Hillcrest Elementary School

Friday News

February 12, 2021

Dear Hillcrest Families,

Happy School Vacation Week!  I hope that you all will have a chance to indulge in some screen-free family time during vacation week.  It looks like we may be able to enjoy some classic New England fun with quite a bit of snow arriving early next week!  With our return to in-person learning scheduled for Monday, February 22nd, you may have some last minute questions about the logistics of the transition.  I will be here at Hillcrest during vacation week, so you should feel free to call or email me if questions arise.  The following pieces of news may also help to address some of your questions.  

• Morning Drop-Off

  • Bus students will arrive at school at 8:30 and will be greeted by a school staff member.

  • Kindergarten and first grade students arriving in a family vehicle should arrive at 8:35 for rolling drop-off in the main traffic circle.  Children should not exit the vehicle until a school staff member opens the back seat passenger side door to assist.  Children must exit the vehicle on the passenger side.  

  • Family vehicles should not join the bus line.  If you arrive before the buses, you will be asked to circle the block until all bus students have exited the buses.

  • Kindergarten and first grade students who are walking to school should be escorted to their designated location to meet a staff member. Kindergarten will meet at the main entrance and first graders will meet at the first grade entrance along the front sidewalk near the ball fields. 

  • Preschool students should be escorted by a family member or caregiver to their designated locations to enter their classrooms at 8:45.  Preschool families should park in the Griswold Street parking lot. Please read the preschool letter you received via email to review the arrival and departure locations. 

• Dismissal

  • Preschool students will be dismissed at 11:00 each day.  Family members and caregivers should meet their students at their designated outdoor locations.

  • Kindergarten students will be dismissed at 11:00 each day.  Family members and caregivers should meet their students in the courtyard area near the Griswold Street parking lot. 

  • Kindergarten bus students will take the bus home at 11:00.

  • First grade bus students will be escorted to the school buses at 3:10 each day and the buses will depart at 3:15.

  • First grade family members and caregivers will meet their students on the sidewalk outside the first grade wing exit door.  (the sidewalk facing the ball fields).  Family members may park in the Griswold Street parking lot or in the limited number of parking spaces in the traffic circle.  If parking in those spaces, you must be mindful of bus traffic and follow all safety guidelines.  Parking the Griswold Street parking lot is preferred. 

• Bus Transportation  - Please see the GMRS School Committee Policy on Bus Transportation: 

 File:  EEAA - WALKERS AND RIDERS

The regular transportation for day students (to and from school) includes only those students who live 1.5 miles or beyond from the school.  Application of the distance standard will be through the measurement of the distance from a student´s residence or licensed/registered Day Care Facility to his/her school over the most direct commonly travel route determined by the bus contractor.  The standard of distance is to be strictly adhered to.

Students living at or beyond the 1.5-mile reimbursement limit will be entitled to transportation to and from school twice daily during regular school day hours.  State reimbursement to the school system for transportation costs also includes identified students with special needs for whom transportation must be provided.  These students will be identified by the Director of Special Education.

The school district will provide transportation for students as follows:

Elementary (Grades K-6):  Students living at and outside 1.5 miles from school

Secondary (7-12):  Students living at and outside 1.5 miles from school

LEGAL REF.:  M.G.L. 71:68

CROSS REF.:   EEA, Student Transportation Services

School Committee Approved: September 8, 2020

• Vacation Travel - School vacation week is often a time for fun family trips.  If you are planning a family trip, please be sure to consult mass.gov for the details about testing and quarantine for all Massachusetts residents. Please keep in mind that the only state designated as low risk is Hawaii. These are the basic guidelines for all Massachusetts residents and you can find more details on the mass.gov website. 

All visitors entering Massachusetts, including returning residents, who do not meet an exemption, are required to:

• Complete the Massachusetts Travel Form prior to arrival

• Quarantine for 10 days or produce a negative COVID-19 test result that has been administered up to 72-hours prior to your arrival in Massachusetts. If not obtained before entry to Massachusetts, a test may be obtained after arrival. However, all such arriving travelers must immediately begin the 10-day quarantine until a negative test result has been received. Failure to comply may result in a $500 fine per day.

• Breakfast  - Breakfast will not be served at school this year.  Students will need to eat breakfast before arriving at school each day.  On in-person school days, students will be sent home with breakfast for the next day. Families can continue to pick up meals for the rest of the week at community pick-up sites each Wednesday.  Please see gmrsd.org for more details.  

• Masks - All Hillcrest students should arrive at school wearing a mask and will be expected to wear their masks for the whole school day with the exception of mask breaks and lunch time (first grade).  Please practice mask wearing so that your child is ready to follow the mask routines. 

Our time in school will be very different than it was before the pandemic.  With all the changes and safety guidelines, there are many new routines to learn.  Our focus in the first few weeks of in-person learning will be on warmly welcoming children into this new learning environment and teaching routines to everyone safe and healthy.  We will all need to emphasize safety, flexibility and patience as we settle into these new habits. We are grateful for your continued collaboration and support.

PLEASE NOTE THESE IMPORTANT DATES 

• Monday, February 15th - Friday, February 19th -- School Vacation Week

• Monday, February 22nd -- First Day of In-Person Learning for Cohort A

• Thursday, February 25th -- First Day of In-Person Learning for Cohort B

Wishing you a wonderful weekend ---

Sarah Burstein

Sarah Burstein, Hillcrest Principal