Dear Parents and Guardians,
I hope you are enjoying your summer. Personally, I am enjoying time with family and friends as well experiencing the joy of welcoming a new puppy to our family. Summer also affords the luxury of extended time to reflect, collaborate with my fellow Wellesley administrators and plan for the upcoming school year. Finally, I appreciate the chance to get away and truly unwind, as I will do with my family on our summer trip to Lake Michigan. I always return from this trip fully rested and excited to start the new school year.
While the start of school is still weeks away, I would like to share some important information that will help you to prepare for the upcoming school year.
PowerSchool Parent Portal & Classroom Assignments
The Wellesley Public Schools use PowerSchool, an online platform, to maintain the emergency contact information, directory information, and other important permissions for each of our students. The PowerSchool Parent Portal will be open August 5 at 12 Noon- August 30, 2019. We ask that all of our parents/guardians login during this time and update/confirm this important information. Home Room information for Grades K-8 will be available after you complete the parent portal forms for each student in your family. As in prior years, you will not be receiving a class list due to security and privacy laws (see MGL 603 CMR 23.00 for more information).
District approved parent and community partners such as our PTOs, Wellesley Education Foundation, etc. request contact information for our families to produce school directories, which we recognize are a valued resource for our families. In accordance with our Student Records Policy (JRA, JRA-R) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), parents may opt out/customize the information released through the Powerschool Parent Portal. Please note that directory information shared with parent organizations is done so with the understanding that this information will not be used for commercial, political, or other third party uses.
To find out more and access the Powerschool Parent Portal please click here: https://wellesleyps.org/students-families/parent-portal-info/powerschool-parent-portal/
Classroom teachers will send a follow up welcome letter via email to each student in mid-August.
Paperless Back to School Packet
Our Back to School Packet and Insider’s Guide to Bates are available online through our website in the Quick Links section of the Bates webpage. If you need a printed copy, please contact the Bates office. Online you can find the following information:
- Recommended Supply Lists
- The Bates Insider Guide 2019-20
- School Calendar 2019-20
- School Council letter
- WCCC after school application
Before School Program
Bates offers before school care to Bates families in the library Monday through Friday starting at 7:15 a.m. The cost of the program is $360 per semester. The Before School Program is now open for enrollment using this link: Wellesley Online Payment System. After selecting the method of payment, log in and select “Before School Program.”
New Family Coffee
Please join us for the New Family Coffee on Tuesday, August 27 at 9:00 a.m. in the Bates cafeteria. This is an excellent opportunity to warmly welcome the newest members of the Bates community. All are welcome!
Visiting Before the First Day of School
Students may feel both excited and a little nervous in anticipation of starting a new school year. For this reason, we invite all students who wish to visit school prior to the first day to drop-in on Tuesday, August 27 from 9:45 – 10:30 a.m. following the New Family Coffee. The visit is an opportunity for students to say hello to their new teacher and see their classroom. This is also when all kindergarteners are invited to visit their classrooms. Please note that this is not a time for parents to talk with the teacher about their child. There will be opportunities for ongoing parent teacher communication once the school year begins. Visiting will end promptly at 10:30 so that teachers have adequate time to finish preparations for the start of school.
The Start of School
The first day of school for all students is Wednesday, August 28. This is a half day of school for students. Starting at 8:15 a.m. students in kindergarten and grade 1 will meet for arrival on the front playground and students in grades 2-5 will meet on the back playground. Families and students enjoy this as a time to meet and briefly visit with friends. Teachers will meet their classes outside by their classroom sign to start the day at 8:30.
Arrive on Time for School
A successful school day begins with on-time arrival. For this reason we welcome students to arrive as early as 8:15 a.m. on the front and back playgrounds. Many students enjoy and benefit from this time to run, play and socialize with peers prior to the start of the school day. Students begin entering the building at 8:27 a.m. in order to have time to unpack backpacks, check-in with teachers and complete morning routines. Students who arrive after 8:30 a.m. experience a delayed start to the day and often miss important instructions and procedures. As a school we work to support all students to have a successful start to the day by arriving on time.
Back to School Night
Please save the date for Back to School Night: Thursday, September 19 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. At Back to School Night parents and guardians have the opportunity to meet their child’s teacher and learn about the core academic curriculum, ways we support social and emotional growth and how families can best support their child at home. I will also talk briefly about the priorities for the year ahead. This evening is for adults only.
New Dismissal Procedures
I am pleased to announce that this year we will be using CurbSmart to manage our student dismissal process. CurbSmart is an easy-to-use app that instantly synchronizes car line and bus arrivals, allowing faculty and staff to coordinate the safe and organized release of students from school. More detailed instructions for parents and guardians will follow in the weeks ahead.
Safety at Bates
The busy arrival and departure times require specific safety precautions. Please make yourself and all caregivers who come to school aware of these procedures prior to the start of school. For your convenience, these procedures will also be available on our website for you to share with others who would benefit from this information.
Car Line
The Bates School car line begins in the circle in front of the school. Please observe the following:
Approach: Approach the car line from Westgate Rd. only. Do not turn left into the car line from Elmwood Rd. Avoid using Elmwood as your route to Westgate, as this necessitates a dangerous U-turn on Westgate near crosswalks.
Arrival: The Bates car line is a moving car line. Students may exit cars only on the passenger side only once inside the front loop. For safety reasons drivers must remain in the car. Adults and students on safety patrol can provide an extra hand if needed, but students are encouraged to exit the car independently. Please pull forward as far as possible before stopping to let students get out. This will enable the car line to move as quickly as possible. Please remain in the car line after your child has exited the car; do not pass other cars to exit the car line.
Dismissal: If you choose to pick up your child in the car line, please display your family’s name tag in the windshield for staff to see. Your child will meet your car in the front loop.
Parking Lot: For safety reasons the Bates parking lot is only accessible to staff during arrival and dismissal times. Please do not use the parking lot to drop off or pick up your child.
Thank you for partnering with the Bates School to help all of our students have a successful school year. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the office at (781) 446-6260 or batesoffice@wellesleyps.org.
Warm regards,
Toni Jolley
Important Dates:
Monday, August 5 Powerschool Parent Portal opens
Tuesday, August 27 New Family Coffee in the gym, 9:00 a.m.
Visiting hours for all students, 9:45 -10:30 a.m.
Wednesday, August 28 First Day of School; students arrive between 8:15 – 8:30 a.m.
Thursday, Sept. 19 Back to School Night, 6:00 p.m.