Lovett Owl News
Creating strong home school connections for student success!
SURVIVING MY CHILD’S FIRST WEEKS OF KINDERGARTEN
The first week of school for kindergartners can be a time of high anxiety…for parents; believe it or not kids adapt very easily. Your students will be surrounded by lots of friends and amazing teachers that will help them adapt to their new environment. An important part of making the big step to kindergarten is becoming more independent, which starts the very first week of school. This communication includes procedure and tips that will help you through the first week as well as a detailed over view of drop off and pick-up procedures. Remember on the first day of school you will receive a parent handbook that will go into detail about other campus procedures and policies.
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL: On the first day, you are welcome to walk your child in, take them directly to their classroom to find their seats, and help them get settled. At 8:00, it will time for you to go so they can get on with being kindergartners. Trust me parents, they will adapt more easily and quickly to their new environment without you being there. Please feel free to stick around that morning and join us in the cafeteria for the first PTO meeting of the year. They will also have lots of Kleenex if you need itJ
FIRST WEEK: Continue to walk your child in during this week, however all students have designated areas in the morning. Kindergarten students coming into the building before 7:50 report to the MPR. At 7:50 students are lined up and we escort them to their classroom. Parents are not to wait in the MPR with students. We encourage parents to start increasing the responsibility throughout the week. Walk them to the multi-purpose room (MPR), say good bye, give a hug and squeeze and let them begin their day as "big kids." This little responsibility is a small step to greater independence. If you arrive just after 7:50, you are welcome to walk your child to the classroom, but remember, they are entering on their own and you are saying your quick good-bye at the door.
SECOND WEEK: Okay parents, now you should be a pro; you are either walking in or dropping off in the drop off loop. If you walk in, please say your good-byes in the cafeteria if they are going in for breakfast. If your child eats at home, they will go to the MPR. By now both students and parents are aware of the routines. You are both well on your way to a super fantastic kindergarten year! Now pat yourself on the back for doing such a great job of transitioning your child to kindergartenJ
Morning Procedures
Student drop off begins at 7:15 a.m. The front office doors open at 7:15 a.m and supervision is not provided before this time. PLEASE do not leave your child unattended before the doors open.
During morning drop off parents may walk their children into the building, but must exit before the 8:00 a.m. bell, which starts our instructional day.
Kinder report to the MPR and will line up at 7:50 a.m. to report to class. School staff will be there to monitor and assist.
- Breakfast is available to students at starting at 7:15 a.m. Once students complete breakfast they report to the MPR
Morning drop off is a busy time for students and staff. We ask that parents do not use this time to try and conference with teachers as they are responsible at that time to give 100% of their attention to greeting and supervising students as they enter. Please schedule a conference if you need dedicated time to meet with teachers.
DROP OFF PROCEDURES
- School starts promptly at 8:00. Any student arriving after the 8:00 bell is marked tardy. To be on time (meaning in their classrooms at 8:00), students need to be in the building no later than 7:55 a.m.
- 7:15 a.m.-8:00 a.m. use the Jason Loop/ main office entrance. Enter this loop as you are heading east on Jason (right turn only). Please refrain from turning left to enter the loop as this causes traffic back-up and cuts into the carpool line. A single line should be formed in the loop, pull up as far as you can along the curb. Remain in your vehicle and exit your child on the curb side.
- 7:40 a.m.-8:00 a.m. The Birdwood rear entrance opens and doors are locked at the 8:00 a.m. bell. The Birdwood Car Loop is located at the back of the school, enter this loop as you are headed west on Birdwood; this allows you to turn right into the loop. Please refrain from turning left to enter the loop as this slows traffic and cuts into the carpool pick-up line. A single line should be formed, pull up as far as you can along the curb
- PLEASE do not park in the carpool areas for even a few minutes; both areas are designated fire-line and unattended vehicles maybe be ticketed
Park and Walk-In/Bike Riders & Walkers
- If you are walking your child in before 7:40, please utilize the front entrance of the school on Jason. The Birdwood entrance will open at 7:40 when staff arrives for their duty post.
- IMPORTANT: The visitor’s lot should NEVER be used as a drop off loop. While we communicate this over and over and have tried many creative measures to prevent this, we still have parents attempting to use this as an area to drop off students. If observed dropping off in this area, we will take your tag number and have HISD police follow up. You may park in the visitor’s lot and walk your child in. Please park in a space if available and not along the curb.
- Children riding bikes to school, should walk their bikes once on the campus walkway areas and lock their bikes on the bike rack located at the front of the school
- Cross walk areas are designated around the school; please utilize them when crossing the street. A crossing guard is available on Birdwood just beyond the carpool lane. It is not acceptable to park across the street and have your child cross in the middle of the street, this is dangerous. If you park, walk your child in and use the cross walk
PICK UP
Pick up location:
Kinder enter the Birdwood loop making a right turn only into the loop. Students will wait in the cafeteria until a teacher releases them to come outside as you pull up to the curb. If your kinder child has an older sibling they will both be picked up from the Birdwood loop.
IMPORTANT: Kindergarteners will be ready for pick-up starting at 3:15. All other grades are dismissed at 3:20 p.m.; therefore if you are picking up an older sibling also, we recommend arriving at 3:20 or after.
If you are walking to pick up your child on Birdwood, please stand in the grass area just at the exit of the loop; an administrator will be stationed there, you will show your car tag to them and they will call for your child.
- CAR TAGS: Each family will be provided two car tags that have your child’s name and grade level. Please hang the tag from the rear view mirror visible to Lovett Staff. If you are walking up to pick-up your child, have your car pool tag in your hand and present to staff on duty outside. Staff will call your child as soon as they see the visible tag. If you do not have your tag you will need to wait for a staff member to verify who you are before the student will be released to you. Your pick-up will go much faster if you always have your car tag.
- PLEASE do not park in the carpool area for even a few minutes. This causes major problems with the flow of traffic and slows down the entire drop off process.
- IMPORTANT: If there is a change to your child’s pick-up schedule, please notify your child’s teacher in writing or notify the main office in writing. This is critical as we will not release your child to anyone that is not authorized to pick-up.
BUS RIDERS:
HISD bus riders and day care bus riders are sent to a designated area at approximately 3:10 p.m. A staff member will take roll and escort students to the pickup area.
The Power of YET! Developing a Growth Mindset
E.O. Lovett Elementary Fine Arts Magnet 2016 National Blue Ribbon School
Website: www.houstonisd.org/LovettES
Location: 8814 S Rice Ave, Houston, TX, United States
Phone: 713-295-5258