Now that the excitement of the first week of school is behind us, please be aware of OCSB yard "safety procedures".
We kindly request parents stop at the "school-yard boundaries" where children should say "good-bye" and move into the yard to be supervised by teachers.
Please do not leave your child unsupervised prior to the 8:15 duty teacher 's arrival. We also ask that you have your child in the yard prior to the 8:30 bell, preferably by 8:25, so he or she can comfortably transition into their school day.
Official boundaries for students start just before the Kindergarten doors on the west side, extend to the back field (almost to the path) wrapping around the entire back perimeter of the grassy field and around the baseball diamond and portables, looping towards the side paved yard near the parking lot. The school yard is for staff & students ONLY.This means parents should NOT enter this student zone.
The reason we ask that you respect this policy is to keep our school yard safe for all children. Although some teachers may know a particular adult is a legitimate parent in the school, other teachers and, more importantly, the children do not know that. Therefore, in order to make students more aware of, and willing to quickly report the presence of a "stranger" in the yard, we can not have any adults (other than staff) within these boundaries. Thank you for your cooperation in this regard.
This week we will be placing pylons at the Kindergarten side boundary to help remind you of this safety rule.
We also request that all parents stay outside the school unless they need to talk to teachers or office staff. Separation anxiety in young children is frequently heightened when parents come into the school environment & then attempt to leave their child there. It is always better to say "good-bye" when everyone is doing so - outside!
Please avoid bringing strollers and younger siblings inside the school, near doorways or cubby areas, as this creates additional chaos and a potential hazard zone for students entering and preparing for their day. If you need to talk to your child or a teacher please do so outside to keep the hallways clear.
Thank you so much for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
The Kindergarten Team
