Dear Parents and Guardians,

1. Cars arrive in a single file line and pull up to the curb from the front of the building to the end of the gym.  Basically, this area is from the front crosswalk to the beginning of the curb by the gym (about 8-9 cars at a time).
2. This line of cars of 8-9 cars will unload.  Children exit on the curb side only and walk along the sidewalk to the main entrance.\
3. All cars drop off and leave in the order that they arrived.  This will maintain the single line of cars from the point of arrival to drop-off to exit, avoiding any accidents from passing stopped vehicles.

No cell phone use in the drop-off line.

Parent Pick-Up Procedure:

Students who will be picked up every day, or have a note in the morning to be picked up that day, will exit the building entrance at 2:30 p.m., where staff will supervise dismissal.  Should you need to pick up your child early, please sign him or her out in the main office.  We ask that early dismissals are limited to doctor’s appointments and family emergencies.

In order for us to maintain the safest environment for your child, please make sure that the school office has a current custody agreement on file.

Time of pick-up: 2:30-2:50 pm--The announcement is made at 2:30pm.

1. All parents/guardians must use the pick up line.  Parking in the lots at dismissal is not permitted.  Parking your car and walking to meet your child slows down the line of traffic and adds to the number of people crossing in front of cars.  For the safety of your child and to move the line of traffic more efficiently, remain in your car and a staff member will bring your child to you.
2. Cars arrive in two lanes and pull down to the front crosswalk.  Cones will mark the pull-up stopping point and will mark the end of the first group of cars.  Children will be loaded into that group of cars only.
3. Cars within the cones must turn their engines off, an important safety measure recommended by the Barnstable Police Department.   Once the cars are loaded, the staff member on the crosswalk will signal when it is safe to exit.  Cars waiting for stragglers who are not outside will be rerouted back into the parent line. 

No cell phone use in the pick-up line.

Tardy Students:  If your child arrives after 8:10 am, the parent/guardian must park and sign his/her child in at the main office.  Cars cannot park or idle in the Fire Lane. 

Early Dismissals:  We have seen an increase in early dismissals.  Every time that we call into a classroom, we are interrupting the learning in that classroom.  We understand that there are times that require a child to be dismissed early.  Please try to avoid this, if possible, so that we can continue to provide uninterrupted instruction for our students.

Dismissal Change:  It is vitally important that you send in a note if you are changing the way in which your child gets home.  Occasionally, children forget that you are picking them up and get onto the bus.  In order for us to expedite the retrieval of your child from the bus, please provide the staff member assisting you with the name of your child’s bus. 

Walkers / Bike Riders:
Students who are walking or riding to school must wait in the main foyer until all of the buses have left the area.  If your son or daughter is riding a bike, please be sure he or she wears a helmet. 

Visitors:
We require all visitors to identify themselves and the purpose of their visit by pressing our school buzzer, and then stopping at the main office to sign in and receive a visitor pass. All visitors must present a form of I.D.  For safety reasons, this has become our standard procedure.

Forgotten Item Drop Off:
In order to minimize disruptions throughout the day, we call students to the main office at 10:58 a.m. and at the end of the day, for items that have been dropped off.

School Supplies:  List attached with Teacher’s Letter

School Lunch:
Our cafeteria provides nutritious breakfasts every day and tasty lunches each full day of school.  Breakfast is free while lunch is $2.85 (subject to change).  Reduced and free-of-cost meals are available to those who qualify.  

A computerized cash register system is utilized in our cafeteria.  All students will receive a student ID card for purchases which will be utilized for the rest of their career in the Barnstable Public Schools. Meals may be pre-paid with cash or checks (made payable to the Barnstable School Lunch Program) or you may use the “MySchoolbucks” link found on our website. 

Important Telephone Numbers:
Main Office: 508-420-2272 
Nurse: 508-420-9054
Guidance Office:  508-420-0190

Five Star Bus Co. 508-213-8916

Parent / Teacher Conferences:
Communication between parents and teachers is critical in fostering academic and social achievement.  Although you may schedule an appointment to meet with a teacher at any time, below are half days set aside for conferences.  Dismissal will be at 11:a.m. on these dates:

Tuesday December 3rd
Thursday December 5th 

Parents’ Right-To-Know:
Under the auspices of Section 1111 (h)(6) of the No Child Left Behind legislation, parents have the right to know the professional qualifications of their child’s teacher.  In order to meet this requirement, BUES alerts all parents / guardians of any staff member who does not meet professional standards. 

Rules and Responsibilities:
Our commitment to you is to maintain a safe and orderly learning environment for your child while providing the best academic program possible.  As partners in education, we need to all be aware of expectations.  While the Student / Parent Handbook provides an in-depth look at the code of conduct, the following will give you some insight as to what is to come:

At the Barnstable United Elementary School, we will emphasize to every student the following:

1. Do your homework each and every night.
2. Do the best you can each day in your classwork.
3. Treat others the way you want to be treated.
4. Respect self, others, and your surroundings.
5. Take responsibility for yourself and your actions.
6. Take care of each other. 

We ask parents and guardians to act as partners in education in these areas:

1. Check your child’s homework every night.
2. Work with the school to deliver a consistent message regarding student responsibility.
3. Encourage your child to read nightly.
4. Make sure your child is on time for school.

On behalf of the staff, welcome to the Barnstable United Elementary School!