All families with Kindergarteners, and students new to NSS this year, are invited to our New Student Orientation on August 31 at 10:00AM.

All Kindergarten students and new students in grades 1-5 will meet in the NSS Dragon Cafe at 10:00am for a quick welcome before heading to the classrooms for a visit.

All families with Pre-Schoolers will be contacted by the PreK team who will share specific times with their families.

The first day of school is Thursday, September 1. It is a full day. Arrival begins at 8:30 for all students in grades 1-5.

We will have our first through fifth graders head straight to the blacktop behind the gym for a Ringing In Ceremony. The teachers will meet the students there to greet them and walk them in to school as a class after the ceremony. Parents are welcome to join us on the blacktop.

For the first day of school only, arrival for Kindergarten will be at 9:30. This is so we can have a special, separate arrival and Ringing In for our youngest learners on the first day of school. We will meet the kindergarten students and families outside on the center island for a quick welcome and then they will enter the building together with their teacher and classmates.

For the first day of school only , arrival for PreK will be at 9:45. The teachers will meet the Pre K students and their families outside near the main front doors at 9:45 and walk them in together as a class.

Arrival for K-5 will be from 8:30-8:45 starting on the second day and for the remainder of the year.

Arrival for PreK- will be from 8:45-9:00 starting on the second day and for the remainder of the year.

During arrival and dismissal, staff will be stationed at the designated parent drop off/pick up and bus arrival/departure areas to help ensure the students enter the building safely. Please review the Parent Drop-off and Pick Up Procedures carefully. They are included in this newsletter as well as posted on the Back to School Webpage.

The 2022-2023 School Supply List can be found on the NSS Back to School page using this link

https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1660921704/greenwich/le0muwz2b1zehfavoq4x/NSSSupplyList2022-2023SchoolYear.pdf

If you ordered your child’s school supplies through the PTA, they will be ready for your child in their classroom on the first day of school. For all others, please make sure to send the supplies in with your child on the first day of school.

Please be sure to review all of the back to school documents accessed via this link on our NSS website- https://nss.greenwichschools.org/

Once on the website click on the Back to School button in the top right corner.

There are some important letters to read as well as several required forms that must be returned to the office along with some optional forms if applicable.

Required forms-

School Handbook Acknowledgement Form (REQUIRED)

Please take time to read through the NSS Handbook on our Back to School webpage. The “Receipt of Handbook Form” is required. Please send it to school once signed.

Emergency contact Form

Please be sure we have current contact information for your child. If you have a new email address or phone number, please fill out this form and submit to the office. If you have a new babysitter, nanny or someone else who is now able to pick up your child from school, please fill out this form and submit to the office.

Our home-school notification system known as Blackboard/Parent Link will continue to enable us to inform you of important events and emergencies through automated messaging. Please inform the main office immediately of any changes to your personal contact information to ensure you receive these emails.

Authorization for Medical Treatment/ Risk Notification (REQUIRED)

Press Publicity Permission/Denial Form (REQUIRED)

Additional/Optional forms to be returned if applicable.

• Student Device Loan Form (all new students and Kindergarten students)
• School Lunch Debit Account Information for My School Bucks (if applicable)
• Free or Reduced Lunch Form (if applicable)
• Student Accident Insurance (if applicable)

Please follow the procedures outlined in this document for the safety and security of all of our students. We greatly appreciate your assistance in following them throughout the year. Please read the information carefully and completely.

For everyone's safety, we are returning to our typical arrival and dismissal procedures with a single entry and exit point at the main doors.

Please note that no vehicles should drive through the bus circle between 8:20-8:45 a.m. and from 2:45-3:30 p.m.

Additionally, no vehicles should ever pass a stopped school bus with the stop sign out. This indicates that the bus is either loading or unloading children and it is against the law to pass the bus.

There is no parking allowed in the Fire Lane at any time.

Drop-Off and Pick-Up Times for Grades K-5:

Drop-off begins at 8:30 am. No child will be allowed into the school building until the doors open at 8:30 am. For the safety of your child, please do not drop-off your child and leave him/her unattended prior to 8:30 am.

Dismissal begins at 3:10 pm for parent pick up and 3:15 for buses. Parents will be given prior notice of scheduled early release days on the District Calendar.

Name Placards:

Placards with your family name, to be placed in your car, will be sent home with the students during the first week or two of school. Check your child’s backpack!

Please contact the school office should you misplace or need additional placards. Please place the placard in the window of your vehicle during pick-up.

Questions:

Please do not hesitate to contact the main office should you have any questions or concerns regarding the pick-up and/or drop-off procedures at NSS.

Please see below for specific instructions on Drop Off and Pick Up

DO NOT DROP STUDENTS OFF AT THE NORTH END OF THE BUILDING THIS DOOR WILL NO LONGER BE OPEN FOR ARRIVAL. ALL STUDENTS WILL ENTER FROM THE MAIN FRONT DOORS

DROP OFF in the DRIVE THRU:

Beginning at 8:30 am, students may be dropped-off curbside in the North parking lot following the procedures below:

• All vehicles must follow the lane closest to the curb. Proceed slowly and continue to pull all the way forward until you are directed to stop by the school staff or traffic is stopped immediately in front of you. Please do not block the crosswalk.

• Students may EXIT FROM THE CURBSIDE OF THE VEHICLE ONLY. Students are NEVER to exit a vehicle from the driver’s side into traffic. (This is a passing lane.)

• Parents/Caregivers are to remain in the vehicle at all times and staff will open and close the vehicle door and help the student exit the vehicle.

• Please do not use cell phones when you are in the drop-off line.

• Students may only enter the building from the main front doors.

PARKING FOR DROP OFF:

Beginning at 8:30 am, students may be walked to the front of building following the procedures below:

• After parking, please use the crosswalk and sidewalk at all times.

• Parents/caregivers may walk their students to the front doors, but are not permitted to walk their children to their classrooms.

• If a parent needs to come inside the building for an appointment or a meeting, he/she should come in through the main entrance of the building to sign in and receive a visitor badge before proceeding to their destination.

All parents and caregivers will wait in the designated areas outside the school. Students will be called to come out as their parent/caregiver checks in.

PICKING UP IN THE DRIVE THRU:

Beginning at 3:10 pm students may be picked-up curbside following the procedures below:

• All vehicles must follow the lane closest to the curb. Proceed slowly and continue to pull forward until you are directed to stop by staff or traffic is stopped immediately in front of you. Please do not block the crosswalk for those walking.

• The school provided Placard should be on the passenger side visor of the vehicle.

• Staff will call students from the waiting area to come outside and direct them to his/her vehicle.

• As vehicles depart from the pick-up line, please pull forward until a staff directs you to stop or the line is stopped directly in front of you.

• Your child(ren) will walk to wherever you are stopped and staff will help them to quickly and efficiently enter the vehicle with their school gear (backpacks, projects, etc.) Parents/Caregivers are to remain in the vehicle at all times.

• If the caregiver does not have a school authorized Placard visible, staff will check to confirm that such caregiver is authorized to pick-up the student in question.

• Please do not use cell phones when you are in the pick-up line.

PARKING FOR PICKUP AT THE FLAGPOLE:

Beginning at 3:10 pm, parents may wait for their children to be released to them near the flagpole following the procedures below:

• A staff member will be standing at the flagpole at dismissal. A parent or caregiver parking for pick-up needs to provide the first and last name of the child to the staff member.

• Staff will then call the student from the waiting area and he/she will meet his/her parent/caregiver by the flagpole.

• If the staff member does not recognize the caregiver picking-up, he/she will check to confirm that such caregiver is authorized to pick-up the student in question.

• Pedestrians must use the SIDEWALK and CROSSWALK at all times.

Class lists

The eleven Greenwich Elementary Schools will now be emailing class lists on August 26 as several schools are still in flux with their overall sections.

Given the significant complexity of the placement process, no changes will be made to class placements once received.

August

31 10:00 AM Kindergarten and New Student Orientation

31 11:00 AM Back to School Picnic on the Back Field

September

1 8:30 AM First Day of School Arrival for Students in Grades 1-5

1 9:30 AM First Day of School Arrival for Kindergarten Students

1 9:45 AM First Day of School Arrival for Pre-K Students

5 No School Labor Day

14 School Photo Day

20 9:00 AM PTA Meeting

26 No School Rosh Hashanah

October

5 No School Yom Kippur

13 6:00-7:30 PM Open House

21 5:30-7:30 Fall Family Costume Party/ Movie Night (Rain Date 10/28)

26 Early Release Day for Students

Please be on the lookout for an email allowing you to set up your School Dismissal Manager account. This is the platform you will use to inform the school how your child is going home each day.

Reporting Absences

Please enter your child’s absence into School Dismissal Manager or call the main office at 203-869-6756.