Family News

School Transportation

📅 Start Date: September 2025

🕖 Bus Hours: 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM
🏫 School Hours: 7:25 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 Eligibility: Students must live more than 0.7 miles from the school to qualify for bus transportation. BPS determines eligibility based on the address on file for your student(s).
🏡 Required: Families must have a current proof of residence for bus registration. If you move during the year, we need an updated proof of residency to change your bus route. The bus requires 2 weeks for a change, so please provide up-to-date evidence of residence as soon as possible.

Registration with home district, if you live outside of Buffalo you must request transportation from your home district.

A great way to clean up your house and support the school.

Please join to make sure we are ready for a great year.

Agenda Items:

Arrival and Dismissal

Attendance - Here Today, Ready for Tomorrow

Academics - Homework

Menus - Breakfast and lunch

Afterschool Program

Behavior Matrix

Dress Code

Cell Phone Policy

Attendance

School is in session: Sept. 4th through June 25th

This year we are focused on Here Today, Ready for Tomorrow! Students who have attendance rates above 90% are more likely to be successful as they move through High School and into college.

DID YOU KNOW?

Starting in preschool and kindergarten, too many absences can cause children to fall behind in school. Missing 10%, or about 2 days each month over the course of a school year, can make it harder to learn to read.
Students can still fall behind if they miss just one or two days every few weeks.
Being late to school may lead to poor attendance.
Absences and tardiness can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help children catch up.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Set a regular bedtime and morning routine.
Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.
Keep your child healthy and make sure your child has the required shots.
Introduce your children to their teachers and classmates before school starts.
Develop backup plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor, or another parent.
Try to schedule non-urgent related medical appointments and extended trips when school isn’t in session.
If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors and other parents for advice on how to make your child feel comfortable and excited about learning.
If you are concerned that your child may have a contagious illness, call your school or health care provider for advice.
If your child must stay home due to illness, ask the teacher for resources and ideas to continue learning at home.

Family Engagement Agreement

At Westminster, we enroll families, not just students. Our school-wide Title I program requires all parents, legal guardians, grandparents, and other family members to play crucial roles in each student’s educational experience. It is important that families and the School work together to help students achieve high academic standards. Outlined below are the expectations Westminster maintains for the School and our families:

School Responsibilities:

Provide a challenging education in a safe and positive learning environment.
Establish nurturing, professional relationships with students, characterized by mutual respect.
Keep parents informed of each of their students’ progress.
Model integrity, academic curiosity, responsibility, and creativity.
Be teachers to all students at all times and be dedicated to teaching ethics and character formation.
Provide professional development opportunities for all staff.
Develop and sustain partnerships with parents that support each student’s well-being and increasing independence.
Enforce standards of student behavior in a fair, firm, compassionate and educationally sound manner.
Offer multiple avenues for families to stay informed of updates and events occurring at the School, (i.e., weekly newsletters, event flyers, monthly Parent Advisory Council meetings, annual parent survey distribution, social media updates, etc.)

Family Responsibilities:

Provide a home environment that supports the development of positive learning attitudes, habits, and values that are consistent with those of the School.
Maintain regular contact with teachers and attend all scheduled parent/teacher conferences during the school year.
Show support and encouragement by participating in a positive manner in School events.
Check that each child is doing his/her homework every night.
Make sure each child attends school and arrives on time every day.
Make sure that each child is following the School and class rules so as to protect the safety, feelings, and rights of all students, staff, parents and him or herself.
Make sure that each child is in proper uniform daily.

Student Responsibilities:

Come to school prepared to learn by bringing all relevant materials and leaving home any objects that will interfere with learning.
Attend school and arrive on time every school day.
Put in their best effort and complete all class and homework assignments on time.
Wear their school uniform and shoes every day.
Follow the school and class rules and be responsible for their behavior.
Respect all students, staff, parents, and guests.
Students shall treat the building and all school property, including books, with care. Failure to do so will result in payment by the parent to replace or repair any damage caused.