phones and smart watches are collected in grade 6-8 Advisory each morning. Devices are stored in locked phone storage cabinet.

• Students retrieve all devices at the end of the school day.

• Students who arrive late to school will leave their devices in a locked box at the Sign-In table. This box remains in the school office. Students may retrieve devices at dismissal.

Please note that the Massachusetts legislature passed a personal electronic devices in schools' bill that is now in effect. Please see the MA Legislature Press Room for more information.