General Information
Bus Transportation & Safety
Bus schedules with stops nearest to your home are enclosed. If you wish to have your child go home on another bus, written permission (signed by the child’s parent/guardian) must be given to the teacher at the start of the school day.
Bus changes may cause an overloading on the buses; therefore I ask that a bus change be made only when necessary. If you have any questions about bus routes, please feel free to contact the First Student Bus Company at 744-2204.
Arriving Safely & On Time
Goodbyes are important, and should take place at the bus stop or outside of the school so students may go directly to their classes upon entering the building. For the safety of your child, all visitors are asked to sign-in with the welcome greeter stationed at the front door nearest to the flagpole.
Visitors, please be sure to sign-in before walking to the classrooms. If for some reason the greeter is not at her station, stop in at the main office. Please do not knock on a locked door and ask the children to open it.
School Hours
All students begin entering the building at 8:30 AM. It is very important that all students be in the building by 8:35 AM, since they must be in their classroom no later than 8:40 AM (some specials such as art, music, and physical education begin at 8:40). Students arriving after 8:40 will be considered late.
School hours are from 8:40 AM to 2:40 PM. There is no supervision prior to 8:30 AM (children should not arrive at school earlier than this time).
Munching on Lunch
Menus are distributed on a monthly basis. Please feel free to review with your child. Lunches are ordered in advance (no later than the Thursday before the following week).
Please send in checks made out to SWR School District for milk/lunches or PTO for Pizza (whole wheat pizza is available on Tuesday and Thursday and may be ordered on a monthly or annual basis). Place it into an envelope marked with your child’s name and teacher.
If using change, take time to count it with your child to reinforce math skills.
Children eat lunch within their own classroom.
When sending in a nutritious lunch from home, be sure to mark the bag or lunchbox with your child’s name, teacher and room number.
When sending in snacks or lunches, please help your child become aware of proper nutrition by sending in healthy food and balanced snacks (pretzels, fruits, veggies, etc.) so instead of being overloaded by snacks, the lunch is complimented by them.
If your children are eligible for reduced or free lunches, see the enclosed letter or contact the main office (821-8231) for more information.
Dress for the Weather! Lunch takes approximately 45 minutes, 20 inside and 20 outside (recess), with about 5 minutes to move inside and outside. Students go outside in a variety of conditions, so please dress them for the weather so they have comfortable clothes to use on the playground (easy to get on/off as well for winter weather). Indoor recess only occurs when there is heavy rain/sleet/snow or it is dangerously hot/cold.
Lunch aides supervise your child during lunch periods. As always, children are expected to work and play together in a collaborative, inclusive, Miller Avenue manner; one that helps all children feel a part of our warm learning environment.
Emergency Cards
Emergency Home Contact Card (Blue) & Emergency School Closing Sheet (Pink)
Please take a few minutes to fill out these cards with all relevant information, returning promptly (you never know when a hurricane will hit land). If possible, please provide us with cell phone numbers.
If your numbers change, please be sure to inform the office/your teacher of the change so we may update your cards.
Parking Lot Safety
1. If possible, all children are encouraged to take the bus.
2. From 8:25-8:55 parents dropping off children can do so in front of the first bus (see map below). In accordance with NYS Law, no parent may pass a stopped school bus unloading/loading children, so please do not enter the “buses only” area.
3. After 2:20 PM and until dismissal buses leave, no vehicle other than buses will be allowed to enter the parking lot. Please park on Miller Avenue or walk/bike to school. You can spend the extra time walking/biking with your child reflecting upon the activities of the day. Parents must go to the office to sign their child out. Children whose parents are signing them out will be asked to wait in the lobby.
4. Please park in a regular parking space. It is illegal to park along the sidewalk since it is a fire lane.
5. Please use an existing marked parking space. Do not make your own spaces.
6. If you are parked in the parking lot at dismissal time, you will be unable to leave before the buses depart. There is no legal way to pass a bus loading or unloading children, so please plan ahead.
Absence or Lateness
Excused Absences (e.g., sick):
When your child is absent from school (e.g., sick), please call 821-8234 to report the absence, send in a note, or e-mail the Nurse’s Office at: dpost@swr.k12.ny.us
Unexcused Absences (e.g., family vacation):
Taking children out of school to go on vacation puts the child at a disadvantage. While we recognize that the experiences are valuable, the school year is limited enough and the time lost cannot be recovered given the quick pace and in-depth coverage of curriculum. Please use the same procedures as above (e.g., phone call or note) to report an absence.
Lateness
When a child is late to school (arriving after 8:40 AM), please have them report directly to the nurse’s office (Mrs. Donna Post). Any student arriving after 8:40 AM must stop in at the nurse’s office to be counted as present. Parents will be asked to facilitate the child’s on-time arrival in the future if the student continues to arrive late. Lateness can negatively impact a child’s learning and the general classroom routine (possibly hurting other children in the class), so being on-time is an important part of starting the day right.
Bereavement Resources For Parents
Please feel free to talk with any member of the Miller Avenue School with questions you may have on how to explain death in a child's terms. Also, Mrs. Aretakis, our school psychologist, is readily accessible to speak with you and may be reached at 821-8245.
It is important to reassure children that there is no right or wrong way to feel and that they may speak to you about anything. Kids Health has an online resource on the same topic that may be accessed by clicking here.
Again, if there is any support you need, please feel free to contact us. We are all here to help you and your child cope with the loss of someone close.