Westbrook Park Elementary School

I hope you have enjoyed the summer with your family. I am excited to welcome all of our returning students and new students to the start of a new year at Westbrook Park Elementary School. My hope is that our students have been reading and everyone also had time to play and enjoy the summer.

We are also looking forward to seeing every student’s growth that will happen this year in Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Art, Library, Music, and Physical Education. Our teachers will continue to work hard this year to ensure that your child grows. One important piece that will help us accomplish this growth is your input and understanding of what we are doing at school. We need you to reinforce the importance of always trying your best, working hard and being kind. Our goal is to make sure your child has a great experience and feels successful here at Westbrook Park Elementary School. We will continue to implement our Positive Behavior and Supports (PBIS) Program along with our Royal Ticket program to get the best out of our students. Royals are always Safe, Respectful, and Responsible.

Students return to school on Monday, August 25th. All children will be met at either the front door or car line, starting at 8:30 am, and staff will direct students to their proper location. Our Back to School Social is on August 21st from 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm in the courtyard. Our first Home and School Meeting will be virtually on Wednesday, September 3rd, at 6:30 pm. Back to School Night will be Thursday , September 11th at 6:30 pm.

Attached to this email is our yearly Bullying and Harassment Letter. We will also review this four times throughout the year.

Please make sure your child’s name is on or inside all personal belongings, including lunch boxes, jackets, backpacks, etc. If at any time your child loses an item, please remind them to check the Lost and Found located in the cafeteria.

I look forward to working with returning students and meeting any new students. I hope you enjoy the remainder of your summer. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call me.

Sincerely,

Marc A. Comfort

Principal

• Monday, August 25th through Thursday, August 28th are 12:15 EARLY DISMISSAL school days. District schools are closed on Friday, August 29th and Monday, September 1st for the Labor Day holiday. Wednesday, September 3rd is a 12:30 EARLY DISMISSAL.

• 12:15 Early Dismissal Schedule: Grades 1st - 5th dismissed at 12:15. AM Kindergarten will dismiss at 10:15 AM and PM Kindergarten will run from 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM.

• 12:30 Early Dismissal Schedule: Students in Grades 1 - 5 will be dismissed at 12:30 PM. AM Kindergarten will dismiss at 10:20 AM and PM Kindergarten will be from 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM.

• Homeroom/Teacher assignments are available electronically through the Home Access Center (HAC) beginning Thursday, August 21st. It is critical that all families familiarize themselves with Home Access Center (HAC). Parents can update their contact information, including email addresses, through HAC so they receive regular updates from schools and the District. It is essential that we have your most up-to-date emergency contact information. Please review and update if applicable through HAC. It is important this form reflects accurate family information as we will utilize this throughout the year. Please access HAC through the school district’s website under the “PARENTS” tab or by clicking here. The HAC system is closed each summer for maintenance and planning. For your convenience, the District will email your HAC credentials on August 22nd. If you are having access issues, you may email parentportal@upperdarbysd.org to have your username sent to you. Due to a change in the HAC security system, parents will need to reset passwords if forgotten, as the District and schools no longer have access to HAC passwords. Click here for the HAC Parent Handbook.

• Transportation Letters (if you qualify) will be sent via ParentLink email on Monday, August 18th. The District has created a “safe walking routes” plan which will show suggested routes and updated crossing guard locations. This information can be found on the school district website or by clicking here: https://www.upperdarbysd.org/departments12/transportation/safe-routes-to-school.

• Grade level supply lists can be found on the main page of the Westbrook Park website by clicking here: Supply Lists

• Student Emergency Information Sheets: These sheets will be sent home with your student on the first day. Emergency information sheets need to be reviewed and verified each year. Please review the information and make any necessary changes. If there are no changes to your child’s emergency information, please mark no changes and send the information to your child’s homeroom teacher. Changes can also be updated in Home Access Center (HAC). Updated emergency forms need to be signed and returned within the first week of school. If there are any information changes during the course of the year, contact the Westbrook Park Main Office.

• Attendance: When a student is absent, a white Westbrook Park note (B-901), or an email to wpes-attendance@upperdarbysd.org, must be sent with the student’s name, Room, Date of Absence, Reason for Absence and Parent signature. If the note is not returned, the absence is marked as Truant after 3 days. If you would also like to call in your absence, in addition to your note or email, you can call 610-626-9363 and then press 1.

• Breakfast and Lunch - Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) - The district will continue to receive the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) this year. ALL district students in grades K-12 are automatically eligible to receive breakfast and lunch at NO CHARGE beginning the first day of school. No paperwork is needed to take advantage of this worthwhile program. As in past years, a Grab-and-Go breakfast will be made available to students as they enter the building. AM Kindergarten students will receive breakfast and PM Kindergarten students will receive lunch.

• Communications: All school and district communication will be sent via ParentLink email. Communication will be sent at a minimum electronically each Wednesday afternoon in our Electronic Wednesday Folder. This communication will provide weekly happenings, upcoming events, and contain valuable information for both district and community events. Please be sure to take advantage of this communication to stay in tune with our school/district community.

• School Calendar: Click here for the 2025 – 2026 Year-at-a-Glance Calendar and click here for the 2025 – 2026 Summary of Calendar.

• Handbooks: Please click here for the Westbrook Park Family Handbook and here for the Upper Darby School District Handbook.

• UDSD Device Loan Agreement: Here is the UDSD Device Loan Agreement.

Westbrook Park Elementary School – Arrival Procedures

Below are the arrival procedures at Westbrook Park Elementary School. There are three options to come to school. If eligible, students may take a bus, parents can drop off in the car loop, or parents can walk their child to school. Bus students and walkers will enter the school building at the main entrance no earlier than 8:30am.

The following are the specifics of these 3 options.

• The school district buses pick children up at their designated stops and deliver them to school. The bus loop (front of the school) is closed to cars during arrival. It is imperative that we keep the students out of harm's way in the morning.

• The car loop must be utilized if you drive your child to school. It is located on the Springfield Road side of the school. Pull up to allow cars to get off the street. A staff member or student safety will open your door and a student safety will walk the student to the doorway. Car line starts at 8:30 and ends at 8:50. After this time you must park and bring your student in the main entrance to the office and sign them in late.

• Students walking from the carline side of the building should walk around the dumpster in car line and in the yellow line area. They will then enter through the door by the cafeteria. All other students should enter from the main entrance.

All bus riders, walkers and car riders in AM Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grades will sit at assigned areas in the cafeteria.

All bus riders, walkers and car riders in 3rd, 4th and 5th grades will walk directly to the gym.

Dismissal procedures are on the back page.

Westbrook Park Elementary School – Dismissal Procedures

Below are the dismissal procedures at Westbrook Park Elementary School. If eligible, students may take a bus home from Westbrook Park Elementary School. Parents can pick up their child in the car loop, if they wish to drive their child home. Lastly, parents can meet their child in the dolphin courtyard to walk them home.

Homeroom Teachers will ask how students are going home, please make sure to let them know. If you are going to change this option, the parent or guardian must send a note to the homeroom teacher that day. Please do not call during that day to make changes.

The following are the specifics of these 3 options.

• The school district buses come to the school to meet your children and drop them off at the designated spots on the way home. We have several buses that pick up many children at dismissal. The bus loop is closed to cars during dismissal. It is imperative that we keep the students out of harms way in the afternoon.

• The car loop must be utilized if you drive your child home from school. It is located on the Springfield Road side of the school. Parents should not get in the car loop before 3:05. Pull into both lanes as far as you can. Remind your children to pay attention and raise their hands when they see your car. Staff members will walk your child to the car. All children will be placed in the back seat of the car since the law states no one under 12 is allowed in the front seat. Please do not call your child to come to your car. As a reminder, parents must use a car for this situation. Please do not walk across the car loop to retrieve your children.

• The Dolphin Courtyard is located on the side of the school. This is the meeting location for parents and children who are walking home.

If everyone follows these procedures, our students will be safe at the start and end of the school day.

As part of the Upper Darby School District’s Emergency Preparedness Plan and the Emergency Communications Plan, CrisisGo allows parents to receive emergency school safety alerts from the school district and individual school buildings. District parents can download the CrisisGo app onto their mobile device and to create a free account. Parents will then need to subscribe to the school(s) of choice and to the District group.

Click on the link to learn how to subscribe: UDSD Parents - CrisisGo Subscription Flyer.

We encourage secondary school students to receive up-to-date communication about emergency notifications as well. Students can click on the link to learn how to subscribe: UDSD Students - CrisisGo Subscription Flyer

Please review with your children the safety terminology we will be using in our emergency communications: Lock-In, Lock-Out, Lockdown, Evacuation FAQ for Families. We will review these terms and the emergency preparedness plan with students throughout the school year.

Please note that the District will continue to communicate emergency lockdown alerts and updates through CrisisGo, ParentLink emails and social media (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram).

As a reminder, our school doors do not open until 8:30 am. Student should not report to school until this time, as there is no adult supervision before 8:30 am. Students should enter school as soon as they arrive at school. This excused students in band and orchestra that are coming for rehearsals.

Students must be accompanied by an adults to play on the playground equipment after school. Starting tomorrow, we will ask all students not with a parent/guardian to leave the school grounds as soon as we dismiss. As a reminder, there is no adult supervision after school. I will make an announcement tomorrow to all students, and we will continue this after break.

Upper Darby School District - Official YouTube Channel - Upper Darby Official Youtube Channel

Email: mcomfort@upperdarbysd.org
Website: https://www.upperdarbysd.org/westbrookpark
Location: 199 Westbrook Drive, Clifton Heights, PA, USA
Phone: 610-626-9363
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Upper-Darby-School-District-263860013791271/
Twitter: @UpperDarbySD