Back To School at Peter Noyes
August 30, 2021
Dear Families,
We are so close!! We cannot wait to see our students in grades 1-5 for their first day of school this Wednesday, September 1, 2021. This is a full day of school. For students in preK-K, we look forward to welcoming you for your visit days this week and your first full day of school on Wednesday, September 8. Thank you for taking a few minutes to read this important information about school.Warmly,
Annette Doyle
Important Reminder about School Hours: School starts at 7:55 a.m. Doors open at 7:45 a.m. School dismissal is 2:25 p.m.
General Guidelines and Procedures
Students and staff will:
wear masks at all times, except during designated mask breaks and during lunch/snack.
maintain three feet of social distance in classrooms to the extent possible.
wash their hands or use hand sanitizer when entering and leaving the school/classroom, before/after eating lunch and snack, before/after recess and when taking bathroom breaks.
More information on reopening in Sudbury:
Arrival Process
Students will wear masks when they enter the school building. Masks are not required outside.
We will allow visitors inside the building this year with a scheduled appointment. Visitors must wear masks.
Car Drop-Off
Cars will enter between the Town Hall and the Grange Building, proceed along the upper parking lot and down to the back of Noyes onto the basketball court as we did last year.
One line of cars will disembark at time as directed by staff.
No one should exit a car without staff direction and none prior to 7:40 a.m. Mrs. Doyle and/or Mrs. Moffat will be outside as close to 7:40 a.m. as possible and students must wait outside until 7:45 a.m. when staff are on duty before entering the building.
All students will use hand sanitizer as they enter the building.
Students enter school via the door closest to their classroom and proceed directly to their classrooms.
Parents may safely exit cars to assist students in getting out of the vehicle, if absolutely necessary; however, it is safer and more efficient for students to exit on the passenger side of the car on their own. Bonus points if the goodbye hugs and kisses are given at home and not as we're trying to move the car line along. The parents behind you really appreciate at that too.
After 7:55 a.m., the rear school doors will close and students who are tardy will enter through the front entrance doors. This “late” time will likely be adjusted during the first few weeks of school depending on traffic flow. If you are tardy, please have your child drive with you to the front of the school to enter through the front entrance.
Bus Riders
Federal regulations require all students wear a mask on the bus.
Bus windows will be open.
There is no distancing requirements on the bus.
When arriving at school, staff will greet each bus and indicate when it is safe to disembark.
All students will use hand sanitizer as they enter the building.
Students will proceed through the front doors of the school and walk directly to their classrooms. Staff members are available to help students who need assistance finding their classroom.
Be sure your child knows his/her bus number.
Walkers/Bike Riders
Walkers will enter through the front doors.
Walkers should arrive on site no earlier than 7:45 a.m.
All students will use hand sanitizer as they enter the building.
Students will proceed to their classrooms. Staff members are available to help students who need assistance finding their classroom.
STUDENTS ATTENDING MORNING SED
Students will proceed to their classrooms from the cafeteria.
SED teachers will escort students in grades K-1 to their classrooms.
Dismissal Process
Car Pickup
Students proceed from classrooms to the back basketball court via the exit door closest to their classroom. Staff will help.
Students in K-1 will have assigned staff to assist.
Students will stand behind the bollards on the sidewalk or on the grass.
We will load approximately 2 rows of cars at a time. Please follow the direction of the staff members on duty.
Parents must not use their cell phones while driving in the Car Pickup line.
Once all students have been loaded in the 2 rows, staff will direct cars to exit and another group of cars will enter for loading.
Bus Riders
The office will dismiss classes by Zone (one class per grade level at a time).
Teachers or assistants will accompany their classes to buses and make sure students board the correct bus.
Students must wear masks on the bus.
Windows will be open.
WALKERS/BIKE RIDERS
Walkers/Bike Riders are dismissed with bus students.
Teachers will accompany the walkers and bus riders through the front entrance.
Teachers will connect the walkers with their parent/guardian and then load the students taking the bus.
Parents meeting Walkers are asked to meet their children near the bike rack area/alongside the Flynn Building as we did last year.
SED Students
Students proceed from classrooms to the cafeteria entrance.
Students in K-1 will have assigned staff to assist .
Changes in Dismissal
All changes in dismissal must be communicated ahead of time. Parents must call the main office before 1 p.m. Changes in dismissal cannot be guaranteed if received after 1 p.m.
Lunch
Students will eat in the cafeteria at their assigned desk.
Desks are six feet apart.
ALL CLASSROOMS AND THE CAFETERIA ARE PEANUT AND NUT-FREE.
Whitson’s staff and our staff will deliver lunches to the correct desks at the start of lunch. Students order lunch in the morning in their homeroom classes. School breakfast and lunch are free this year.
Students bringing lunch from home should be able to open all containers themselves, and have all items needed (e.g. spoons, etc.). There are staff members to assist, but student independence is fostered.
Given that student masks are off, remaining in the assigned seat is mandatory. If a student needs to get up for any reason, he/she must wear a mask and must be given permission by one of the cafeteria supervisors.
RECESS
All students will have a 25-minute recess each day. Additional outdoor time may occur as well. Snack breaks are outdoors as often as possible.
Recess is scheduled by grade level. All third graders have recess at the same time, for example.
Masks are not required at recess, but can be worn if the child/family desires.
Students will be able to play with all the other students in their grade level. We will not be limiting cohorts to a particular zone this year.
ILAP Early Release Wednesdays
Radical Compassion
Preparing for our students’ return has been a monumental task. In many ways, everything has evolved so dramatically that it is like we are all novices again. We understand that this time has not been easy for families or children either. What we all need right now is to treat each other and ourselves with radical compassion. Let’s be as patient, flexible, and grateful as we can. It’s so easy right now to criticize everything. There’s so much we all wish would be different. It just isn’t. If we focus on all we’ve lost or the way we wish things to be, we lose the opportunity to celebrate what is going well. I’ll start. I am so grateful to be working alongside our extraordinary teachers and staff again. I am extremely thankful that we are able to welcome back our students next week and I am deeply appreciative all you, as families, have done to prepare your children for their return to school. Our partnership this year will be more essential than ever. Thank you for working with us to make the best of whatever this year has in store. Teamwork makes the dream work and we are grateful you are on our team.
Sincerely,
Annette Doyle
Principal