Monday, September 3, 2018

Opening of School 2018-2019

Dear HM Families,

I want to welcome you all to the start of the 2018-2019 school year.  Below is some important information for the first week:

1) Tuesday, 9/4
  • Group A Kindergartners and all students in grades 1-5.
  • It is also Voting Day, which will be held in our gym.  Voters will use a separate entrance to vote and there will be a security presence throughout the day.
  • 12:30 dismissal for ALL students
2) Wednesday 9/5
  • Group B Kindergartners (12:30 dismissal) and all students in grades 1-5 (3:00 dismissal)
3) Thursday 9/6
  • Group A and B Kindergartners (12:30 dismissal for all K's until late September)

Also, please read through the procedures below regarding Arrival/Drop-off and Dismissal procedures:



Horace Mann Drop-Off and Dismissal Procedures

Arrival
  • We encourage families to ride and/or walk to school as much as possible.  It encourages healthy living and reduces congestion during mornings and afternoons.
  • All school doors are locked throughout the day with the exception of morning arrival time.
  • The front and rear school doors are set to automatically unlock at 8:20 am.   Prior to the opening of the doors at 8:20, students may play on the playground or in the front of the school grounds.  However, supervision is not maintained by the school at this time.
  • For children who arrive consistently before 8:20, there is an early morning program that begins at 7:30 am.  Families can enroll online and breakfast can be purchased on a day-to-day basis.
  • Students should plan to arrive each day at 8:20 and will be marked tardy by 8:30. Doors will automatically lock again at 8:35.  Specials and morning meeting will begin at 8:35.

Drop-Off Procedures
  • If you are driving your child to school, please plan to drop-off in the blue zone area and let them walk to class.  Do not leave your car unattended.
  • As a reminder, families will be permitted to walk their children to class to start the school year. Over time, we will encourage increased independence and expect children to report to class on their own.

Dismissal Procedures
  • School ends on Tuesday at 12:30 pm.  On all other days, school is dismissed at 3pm.  Please try to arrive a few minutes early. If you are going to be late for any reason, call the main office to let us know.  
  • At the end of the day, students in grades 3-5 are dismissed at the front entrance. Students in K-2 are dismissed at the rear entrance.  For K-2 students, a teacher will look to make eye contact with the parent or guardian who is there for pickup before releasing any child.   
  • K-2 classes will have a designated spot for dismissal each day.  Please wait along the grass, the fence, or road leading to the parking lot.  Do not wait under the school overhang as it creates congestion in the hallways upstairs as classes try to exit the building.
  • Again, if you are leaving your car for any reason, please park in one of the designated areas on the map.  DO NOT park on the grassy side of Albemarle Rd. for any reason.

Parking Ideas (see the map below):

The Blue Zone on Albemarle Rd (alongside the school) can be a congested place to park and fills up early.  Parking further down towards the pool is an option but can make for a long walk, if you are in a hurry. However, there are several other options that are actually closer to the school entrance:
  • Brookside Ave - accessible from Washington St.  
  • Page Rd. - accessible from Lowell Ave.
  • Albemarle Rd. - on the opposite side of Watertown St., and on the opposite side of Cheesecake Book.



Safety and civility are the goals of these guidelines...Thanks in advance for your cooperation!  

Mark Nardelli
Principal