The ARIS Home Connection
September 2018
WE ARE ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE TOGETHER!
It is the intent and hope that this monthly communication will help provide important reminders and information about upcoming events, as well as to serve as a link for you to your child's school.
Beginning of the Year Reminders
ARRIVAL Procedures
Students are not allowed to walk to ARIS without a parent/guardian. Students should plan to arrive to their assigned bus stop approximately ten minutes prior to their scheduled pickup time. Students being dropped off at school should not arrive before 8:55 a.m. unless a teacher conference/extra help has been scheduled. Also, please drive slowly and cautiously when driving in the parking lot or driveway. In order to ensure a safe flow of traffic, a number of signs are posted to assist you when driving in the front parking area of the school. Please also note the following regarding student- drop, parking, and proceeding through this area:
- Pulling up to the front of the school for student drop-off when buses are present is prohibited.
- All traffic within the inner circle of the parking lot must move in a counter-clockwise direction. “One-way” and “Do Not Enter” signs have been posted to designate this direction.
- Only ONE LANE OF TRAFFIC is permitted along the curb (right-hand side) of the inner circle for student drop-off in the morning. Please pull up to the curb, allow your child to exit your vehicle onto the sidewalk and proceed to the crosswalk. DO NOT ALLOW YOUR CHILD TO CROSS IN FRONT OF ANY OTHER VEHICLES OR WALK THROUGH THE PARKING LOT UNATTENDED. Please wait patiently in this line of traffic and DO NOT PASS other vehicles.
- If you wish to park and allow your child to sit in your vehicle awaiting drop-off, please park along the “outer circle” curb throughout the front driveway. When all buses have departed, you may then pull up directly to the front of the building for your child to safely exit or you can proceed into the inner circle of the parking lot and follow the procedure above.
AFTER SCHOOL / DEPARTURE TIME
If your child will not be taking the bus home on any given day throughout the year, please note that students will report to the library and will wait there until they are signed out by a parent/guardian. Please note that parents/guardians will not be allowed to enter the school, until 3:55 p.m., regardless of weather conditions (sorry). Also, please note that students are not allowed to leave the building without being accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Throughout the year, it may become necessary for you to pick-up your child early from school (i.e. doctor appointment). In such cases, please be sure to send a note to school with your child (specifying the early dismissal time which must be by 3:30 p.m.) and have your child bring the note to the main office during homeroom. As previously indicated, early dismissal must take place by 3:30 p.m. or you will need to wait until 3:55 p.m.
BUILDING SECURITY AND ACCESS
By law, all visitors must report to the school office upon entering the building and must have permission from the office to visit any part of our building. All visitors must wear the proper visitor pass while in the building.
Items requiring delivery to a student must be left in the office for student pick up at a time convenient to the student and class schedule.
School visitors are expected to park in the designated “VISITOR” parking spaces or other open spaces in our parking lot. Vehicles may not be parked along the yellow curbs in front of the school at any time.
The main doors to the school are locked until 6:30 p.m. each day. Although families are still able to gain access to our school (by ringing the the front door bell) through 4:30 p.m., please note, between 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. the doors will be locked and there will be no one to answer the door bell. Should you need to gain access to the school after dismissal time, it is recommended that you do so prior to 4:30 p.m. or after 6:30 p.m.
Reporting Your Child's Absence
After login, you will see links to “notify attendance office” on both the student summary page or under the attendance tab. Once on the Notify Attendance Office page in the portal, you will be able to choose whether the student will be absent or tardy. You may choose one date or a date range and will have a comment box where an explanation can be provided regarding the tardy/absence. Once notification is submitted to the Attendance Office, the portal screen will maintain a historical record of this and any prior notifications submitted.
IMPORTANT: Please don't use both methods for the same absence. Use one or the other.
Mealtime Online Accounts
Monthly menus are posted on the district website.(https://www.htps.us/services/food_services)
All students are provided with a Point-Of- Service (POS) electronic debit account for purchasing lunches that is activated with the use of their student ID cards. Parents/Guardians are urged to set up a “Mealtime Online” account to monitor food purchases and balances. If you would like to replenish your child’s account, please visit the Hillsborough Public Schools Website and click on the “Food Services” option. Families can replenish POS accounts via credit card online or by sending in a check. Checks will need to be made out to: Hillsborough BOE. Ensure that your child’s name is written on the check and have your child hand it to the cashier in the cafe.
SNACKS / FOOD
Depending on the period/time that a homeroom is assigned to have lunch, students might be offered an opportunity during class time to have a snack. In such cases, students are encouraged to bring a healthy snack that can be consumed quickly with minimal disruption to the educational process. IMPORTANT: ARIS has a no food sharing, no food trading practice which restricts students from sharing food/snacks with their classmates. In cases where a classroom celebration takes place, students will only be allowed to bring in their own snack.
Students may have a water bottle with them throughout the day. Water bottles can be either disposable or reusable. All other beverages, however, are not permitted to be transported throughout the school and from class to class.
Popular “morning beverages” from, for example, Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks that have plastic lids (often served with a straw), are not allowed in school or on the bus.
Backpacks
Although students are encouraged to have a backpack or bag to help transport school materials to and from school, ARIS follows a “no backpack” rule (which also includes “mini” backpacks) during the school day. Students are allowed to use a standard-size drawstring bag/cinch sack to secure small items that otherwise may be difficult to maintain throughout the day, such as: water bottle, sneakers, pencil case, earbuds/earphone, snack, choice reading book, computer mouse, eye glasses/case. (Cell phones are to remain in the student’s locker at all times during the school day.)
School issued chromebooks come with a protective carrying case. Nevertheless, students also have the option to help secure and transport their chromebook during the school day. Note: Carrying cases for chromebooks should not exceed the overall/ actual size of the chromebook by more than a few inches all around. In other words, in order to adhere to our “no backpack” practice, an actual “case” should not be much larger than: 1” thickness x 12” width x 8” length.
GRADE 5 - BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT
6:00 – 6:40 Open House (Gymnasiums)
6:45 – 7:05 Welcome & Introduction (Cafeteria)
7:10 – 7:17 Homeroom
7:20 – 8:26 Follow your child's schedule and meet teachers for Literacy, Math, Science, & Social Studies
Thursday, Sep 27, 2018, 06:00 PM
281 Auten Road
Grade 6 - Back to School Night
6:00 – 6:40 Open House (Gymnasiums)
6:45 – 7:05 Welcome & Introduction (Cafeteria)
7:10 – 7:17 Homeroom
7:20 – 8:26 Follow your child's schedule and meet teachers for Literacy, Math, Science, & Social Studies
Thursday, Oct 4, 2018, 06:00 PM
281 Auten Road
Dates to Remember for October
October 4: Grade 6 Assembly ~ DYNAMIC INFLUENCES
October 4: Grade 6 BTSN
October 5: Grade 5 Assembly ~ NEW KID
October 9 & 10: Student Portraits (Be on the lookout for picture packets during the week of September 24)
October 15 - 18: ARIS / Scholastic Book Fair (More Information to Follow)
October 15: ARIS Kicks-Off School Safety Week (More Information to Follow)
Bulletin Boards in our Hallways
Be the Reason Someone Smiles Today
Kindness Matters - Sprinkle it Everywhere
Change Your Words, Change Your Mindset