Cypress Woods Elementary
Welcome To The 2021-22 School Year
Hello Eagles!
It has been a very busy week on campus getting ready for the new school year. We are excited to see you all soon. While the year ahead will still be a little different, we know that it will still be a great year to be a Cypress Woods Eagle! Included in this update is important information about arrival and dismissal procedures, breakfast/lunch, school reminders and some ways that you can help us as we get this school year started.
See you next week!
Mrs. Hill, Principal
Teacher Assignments
If you have difficulties logging into Focus, we will have plenty of staff available at our Meet and Greet on Monday who can let you know your child's teacher and help you find the classroom. We will not provide teacher assignments over the phone as our office staff is working hard to help families register.
Teacher assignments are FINAL unless we need to make adjustments per class size mandates or enrollment numbers. Much work has been done to build class lists using a variety of factors while also ensuring classes are balanced.
Recommended School Supplies
For those families who ordered school supply kits from 1st Day School Supplies, they will be delivered to your child's classroom before our Meet and Greet.
Families are encouraged to bring in supplies during our Meet and Greet on 8/9. This will help make the first day of school go smoothly.
Teachers will share any additional "wish list" items in their newsletters or during Open House night.
First Days Of School
- Parents will be able to walk their child to the classroom on the first two days of school. However, we highly encourage parents to only walk their child to the building doors on the second day of school or even allow them to walk themselves. We are highly encouraging EVERYONE to wear a mask while on campus.
- Beginning on Friday, August 13, parents will not be permitted to walk students to class. We will have plenty of staff during the first week of school to help our Eagles find their classrooms.
- PLEASE BE SURE YOUR CHILD KNOWS HOW HE/SHE WILL BE GETTING HOME FROM SCHOOL EACH DAY!!! START THIS WAY OF WORK ON DAY #1. If your child is a bus rider, have him/her ride the bus. This prevents confusion later!
Student Hours are 8:45am - 2:55pm
Kindergarten - 5th Grade Morning Arrival By Car/Walking/Bike
- When students arrive on campus they will sit on the benches in the front of the school under the yellow awning. Students may NOT be dropped off BEFORE 8:15. Supervision will begin in the car circle at 8:15am.
- Walkers and bike riders may walk down the sidewalk in the front of the school and enter the campus through the blue doors at the end of yellow awning. Parents are not permitted past the gate (near PreK) on the west side of the campus.
- If a student would like breakfast, he/she will visit the cafeteria between the hours of 8:15-8:40.
- Staff will be on campus to assist students getting to class each day.
How Can Parents Help With Arrival?
WE NEED YOUR PATIENCE AND SUPPORT IN THE CAR LINE!
SAFETY IS OUR FIRST PRIORITY!
- Make sure your child arrives to school each day between 8:15-8:45. Please be patient as our car line may be busy and long the first few days of school.
- If you are driving on campus you must use the car line for drop off. Parking and walking up will not be permitted. This is for the safety of all students!
- Make sure that your child is seated on the passenger side of the car so that he/she can safely get out of the car once in the unloading area. Kindergarten parents: please practice having your child buckle and unbuckle themselves before school starts
- A safety patrol will open the car door to allow your child to get out of the car in the morning.
- Parents MUST stay in the car while in the car line.
- Please DO NOT try to pass another car unless you are directed to do so by a staff member.
- If you are riding a bike or walking with your child to school, please stop at the PreK gate on the west side of campus and allow your child to continue walking or bike riding along the sidewalk to enter the campus.
Pre K Arrival and Dismissal
- Pre K parents will pull up to the Pre K building between 8:15-8:45.
- Make sure all of your child's materials are in his/her backpack.
- Parents will walk their child to the front of the Pre K building and drop their child off with one of the staff members outside who will then walk your child in to the classroom.
- Parents will sign their child in each morning at the table outside of the building.
- If you have other children (K-5) to drop off, please utilize the car line or have them walk along the walker/bike rider sidewalk to enter the campus immediately.
PRE K DISMISSAL PROCEDURES
- Pre K dismissal begins at 2:20 (3 year olds) and 2:30 (4 year olds)
- Pre-K parents will park in the same area as drop off in the morning.
- Pre-K parents will sign their child out and a staff member will bring your child to you.
- After picking up your child, please go directly to your car and exit the campus.
- If you have siblings, please enter the front car circle line (K-2) or the back car line (3-5). DO NOT HAVE YOUR K-5 CHILD WALK TO THE PRE K BUILDING.
Front Car Line Dismissal (Kindergarten - 2nd Grade and their older siblings)
- Kindergarten - Second Grade and their older siblings will be picked up in the front car line.
- Students will be sitting on the benches under the yellow awning to wait for their name to be called when a parent is in the loading area. Depending on the number of students, we may have to stage some students inside the blue doors.
- For the first week of school or so we will begin calling students for the front car line beginning at 2:45.
- Make sure to have your child's name and grade level on a hanging tag. If you don't have a tag yet, please use a large piece of paper until we can give you one during the first week of school.
- Parking and walk ups WILL NOT be permitted during dismissal. For the safety of our students, we cannot have parents congregating in the front of the school. You will be directed to your car and asked to enter the car circle line.
- Please be sure your child can safely load from the PASSENGER side of the car AND buckle his/her seat belt.
- Parents must stay in their car while in the car circle.
THE CAR LINE WILL BE LONG AND WILL TAKE TIME TO LOAD.
SAFETY IS OUR TOP PRIORITY SO PLEASE BE PATIENT WITH US!
Back Car Line (Grades 3-5)
- Students in Grades 3-5 will be picked up in our bus circle area on the east side of campus.
- Parents are asked to line up on the right side of the road to allow buses to enter the bus circle.
- Buses will be loaded and dismissed BEFORE we begin the back car line. This could take some time the first week or so of school.
- Students will be staged in the car loading area and called to their car once in loading area.
- Make sure to have your child's name and grade level on a hanging tag. If you don't have a tag yet, please use a large piece of paper until we can give you one during the first week of school.
- Parking and walk ups WILL NOT be permitted. The back car line is located within the secure perimeter of our campus so no parents will be allowed to walk up.
- Please be sure your child can safely load from the PASSENGER side of the car.
- Parents must stay in their car while in the car circle.
Please see the car line map below!
Bus Riders
- Make sure your child is at the bus stop 10 minutes prior to the assigned pick up time.
- Remind your child that there will be assigned seats and students are expected to sit in his/her assigned seat every day.
- If you have multiple children riding the bus, the driver may ask for siblings to sit together.
- Students are expected to adhere to bus rules at all times.
If you live more than 2 miles from the school and need to request a bus stop for your child, please email our front office clerk, Kelly Collier, at collierke@pcsb.org. She will request a stop for your child through our transportation department. This could take up to a week, so plan accordingly.
Parents of bus riders are encouraged to sign up for bus bulletin. Bus bulletin is a system that Pinellas County Schools uses to communicate transportation issues with schools and families. If you sign up, you will receive information regarding any changes to your child's route. The information could include a late pickup, a substitute driver, a change in route, or a number of other things. This is a great way to stay connected to transportation without having to call. Please see directions for signing up at the link below.
Cafeteria Updates
- Breakfast will ONLY be served from 8:15-8:45 and is free for all students.
- Students wishing to eat breakfast will visit our cafeteria beginning at 8:15 to eat his/her breakfast before reporting to class BEFORE 8:45.
- Students in our YMCA before care program will be eating breakfast in the cafeteria beginning at 8:05.
- Pre K breakfasts will be delivered to the Pre K building.
Lunch
- Lunches are free for all students. However, there is a charge for a la cart items and snacks. Please note we will not be serving any a la cart items for at least the first six weeks of school. Funds can be added to your child's lunch account at http://myschoolbucks.com. You will need to your child's ten digit school number found on your parent Focus account.
- Our lunch times are scheduled to still promote social distancing. Each class will have assigned tables and students will have assigned seats.
- Our Pre K classes will be eating in the classroom.
At this time we will not be hosting family lunches.
This will be re-evaluated at the end of the first quarter.
The Eagle Way...Other CWE Updates
Rainy Day Dismissal
We may have days we need to implement our rainy day dismissal plan. This mean our car lines WILL take longer to ensure the safety of each student. We ask for bike riders and walkers to have a weather plan in the event it is raining at dismissal. Please communicate this plan with your child's teacher.
Safety Patrols
We count on our 5th grade Safety Patrols each day on campus to assist with campus safety. Our pre-selected patrols will be assigned to various duty posts throughout the campus, in our car line, and our bus circle in the morning and afternoon.
Volunteers & Mentors
We will be welcoming our volunteers back on campus after our Volunteer Orientation mid-September. Please be patient with us as we get the school year started. ALL volunteers MUST be registered at a minimum as a Level 1 volunteer. Many of our volunteers seek the Level 2 clearance which allows for working with small groups of students and is required for some chaperoning opportunities for field trips. We are always looking for new mentors to work with a select group of students once a week. Mrs. Shipley, our Family Community Liaison, will be sending more information out about volunteer orientation and opportunities to support our school.
Medications
If your child will need to have prescription or over the counter (OTC) medication during school hours, it is important for you to visit the front office prior to school starting (beginning 8/3). Both prescription and OTC medications require additional paperwork to be completed by the parent and/or doctor. Prescription medication may ONLY be brought in by the parent and must be in the original prescription bottle.
Water Fountains & Water Bottles
For the time being, water fountains will remain closed. We ask that each student brings a full water bottle to school each day. We have a water bottle filling station in the cafeteria that students may use to refill bottles or they can use the sink in the classroom.
YMCA Before/After School Program
Our onsite YMCA program is currently full for the beginning of the year. However, if you would like for your child to be on the waitlist, you must complete the online registration at https://www.ymcasuncoast.org/locations/pinellas-pasco-school-age-programs Families using YMCA care will be provided curb service for families for drop off and pickup. If your child attends the YMCA they must arrive at the Y before 8:05 for drop off to not interfere with the carline. At dismissal, please wait to pick up from the Y until after 3:15 to avoid the traffic in the car line.
Front Office Hours
Our office hours are 7:45-3:45 daily. There is a free standing mailbox in the front of the school (to the left of the front doors) that is checked daily. If you need to drop off items for the office before or after office hours, please use the mailbox.
Dropping Off Items
Please help your child get ready for school each day by creating a routine with them to organize their materials. We will not be interrupting classrooms for items dropped off at school by parents. If a lunch is forgotten, students can get a lunch that day in the cafe.
Early Release
If you must pick your child up from school early, please notify his/her teacher and the front office. Students will not be called for dismissal until you have arrived. No students will be released after 2:15 unless they are ill.
After School Opportunity - Player Sports Academy
My name is Brian Hirsch, I am the Owner and Coach of The Players Sports Academy or PSA. We will be partnering with CWES again and offering an after-school program for you and your children. To start the year, we will offer after-school Soccer on Mondays after school.
Here is the direct link for anyone interested in registering their child or children:
https://campscui.active.com/orgs/ThePlayersSportsAcademyTampa#/selectSessions/3024331
This program is for the first 24 children in K-5th Grade. If you have any questions regarding this program, please feel free to contact me directly at b.hirsch@thepsasports.com or 727-365-1393. I look forward to being back on campus at CWES.
Mark Your Calendars For Our Annual Open House Nights!
How To Connect With Cypress Woods Elementary
School Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CypressWoodsES
PTA Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/cypresswoodspta
Reporting Your Child's Absence: CypressWoodsES.Absence@pcsb.org