VES Bluebird
Special Spring Edition 2021
Greetings, VES Families!
We had a great start to school following the spring break and hope it was a restful time for each of you.
Our five day in-person school week will begin on Monday, April 19th. Please review the information in this special edition as you prepare for the days ahead, particularly if your child will be attending VES in-person for the very first time!
Everyone should please take note of the health and safety reminders and other protocols as they will assist us in keeping our VES community safe and healthy. Your assistance in completing the screening forms and following safety expectation is essential to that goal.
Thank you for your continued involvement and support!
Ms. Lacy, Mrs. Camuto and The VES Team
April 19th: Five Day In-Person Week Begins
As a reminder if your child will be coming to school for hybrid/in-person learning please take note of the following required school supplies:
- Three masks: one to wear each day; one for the classroom (in a Ziplock bag with child's name on it), one to keep in the backpack (in a Ziplock bag with child's name on it). Masks must: fit snugly but comfortably against the sides of the face; completely cover the nose and mouth; be secured with ties or ear loops; include multiple layers of fabric; allow for breathing without restriction; be washed and machine dried without damage or change to shape, not include vents/valves
- Mask lanyards (If you don't have one we will provide one for your child)
- Labeled beach towel to be laundered and returned each day
- Charged Chromebook and your own personal sleeve/cover (11.6x13)
- Headphones or earbuds with a mic and 3.5 mm jack (in a Ziplock bag with child's name on it)
- Healthy nut-free snack and water bottle. According to district regulations (5531), all classrooms will be nut-free and no students or staff will share food.
- Personal pack of tissues
- Hand wipes for snack time
- Small bottle of hand sanitizer
- Writing Notebooks/Folders
The following bullet points provide additional important information as we look toward Monday:
- Six feet of distance between students will be maintained to the maximum extent possible. We are able to maintain six feet of distance between students in all homerooms. As recently confirmed by the CDC, a minimum of three feet of distance between masked students will be utilized in the rooms where six feet may not be possible.
- All safety and cleaning protocols will continue to be enforced.
- All recess-based distancing protocols will remain in place (recess zones, limited use of athletic equipment, etc.) We are discussing a return to limited use of our playground equipment for all students.
- Bus tag & parent-pickup signs for new hybrid students will be provided next week.
COVID-19 Daily Screening Form
We are very excited to welcome more students to school for in-person learning on April 19th. As we prepare to welcome more students to school next week, it is essential that parents of new in-person students begin submitting the Daily COVID Screening Form every morning. This form must be completed before your child leaves for school and in order for him/her to attend class. Please expect a phone call from the school if your form is not completed.
The form is located in your Genesis Parent Portal under forms. If you are having difficulty accessing your account, please fill out a tech support request on the District Homepage under the Site Shortcuts titled Distance Learning Tech Support and it will be routed to the correct person. Or if you have any questions, please contact the VES main office or VES Health Office for further assistance.
Expectations for a Safe Bus Ride
Students are encouraged to ride the bus to and from school each day. Updated transportation information will be visible to parents Friday, April 16th in the afternoon. New hybrid students or those who have had a bus route change will receive updated bus tags on April 19th.
Riding the bus is a privilege and students are expected to abide by the following expectations for a safe bus ride:
- Be safe while waiting for and getting on and off the bus
- Wait for the bus to stop completely
- Walk instead of run
- Be patient and maintain 6ft of distance as you and others get on and off
- Masks must be worn while on the bus
- Listen to the bus driver since s/he is in charge of the bus
- Stay safe on the bus by:
- Staying in your assigned seat
- Buckling your seatbelt correctly
- Sitting correctly in your seat
- Not reaching out the window
- Treat others with respect while riding the bus
- Keep your bus clean and safe for everyone. Eating food on the bus is not allowed.
- If there is a problem on the bus it is important to let the bus driver know
- Remember that the bus driver is focused on the safety of everyone and should not be distracted while driving unless an emergency is being reported
It is preferred that all students are met by an adult at the bus stop at the end of the school day.
Please visit this link to learn more about bus transportation safety tips and expectations.
Parent Drop Off Procedures
Please see the map below!
Students are encouraged to ride the bus to and from school but if it is essential that you drop off your child in the morning, please take note of our parent drop off procedures. Your patience and cooperation will ensure that our current system continues to operate smoothly.
Before School Drop Off (9:20-9:30): If you need to drive your child to school, please use the driveway on the right side of the school to travel to the rear entrances. This entrances will be open from 9:20 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Please do not drop your child off early as the doors will be locked until 9:20, and there is no supervision. Upon arriving at the rear of the school please follow the guidelines below.
Travel as far forward as possible along the sidewalk on your left.
Have your child ready to exit the car when you reach the sidewalk.
Stop your vehicle next to the school sidewalk.
Your child may exit on his or her own on the driver’s side of the car, along any part of the sidewalk. Children are not permitted to exit from the passenger side without assistance from an adult.
Two doors will be open and supervised by our staff for your child’s convenience and to assist with the flow of traffic.
Please remain in the line of cars in front of you and wait for traffic to move. Do not dart around any cars to avoid colliding with those exiting at the front of the line. Should you need to pass another car to exit, please do so with extreme caution!
DO NOT park in the Fire Lane for any reason.
Continue to follow the roadway back to Main Blvd.
Please do not drop students off in the front of Village School at any time, except for before school programs (which are not scheduled at this time). After 9:30 a.m., park in our front visitors’ lot and walk your child to the main entrance. Ring the buzzer and a secretary will assist you and sign your child in.
Late or Midday Drop off/Pickup: If you need to drop off or pickup your child between the hours of 9:30 and 1:15, please park in our visitors parking lot in the front of VES and come to the main front entrance. Parking is not permitted in the front driveway as it is a bus driveway only. After 9:30 a.m., please walk your child to the main entrance. Ring the buzzer and a secretary will assist you. You must submit a request in writing in advance if a late arrival or early pick up is planned. (BOE Policy 5230)
Your assistance in following these guidelines will help us and help you, keep all children and visitors safe. Thank you for your cooperation!
Parent Pickup Procedures and Times
Please see the map below!
Students are encouraged to ride the bus to and from school but if it is essential that you pick up your child at the end of the school day, please take note of our parent pickup procedures. Your patience and cooperation will ensure that our current system continues to operate smoothly.
Please send a note to your child’s teacher if you plan on picking up your child in the afternoons. Include in the note, the name of the person picking up your child. Teachers will send their students to the parent pickup waiting area in the cafeteria with their pick up note. Without a note, children will be sent to their buses.
On the first day using this process, please have your ID (valid driver's license) and Parent Pick Up Sign (or if new to Hybrid a sign displayed on the driver's side that includes: your child's name, grade, teacher's name and the name of the parent/person picking up your child.)
If you are new to Hybrid, we will provide 3 signs for you to use on subsequent days for each parent/guardian and emergency contacts. Circle one name per form indicating who the pick up person is. If someone not listed on the sign is picking up your child, please notify the school and add that person's name to one of your copies.
Please mark your school provided signs clearly with 3 and/or 4 in bold print to indicate your child’s grade and to assist us with the procedures outlined below.
Please have these signs and your ID ready to display on the driver's side to help us expedite the pick up process.
Parent Pickup Times:
In anticipation of additional traffic at parent pickup, we are asking for your assistance in helping us create a safe and smooth process by arriving at the times noted below:
3rd grade parent pickup students will be dismissed at 1:20.
3rd grade parents should arrive as early as possible, by 1:15, so your children can be released in a timely manner and the driveway can be cleared for 4th grade parents.
4th grade parent pick up students will be dismissed at 1:30.
4th grade parents should arrive between 1:25 and 1:30. Parents arriving prior to that time may be asked to circle the property or pull over to allow the on-time 3rd grade parents to pick up first.
If you have children in both grades, please arrive during the 4th grade pickup window.
Driving Directions:
Use the driveway on the right side of the school to travel to the rear entrance of the building and follow the instructions below:
Travel as far forward as possible along the sidewalk on your left.
Stop your vehicle next to the school sidewalk.
Staff members will call for your child and sign him/her out for you using a preapproved parent/guardian pickup checklist.
Children will enter your vehicle on the driver's side only.
Please remain in the line of cars in front of you and wait for traffic to move. Do not dart around any cars to avoid colliding with those exiting at the front of the line. Should you need to pass another car to exit, please do so with extreme caution!
Continue to follow the roadway back to Main Blvd.
Change in Student Dismissal Plans:
Changes in regular dismissal and parent pick up require a dated note from the parent or guardian to the classroom teacher at the beginning of the day.
Midday and end of day dismissal changes and pickup requests can be disruptive to instruction as dismissal information is confirmed early in the day.
If you need to make a change in your child’s dismissal plan during the day, please call the main office at 609-466-7606 before 12:15 pm. Communicating changes to the main office instead of the classroom teacher helps to ensure an organized and safe dismissal. Additionally, please contact your after school child care organization.
Any changes in dismissal plans received after 12:15 pm cannot be honored.
The main entrance will be inaccessible for parent pick-up between 1:15 and 1:30 p.m.
Your assistance in following these guidelines will help us and help you keep all children and visitors safe. Thank you for your cooperation!
Remember to Wear Your VES Strong T-Shirt on Monday, April 19th!
The VES Virtual Scholastic Book Fair is Here!
It's time for the 2021 VES Virtual Scholastic Book Fair, sponsored by our amazing MES PTA!
While the Fair is exclusively online this year, it will still be a fun and joyous experience for our kids. There are so many options to choose from and every dollar spent will help benefit VES!
Fair Dates: April 12 through April 25
Book Fair Brochure: Spring 2021 Virtual Booklist
Please visit the MES PTA site for more information.