RHES & GWCES Back-to-School News

I hope summer has brought rest, joy, and time with the people you love. As we gear up for a new school year, I’m grateful for the chance to walk alongside our staff, students, and families at both Richmond Hill Elementary and Carver Elementary.

There’s something special about a fresh start, and I’m looking forward to all the moments—big and small—that will shape this year.

Whether you're returning or joining us for the first time, we’re so glad to have you with us.

Our front offices will reopen on July 10th—please don’t hesitate to reach out if we can answer any questions.

📞 Richmond Hill Elementary: (912) 459-5100
📞 Carver Elementary: (912) 459-5111

• School Hours: 8:20 AM - 3:20 PM
  
• Student Arrival:
• Drop-off will begin at 7:50 AM
• Morning carline will end at 8:15 AM to ensure students and staff are ready to begin the school day by 8:20 AM.
• Students arriving after car line drop-off has ended, must be signed in by a parent or guardian at the front office.
• Student Dismissal:
• Dismissal will begin at 3:20 PM.
• Afternoon carline will close at 3:40 PM.
• Any dismissal changes must be communicated in writing to your child's teacher.
• For unexpected changes in dismissal, the parent or guardian must call the front office. Digital correspondence to the teacher is not an acceptable form of communication for changes in dismissal, as teacher absences, instructional time, internet outages, spam filters, etc. may interfere.
• Meal Prices:
• Breakfast - $2.50
• Lunch - Elementary Students $3.75 / Visitors & Lunch Guests $5.25

The district has provided a one-stop shop for all things back to school. This is an excellent resource that will continue to be updated as additional information comes available.

We are thrilled to welcome our Wildcat families to RHES and Carver to meet your child’s teacher and explore all that our amazing schools have to offer!

• Open House will take place on Thursday, July 31st, from 4:00–6:00 PM.
• By the end of the day on Wednesday, July 30th, your child’s teacher will reach out with a personal phone call to introduce themselves and officially invite you to Open House.
• Families will be welcomed at the main entrances of each school. There will be posted signs to guide you to the correct location!

The first day of school is August 6th, and we can't wait to make it magical for your Wildcat!

• To help us ensure a safe and smooth start for everyone, we kindly ask that all students be dropped off using their regular mode of transportation on the first day of school.
• Students will report to their class independently on the first day of school. If you plan to bring your child to campus, please utilize the carline. Our caring faculty and staff will be stationed throughout the building to make sure each child arrives at the correct classroom safely and confidently.

The Bryan County Schools (BCS) transportation guidelines are available at the link below. These procedures went into effect last year and will remain in place for the upcoming school year:

BCS Drop-Off Waiver & Transportation Waivers

We will have these forms available for you to complete at Open House.

Morning Arrival/Drop-off

7:50 - 8:15

• Follow the signs around the car loop until a staff member signals you to stop.
• Have your child ready to exit the passenger side of the vehicle.
• Your child should remain in the vehicle until school personnel opens the door.
• Do not attempt to pass other vehicles in the car line.

Afternoon Pick up/Dismissal

3:20 - 3:40

• Your child's car tag must be displayed in the front window of your vehicle.
• Cars without tags will be asked to exit car line and will need to present a valid photo ID to the front office for release of the student.
• Follow the signs around the car loop and pull forward as far as possible before stopping.
• Staff members will direct students to enter vehicles when all traffic is stopped.
• Students should enter the vehicle on the passenger side only.
• Traffic will exit the carline at the signal of school personnel.
• Do not attempt to pass other vehicles in the car line.

Our afternoon traffic patterns are changing for the 25-26 school year. Please note that morning drop-off remains the same. Visit our website for details and note that directions vary by school. We believe these changes will alleviate the delays our buses experience in the afternoons and appreciate your partnership. https://www.bryan.k12.ga.us/page/tri-schools-traffic

• Please be sure your child does not arrive prior to 7:50, as there is no supervision available. We will welcome our walkers and bike riders to school between 7:50 and 8:15.

There is a bus route to serve Mainstreet Subdivision. For those who wish to walk, please follow the procedures outlined below:

• RHES and Carver parents can walk students to Crossings Drive @ Frances Meeks Way for morning drop-off. There, they will be released to a staff member who will direct children to their respective schools using the sidewalk adjacent to Carver’s playground. In the afternoon, a staff member will bring students to Crossings Drive @ Frances Meeks Way where parents may wait to receive their child(ren).

• For students in grades 2-5, it is requested that parents remain at Crossings Drive during both drop-off and dismissal. Thank you for helping us maintain a safe and secure campus.

Student dismissal is based on information provided by the parent or guardian. If there is a change in transportation, please send in a note the morning of the change. Include the dates for the change and a phone number for verification purposes. If a change is necessary during the school day, it will be considered an emergency and should be requested by calling the office at 459-5111.

Only students who have registered through Community Education will be able to attend Before or After School Care. Parents must register each year.

• All lunch visitors must be listed on your child's PowerSchool account.
• Guests will be required to sign in at the front office and wear a visitor's badge while on campus.
• We can only accommodate lunch guests on the scheduled weeks.
• Lunch guests are limited to one person per child due to space limitations.
• All visitors will eat with their child at a designated area in the lunchroom.
• Only your child will be permitted to eat lunch with you. Your child's friends will remain at the class table.
• No outside food is allowed into the cafeteria during your visit.

Check out these opportunities to give back to our schools as you shop throughout the year.

• Click here to learn how to earn Box Tops for Education! https://www.boxtops4education.com/s/how-to-earn
• Connect your Walmart and Box Tops accounts so you can earn cash for your school when you purchase Box Tops products in-store or online using your saved Walmart payment method — without scanning or submitting your receipts! https://www.boxtops4education.com/s/how-to-earn/walmart-connected-accounts

Thank you for helping us maintain a proper dress code for students. When students come to school dressed appropriately, it helps set the tone for learning, minimizes distractions, and supports a safe and respectful environment for everyone. We appreciate your partnership in keeping our focus where it belongs—on teaching and learning.

The school nurse will determine when a child needs to be sent home due to illness, and as such, related absences will be excused. A complete list of policies regarding student healthcare can be found in the Bryan County Schools Handbook.

Fever

Parent will be notified when a child has an elevated temperature and the child will be sent home. Children can return to school when fever-free for 24 hours WITHOUT medication.

Nausea, Vomiting, and Related Illness

Parents will be notified and asked to make arrangements to have the child picked up at school. Child may return after a 24-hour period with no vomiting.

Lice

Parents will be notified when their child is suspected of having head lice. Before the child can be admitted back to school, he or she must be checked by the school nurse. Unless proof of treatment is presented and all live lice are gone, students will not be readmitted to school nor allowed to ride the school bus until these procedures are followed. Parents should accompany their child for him/her to be rechecked by the school nurse.

Medication

All medications, along with a completed Authorization for Administration of Medicine form, must be in the original labeled bottle and brought to the clinic by a parent/guardian. The nurse or other school official will receive and log the medication. DO NOT SEND MEDICATION TO SCHOOL WITH YOUR CHILD. Medication brought to school by students will not be administered. While students are at school, medications will be kept and administered by the school nurse or designee, and the inventory will be updated as the medication is taken.

Parents of students with Diabetes must meet with the school nurse. A medical management plan, completed and signed by the physician, will be required annually. Additionally, parents must complete the Bryan County Schools Diabetes Care Plan.

Students with severe allergies who require an Epi pen at school must meet with the nurse and submit the BCS Emergency Allergic Reaction Plan.

A current Seizure Action Plan must be on file for students with seizures. This must be reviewed and updated annually.

We believe that attendance is an essential component to your child’s academic success. It is our goal to partner with you to ensure that your child views school attendance as an important part of being a successful student, as an absence means that your child has lost an opportunity to learn.

Any combination of 10 early check-outs or late arrivals will require the parent to provide proof of residency documentation. Further, an attendance meeting will be called once the student has excessive unexcused absences.

Students checked out prior to 12:30 PM are considered absent as they were present less than half of the school day..

Please send doctor's notes to Melissa Barrientes via email at mbarrientes@bryan.k12.ga.us

Refer to the Bryan County Schools Handbook for full attendance policy.

Student dismissal is based on information provided by the parent or guardian. If there is a change in transportation, please send a note the morning of the change. Be sure to include the dates for the change and a phone number for verification purposes. If a change is necessary during the school day, it will be considered an emergency change and should be requested by calling the office at 459-5111.

Students are not allowed to have cell phones or any other communication device turned on during school hours unless by a doctor’s request. If it is determined by a licensed physician or surgeon to be essential for the student's health, that student will have a written plan including the doctor's verification for cell phone/communication device use which has been approved by the school administrator and which is on file in the school office.

If a student brings any of these devices to school, it will be powered off and placed in student’s bookbag until the end of the school day. See BCS Student Handbook for more information.

Carver students are considered independent walkers and bike-riders and do not have to be accompanied by an adult. If your child is normally a walker/bike-rider and there is inclement weather, he or she will be held at school until it is safe to go home. Due to safety concerns and to keep traffic flowing efficiently, please do not park and walk up to get your child. Students who do not live in Main Street subdivision must use the carline.

Every parent or guardian completes a White Card for their child at the beginning of each school year. This is the document the office will refer to when releasing students. In order to guard the safety of your child, our office staff is extremely cautious when releasing students to other adults. Please keep this card updated with current phone numbers, who to contact in case of an emergency, and the names of adults that have permission to check-out your child.

Permanent changes to the white card need to be done in person with an ID by the custodial parent or guardian. Custody documentation must be on file, and the office must be notified immediately when changes are made to custodial agreements.

If there is a need for a different adult other than those listed on the White Card to pick up your child, a signed and dated note from the parent/guardian is required. When it is time to check-out your child, our staff will require the adult to present a picture ID.

Students checked out prior to 12:30 PM are considered absent as they were present for less than half the school day.

For birthdays, parents can choose to send in a store-bought special snack to be enjoyed during the regular snack time. Parents may send this snack (cupcakes, cookies, fruit, etc.) to school that morning. All treats should be store-bought in the original package with ingredients listed. Homemade treats will not be accepted by the office. Teachers and paras will supervise special treats.

Please consider student allergies when sending in snacks and treats for special events. Your child’s teacher will share a list of the different types of allergies in the classroom.

Students may not receive deliveries at school, including balloons, flowers, outside food items, etc.

Students may deliver party invitations at school but the invitations cannot be addressed to specific students, and all students in class should receive an invite. At the beginning of the school year, you will be provided with the opportunity to share your contact information with your child’s classmates. The teacher will compile this information and send home only with students of parents that granted permission for their information to be shared with others.

Parents will be invited to join the class for two parties each year - a winter holiday party and an end of year party. Details will be shared with parents prior to these events.

Volunteer opportunities will begin after Labor Day. An orientation is a required component prior to being able to volunteer at any Bryan County school. Look for information in late August on volunteer orientation and opportunities.