Alward Action
August 31-September 4
Principal's Note of Thank You
As we look ahead to this week, we still have a few scenarios that we will be navigating for the first time. Students and staff will be trialing lunch in the classrooms for the first time. Students will get 20 minute to eat lunch with their teachers and then enjoy a 35 minute lunch recess.
To help lunch go smoothly, please be cognizant of items that you pack in your child's lunch. Our younger students (PK-1) typically struggle with opening certain containers, specially packaged snacks, and certain types of juice boxes. Please practice with your child to help them become more independent on opening these items at school as we have limited support staff to help all of our students during lunches. This will help to ensure that our students have as much time to eat as possible!
Also, please be aware if your child is in a peanut and nut free classroom. The following classrooms are peanut and nut free: Mrs. Wert (K), Mrs. Heethuis (2nd), Mrs. Louis (4th) and Mrs. Bouwens (5th).
Thank you again for making our first week such a successful one! Here's to a great second week! Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions as we continue on our 20-21 voyage!
Thank you,
Melanie
Reminders from the office
Student Profile Information - These will be sent home this week! Please complete the form and send it back to school ASAP. This will ensure that we have accurate contact information and medical information for your child(ren).
Adjusted Morning Drop-off Times
Thank you so much for helping us have a successful first week in our car drop-off line. Based on the number of cars in our drop-off line, we are adjusting our staggered arrival times.
Our doors will open at 8:35 a.m. Please do not drop your students off before this time for safety and security reasons. We do not have supervision available before 8:35 a.m.
Drop-off times will now be from 8:35-8:50 a.m. Grades 2-5 from 8:35-8:45 and Grades Pk-2 from 8:40-8:50.
Older siblings can walk younger siblings to their classes. In this case, please remind your oldest child to enter the door assigned to your youngest child to cut down on traffic.
Change in Transportation Home
Please contact the main office to let them know if there will be a change in transportation for your child going home that differs from the google doc for a normal dismissal by 3:00!
Breakfast
Breakfast will be served for the first week from 8:45-9:00 a.m. due to the staggered start times for PK-5th grade.
Please email classroom teachers to let them know if your child will be eating breakfast at school on a normal basis so they can send them down to the cafeteria.
Medications at School
Please do not send medications to school with your child. Please come into the office to drop off medications. Thank you!
STUDENT DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP PROCEDURES
Student drop-off and pick-up are very busy times during a normal school year in the school driveway and hallways. This year adds a new layer, so please make sure to read all of these drop off procedures so that we can ensure the safety of our students and staff and efficiency of our car line. Parents will not be permitted to walk their child/ren to their classrooms due to the no visitor mandate. Therefore, if you are dropping your child off in the carline, please remain in your vehicle and follow the procedures below.
Staggered Drop-off: We will have a staggered drop off due to the expected increase in car riders this year. We will have numerous staff helping students get into the building safely and to their classrooms.
- Grades 2-5: Please drop your child off between 8:35-8:45 a.m. Please do not come early as we will not be able to allow students into the building until 8:35 a.m. If you have children in grades PK-1, you can drop off all children during this time slot. We will have your oldest child help walk your younger child/ren to their assigned classes. Students in grades 2-5 will enter Door U unless they are walking a younger sibling to their class.
- Grades PK-1: Please drop your child off between 8:40-8:50a.m. Students in KDG will enter door A. Students in PK and 1st grade will enter door W.
Car Line Drop-off Procedures:
1. Please place the placard sign, pictured below, in your passenger side window of your car with your child/ren's names and teacher's name listed. Please put a name tag on your child along with his/her classroom teacher's name to help us get students to their correct classroom.
2. Use the car loop on the west side (office side) of the building.
3. Stay in the right lane and drop off your child in the drop-off zone. Zone will be marked with cones. Please pull all the way to either the stop sign for the unloading zone or to the car in front of you.
4. Students will exit the cars on the passenger side of the car in the unloading zone. (Do not allow students to exit the car on the driver’s side for safety reasons!) Staff will help child/children get out of the car and direct them to the door that they will go in.
5. Parents remain in their vehicles.
6. Do not pass cars in the car line. Stay in a single file line until the cars move in front of you.
To Keep Our Line Moving Tips:
Follow the procedures noted above.
Say your goodbyes and give kisses prior to dropping off in the car line. :)
Have backpacks/supplies ready to exit car with students.
Parents need to remain in their vehicles.
Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding with our system and procedures. Safety is our number one concern for our students and their families.
Car Line Pick-up Procedures
PK-Fifth Grade Students
3:45 p.m.
1. Please put the placard sign, pictured below in your passenger side window of your car with your child/ren's names and teacher's names listed. You will receive additional cart tags in your child's take-home folder on the first day of school. If you need more, please contact the main office, and we will be happy to print some for you!
2. Use the car loop on the west-side (office side) of the building.
3. Stay in the right lane and pull up to the orange cone on the far side of the parking lot or behind the cars in front of you.
4. Students will be walked out in groups to the car line and must enter cars on the passenger side of the vehicle.
5. If you need to help your child buckle his/her car seat, please pull forward with the flow of traffic, park in a parking spot, and help your child buckle his/her car seat.
To Keep Our Line Moving Tips:
Follow the procedures noted above.
Parents need to remain in their vehicles.
Please be patient with this system for the first few weeks of school. Once students, staff, and families get used to the process, the line moves efficiently and is safe for all of our students!
Based on last year’s car line data, the car line takes 4-5 minutes to load 60 cars!
Walkers
- Walkers are dismissed once our car line is out of our parking lot to ensure their safety in the parking lot and crossing Port Sheldon, if needed.
- Walkers will be dismissed out of Door T (at the end of our fourth and fifth grade hallway).
- If you or a sibling will be typically walking your child home, please notify your child's teacher.
- If the person designated to walk your child home changes, please contact the main office to let them know of the change.
Drop-off Map
Pick-Up Map
Car Tags
Here is a link for you to print a placard car tag for the first day of school-arrival and dismissal. Please put your child's first and last name on the card as well as your child's teacher's name. If you do not have a printer, please write this information on a piece of paper to put in the passenger side window.
In your child's take home folder, you will receive a car tag for the arrival and dismissal car line. Please write your child’s/children’s names and classroom teacher's names as well.
If you need additional car tags, you can get them from our office staff.
Early Release Schedule
Thursday, Sep 3, 2020, 08:45 AM
Alward Elementary School, Port Sheldon Street, Hudsonville, MI, USA
No School!
Friday, Sep 4, 2020, 08:45 AM
Where ever you would like to go!
Labor Day! No School!
Monday, Sep 7, 2020, 08:45 AM
Where ever you would like to go!
Communication
- Visit Our Website: Our school website will be updated on a regular basis as it will be the main source of information for our parents and community members. We will no longer have an Alward Blog as we are looking to consolidate and simply communication to our families.
School Messenger: Regular communication from school messenger will be sent out via email, phone calls, or text messages to keep you in the loop on what is taking place at Alward!
Social Media: Follow our story by liking us on...
Facebook: Like us on Facebook-facebook.com/AESEaglePride
Twitter: Like us on Twitter @AlwardElem
Google Classrooms: We will no longer have individual blogs for teachers. Teachers will be updating their Google Classroom Sites on a weekly basis.
Website: https://www.hudsonvillepublicschools.org/alward/index
Location: 3811 Port Sheldon Street, Hudsonville, MI, USA
Phone: 616-669-6700
Facebook: facebook.com/AESEaglePride
Twitter: @AlwardElem